American Airlines launches new AAdvantage Pass for $5,000, offering fun opportunity to earn membership and bonus miles
American Airlines AAdvantage members now have a new, quick tool to earn status and tons of miles — but it’ll cost you a bunch of cash.
The Fort Worth-based airline has launched its new “AAdvantage Pass™” with a host of benefits, including:
- Instant AAdvantage Gold Status
- 100,000 bonus AAdvantage miles
- And, 15,000 loyalty points can take your status to the next level.
Now, get ready for a surprise: This package costs $5,000.
The big question is: is it worth it?
Based on TPG’s December 2025 valuation, these AAdvantage bonus miles alone are worth approximately $1,550.
Related: The Ultimate Guide to American Airlines AAdvantage
American Airlines Gold members enjoy a host of benefits, including priority check-in and boarding, 40% flight mileage bonus, free checked bags, free upgrades on domestic flights and free additional seats in preferred or main cabin starting 24 hours before departure.
Other potential benefits that could be valuable include Oneworld Ruby status and upgrades on Alaska Airlines flights.
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Related: Best uses for American Airlines AAdvantage miles
Another factor that may encourage you to consider purchasing a pass is the fact that you can earn bonus miles with the purchase of a pass for $5,000. If you use a code purchased with American Airlines, you do accumulate some bonus miles and loyalty points by using a credit card that rewards American Airlines purchases.
We are waiting to hear back from the operator, but I hope the pass will be coded as an AA purchase.
If I use my Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees), I earn four times the AAdvantage miles, or 20,000 AAdvantage miles plus 5,000 loyalty points, on qualifying American Airlines purchases.
We should also point out that there’s now a very valuable alternative way to earn tons of AAdvantage miles with the new AAdvantage Miles. Citi® / AAdvantage® Globe™ Mastercard® (see Rates and Fees), new cardholders can earn 90,000 AAdvantage miles (on $5,000 in purchases within the first four months) with the newest addition to the AAdvantage card portfolio.
With the card, you’ll earn 3 miles for every $1 you spend on eligible American Airlines purchases, and if the new pass is coded as an AA purchase (which we assume it will be), you’ll earn 15,000 AAdvantage miles and another 5,000 loyalty points. Then, you’ll earn an additional 5,000 loyalty points after four qualifying American Airlines flights on what AA calls “consecutive flights” (up to three per year).
This is another thing to consider if you are considering purchasing this pass.
Of course, the most important consideration with this new AAdvantage Pass is the hefty price.
As someone who is within a few thousand loyalty points of re-qualifying for AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, this offer may not be enough for me to pull the trigger. But if I was undocumented and planned to fly that airline frequently, I would definitely consider it.
While you can get Gold status right away, you can’t earn the 40,000 loyalty points you normally need, so while the 15,000 loyalty points that come with the pass are great, you still have a long way to go before you can get the AAdvantage Platinum card.
While $5,000 sounds expensive, the cost can ultimately pay for itself if you maximize your potential to earn miles and points and take full advantage of your AA Gold membership.
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