Maximizing credit card points in Philadelphia is not like any other big city, because Philadelphia is dominated by American Airlines. Unlike the other major airlines, American is not a transfer partner with any of the most popular travel cards which means that you can not turn Amex Platinum or Chase Sapphire Reserve points into AAdvantage miles. Because Philadelphia does not have a strong presence from United, Delta, Southwest etc., not having access to AAdvantage miles means you do not have access to most flights out of PHL. Therefore, if you want the best flights and the best deals, you must commit to the AAdvantage program.
I have been searching for free or discounted flights out of PHL for over 20 years. It all started with a free Bank of America Travel Card and, over the last 20 years, I have analyzed every major travel credit card for use out of PHL. Throughout these next pages, I will explain how I have maximized the AAdvantage program and fly my family around the world out of PHL for free.
Understanding the difference between bonus miles and Loyalty Points is necessary to maximize your miles. It is slightly confusing, but the simple answer is that Loyalty Points earn you status with the airline, while bonus miles are what you use to book your award flights. You need both to get free flights and the highest level of service from American Airlines.
Bonus miles accrue as bonuses provided by American Airlines that can be used for award flights but do not go toward your status with the airline. For example, the sign-up bonus on a credit card will give you bonus miles to spend on flights, but that extra does not go toward your status.
Loyalty Points are probably the most important of the two, because each Loyalty Point you earn also comes with a mile you can spend on a future flight, but it also earns you status with the airline. As further outlined in the Status section, status provides you with perks that improve your experience. The most valuable perk provided by status is free seat upgrades within the Main Cabin.
Unlike the other major credit cards who offer multipliers by specific category (for example, 3x points on all restaurant purchases), the AA system offers smaller multipliers by category but provides large multipliers by store. Their system works by pushing users to the AA specific websites where you can earn large multipliers by specific store. Continue on to the next three sections on AA Hotels, AA Shopping, and AA Dining to learn more.
The AA Hotels portal is where you will maximize your points. This is where I turn a single hotel stay into a round-trip flight. If you follow the steps below, you can earn both Loyalty Points and bonus miles that will let you fly for free, with the perks that come with American's highest status levels.
If you follow these steps, you'll earn an outrageously high number of bonus miles and Loyalty Points. Below are a few examples of how I've used the AA Hotels portal to get free flights for years.
Search for and choose your hotels on the AAdvantage Hotels website. This portal does not offer the cheapest rooms and is usually slightly more expensive than other sites, but you must use this site to receive the maximum return.
Paying with the Citi AAdvantage Executive card earns 12x miles per dollar. The Globe card earns 6x. The Platinum Select card earns 3x starting Jan 24, 2027.
This is what makes the AA Hotels portal worth it. On top of the 12x bonus miles, you're awarded Loyalty Points once your hotel stay is complete. If you log in and pay with an AA credit card, the award is usually 15,000 Loyalty Points, and you can often pay a slight upcharge for a larger award.
$4,000 paid for two round-trip tickets to Rome plus the hotel, with miles left over for the next trip. With Executive Platinum status, we got the larger front-row Main Cabin seats, and my wife was upgraded to Premium Economy on the flight home.
$7,000 paid for a family vacation that included four round-trip tickets and the hotel in Barcelona. With Executive Platinum status, we got the larger front-row Main Cabin seats.
$7,000 paid for a family vacation that included four round-trip tickets and hotels in Naples and Sorrento. Splitting the trip across two hotels earned two Loyalty Point awards. With Executive Platinum status, we got the larger front-row Main Cabin seats.
AA Shopping is American's online shopping portal. Click through it before you buy from a store you already use, and the store pays you miles and Loyalty Points on top of whatever your credit card earns.
If you follow the steps below, everyday online purchases turn into a steady stream of miles and Loyalty Points.
Go to the AAdvantage eShopping website and sign in with your AAdvantage number. More than 1,200 online stores take part, from department stores to Apple and travel sites. The free Chrome browser button can remind you when a site you're on pays miles.
Find the store and check its rate, typically 1 to 10 miles per dollar. Clicking through sends you to the store's own site with a tracking link. Start every order from the portal, and avoid coupon codes the store doesn't list, or the order may not track.
