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Using American Airlines Flight Discounts

American Airlines Flight Discounts are easy to redeem on AA.com. You may retrieve your Flight Discount # and PIN # by clicking on the link sent to you via email.

On the payment screen, enter both the Flight Discount # and PIN # exactly as they appear on the retrieval page. If the total price of the ticket exceeds the value of your Flight Discount, you may use a credit card for any remaining balance.

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Two Easy Ways To Give The Gift Of Travel

Give the gift of travel.

An American Airlines gift card is the perfect gift for any occasion. You can have your card delivered by mail or email that can be used toward the purchase of a ticket to hundreds of exciting destinations. Terms and Conditions apply.

Choose the right gift card for you:

Virtual Gift Cards

• Available to use in 72 hours
• Sent directly to your recipient through email
• Option to send directly to yourself and forward to your recipient
• Ability to buy multiple cards to be emailed to multiple addresses
• Customizable options for different occasions and personalized messages to your recipient
• No expiration date

Plastic Gift Cards

• Delivery in 4 - 5 business days ($4.95 shipping and handling charges apply)
• Space to add a personalized message to your recipient
• Ability to buy multiple cards and personally deliver them to your recipients (if buying multiple cards in the same order, gift card denominations must be the same)
• Signature required for delivery!

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Using American Airlines Gift Cards

American Airlines Gift Cards are easy to redeem on AA.com. If you received a plastic Gift Card and you're ready to redeem your Gift Card, be sure to gently scratch off the grey film covering the four-digit PIN # on the back of the card. If you received a virtual card you may retrieve your Card # and PIN # by clicking on the link sent to you via email.

On the payment screen, enter both the Card # and PIN # exactly as they appear on the back of the Gift Card. If the total price of the ticket exceeds the value of your Gift Card, you may use a credit card for any remaining balance.

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How to Use an American Airlines Flight Credit

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Table of Contents

How to use a flight credit on American Airlines

How to use a trip credit on american airlines, 4 steps to book a flight with american airlines flight credit, 4 steps to book a flight with american airlines trip credit, final thoughts on american airlines flight credits and trip credits.

If you've previously canceled an American Airlines flight, you may be wondering how to use American Airlines flight credits or how to use American airlines trip credits. The good news is that redeeming flight credits and trip credits to book American Airlines flights is quick and easy.

Before learning more about each, including how to redeem these American Airlines credits, you’ll want to understand how flight credits and trip credits are earned and how these travel credits function.

Here's a look at how to use an American Airlines flight credit.

» Learn more: The best airline credit cards right now

American Airlines issues flight credit for unused or canceled tickets. This type of compensation is different from trip credits because flight credits can generally be used for the passenger whose name was on the original ticket only.

Here's what you need to know about flight credits:

You can use these credits for flights only.

Flight credits can't be redeemed for extras like seats or bags.

Flight credit is valid for one year from the issue date unless otherwise noted.

You can use one flight credit per passenger when booking at AA.com (contact American Airlines to book with more than one flight credit).

Only the same passenger named on the flight credit can book and travel.

American Airlines issues trip credit as compensation, refunds and for the remaining value of flight credit exchanges.

Here's what you need to know about trip credits:

Trip credit is valid for non-award bookings.

You can use trip credit for domestic or international flights originating in the U.S.

These credits can't be redeemed for extras like seats or bags.

Trip credit is valid for one year from the issue date.

You can use eight trip credits in a single passenger reservation when booking at AA.com (contact American Airlines to book more than one passenger).

The trip credit recipient can use their credit to book and pay for travel for themselves or others.

» Learn more: Complete guide to American Airlines elite status

​​Where can you see your flight credit or trip credit balance?

American Airlines will send an email with flight credit and trip credit information directly to travelers. You can go back to the email to review your credit details.

You can also review your credit details another way.

If you're an AAdvantage member, you can log in to your account and check any credits by clicking on your "Wallet." If you have active credits, they will be listed here.

How long are American Airlines flight credits and trip credits good for?

Most American Airlines travel credits are valid for one year from the issue date unless otherwise noted.

Special rules for eligible flight credits: If you're an AAdvantage member and have an original ticket issued from Jan. 1, 2020, to Dec. 31, 2021, the value of your unused ticket can be used by Sept. 30, 2022, for travel through Dec. 31, 2022.

What can I do if my flight credit or trip credit expired?

Make sure you check your flight credit and trip credit expiration dates. American Airlines won't make exceptions if your credit expires.

Here is a breakdown of what the airline's terms and conditions state about credit expirations:

American Airlines won't reissue trip credits past the expiration date and are not responsible for honoring invalid or expired trip credit.

American Airlines won't extend or reissue flight credits past the expiration date, and expired flight credits will not be honored.

» Learn more: Everything you need to know about the American Airlines AAdvantage program

Here is how to use American Airlines flight credit:

1. Have your flight credit details ready

You can find your flight credit ticket number in the email from American Airlines or by logging into your AAdvantage account and going to your wallet.

