Is American Airlines Gold Worth It? And How To Get It
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Written by
Harlan Vaughn
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Edited by
Jasmin Baron, CCC™
If you find yourself heading to the airport often, you’re probably familiar with the routine: Check in, stand in a security line, head to a crowded boarding gate and find your ever-shrinking seat. Having elite status can make those things a little easier, which can add up to a significant difference for a frequent traveler.
And if you’re able to choose between more than one airline, you might be wondering about American Airlines’ AAdvantage program — and when it’s worth your consideration. This guide will explain what AA elite status includes and how to earn it, to help you decide.
What Is American Airlines Gold Status?
Gold is the entry-level tier of elite status in the American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program. There are four levels in total. When you reach Gold status, American Airlines begins offering extra benefits to reward your loyalty.
What You’ll Get With AA Gold Elite Status
Here’s what you can look forward to upon earning Gold status.
- 40% mileage bonus: For eligible flights, you’ll earn 40% more redeemable miles that you can use for flights, upgrades and more, plus 40% more Loyalty Points toward the next elite level
- Priority check-in, security and boarding: You can access faster lanes if they’re available and get on the plane a little quicker to access that all-important overhead bin space
- First checked bag free: When flying domestically, you and up to eight companions on the same reservation get your first bag checked for free, which can save you at least $35 each way
- Preferred and Main Cabin Extra seats: You can select a Preferred seat at booking or a Main Cabin Seat at check-in if they’re available to enjoy added legroom and a couple other perks
- Free upgrades to the next cabin: If a seat is available, you can get an upgrade 24 hours before departure to business or first class on flights within North America
- Oneworld Ruby status: American is part of the Oneworld alliance, which means you receive some benefits when you fly with other Oneworld airlines
What To Expect With AA Gold Elite Status
Now for the good stuff. Those Preferred and Main Cabin Extra seats are available for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation. That’s a nice flex when it works. But if only one seat is available, you might not want to accept an upgrade and risk being separated from your group.
Being able to board a little earlier and avoid lines is something I personally value. I like to get to my seat and open a book, knowing my bag is already stowed above my seat. Plus, the more you fly, the more you can use the benefits — all while earning 40% extra Loyalty Points toward the next elite tier.
All this sounds good, and I don’t mean to be a wet blanket, but it’s important to keep the benefits in perspective — especially for seat upgrades. I held AA Gold elite status for a few years and flew regularly.
On crowded flights that depart AA hubs or on popular routes, like Chicago (ORD) to New York-JFK or Miami (MIA) to Dallas (DFW), don’t expect an upgrade at all. The best seats are reserved for higher-tier members or, in many cases, are unavailable. I scored an upgrade flying from Chicago to Indianapolis (IND) on a random Tuesday and considered it a pleasant surprise. In reality, you probably won’t unlock that many seat upgrades.
It’s also worth noting that some of these benefits are available automatically with the best airline credit cards.
How Do You Earn Gold Status With American?
American has only one metric for elite status: Loyalty Points. To earn Gold status, you need to earn 40,000 Loyalty Points within a qualification year. Upon earning status, it’s valid for the remainder of the membership year in which it was earned and for all of the next membership year.
American’s tracker to earn status resets on March 1 every year and go through the last day of February the following year. For 2026, for example, the program year goes from March 1, 2026, to Feb. 1, 2027.
You get to keep the status from the date you qualify or April 1 (whichever comes first) through March 31 of the following year. If you earn elite status in 2026, you can retain it through March 31, 2028.
There are many ways to earn elite status with American. Here are some of them.
Fly With American and Its Partners
Of course, you’ll earn Loyalty Points for redeemable miles and elite credit when you fly with American. The miles you earn for American flights are based on the ticket price, and you’ll earn 5 base miles per dollar (not including taxes, fees and Basic Economy fares).
Once you achieve Gold status, you’ll get a 40% bonus toward your mileage balance and elite status progress. If you buy a $1,000 ticket (excluding taxes and fees), you’ll earn 5,000 miles and 5,000 Loyalty Points toward status. And as a Gold member, you’d earn 7,000 miles and 7,000 Loyalty Points.
You’ll also earn miles and elite credit when you fly with American’s partners, though the rates vary depending on which partner you fly with. You’ll need to check with the specific partner to find out how many miles you’ll earn, if any.
Spend on an American Airlines Credit Card
When you spend on a co-branded American Airlines credit card, you’ll earn 1 Loyalty Point toward elite status and 1 AAdvantage mile for every dollar spent on purchases. So if, for example, you spend $40,000 on an American Airlines credit card, you’ll also have Gold elite status just from spending.
