American AAdvantage and Delta SkyMiles grant status in different ways. American counts Loyalty Points, which come from flying, cards and partners. It kept its status and reward levels the same for a third year in 2026. Delta counts Medallion Qualification Dollars only. On a flight, the two pay the same elite rates at the 5-mile base rate American’s own status tool uses. American lets miles lapse after 24 months with no activity, and Delta does not. This guide compares the two from their own pages, terms and results releases. It adds United MileagePlus for readers who ask about United vs American. The last section reads the designs from the side of the teams that run loyalty programs.
Is American AAdvantage or Delta SkyMiles better?
American is the better pick for flyers who earn status with a card, or who want rules that stay put. Points count card spend and partner activity. The Citi Executive card adds up to 40,000 bonus points at milestones. Status and reward levels have not changed for three years.
Delta is the better pick for flyers who want status from spend alone and the earliest upgrades. Its thresholds run from $5,000 to $28,000 in Medallion Qualification Dollars. Miles don’t expire. At American, miles expire after 24 months with no qualifying activity, and a trip, card purchase or partner earn resets the clock.
AAdvantage vs SkyMiles vs MileagePlus at a glance
The table sets the three programs side by side. Each value comes from the program’s own pages, terms or results releases, linked in the sections below.
| American AAdvantage | Delta SkyMiles | United MileagePlus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Network | More than 6,000 daily flights to 350+ destinations in 60+ countries; 200 million customers a year | Up to 5,500 daily flights to 300+ destinations; 200 million customers in 2025 | Over 48 million customers in the third quarter of 2025 |
| Alliance | oneworld, a founding member | SkyTeam, a founding member | Star Alliance |
| Miles per $1 | 5 base miles in American’s own status tool; none on Basic Economy bought from December 17, 2025 | 5 in Classic or Refundable, 7 in Extra, 2 on Delta Basic; none on Main Basic | 3 on tickets issued from April 2, 2026; none on Basic Economy for general members without a United card |
| Status bonus | Gold 40%, Platinum 60%, Platinum Pro 80%, Executive Platinum 120% | Silver 7, Gold 8, Platinum 9, Diamond 11 miles per $1 | Premier Silver 5, Gold 6, Platinum 7, 1K 9 miles per $1 |
| Status basis | Loyalty Points: 1 per eligible mile, plus card spend and partner activity | Medallion Qualification Dollars only | PQP plus flights, or a higher PQP-only total |
| Status levels | Gold 40,000; Platinum 75,000; Platinum Pro 125,000; Executive Platinum 200,000 Loyalty Points | Silver $5,000; Gold $10,000; Platinum $15,000; Diamond $28,000 | Silver 6,000 PQP; Gold 12,000; Platinum 18,000; 1K 28,000 (or fewer PQP plus 15, 30, 45 or 60 flights) |
| Status year | March 1 to the last day of February; status runs to March 31 a year later | Earned in 2026, valid until January 31, 2028 | Reached in 2026, valid until January 31, 2028 |
| Upgrades | Unlimited on eligible flights, with a companion; opens 24, 48, 72 and 100 hours out from Gold to Executive Platinum | Unlimited; Delta First opens 24, 72 and 120 hours out at Silver, Gold and Platinum | Opens on departure day at Silver, then 48, 72 and 96 hours out |
| Awards | From 7,500 miles each way, by date and flight; cash and miles announced October 2, 2026 | No blackout dates; Miles + Cash; 15% off for some Amex cardholders | Any open seat on United and United Express flights; cardmembers save at least 10% |
| Expiry | After 24 months with no qualifying activity | Miles don’t expire | Miles never expire |
| Co-brand cards | Citi / AAdvantage cards in the US | American Express | Chase |
How big are American, Delta and United?
American says it operates more than 6,000 daily flights to more than 350 destinations in more than 60 countries. It serves more than 200 million customers a year and is a founding member of oneworld. Delta describes up to 5,500 daily flights to more than 300 destinations and says it served more than 200 million customers in 2025. United said it carried over 48 million customers in the third quarter of 2025. None of the three programs’ pages read for this guide give a current member count.