Check out as usual in the same browser session. Paying with an AAdvantage card adds the card's miles and 1 Loyalty Point per dollar on top of the portal miles. If SimplyMiles has a matching offer, activate it first and the same purchase pays a third time.
The portal emails you when it tracks the order. Miles usually post within a few days but can take up to 15 business days. If they're still missing after that, file a claim with eShopping customer service.
AA Dining pays you miles and Loyalty Points for eating out. Register a card once, then eat at participating restaurants as usual, and the miles post automatically.
If you follow the steps below, the meals you're already eating in Philly earn you up to 5 miles and 5 Loyalty Points per dollar.
Sign up on the AAdvantage Dining website with your AAdvantage number and register the credit and debit cards you use to eat out. Any card works, not just AA cards. A meal only tracks if you pay with a registered card, so add your partner's cards too and re-register any card that gets replaced.
This one setting triples what you earn, from 1 to 3 miles per dollar. There's no reason to skip it.
Search the site or app for participating places near you, from Center City to the suburbs. Pay with a registered card and the visit tracks on its own, with nothing to show the server. Paying with the Platinum Select or Globe card adds another 2 miles per dollar at restaurants.
After 11 qualifying visits in a calendar year, you become VIP and earn 5 miles per dollar starting with your 12th. VIP counts visits, not dollars, so a few cheap lunches or coffees early in the year unlock 5x for every bigger dinner after. VIP lasts through the next full calendar year.
A VIP diner paying with the Platinum Select or Globe card earns 7 miles and 6 Loyalty Points per dollar.
Go to AA Diningaadvantagedining.com · join, register your cards and opt in to emails Open →If you have read this far and followed the program, you have amassed tens or hundreds of thousands of AA miles. But if you do not use your points wisely, you will waste them on expensive award flights that undermine all of the work you put in. To avoid that fate, follow these tips.
It may sound crazy, but the best deals for flights to desirable destinations occur 11 months in advance. Every example I provided in the AA Hotels section was booked the first day the flights were available. While this may not be practical for some, award flights are usually fully refundable, so you have the freedom to lock in the flight at a great rate with the ability to cancel later on.
The best fares are not always on the exact dates you need. When searching for award fares, the American app gives you the option to check flights on dates surrounding your preferred flight. Many times, you will see a Thursday flight being thousands of points less than a Friday flight.
The best fares are available in cities you may not expect. If you try to force an exact destination, you may find the award fare is expensive. To avoid that, be willing to fly into or out of another city, as the difference in price could be 100,000 or more miles. For example, when looking for an award flight for my family next year, we wanted to visit Northern Italy, but flights into Venice were 250,000 miles for one round-trip fare while flights into Milan were 35,000 miles for one round-trip fare. While it's a different trip, you can get within a few hours' train ride of Venice for over 200,000 miles less just by checking a similar city.
After you have a good plan, check my daily Philly deals to put these principles into practice.
If you are insistent that you do not want to access the AAdvantage system or any of the associated credit cards, there is a complicated end around with the other major credit cards that can allow you to transfer miles to British Airways which is partnered with American Airlines. This can work and I used this system for years but it is not as strong as the AAdvantage system for a few reasons.
Not every American Airlines flight is offered as a reward flight by British Airways. If the cost of the flight is more than the British Airways system allows, they will not even offer you the flight.
British Airways charges large fees for international flights from the US to most places in Europe. So even if you do find an available British Airways flight from PHL, it will likely come with a large fee that will make the cost of the flight more considering the amount of miles required. I have seen reward flights to Europe with over $1,000 in fees when the cost of the flight is around that price. That being said, this system does not charge these large fees for domestic flights and flights to London.
Transferring points from other major credit cards does not provide any status with the airline. In short, this system will get you on the plane but you will be boarding late and be in the back of the plane. Granted, if you chose a credit card with a great airport lounge, it offsets some of that. But I prefer the combination of free flights and the perks of status with the airline.
This system can work in limited areas but you will miss out on many flights and will certainly not be able to access highly desired timeframes and destinations where no flights are awarded. I use this system to target first class fares to London. If you do not want to switch to the AAdvantage program, below is how to access flights out of PHL.
In order to utilize this system, you need to utilize a credit card that is a transfer partner with British Airways. For example, Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One, and Wells Fargo points all transfer to Avios one-to-one. You can use their earning systems (which are simple and plentiful) to amass a large amount of points as outlined by those companies.
