Can You Combine Two People’s Points for American Flights

American Airlines AAdvantage is one of the most popular loyalty programs in the industry today. If you’re planning a trip but don’t have enough miles in your account for award travel, you might wonder: Can you combine two people’s points for American flights? The short answer is yes—sort of. While you can’t directly merge miles into one account, there are ways to combine or transfer miles to someone else's account. Here’s how you can make it happen!

How to Combine American Airlines Miles from Two Accounts

If one person’s account has enough miles to help you book a flight, you can transfer miles from their account to yours. Here’s how to do it:

Steps to Transfer AAdvantage Miles:

1. Go to aa.com and log in to your AAdvantage account.
2. Click on the “Transfer” tab under the “Buy, Gift, or Transfer” section.
3. Enter the recipient’s information, including their AAdvantage number and email address.
4. Use the calculator on the page to check transfer costs.
5. Pay the transfer fee with a credit or debit card and complete the transaction.

Keep in mind, transferring miles comes with fees. It’s worth it if the combined miles will help you book an award flight or prevent your miles from expiring.

Use the transfer tab in your AAdvantage account to transfer American Airlines miles.

Costs of Transferring Miles

Transferring AAdvantage miles isn’t free. American Airlines charges a fee based on the number of miles you transfer. Thankfully American Airlines recently lowered the cost of transferring AAdvantage miles, making it much more affordable than before. Here are the details:

• Cost Per Mile: Transferring miles now costs 0.5 cents per mile, reduced from the previous rate of 1.5 cents per mile.
• Transfer Amounts: You can transfer miles in increments of 1,000 to 200,000 miles.
• No Additional Fees: There are no extra transaction fees beyond the cost per mile.

For example, transferring 20,000 miles would now cost just $100 (20,000 miles × 0.5 cents), which is significantly more reasonable than the old cost of $300 for the same transfer.

This reduced fee makes transferring miles a viable option in cases where combining balances helps you book a high-value award or prevents miles from going unused.

Transferring American Airlines miles is not free and comes with a cost.

Why Combine American Airlines Miles?

Transferring AAdvantage miles can be a useful tool in certain scenarios. While it isn’t always the most cost-effective option, here are some situations where it might make sense:

1. To Book a High-Value Award

If combining miles from two accounts allows you to reach the threshold for a valuable redemption, transferring miles can be worth the cost. For example:

• If you have 50,000 miles and your partner has 20,000 miles, you could transfer the miles and book a high-value business class ticket, such as a Qatar Airways flight, which might cost thousands of dollars in cash.

American Airlines miles are super useful for booking great flights like Qatar Airways Business Class for just 70,000 miles one way!

2. To Prevent Miles from Expiring

AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. If a family member or friend’s miles are about to expire and they don’t plan to use them, transferring those miles to your account can preserve their value and put them to good use.

3. To Make Small Balances Useful

If someone has a small number of miles that aren’t enough for a meaningful redemption, transferring them to a more active account can help consolidate the balance for a better use. For instance:

• If a friend has 5,000 miles sitting idle, transferring them to your account could help top up for your next award flight.

4. As a Gift

AAdvantage allows you to redeem miles directly for others without transferring. However, if you want to give someone miles to use on their own, transferring can be a thoughtful gift—just be sure the fees are worth it for the recipient.

While transferring miles comes with costs, the recent reduction to 0.5 cents per mile makes it a more practical option in these situations. Always evaluate whether transferring is the best use of your miles compared to booking directly or saving for future redemptions.

Can You Transfer AAdvantage Miles to Partner Accounts?

No, you can’t transfer AAdvantage miles to a partner airline’s loyalty program. However, you can redeem your miles directly for partner airline flights through American Airlines. For example, you can book flights with British Airways, Alaska Airlines, or other Oneworld alliance partners right from the AAdvantage platform.

Use American Airlines awards to book partner flights like British Airways Business Class.

FAQs About Combining American Airlines Miles

1. Can you combine AAdvantage miles with family members?

You can’t merge miles directly, but you can transfer them between accounts for a fee or book flights together using individual accounts.

2. How much does it cost to transfer AAdvantage miles?

The cost varies depending on the number of miles you transfer. Fees are calculated during the transfer process on aa.com.

3. Can I transfer AAdvantage miles to a partner airline?

No, AAdvantage miles can’t be transferred to partner airline accounts. However, you can redeem them for partner flights directly through American Airlines.

4. Do AAdvantage miles expire?

Yes, AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. You can keep your miles active by earning, redeeming, or transferring them.

5. Is transferring miles worth it?

It depends. If the miles you transfer help book a flight or prevent them from expiring, it’s often worth the fee.

Final Thoughts

American Airlines does offer ways for people to combine points into one account. However, doing so comes at a cost so make sure it's worthwhile and will help maximize your miles.