2. Browse and select flights

Search for and find your desired flights.

3. Click “+ Flight Credit” to apply your flight credit before checking out

After confirming your flight details, passenger details and selecting your seats, you'll see an option to add a flight credit before finalizing the payment and checkout process.

4. Finish the booking and checkout process

Once you apply your flight credit, you can complete the checkout process.

If you don't have enough credit to cover the cost of your flight, you'll choose a payment method to pay the difference.

If the ticket price is less than the value of your flight credit, you will receive the remaining credit balance issued as a credit to use for future travel.

The process of using an American Airlines trip credit is similar:

1. Have your trip credit details ready

You can locate your trip credit number in your email from American Airlines or in the wallet section of your AAdvantage member account.

2. Browse and select your flights

Search for and find the flights that you want to book.

3. Click “+ Trip Credit” to apply your trip credit before checking out

Once you confirm flight details, passenger details and select your seats, you'll be able to add a trip credit before finalizing the payment and checkout process.

Once you add your trip credit and see that it has been applied, you can continue through the checkout process.

If you don't have enough credit to cover the cost of your ticket, you'll choose a payment method to pay the difference.

If the ticket price is less than the value of your trip credit, you will receive the remaining value issued as a credit, which you can use for future trips.

American Airlines makes it easy to redeem travel credits when booking flights on their website. Now that you know how to use a flight credit and how to use a trip credit on American Airlines, you can put any remaining credits to use. Just make sure to keep on top of travel credit expiration dates so your credits don't go unused.

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American Airlines is making it much easier to redeem your existing travel credits

There's great news for American Airlines travelers with unused travel credits.

This week, the Fort Worth-based carrier began a multi-step process in making it easier than ever to redeem those credits. The devil is in the details, but essentially American is converting existing "Flight Credit" into "Trip Credit." Though it's only a one-word difference on paper, the implications of this change are much more far-reaching — in a positive way.

Want more airline-specific news? Sign up for TPG's free new biweekly Aviation newsletter!

Previously, when you voluntarily canceled a flight, American issued a "Flight Credit" for the value of your unused trip. When it was time to rebook your travel , you could only use it for the originally ticketed passenger. Plus, you couldn't combine several credits to purchase a more expensive fare.

Say you canceled three one-way flights: one for $100 from New York to Miami, one for $200 from New York to Charlotte and one for $300 from New York to Dallas/Fort Worth. Well, if you ultimately decided to book a trip from New York to California for $600 in business class, you couldn't redeem all three credits at once.

If you were making the purchase on AA's website, you'd be limited to redeeming just one credit per passenger. If you instead called the reservations department, they'd be able to use a maximum of two Flight Credits towards your new trip. But that third one? You'd be forced to hang onto it for another time.

American's new go-to form of credit, "Trip Credits," doesn't have either of those restrictions.

"Trip Credits" are transferrable — you can use your voucher to pay for travel for yourself or others. Better yet, you can combine up to eight "Trip Credits" together towards the purchase of a new reservation.

There are several other notable reasons why "Trip Credits" are far more flexible than "Flight Credits." For one, they can be used to purchase Oneworld and other airline partner itineraries through AA's reservation team. You can also add multiple passengers onto a single reservation, which could help you share elite benefits , like upgrades, priority boarding and complimentary seat assignments, with your travel companions.

Plus, they're stored in your AAdvantage loyalty profile, making it quite easy to keep track of and redeem them.

For now, only select travelers will see their "Flight Credits" converted into "Trip Credits." Throughout August, American confirmed to TPG that it's been converting credits from single-passenger itineraries belonging to AAdvantage loyalty members , with more details and conversions coming soon.

Eligible travelers should check their email for a note from American with the subject line "Update to Your Travel Credit." The email contains details about the conversion process, as well as your new credit information.

In a statement shared with TPG, a carrier spokesperson wrote that,

As we welcome travelers back to the air, we are making it as easy as possible for our customers to fly on American. One way we're doing that is by evaluating our travel credits and identifying ways to simplify the redemption process and give customers more flexibility. Some of the improvements we have already made include securely storing travel credits for AAdvantage members, allowing easy access to their travel credits on aa.com or the American app. It's an area that we'll keep looking at and improving.

Ultimately, the goal is to unify all travel credits into one type to make it easier for customers to do business with AA. Still, the airline told TPG that it's going to take some time before the entire process is finished and there's no immediate timeline for when it'll be complete.

Either way, this is a welcome improvement from American, and it comes as the airline continues to implement flyer-friendly policies in response to the pandemic. In recent months, American has loosened restrictions on basic economy tickets , eliminated AAdvantage award change and cancel fees and removed phone service charges , among others.

And now, with this latest initiative, the carrier is making it easier than ever to use your existing travel credits.

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This trick can make American flight credits a whole lot more valuable

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The coronavirus pandemic has reshaped U.S. airlines into more customer-friendly entities with generous change and cancellation policies . You can freely book speculative flights and not worry about losing your money if your plans change. This week American Airlines , Delta, United and Alaska announced that they’ve eliminated change fees forever . It’s a delight.

