Most airlines want you in the air before they'll treat you like a regular. American will take your grocery runs, too.

In AAdvantage, most of the miles you earn, whether from a flight, a credit card, or dinner at a partner restaurant, also count as Loyalty Points toward elite status. And while Delta and United have ditched their award charts, American still uses one for partner flights, which keeps some business class seats surprisingly affordable.

That makes AAdvantage a good fit even if you only fly a few times a year, as long as you know where your miles go furthest.

American Airlines AAdvantage is American's free loyalty program. You earn miles on flights and everyday spending, then redeem them for award flights on American and its partners.

Join on aa.com before your next trip. Members get free Wi-Fi on most American flights, and you'll need an AAdvantage number to earn miles or transfer points in.

AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months without any earning or redeeming activity. Holding an American Airlines credit card keeps them from expiring, and so does any partner activity, like a dinner through AAdvantage Dining.

AAdvantage miles are generally worth around 1.5 cents each, though the real number depends on how you use them. To size up any redemption, run this math:

(Cash price − taxes and fees) ÷ miles required = value per mile

If a domestic flight costs $250 or 15,000 miles plus $5.60 in taxes, that's ($250 − $5.60) ÷ 15,000 = $0.016, or about 1.6 cents per mile. That's a good use of miles.

American belongs to the oneworld alliance, so you can earn and redeem AAdvantage miles on member airlines like Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qantas, and Qatar Airways.

American also works with airlines outside oneworld, including Aer Lingus, Etihad, and IndiGo. Some of these partners only let you earn miles, not redeem them, so check before you count on one for a trip.

You can book most partner awards on aa.com alongside American's own flights. A few can only be booked by calling American.

On flights sold by American, you earn miles on the base fare and carrier-imposed fees (not taxes). The more status you have, the more you earn per dollar:

Basic economy fares don't earn miles or Loyalty Points, so it can be worth paying up for main cabin if you're chasing status.

Booking a partner airline instead? Add your AAdvantage number to the reservation, and you'll usually earn based on how far you fly and your fare class.

Citi ThankYou® Rewards points transfer to AAdvantage at a 1:1 ratio from Citi's premium cards, so 20,000 points becomes 20,000 miles. Some other Citi cards transfer at a lower rate.

Transfers can't be undone, so wait until you've found an award before you move points. Until then, keeping them flexible lets you compare American with other airline transfer partners.

Marriott Bonvoy points transfer to AAdvantage at a 3:1 ratio, too. It's not a great rate, but moving 60,000 points at once adds a 5,000-mile bonus.

American's credit cards are issued by Citi and range from a no-annual-fee option to premium cards with Admirals Club access. Most come with perks like a free checked bag and preferred boarding.

Every eligible dollar you spend also earns a Loyalty Point toward elite status, so everyday purchases can help you qualify. Welcome bonuses don't count, though.

American has plenty of ways to earn miles on the ground:

Most of these also earn Loyalty Points, and they stack with your credit card rewards. Buying miles from American, on the other hand, rarely makes sense unless you're a few short for a specific award.

On aa.com, check "Redeem miles" when you search, and compare prices across a few nearby dates before you pick one.

American prices its own flights dynamically, so the miles price usually rises and falls with the cash fare. Partner flights work differently. They follow a fixed award chart, but only on the seats partners release for awards, which can be limited.

A few rules worth knowing before you book:

Miles can also go toward hotels, upgrades, or Admirals Club passes, but a flight will usually get you more for them.

AAdvantage's best deals usually come from its partner award chart, where prices stay put no matter what the cash fare does.

On partner airlines, business class to Europe starts at 57,500 miles one-way, and Japan starts at 60,000. The same trip on American's own flights can cost far more, sometimes triple.

Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Finnair are a few of the partners with standout business class seats. Saver seats on these flights can be hard to find, so flexibility on dates helps.

Domestic economy awards on American can start as low as 5,000 miles one-way, especially during its periodic award sales. Short nonstop flights usually offer the best value.

AAdvantage isn't the only program that can put you on an American flight. Alaska Atmos Rewards often charges about the same as AAdvantage for American flights, and it's a transfer partner of Bilt Rewards.

British Airways Avios can book American flights, too, and it's a transfer partner of most major flexible points programs. It isn't always the cheaper option, though, so compare prices before you transfer.

The catch is that partner programs only see seats American releases to partners. Nonstop domestic saver seats also tend to disappear for partners close to departure.

American's elite status runs on Loyalty Points, and this is where AAdvantage stands out. There's no minimum number of flights, so you can technically earn status without boarding a plane.

The qualification year runs from March through February. Here's how many Loyalty Points each tier takes:

There's also an invite-only tier above Executive Platinum called ConciergeKey.

Every tier gets perks like complimentary upgrades, free checked bags, better seats, priority boarding, and bonus miles on flights. Platinum and above also get oneworld status that opens partner lounges on international trips. Platinum Pro and Executive Platinum members can even use oneworld first class lounges, like Cathay Pacific's The Pier First Class Lounge in Hong Kong or the Qantas First Lounge at LAX.

Along the way, American's Loyalty Point Rewards hand out extra perks at milestones, starting at 15,000 Loyalty Points, like inflight food and drink coupons. You don't have to reach Gold to get something for your activity.

Signing up is an easy yes, even if you only fly American now and then. It's free, it gets you free Wi-Fi on most American flights, and earning or redeeming any miles keeps your balance alive.

AAdvantage is worth focusing on if you live near an American hub like Dallas-Fort Worth, Charlotte, Miami, or Philadelphia, already earn Citi ThankYou points, or want to fly partner business class without paying dynamic prices. If you're new to points, a short domestic saver award is an easy first booking.

It's less useful if most of your points are in a program that doesn't transfer to AAdvantage. In that case, booking American flights through a partner program can be the better route. And if you mostly fly another airline, Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, or Atmos Rewards may be a better fit.

Most people will earn the bulk of their AAdvantage miles on the ground, through a card, shopping, and dining. Spend them on a partner award, like business class to Japan, and those everyday purchases can turn into a seat that would cost thousands in cash.