How do you earn miles with American and Delta?
Both airlines pay on the fare. American’s terms say miles follow the ticket price. Delta pays 5 miles per dollar in Classic or Refundable and 7 in Extra. American’s status tool assumes 5 base miles per dollar. Status bonuses of 40%, 60%, 80% and 120% then work out to 7, 8, 9 and 11 miles per dollar. Those match Delta’s Silver to Diamond rates.
Basic Economy is a gap at both. At American, those fares bought from December 17, 2025 earn no miles or points. Delta Main Basic earns nothing, and Delta Basic earns 2 miles per dollar. Bonus miles at American do not earn points.
United pays less per dollar. A general member earns 3 miles per dollar for tickets issued from April 2, 2026, and Premier members earn 5, 6, 7 and 9.
Which elite status is easier to earn?
The three programs measure status in different units. The table turns each tier into fare dollars. For illustration, it assumes every American Loyalty Point comes from flying at the 5-mile base rate. Bonuses and card spend would lower the dollars at American. United’s points-only totals are shown as listed.
| Rung on the ladder | American (Loyalty Points; fares at 5 per $1) | Delta (dollars) | United (PQP only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| First status | Gold: 40,000 (about $8,000) | Silver: $5,000 | Silver: 6,000 |
| Second | Platinum: 75,000 (about $15,000) | Gold: $10,000 | Gold: 12,000 |
| Third | Platinum Pro: 125,000 (about $25,000) | Platinum: $15,000 | Platinum: 18,000 |
| Top | Executive Platinum: 200,000 (about $40,000) | Diamond: $28,000 | 1K: 28,000 |
On this arithmetic, Delta asks for the least spend at each rung, and it ties United at the top. American asks for the most spend at the top, but status bonuses and cards close the gap. Citi Executive cardmembers earn 10,000 bonus points at 50,000, 90,000, 165,000 and 240,000 points. Platinum and Reserve Amex cardholders at Delta get a $2,500 head start each year.
American also keeps a different calendar. Its status year runs March 1 through the last day of February, and status lasts to March 31 of the following year. Delta and United count a calendar year. Status earned in 2026 runs to January 31, 2028 at both.
Perks scale with the rung. American Gold gets the first checked bag free. Platinum gets the first two, and the top two tiers get the first three. American status members get unlimited upgrades on eligible flights. Its windows open 24 hours out at Gold and 100 at Executive Platinum. Delta’s Medallion members also get unlimited upgrades. The Delta First window opens 24 hours out at Silver and 120 at Platinum.
How do you redeem miles at American and Delta?
American prices flight awards from 7,500 miles each way. Levels vary by date and flight. Each award carries taxes and carrier-imposed fees from $5.60. On October 2, 2026, American said it was launching cash and miles bookings on aa.com and its app, rolling out over the coming weeks. Members can also redeem miles for gift cards from $10 to $500.
Delta says there are no blackout dates on any Delta flight. It shows an award calendar of the lowest prices and offers Miles + Cash. Some Amex cardholders save 15% on awards on Delta-operated flights. United cardmembers save at least 10%, and the discount reaches 15% for Premier cardmembers.
Which program has better partners?
American and Hyatt ended their enhanced tie. On September 9, American said the two had mutually decided not to continue it. Members keep earning through the current earning year. The same day, Hyatt announced a deal with Delta. Once it launches, eligible elite members of both programs will be able to earn both currencies on qualifying travel.
American’s card partner is Citi. In the second quarter of 2026, American said AAdvantage enrollments grew more than 30% year over year. It said Citi card spend grew 8%. Delta’s partner is American Express, and its card remuneration grew 16% in the same period. United works with Chase and links its program to JetBlue through Blue Sky.
Do AAdvantage and SkyMiles miles expire?
At American, miles expire after 24 months with no activity. Redeeming an award counts. So does a partner earn. Each one extends every mile for 24 more months. Delta and United miles don’t expire.