There are a few catches, however — the hardest to swallow is that these carriers won’t actually refund your money to your credit card when you make a cancellation (unless you bought a laughably expensive refundable ticket). American Airlines is the worst offender, as the flight credits they issue are quite restrictive. It’s still worlds better than their policies pre-COVID, but limiting enough to still make you think long and hard before booking a flight.

There’s actually a workaround to make your American Airlines flight credits more versatile. I’ll explain one big hindrance of American’s flight credit policy, and show you how to get around it.

American Airlines flight credit restrictions

When you cancel an American Airlines ticket, the airline will deposit flight credit into the accounts of each would-be traveler. It doesn’t matter who bought the tickets.

For example, if you purchased tickets for your family of five to visit Disney World and had to cancel it, the money you spent will be deposited into five different accounts. If you and your partner want to take a weekend vacation to Cancun without the kids, you can only use 2/5 of the money you spent.

RELATED: The Best American Airlines credit cards

I recently purchased two business class flights for my wife and myself for $458 each. When I canceled these tickets, American Airlines deposited $458 in credit into my account, and $458 in credit into my wife’s account. Again, the credits are not refunded to the actual purchaser of the ticket. If I wanted to use part of my $458 flight credit to book a flight for my wife, I can’t do it. My $458 credit can only be used by me, and her credit can only be used by her — even though I bought them both. That stinks.

The workaround

It’s not ideal, but there is a way to shatter the restrictions on these credits. It revolves around the difference between an American Airlines flight credit and an eVoucher .

Here are the details of a flight credit:

And here are the details of an eVoucher:

The secret : When you book a flight with your American Airlines flight credit , you can only book a flight for yourself. But if the new flight you book costs less than your flight credit, American Airlines will issue you an eVoucher for the remaining value. eVouchers can be used for anyone — not just the holder of the credit!

Here’s an example of how I will go about “liquidating” flight credits to get money back.

Step 1. Find the cheapest flight from anywhere to anywhere

One of my family members has a $300 flight credit in their name. She has no idea when she’ll be traveling again, so I want to use that credit for myself. I paid for it, after all.

I start by searching for the cheapest American Airlines flight I can find with Google Flights . I found a $36 one-way flight between Miami and Las Vegas.

Step 2. Book the flight

If my family member uses her $300 flight credit to book that flight, she’ll receive a $264 eVoucher, which can be used to book flights for anyone . I can either ask her to book this flight, or I can do it myself online if she gives me her credentials.

Within a day of booking travel with a flight credit, American Airlines will email an eVoucher to her for the value of the flight credit she didn’t use. In other words, she doesn’t need to actually fly that cheap flight to get the voucher. She’ll even get a $36 flight credit back if she cancels that flight.

Step 3. Obtain the eVoucher

An American Airlines travel voucher has a unique number and PIN which you can use at the bottom of the American Airlines checkout page. You don’t need to provide any credentials to use the eVoucher. I tried using it without being logged in and for a made-up traveler, and it worked. All I have to do is ask my family member to forward me the voucher email when she gets it, and bam! I’ve recouped $264 from being tied up in someone else’s account, no sweat.

Note: If you’ve booked American’s Basic Economy tickets, flight credits can only be redeemed over the phone. You’ll need the participation of each traveler to turn their credits into vouchers.

Bottom line

If you’ve booked and canceled American Airlines flights for others, your money has essentially been deposited into other people’s accounts. But there is a way to get some of your money back — by converting your flight credits into eVouchers.

American Airlines’ eVouchers couldn’t be easier to use. Just select the “alternate form of payment” at the American Airlines checkout page, enter your voucher number, and it will be applied once you proceed to the next screen.

Let us know if you’ve experienced liquidating flight credits, or if you’ve got any other related tips. And subscribe to our newsletter for more travel tricks like this delivered to your inbox once per day.

Featured image by Thiago B Trevisan/Shutterstock

Joseph Hostetler

Joseph Hostetler is a full-time writer for Million Mile Secrets, covering miles and points tips and tricks, as well as helpful travel-related news and deals. He has also authored and edited for The Points Guy.

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A Simple Guide To American Airlines Trip Credits, Flight Credits, Vouchers And Gift Cards

by Gary Leff on October 4, 2020

Fortunately American Airlines has created a comparison chart for their own employees to use. This was published internally for employees on September 26.

If you cancelled several tickets because of the pandemic, your received flight credits. Unfortunately you cannot combine more than one flight credit towards the purchase of a new ticket. The good news is that those can be used for travel through the end of 2021.

The good news is if you have a travel voucher or a trip credit, those can be combined – and you can book travel for anyone you wish using them. For instance if you exchanged a ticket for a less expensive ticket, and were given a trip credit for the difference that isn’t restricted to being used for travel by the original passenger. I’d bet many readers didn’t realize this!

