Hurry: American AAdvantage is offering a generous bonus of miles for cruise bookings

Exciting news for American Airlines enthusiasts: Earn significant bonus miles this month by booking a cruise.

On Monday, American Airlines Cruises kicked off a new promotion, providing customers with 2 American Airlines AAdvantage miles for every dollar spent on cruise fares (excluding taxes and fees). This is double the usual rate of 1 mile per dollar.

For instance, spending $8,000 on a cruise fare during this promotion could net you up to 16,000 AAdvantage miles.

That's a substantial amount of AAdvantage miles. TPG values AAdvantage miles at 1.7 cents each, meaning that 16,000 miles would equate to $272 based on this valuation.

In other words, those 16,000 miles could secure you two complimentary flights within the contiguous U.S. and Canada when booking at the lowest award rate of 7,500 miles per ticket in the AAdvantage program.

A chance to maximize your rewards

The double miles promotion is part of a larger initiative this month at American Airlines Cruises, known as America's Largest Cruise Sale, offering additional savings and benefits based on the specific cruise you choose (in addition to any promotions from the cruise lines).

Here are the extra savings and benefits by cruise line:

• Royal Caribbean: Receive up to $100 in onboard credit along with a specialty dining credit
• Norwegian Cruise Line: Prepaid gratuities for two guests
• Carnival Cruise Line: Prepaid gratuities for all passengers
• Celebrity Cruises: Get up to $200 in onboard credit on select sailings plus special rates
• Cunard: Enjoy up to $300 in onboard credit
• Holland America: Gratuities covered for two guests and special rates
• Princess Cruises: Up to $100 in onboard credit along with special rates
• Oceania Cruises: Up to $150 in onboard credit and special rates
• Regent Seven Seas Cruises: Save up to $2,000
• Silversea Cruises: $500 in savings
• AmaWaterways: Prepaid gratuities for all guests on select 2024 sailings
• Azamara Cruises: Up to $500 in onboard credit and special rates
• Viking: Enjoy up to $200 in onboard credit

You can also earn more miles by booking your cruise with an American Airlines AAdvantage credit card. As usual with American Airlines Cruises, you earn 1 extra AAdvantage mile for every dollar spent on cruise bookings made with an American Airlines AAdvantage card.

This means you could earn up to 3 miles for every dollar spent on a cruise fare through this promotion, potentially accumulating 24,000 AAdvantage miles for an $8,000 cruise.

Keep in mind that you need to act quickly to secure the bonus miles. This enhanced mileage offer is available only until June 28 and applies to new bookings for cruises set to occur between Tuesday, June 11, 2024, and December 31, 2025.

Overview of the bonus mile offer

Unlike certain frequent flyer programs that limit cruise bonuses to specific cabin categories, this new bonus mile offer is available for any type of cabin or suite — not just premium options.

Some important notes: Bonus miles are awarded per cabin and credited to only one passenger for each cruise booking. To be eligible, customers must make their reservations through the American Airlines Cruises portal.

Additionally, the miles earned from this promotion are calculated based on the total cruise fare, excluding port fees, taxes, and insurance.

Other important details include:

• You can earn an unlimited number of miles.
• Your American Airlines AAdvantage number must be submitted before boarding.
• Miles will be credited to the member's account six to eight weeks after the cruise concludes.
• All cruises must be paid for in U.S. currency.
• AAdvantage members will receive Loyalty Points for base miles earned when booking through American Airlines Cruises, but not for bonus miles from this promotion.

Which credit card should I choose for booking?

To get the most out of your purchase, consider using an American Airlines AAdvantage credit card, such as the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees). As mentioned earlier, this card will earn you extra bonus miles when you book a cruise through American Airlines Cruises. Currently, it offers 70,000 bonus miles after spending $7,000 within the first three months of account opening.

If you don’t have an American Airlines card, opt for a card that provides bonus points on cruises. A great alternative is the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, which offers 2 points for every dollar spent on travel, including cruises. At the moment, you can earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after spending $4,000 within the first three months, plus a $300 statement credit on Chase Travel℠ purchases during your first year.