How does United MileagePlus compare with American AAdvantage?
United and American differ on rate, expiry and status units. The table above shows each gap. United pays less per dollar, and its miles never expire. American’s lapse after two idle years.
United leans on its card. Cardmembers earn up to twice the miles on United flights and save at least 10% on awards. American leans on status milestones and Loyalty Point Rewards. They start at 15,000 points and include inflight food and beverage coupons and New York Times subscriptions.
American or Delta: which should you choose?
- Status from spend alone: Delta. Silver takes $5,000, and Diamond takes $28,000.
- Status from a co-brand card: American. Card spend counts, and the Citi Executive card pays milestone bonuses.
- Miles that never lapse: Delta or United. American’s lapse after two idle years.
- Stable rules: American. Status and reward levels held for a third year in 2026.
- Earliest upgrades: Delta. Gold members start 72 hours out.
- Flying oneworld: American. It is a founder of the alliance.
- Flying SkyTeam: Delta. It is a founder of the alliance.
What do AAdvantage and SkyMiles teach a loyalty team?
Stable rules are a feature. American said for the third consecutive year that status and reward requirements stay the same. United moved its earn rates in April 2026. A team that holds the ladder still can change other levers. American did that with new Loyalty Point Reward choices in 2026.
Cards now sell status. American’s Citi card pays up to 40,000 bonus points. Delta’s Amex cards bring a head start and earn Medallion dollars. United’s cards earn PQP. For an airline, a card is a revenue line, so status credit becomes a product the bank sells. Delta reported $8.2 billion in American Express remuneration in 2025. Our airline loyalty economics guide covers how that money works.
Partner terms have end dates. American and Hyatt ended their enhanced tie on the day Hyatt announced Delta. American said members would keep earning through the current earning year. It also said AAdvantage members can keep choosing 500 miles in lieu of Hyatt points at check-in. A program that signs partners needs a plan for the unwind as well as the launch.
Expiry is a pricing choice. American keeps a 24-month activity rule. Delta and United let miles live for good. At the end of 2025, Delta carried $4.9 billion of loyalty program deferred revenue as a current liability and $4.4 billion as a noncurrent one. See our guide to points liability accounting for the trade-off.
How GRAVTY handles partner changes and card-linked status
Partner earn, card-linked status credit and expiry rules change often. GRAVTY Visual Rules is Loyalty Juggernaut’s patented no-code rules engine. It puts those changes in the loyalty team’s hands.
Deutsche Telekom runs one program on GRAVTY with 4,500 partners across 9 countries. WestJet moved off Siebel onto GRAVTY, and its year-end rollover takes 28 hours, down from 10 days.
Riyadh Air’s Sfeer passed one million members less than a year after launch.
GRAVTY runs 500M+ members in production. It holds a 99.99% uptime SLA and averages under 50 ms on API calls. See how GRAVTY runs airline loyalty, read the partner settlement guide, or compare more programs in the best airline loyalty programs.
Frequently asked questions
Is American or Delta the better program?
Neither wins on every point. Delta grants status from dollars alone, and its miles don’t expire. American counts Loyalty Points, which include card spend, and its miles expire after 24 months with no activity.
How do AAdvantage Loyalty Points work?
You earn 1 Loyalty Point for each eligible mile. Points come from flying, credit card spend and partner activity. Bonus miles do not earn points. Gold takes 40,000 points in the March-to-February status year.
How long do miles last at American?
Miles last 24 months from the last qualifying activity. Redeeming an award or earning with a partner extends every mile for 24 more months. So does buying or gifting miles.
Did AAdvantage status change for 2026?
No. American said in January 2026 that status and reward levels stay the same for a third year. It added new Loyalty Point Reward choices, such as vacation credits.
Does United or American pay more?
American pays more per dollar. Its own tool assumes 5 miles, against 3 at United. Delta pays 5.
Which airline offers cash and miles bookings?
Delta and United do. American is adding it. It said on October 2, 2026 that cash and miles will roll out over weeks. Delta offers Miles + Cash. United offers Money + Miles.