This is a handy chart, and it would be nice if American Airlines posted it to their website, but you may want to bookmark this post as a reference since they do not.

More From View from the Wing

About Gary Leff

Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel - a topic he has covered since 2002. Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

More articles by Gary Leff »

[…] aren’t even sure which type of credit they have no less how it can be used. Thankfully, View from the Wing has published a handy chart (one issued to employees since it’s nearly impossible for them to make sense of the various […]

[…] Trip credits replace travel vouchers as American Airlines Elite Rewards option for 75,000 mile qualifiers. […]

[…] different payment methods American Airlines has, and the rules for each, can be complicated. Last summer American largely replaced ‘flight vouchers’ with ‘trip […]

[…] The various credits that American Airlines still has are confusing, so here’s a simple guide to flight credits (at issue here) versus trip credits. […]

[…] many ways the American Airlines move to ‘trip credits’ and away from ‘flight credits’ has been great. When you have a travel credit with the […]

Wow, didn’t realize that flight credit (the ones in the wallet) are only one per trip. That seems like an unfair restriction designed to maximize breakage. That’s gonna hurt.

Perhaps I’m overreacting, was it this way before they got put in the wallet (Ie., you couldn’t use two cancelled tickets towards one new one?).

In any case Gary, very useful post, thanks!

Another useful information would be to know whether a flight credit can be used to purchase more than one ticket, e.g., some of us may have a flight credit (or voucher) of, say USD 2,000, and can that flight credit be used against the purchase of a single itinerary, in which case the value of that new itinerary would obviously have to be higher than USD 2,000, or can that flight credit (or voucher) of USD 2,000 be used to purchase two itineraries of USD 1,000 each. Thanks.

I have an AA trip credit and a voucher but was told I can’t combine them to purchase a flight.

What do you suggest we do when we are supposed to get an email with a link to an evoucher and the email never arrived?

American is trying to charge us $50 per ticket – so 2 x $50 per round trip ticket, totalling $200 – to use our trip credit!!! Seriously!!??!!

I’ve been dealing with AA all weekend on related issues. Was told I would receive email with voucher info for remaining balance on a previous ticket I used to pay for new trip. 48 hours later, still no email. Called them and they said they would process within next 24 hours (we shall see). While I am supposed to receive a voucher, my son used an old ticket in his “wallet” for a new flight and he received an immediate email with trip credit info. Not sure how they are deciding on gets voucher and who gets trip credit. Called EXP desk and they could not clarify for me. A voucher and trip credit cannot be combined to pay for a new ticket but they can be used to book for other people. Fairly confusing at best.

I have a trip credit from individual ticket. Tried to use it purchasing 4 tickets and pay different with AA Exec credit card to get first bag benefits for all. No go.

Was told that you can’t use individual credit on a group itinerary even if you on itinerary. To use individual travel credit you have to buy individual ticket.

Why did AA add the new trip credit, when they had e-vouchers?

If I have value on an e-voucher for say $500 and use it to buy a ticket for $400, what happens to the remaining $100? Does it sit on the e-voucher, go away forever, or something else?

I have 3 different ticket numbers to use as travel credits. Can I rebook for all 3 at the same time and in the payment section be able to enter all 3 ticket numbers or do I have to rebook each person separate? Thanks

I have two “flight credits”. They are good for travel through December 31, 2021, and only I can use them. Any chance that the expiration date will be extended? I’m already flying overseas on American in October (and used one flight credit for that trip) and won’t be able to travel again until early 2022. American should have issued vouchers instead, as United Airlines did!

David G, your best bet to use those flight credits to book a cheaper flight than what you have credit for. Say for example you have $500 flight credit – book a $35 flight (find anything!) – you will then receive a voucher for the remainder good for one year from that date which can be used much more freely. Once you receive the voucher, you can cancel the cheap flight. Hope this helps

This might be out of date now. I’m adding this comment as this is the first google search result for “can you combine trip credits”. The website now says “You may redeem a single Trip Credit on aa.com or up to 8 by calling Reservations.”

AA is the WORST company and has a terrible company culture. Always been this way but now it’s even worse. They make it almost impossible to use travel credit. I hate this airline so much.

Not sure if anyone will see this, but I have a question. My honeymoon was canceled in 2020 due to covid, and we ended up with about $900 each in AA credits through Expedia that are due to expire 3/31/22. We figured we could just go on a few small trips instead, since our original destination still has covid policies in place that would keep us from being able to vacation there, but as soon as we booked a trip for $400 each, we were told that the rest of our credits had been forfeited because you can only book ONE flight with your total balance. Is this correct? I never would’ve booked a cheap flight for half our credits if I’d known we’d lose the rest. Any insight or advice would be very much appreciated.

Just applied my travel credit from a cancelled Vegas trip last year to another trip my wife and I will be taking later this month. I had the trip on hold and called AA reservations to pay with the credit. Took a while, but ended up working, plus they confirmed that I can use the balance of the travel credit towards a future trip if used before the expiration.

