As tens of thousands of Southern California residents deal with unprecedented wildfires this week, the American Airlines AAdvantage program is encouraging frequent flyers to help by donating bonus AAdvantage miles for donations to the American Red Cross for a limited time.
Here’s what you need to know about this new offering.
Earn 10x AAdvantage miles for Red Cross donations
Now you can earn 10 AAdvantage miles for every dollar spent on Red Cross donations if you give $25 or more on this page between now and Jan. 22. You can choose where your donation goes: California fires, general disaster relief, the Red Cross’ general efforts (where it is most needed) or local programs in your community.
Since TPG estimates for January 2025 peg AAdvantage miles at 1.65 cents each, that’s an impressive 16.5% return — more than supporting a great cause.
Advantage miles are some of the hardest airline miles to earn — especially since AAdvantage ended its relationship with Bilt last year, meaning you can no longer transfer miles from any credit card programs.
Credit cards are the best for charitable giving
Don’t forget that, in addition to earning 10 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent, you can earn valuable rewards on the credit card you use to make your donation. We recommend paying with one of the best gift cards, such as:
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If you’d like to cover your donation with points and miles, your points can currently go toward a charitable donation when you use Chase’s Pay Yourself Back feature. Instead of the usual 1 cent per point, you can earn 1.25 or 1.5 cents per point to select charities, including the American Red Cross, on all Chase cards through Mar. 31.
Bottom line
If you’re feeling overwhelmed watching the California wildfires blaze across the news screens, donating is an easy way to help — and it’s even more fun when you can maximize the rewards you earn. This is a great opportunity to earn extra AAdvantage miles, which you can use for non-stop flights to Europe, luxury business class seats and more.
But don’t wait. This offer is only available on Jan. 22 — and the sooner you donate, the sooner those funds start making an impact.
Editorial disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely the author’s, not those of any bank, credit card company, airline or hotel, and have not been reviewed, endorsed or approved by any of these organizations.
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