You need to open a British Airways Executive Club Account and have access to your membership number. This is the account that the credit card points will be transferred to. It is typically fast and easy to transfer points to your Executive Club Account from your credit card account but, be warned, the BA.com website is weirdly glitchy at times.
On BA.com, you need to search for flights under a separate search dedicated to an Avios Flight. Avios are what BA calls their miles. As noted above, you will be able to access American Airlines flights out of PHL on this system if they are low enough in price but there will be limitations. Check the miles and the taxes and fees before you book anything to make sure it is not a trap fare that is actually more expensive than buying the fare with money.
One of the best perks of British Airways system is that it can be the cheapest award fare for First Class fares. Recently, I booked four First Class tickets for my family to London for around 320,000 Avios total while coach was 100,000 Avios. This was a screaming deal, as they say, so I recommend checking First Class if you follow this system to see the price difference. Please be mindful that the First Class seats are targeted early and they are limited, so you will need to book those 12 months out (British releases their flights a month earlier for some reason) in order to access them.
Loyalty Points decide your AAdvantage status. Here is what each level takes this year, plus the extra Loyalty Points that stack on top of everything you already earn and move you up the ladder faster.
This is a nice start to your status. It does not move the needle very far because there are many other people with higher levels of status, but it does get you an earlier boarding group and preferred seats.
This is probably the most important level of status, as it gets you free Main Cabin Extra seats, which come with extra legroom, free drinks and earlier boarding. When flying internationally, this status level gives you access to the Admirals Club and oneworld business class lounges.
I will be honest: I am not sure of the purpose of this status level, other than to set you apart from people who level off at Platinum for upgrade purposes. The rest of the perks are underwhelming.
The highest level of status with the airline is also only incrementally better than Platinum. The main perks of this level are boarding group 1 and priority on upgrades.
Members without status earn 5 miles per dollar on American flights. Status earned this year lasts through March 31, 2028. Benefits can vary by route and fare, so confirm details on aa.com before you rely on one.
Once you pass 60,000 Loyalty Points in the year, everything you earn through AA Hotels, AA Shopping, AA Dining, SimplyMiles and AA Vacations for the next six months gets a 25% Loyalty Point bonus. The bonus is capped at 25,000 Loyalty Points per six-month window.
With the Citi AAdvantage Executive card, crossing 50,000, 90,000, 165,000 and 240,000 Loyalty Points in the year each adds another 10,000 Loyalty Points, up to 40,000. Any activity counts toward the milestones, including a big hotel stay.
American runs four lounges at PHL: a Flagship Lounge for international premium travelers and three Admirals Clubs spread across the airport. Here's where each one is, who can get in, and what to expect for food and amenities.
The A-West lounges are the newest and best, and the food and drinks at the Flagship Lounge are fantastic. The Admirals Clubs at the B/C and F gates are more than serviceable, offer free drinks and food, and save you a long walk on domestic and regional flights.
Food and drink: The menu is designed with Philly chef Randy Rucker of River Twice and Little Water. Mornings bring an omelet station and breakfast menu until 11 a.m., then an all-day menu with a roast pork sandwich, a cheesesteak and a rotating Rucker dish. There's a Reading Terminal-inspired candy bar, a water ice and gelati station, Champagne on arrival, bartender-made cocktails and draft beer, all complimentary.
Amenities: Seated, order-from-your-table dining room, shower suites, and a fireplace lounge. It's about 12,500 square feet and gets crowded during the evening Europe departure bank, so arrive early.
Food and drink: A complimentary buffet with a hot dish, salads, fruit and snacks, plus a full-service bar with house beer, wine and spirits. Premium drinks and some dishes are available for purchase.
Amenities: The newest and nicest Admirals Club at PHL, about 11,000 square feet with seating for around 180, showers, phone booths, a children's area and plenty of outlets. The best pick if you're flying from the A gates.
Food and drink: The standard Admirals Club spread: a complimentary buffet with snacks and light hot food, and a full-service bar.
Amenities: Older but convenient for most domestic flights, which leave from B and C. Wi-Fi and work seating, and it opens at 4:30 a.m. for the first morning departures.
Food and drink: Complimentary snacks and drinks with a full-service bar, on a smaller scale than the A and B/C clubs.