A couple of caveats- they could not apply the travel credit to multiple travelers under one itinerary ie. they had to split me and my wife into 2 separate record locators. Also, for some reason the balance of the travel credit ended up being transferred over to my wife’s AAdvantage account instead of remaining on mine.

Nothing major but some points to consider.

I just called AA, and they were able to combine 2 flight credits to use for a new reservation. FYI

I have an AA flight credit for over $1200 but they are not letting me apply the value of the $900 taxes. How do I get that back?

I have a number of TRIP CREDITS in AA parlance. Does the expiration date mean the TRIP CREDIT must be exchanged for a ticket by the expiration date, or must travel using that TRIP CREDIT commence by the expiration date, or must travel using that TRIP CREDIT be complete by the expiration date?

I am trying to use an evoucher with a trip credit and am will not allow us to do it. Will not fly aa again.

I received a trip credit for AA lack of service leading to a fall.. I do not plan to fly AA again How to convert trip credit to cash?

Question: is a flight that is booked via flight credit or trip credit (I have both) be refunded BACK to flight credit or trip credit if cancelled?

Very useful post, thanks.

Note AA Gift cards have a weird limitation and IMHO ridiculously annoying limitation that they cannot be used for itineraries originating outside the US, (and Puerto Rico etc).

I have been dealing with American Airlines for over a week trying to use a flight credit issued April 25, 2022. My wife needed to cancel because she was needed by her 100 year old step father who was diagnosed with a heart problem on the 21st of that month. Her step father passed away on January 25, 2023 at 101 as a result of the heart issue. We have been trying to book he a trip to use the credit after the celebration of life and finishing some legal matters for him yet American will not allow use to book any flight after March 24th. do i have any other options other than to watch them keep our funds and force us to purchase another ticket with new funds?

AA will not allow me to use a flight credit because it is not for the original route (LIB to DFW). When I cancelled the flight, I asked what the limitations of use on the credit would be. Was told non-transferable for initial trip but any leftover would be transferable and that I had to use within a year. Never was it mentioned that it would have to be for the original route. Today they are telling me that it’s a special provision for international flights. I cannot find this caveat listed on their website or other sources. Any suggestions?

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Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »

American Airlines Paper Voucher: What You Need to Know

Let’s face it – air travel can be unpredictable at times. There are certain factors that can cause an inevitable delay, or worse, cancellation of your flight. That can prove to be a stressful situation for anyone.

Fortunately, with American Airlines, they can present you with paper vouchers for future travels with them. This saves you the hassle of jumping through hoops to get compensated or get a refund. Let’s talk about these vouchers and how to use them.

Table of Contents

What Is an American Airlines Paper Voucher?

Whenever your flight gets cancelled, postponed, or something untoward occurs, American Airlines presents you a voucher. This can be either an electronic or a paper version.

Regardless of what version you get, this voucher may be used to cover for your flight expenses, specifically for your fare on any flight with an AA designation. Do note that it can’t be used for other non-flight products or extras like bags. You can redeem as much as eight of them per trip.

Of course, the voucher can only be used by the recipient. But while it is non-transferable, you can use it to book a travel for anyone.

Why Use a Paper Voucher Instead of an Electronic One?

It’s already the digital age, and electronic travel vouchers take little to no effort to carry with you. Plus, it’s what you use if you’d like to purchase a ticket online . So why pick a paper voucher?

For starters, eVouchers are issued to US customers only. That’s because whenever the eVoucher’s value is less than that of the flight ticket, the customer will have to pay for the difference using a debit or credit card associated with a US, Puerto Rico, or US Virgin Islands billing address. Otherwise, the transaction won’t push through.

Furthermore, a paper voucher is a bit more flexible than its electronic counterpart. You can redeem it for flights originating anywhere, for as long as you book the flight with any of American Airlines’ metal.

How Long Does It Take To Get a Voucher From American Airlines?

Once you decide to get a paper voucher, you may contact American Airlines on what to do. They’ll usually send you an email, which contains a form that you’ll need to fill up with relevant information. Send it back to them and wait for further instructions.

It usually takes two billing cycles, or eight weeks, for you to get the transportation vouchers. However, other customers reported that they received theirs in just two weeks. So don’t fret and just follow up when needed.

How to Use Your American Airlines Paper Voucher

Once you get your paper voucher, it’s time to redeem it. Do note that unlike electronic vouchers, which you can redeem via American Airlines’ site , it’s going to be an entirely different process for the paper version.

As soon as you’re ready, it’s recommended that you book a desired flight first. However, instead of paying, use AA’s “hold” option for the meantime. You now have a 24-hour reservation, and then you’ll receive a record locator number , which you’ll need for the next step.

After you get the necessary details, you may call AA’s reservation . Give the representative your record locator number. If you don’t have it or missed to perform the step above, you can go through the booking process with the agent and then ask the necessary details after.