Issued by Citi, our advertising partner, American Airlines credit cards to consider include:
- American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Card
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard®
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
- Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard®
There’s no limit to how many Loyalty Points you can earn this way, though we’d be remiss if we said it’s not worth it just to earn status. But if you have one of the cards and you’re going to spend anyway, it’s a nice boost. And if you don’t, consider one of the best travel credit cards for this level of spending instead.
Shop and Dine With AAdvantage Programs
American has three programs tied to AAdvantage: two shopping sites and a dining network.
With the AAdvantage shopping portal, you click a link for the store where you want to shop, complete your purchase and earn Loyalty Points some time after (usually a few weeks, in my experience). Rates vary, though it’s free to use. If you do a lot of online shopping, it’s a quick way to rack up more Loyalty Points.
Then there’s the dining program. You simply link your credit and debit cards, dine at a participating restaurant and earn Loyalty Points a week or so later (again, in my experience). You’ll earn up to 5 miles per dollar, inclusive of tax and tip. It’s free to join, and there are restaurants nearly everywhere, so there’s no downside to enrolling.
Another cool program is SimplyMiles. It requires more interaction, as you have to enroll in each offer, but you can link any Mastercard and earn extra Loyalty Points when you spend at certain merchants. Most of them aren’t relevant to the way I shop, but every now and then, there’s a stellar offer that makes it worth checking into.
Book Travel Through American
Did you know you can book hotels, cruises and other travel through American? You can, with extra Loyalty Points toward elite status. You usually won’t earn points or elite status credits in the hotel’s loyalty program when you book this way, but if it’s a boutique hotel or if you prefer American status more, it’s another way to boost your status.
For cruise fans, be sure to compare offers to ensure you’re getting the best deal for your desired destinations.
How Much Are American Miles Worth?
CardCritics™ estimates that AAdvantage miles are worth about 1.5 cents each, on average, which is in line with the best airline loyalty programs. The best way to use your miles is on long-haul international routes operated by American’s partners. The next best option is to use them for something that makes you happy.
Who Should Go After AA Gold Status?
So, is American Airlines Gold status worth it for you? It could be if any of these resonate:
- You already fly with American: If American flies where you need to go or is dominant at your home airport, it would be helpful to enjoy extra comfort on flights you’re already planning. In this situation, you might even want to go all-in with the dining and shopping programs, co-branded credit cards and other earning options to accelerate your path to status.
- You’re choosing American: If your airport has robust airline options and you find American has the best routes, times or prices, it could be worth switching your loyalties to fly with more convenience.
- You have a lot of travel coming up: If you know you have a few big trips planned, perhaps on American partners, you can credit your flights to the AAdvantage program and earn elite status that much faster. If your trips are already in the works, you could come out the other side with elite status.
Who Shouldn’t Go After AA Gold Status?
Contrarily, there are times when airline status just isn’t worth it.
- You’d spend more: If you’d pay more than you otherwise would on flights, shopping or credit cards, it’s not recommended just to earn status. However, if it could be a natural byproduct of travel or spending you already have, that’s a different story.
- The routes or times don’t align: If you need to travel for work and the only flight departs at 4 a.m. with two connections, would that be worth it compared to a nonstop flight at a better time? Probably not. Don’t go far out of your way to earn status (unless you really want to, of course).
- You don’t have much travel planned: There’s no point in having status if you can’t use it. It’s only useful if you fly. If you’re homebound for a while, skip the status until you have travel in the books.
Frequently Asked Questions About American Airlines Status
Is it worth buying airline status?
Typically, no, it’s not worth buying airline status. The only time it’s worthwhile is if you think you can cover the cost with the benefits, such as upgrades, free checked bags and priority boarding. American sometimes has personalized offers for instant elite status, and they’re usually terrible.
What benefits do you get with an AA Gold membership?
With an AA Gold membership, you get faster boarding and check-in, one free checked bag domestically, 40% more miles per dollar spent on American flights and maybe an occasional upgrade — but don’t expect it.
Is AAdvantage Gold worth the effort?
AAdvantage Gold is worth it if American works for your travel plans and you won’t spend extra money just to earn it. It’s also worth it if you value the benefits and, more importantly, will use them.
Does Gold status get you into American lounges?
No, American Airlines Gold status doesn’t get you into American’s Admirals Club lounges. You would still have to buy access, hold an eligible credit card with airport lounge access or have a qualifying boarding pass to get into the lounge. Having status on its own is not enough.