Amenities: The smallest of the four. Terminal F handles American Eagle regional flights, so this club is the one to use for short regional hops like Pittsburgh or Washington, where walking to another terminal isn't worth it.
Status access through oneworld: British Airways and American are both in the oneworld alliance, so higher AAdvantage status gets you in even if you're flying American, not British Airways, as long as your trip is international. Gold (oneworld Ruby) and Admirals Club membership alone don't qualify.
Food and drink: A hot and cold buffet with a full bar, wine and Champagne.
Amenities: Usually quieter than the A-West Admirals Club, which makes it a good escape when the Admirals Club is packed before the evening Europe flights. It's also Aer Lingus's lounge at PHL.
Hours change seasonally. Check the American app for today's hours and access rules before you go.
Citi became the sole issuer of AAdvantage consumer cards in 2026, and Barclays Aviator accounts were moved to the Citi Platinum Select starting April 24. These are the four personal cards worth knowing, and what I think of each.
A nice beginner card to learn about the program without an annual fee. The point multipliers will be limited but this is a nice way to learn about the AA program without any extra costs.
This is a great card. It gets you 2x points at Restaurants and Gas that comes with built in status in specific areas like free first checked bag. I use this card as a complement to the Executive Card as this card provides 2x points on restaurants and gas stations, two regular purchases that the Executive Card does not provide an individual multiplier. When used with the AA Dining, you can realize a large multiplier on regular restaurant purchases. This card also provides 3x points on hotels and when used with the AA Hotel portal can provide a large point return. The cost is only $150, which you make back quickly.
This is a newer card and I have not used yet as it seems redundant for people that already have the benefits of the Executive Card. It seems to be targeted at people who will fly a few times a year and want a certain level of status with the airline. It does not provide everyday flight access to the Admirals Club but does provide 4 Admirals Club passes. The point return on hotels is also nice at 6x points plus the loyalty bonus when you utilize AA Hotels. This card also provides a companion pass. I would probably love this card if I did not already utilize the Executive and Platinum Cards.
I love this card. I cannot put it more bluntly than that. It has been a gamechanger for flying my family out of PHL regularly at the highest levels of AA status and for free. Accruing 12x hotel points plus a large loyalty point reward for a single hotel visit is simply insane. That perk alone allows me to fly my family around the world regularly. The every flight Admirals Club lounge access is also a game changer for families with young children as the lounge in A terminal has a children's room. This card also allows you to accrue the highest levels of status with American Airlines quickly which, in turn, allows you to reach each of the Rewards provided when you reach certain Loyalty Point levels. This says nothing of the Global Entry credit and bonuses for purchases on AA.com.
Card details and fees as published by Citi and American; offers change often. The Globe's welcome bonus is unavailable if you earned a bonus on certain other Citi AAdvantage cards in the past 48 months, so read the terms before you sequence applications.
Check back every day for the best deals on the AA websites. Below I outline this week's best AA Hotels finds, plus today's best AA Shopping rates at the most popular stores, and ten of the best Philly restaurants on AA Dining, refreshed every evening. Utilizing these services with an AA credit card will help grow your miles accounts.
Updated daily.
Today's AA Shopping rates at the big-name stores most people actually shop, highest rate first. Every portal mile is also a Loyalty Point. Amazon, Walmart and Target aren't on the portal.
Each week I run three sample searches on the AA Hotels portal (a week in Europe, a weekend in an American city and five days in the Caribbean) and post the hotel that earns the most miles and Loyalty Points per dollar, among hotels guests rate 8/10 or better.
Miles shown are the booking award for AAdvantage credit cardmembers with status, before your card's own miles (12x with the Executive card). Members without status or a card earn less. Prices and awards change daily, so search the AA Hotels portal to confirm.
Ten of the best-reviewed participating restaurants in Philadelphia on AA Dining, based on diner ratings and number of reviews. Pay with a registered card to earn up to 5 miles and 5 Loyalty Points per dollar.
On this page are great award fares out of PHL that I have found myself. I post these fares the day (or moment) I spot them, but award prices change quickly. By the time you see this page, a fare may cost more or be gone, so always confirm on aa.com or the American app before you book or transfer points.
Picks drop off automatically 21 days after I spot them or once the travel date passes. PHL Points is not affiliated with American Airlines and cannot guarantee availability or pricing.