While on the phone, make sure that you have a pen and paper handy as you’ll need to follow the instructions exactly as is mentioned. Chances are, you’ll be asked to redeem or validate the voucher via snail mail, but don’t worry as the agent will provide every detail that you need. If you do need to mail it in, pick a trackable method and keep the delivery proof with you.

If you followed the steps accordingly, everything should be good to go! The tickets should be with you around two days after the voucher has been validated.

Until When Can You Use Your Paper Travel Voucher?

You don’t necessarily have to use your American Airlines paper voucher as soon as you receive it. It would be wise though to take advantage of it sooner than later to avoid devaluation.

Either way, just be sure to use it a year after it has been issued, otherwise you won’t be reissued a replacement. Simply take note of the expiration date and just plan around it.

Final Thoughts

Using an American Airlines paper voucher should be easy enough, but feel free to contact them if you have questions, such as if there’s an age restriction to buy tickets using the vouchers. Other than that, you can always check their terms and conditions so you’re well-informed.

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Hayden Wall

Hayden is the founder of Travel Gear Discounts and tries to vacation as much as possible. He loves finding the latest travel accessories that will make getting out easier and planning the perfect weekend getaway.

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®

The credit card with benefits to meet all your travel needs

Enjoy preferred boarding, inflight savings, 2x miles on gas and restaurants and more great travel benefits.

Discover the amazing credit card benefits built for your next adventure:

As a Citi® / AAdvantage® member, you have access to special AAdvantage programs that offer even more ways to earn miles when using your Citi® / AAdvantage® credit card

Citi® / AAdvantage® credit cards now give you two great ways to earn with the AAdvantage® program:

Aadvantage® miles earn miles from purchases   what can miles do for you +, what can miles do for you ―.

• Seat upgrades
• Car rentals, hotels and vacations
• Admirals Club® access

Loyalty Points Earn 1 Loyalty Point for every 1 eligible mile earned from purchases   What can Loyalty Points do for you? +

What can loyalty points do for you ―.

• Premium cabin upgrades
• Complimentary access to Main Cabin Extra and Preferred Seats
• Same-day standby priority

More ways to earn and redeem your AAdvantage® miles

Book with american airlines cruises & earn 2x aadvantage® miles.

Eligible Citi® / AAdvantage® Mastercard® cardmembers earn a total of 2X AAdvantage® miles on cruises. Book with the guaranteed best price and receive all the same great deals the cruise lines offer.

Additional terms apply.

Experience more with Loyalty Point Rewards

Loyalty Point Rewards allow you to access even more in the AAdvantage® program – before, between and beyond status tiers. Plus, you can choose the rewards that matter to you.

Choose from rewards like:

• Systemwide upgrades to fly in a higher class of service
• Gift of AAdvantage® status for a loved one
• Admirals Club® One-Day Passes to relax before takeoff

Redeem your AAdvantage® miles for Mastercard Priceless Experiences®

U.S. American Airlines AAdvantage® Mastercard® credit card holders can now use miles or a combination of miles and dollars to book Mastercard Priceless Experiences.

Enjoy culinary, sporting, theatrical events and more to fuel your passions and make priceless memories.

Get Access to Exclusive Offers

Earn AAdvantage® miles on every purchase

Turn shopping into miles with AAdvantage® eShopping℠.

Shop 1,200+ stores for groceries, fashion, home goods, and more. You’ll access top deals and valuable coupons, plus earn miles on every dollar you spend–and that’s on top of miles you’re already earning with your Citi® / AAdvantage® credit card.

Earn more miles with SimplyMiles™

Introducing SimplyMiles™ — a new way to earn American Airlines AAdvantage® miles faster on every dollar you spend, with personalized offers from your favorite brands.

Simply join and register your Citi® / AAdvantage® card and shop at your favorite stores. It’s easy to get started:

• 1) Join SimplyMiles™
• 2) Add your Citi® / AAdvantage® card
• 3) Activate offers, shop and earn miles

The more you shop, the more you earn for flights, upgrades, vacations and more.

Get a 10% discount on eligible dream vacations

Did you know that as a Citi® / AAdvantage® cardmember you get a 10% discount off non-air components of qualifying American Airlines Vacation packages, including hotel stays, rental cars, tours and activities?

Use this dedicated link to benefit from the 10% discount.

1 mile per $1

Double miles on american airlines purchases, double miles at restaurants and gas stations.

Earn 2 AAdvantage miles for each $1 spent on purchases at restaurants (including cafes, bars, lounges, and fast food restaurants) and at gas stations. Food and beverage purchases made at the American Airlines Admirals Club® will be awarded 2 AAdvantage® miles for each $1 spent as part of the Double Miles on American Airlines purchases benefit.

Certain Non-Qualifying Purchases:  Restaurant purchases not eligible to receive double miles include, but are not limited to, supercenters, warehouse clubs, discount stores, restaurants / cafes inside department stores, bowling alleys, public and private golf courses, country clubs, convenience stores, movie theaters, caterers and meal kit delivery services. Gas station purchases not eligible to receive double miles include, but are not limited to, purchases made at warehouse clubs that do not code gas station purchases under a gas station code, discount stores, department stores and convenience stores.

