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Have you ever wondered if you can exchange your hard-earned airline miles for a Dyson vacuum or a toaster? You probably haven't but we're here to tell you that it's now possible through American Airlines' new shopping marketplace, called AAdvantage Exchange.
Let's look at the new program and see if it makes sense to redeem miles this way.
What Is the American Airlines AAdvantage Exchange?
This American Airlines AAdvantage Exchange shopping platform, which you can find here, is simply a collection of goods in categories from travel to jewelry that you can purchase using American Airlines miles.
On the surface, having more redemption options sounds good. However, as with most non-travel redemption options, we can expect the redemption rate through AAdvantage Exchange to be low… but just wait till you see how low.
What Can You Buy Through the AAdvantage Exchange?
The miles required for specific items depends on your American Airlines status, so the higher status you have, the fewer miles required — and the better the value.
Amazon Smart TV
This Amazon 50″ TV is 86,400 miles with no status and 64,800 miles with Executive Platinum status. This TV retails for $240 on Amazon, so those without status get a miserable 0.27 cents/mile, while Executive Platinum elites get 0.37 cents per mile.
Considering 80,000 AAdvantage miles could get you a first-class ticket to Japan from anywhere in the United States — worth several thousand dollars — you can see just how much more value you can get out of your AAdvantage miles.
Rangefinder
Want to improve your golf game? This rangefinder would cost 25,100 miles without status. It retails for $130, giving you a 0.50 cents per mile redemption value.
Alternatively, you can use 20,000 American miles to fly round-trip from New York (JFK) to Montego Bay, Jamaica (MBJ). This far exceeds the rangefinder cost.
Want something travel-related? This American Tourister Spinner luggage set costs 44,100 miles. At a retail price of $275, this would yield a 0.62 cents per mile return.
Related: Best Ways to Use American AAdvantage Miles
Bottom Line
To put it bluntly, these AAdvantage Exchange redemptions are uninspiring. The value you get for your miles is poor considering all the other fantastic ways to redeem AAdvantage miles for outsized value. Should you have no plans to fly at all, though, using your miles to purchase items you need would certainly be a cash savings. But apart from that scenario, please save your valuable American miles for your next exciting trip!
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