The American Mileup credit card offers many benefits including 15,000 bonus miles when you spend $500 in the first 3 months.
We rate cards based on value, cost, and perks.
Our ratings for this card are:
No Annual Fee
There is no annual fee on the Mileup card! We value American miles at $0.01 each, so a 15,000 mile bonus is worth $150. If you don't like annual fees, consider starting with the Platinum card which has 50,000 bonus miles instead of 15,000. The Platinum card's $99 annual fee is waived the first year. You can cancel the card or downgrade to the Mileup card before the first anniversary to avoid paying the fee.
Lounge access & companion certificate
This card does not give you any lounge access. If you want lounge access, then pay the higher annual fee on the Executive card. This card also doesn't give you any companion certificates. Only the Platinum card offers a companion certificate benefit.
2x miles earned on American purchases
If you spend a lot on American flights, the 2x miles earned per dollar is a nice perk. That's like earning 2% back on American flights. The Executive card earns 4x per dollar on American, so get the higher level card if you want to earn more miles.
Priority boarding & other savings
This card does not give you priority boarding. You need to get at least the Platinum level for a boarding benefit. However, you do get the 25% in-flight purchase discount like all the other cards.