Merchant Classification for Rewards Categories.  Merchants are assigned a merchant category code (“MCC”), which is determined in accordance with Visa/Mastercard/American Express procedures based on the kinds of products and services the merchants primarily sell. Citi doesn’t control the assignment of these codes and are not responsible for the codes used by merchants. When you use your card to make a purchase, Citi is provided an MCC for that purchase. Citi groups similar merchant codes into categories for purposes of making rewards offers. Sometimes you may expect a purchase to fit within a rewards category, but if the code assigned to the merchant wasn’t grouped into that category as recognized by Citi, your purchase will not qualify for additional miles. For example, you won’t earn additional miles for purchases at a restaurant located within a retailer if the restaurant is assigned a “retailer” code instead of a “restaurant” code. Please also note – purchases made through mobile/wireless technology may not earn additional miles depending on how the technology is set up to process the purchase.

Citi® reserves the right to determine which purchases qualify for this offer. Miles may be earned on purchases made by primary credit cardmembers and authorized user. Balance transfers, cash advances, checks that access your credit card account, items and services returned for credit, unauthorized charges, interest and account fees, traveler’s checks, purchases of foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers (and similar cash-like transactions), lottery tickets, and gaming chips (and similar betting transactions) do not earn miles. Miles earned will be posted to the primary credit cardmember’s AAdvantage® account in 8-10 weeks.

Bonus miles

Balance transfers, cash advances, checks that access your credit card account, items and services returned for credit, unauthorized charges, interest and account fees, traveler’s checks, purchases of foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers (and similar cash-like transactions), lottery tickets, and gaming chips (and similar betting transactions) are not purchases. American Airlines AAdvantage® bonus miles typically will appear as a bonus in your AAdvantage® account 8-10 weeks after you have met the purchase requirements. Miles may be earned on purchases made by primary credit cardmembers and authorized users. Miles earned will be posted to the primary credit cardmember’s AAdvantage® account.

No mileage cap

There is no maximum number of American Airlines AAdvantage® miles that you can accumulate through your CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® credit card account.

1 Loyalty Point per eligible AAdvantage® mile

1 Loyalty Point accrues for every eligible mile earned on purchases, excluding balance transfers, cash advances, checks that access your credit card account, items and services returned for credit, unauthorized charges, interest and account fees, traveler’s checks, purchases of foreign currency, money orders, wire transfers (and similar cash-like transactions), lottery tickets, and gaming chips (and similar betting transactions). Eligible AAdvantage® miles include the base miles earned on purchases, and do not include any bonus miles or accelerators. Loyalty Points may be earned on miles on purchases made by primary cardmembers and authorized users. Loyalty Points earned will be posted to the primary credit cardmember’s AAdvantage® account in 8-10 weeks.

25% savings on eligible inflight purchases

Citi® / AAdvantage® credit cardmembers will receive a 25% savings on inflight purchases of food and beverages on flights operated by American Airlines when purchased with their Citi® / AAdvantage® credit card. Savings do not apply to any other inflight purchases, such as wireless internet access. This benefit applies to domestic flights marketed and operated by American Airlines or on domestic flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by Envoy Air Inc., Republic Airways Inc., SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Air Wisconsin Airlines, PSA Airlines, Inc., or Piedmont Airlines, Inc. This benefit is not available on codeshare flights booked with an American Airlines flight number but operated by another airline. Offer is available on eligible flights as long as supplies last. Savings will appear as a statement credit 8-10 weeks after the transaction is posted to the credit cardmember’s card account. Applicable terms and conditions are subject to change without notice.

First checked bag free

For benefit to apply, the Citi® / AAdvantage® account must be open 7 days prior to air travel, and reservation must include the primary credit cardmember’s American Airlines AAdvantage® number 7 days prior to air travel.

If you are checking in online for your flight to be eligible for first checked bag free on this trip, you must be a party to this reservation and apply and be approved for a Citi® / AAdvantage® credit card through the link on the checking bags page aa.com or mobile app during check-in. To access this link, you must have an active domestic flight reservation that departs within 24-hours or be eligible for check-in.

If your credit card account is closed for any reason, these benefits will be cancelled. Eligible Citi® / AAdvantage® primary credit cardmembers may check one bag free of charge when traveling on domestic itineraries marketed and operated by American Airlines, or on itineraries marketed by American Airlines and operated as American Eagle® flights by Envoy Air Inc., Republic Airways Inc., SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Air Wisconsin Airlines​, PSA Airlines, Inc., or Piedmont Airlines, Inc. All flights on the itinerary must be domestic flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by American Airlines or American Eagle. This benefit will not be available for travel on codeshare flights booked with an American Airlines flight number but operated by another airline. For the Citi® / AAdvantage® credit card, up to four (4) companions traveling with the eligible primary credit cardmember will also get their first checked bag free of charge if they are listed in the same reservation. Waiver does not apply to overweight or oversized bags. This benefit cannot be combined with any existing AAdvantage® program benefits, or with First or Business class benefits, including any waiver of baggage charges. Please see aa.com/baggage » for baggage weight and size restrictions. Applicable terms and conditions are subject to change without notice

Preferred Boarding

If you are checking in online for your flight to be eligible for preferred boarding on this trip, you must be a party to this reservation and apply and be approved for a Citi® / AAdvantage® credit card through the link on the checking bags page aa.com or mobile app during check-in. To access this link, you must have an active domestic flight reservation that departs within 24-hours or be eligible for check-in.

If your credit card account is closed for any reason, this benefit will be cancelled. This benefit will not be available for travel on codeshare flights booked with an American Airlines flight number but operated by another airline. Up to four (4) companions traveling with and listed in the same reservation as the Citi® / AAdvantage® primary credit cardmember are eligible to board at the same time as the primary credit cardmember. Applicable terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Eligible credit cardmembers will board after Priority boarding is complete, but before the rest of economy boarding. The boarding benefit will display on your American Airlines boarding pass as Group 5. This benefit applies on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines, or on flights marketed by American Airlines and operated as American Eagle® flights by Envoy Air Inc., Republic Airways Inc., SkyWest Airlines, Inc., Air Wisconsin Airlines, PSA Airlines, Inc., or Piedmont Airlines, Inc.

$125 American Airlines Flight Discount

Earn a $125 American Airlines Flight Discount certificate (the “Flight Discount”) after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases that post to your Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® credit card billing statement during your credit cardmembership year (every 12 months from the billing cycle after your anniversary month through the billing cycle of your next anniversary month). With the exception of special account status or circumstances (e.g. Military relief programs), the anniversary month will coincide with the month in which the annual fee is billed. To receive the Flight Discount, your account must be open for one full billing cycle after your anniversary month. For your first year of credit cardmembership, purchases qualify as of the date of your account opening. The Flight Discount expires one year from date of issue of the certificate. The Flight Discount is redeemable toward the initial ticket purchase of air travel only on flights marketed or operated by American Airlines, or American Airlines codeshare flights for itineraries originating in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or U.S. Virgin Islands, and sold in US Dollars. The Flight Discount is redeemable online at aa.com , or by calling American Airlines Reservations. A reservations services fee may apply for travel booked through American Airlines Reservations. The Flight Discount is redeemable only toward the purchase of the base airfare and directly associated taxes, fees and charges that are collected as part of the fare calculation for travel. The Flight Discount cannot be used to pay the taxes and charges on mileage redemption tickets where only taxes and fees are being collected. The Flight Discount may not be used for flight products and/or services that are sold separately or non-flight products and/or services sold by American Airlines. If the ticket price is greater than the value of the Flight Discount, the difference must be paid only with a credit, debit or charge card. Any unused balance can be applied towards eligible future travel until the stated expiration date. If travel booked with the Flight Discount is cancelled or changed by the credit cardmember, the Flight Discount will be forfeited and the credit cardmember will be responsible for any applicable fare difference and the applicable change fee. The Flight Discount will not be replaced for any reason. The Flight Discount is non-refundable, may not be sold and has no cash redemption value. After qualification, please allow 8-12 weeks for delivery of the Flight Discount.

**American Airlines Vacations℠ leisure discount program

This offer provides a 10% discount on non-flight components of qualifying American Airlines Vacations℠ travel packages. Discount will be applied to non-flight components (hotels, rental cars, theme park passes, sightseeing tours, etc.) when purchased via aavacations.com/citi » . The discount is applied to prices provided throughout the booking path and is reflected in the price page. A maximum of 6 passengers can be listed in a single reservation for an American Airlines Vacations℠ booking.

This discount is only available online via the designated American Airlines Vacations℠ discount program website accessible through aavacations.com/citi » . Accessing  aavacations.com »  via any other source will not provide this discount. Our professional reservations representatives are available by phone but the discount only applies to online bookings made via the designated American Airlines Vacations℠ discount program website. Any changes to a booking made by our reservations representatives will result in the loss of the discount. Cancellations are subject to all applicable penalties. All sales are subject to American Airlines Vacations℠ normal cancellation and refund policies, which vary by destination. Once you have selected your destination and itinerary, you should review these policies by reading the Terms and Conditions, available on the payment page, before purchasing your travel arrangements.

Authorized user

Before adding an authorized user to your credit card account you should know:

You’re responsible for all charges made or allowed to the credit card account by the Authorized User. Miles earned on an Authorized User’s credit card will be allocated to the AAdvantage® account of the primary credit cardholder and not the Authorized User. Authorized Users have access to your credit card account information. Before adding an Authorized User, you must let him/her know that we may report credit card account performance to the credit reporting agencies in the Authorized User’s name. If we ask for information about the Authorized User, you must obtain their permission to share their information with us and for us to share it as allowed by applicable law. Authorized Users do not receive the first checked bag free or boarding benefits.

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