(EXPIRED) Shopping portal bonuses from American and United

Both the American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping portal and the United Mileage Plus Shopping portal are offering “mystery bonuses” right now that add a little sweetener to the pot if you’re shopping online this week.

The Offers

Note that both American Airlines and United Airlines are dubbing these as “mystery offers”, so your offer may vary, but most offers are usually the same. Here are the offers I received:

American Airlines AAdvantage eShopping

• Valid: 4/8/24 to 4/15/24
• Spend $200 or more, earn 500 bonus miles
• Direct link to this deal

United MileagePlus eShopping

• Valid: 4/8/24 to 4/15/24
• Spend $100 or more, earn 500 bonus miles
• Direct link to this deal

Key Terms

• Keep in mind that spend thresholds are usually based on purchase price prior to taxes, fees, and shipping costs
• Portal bonuses tend to post many weeks after the bonus period has ended
• Check individual retailer terms for specific exclusions

Quick Thoughts

I always try to keep these bonuses in mind when comparing portal payouts, particularly when I’m making a purchase that’s right around the spending threshold to trigger a bonus. With the American Airlines bonus, you’re effectively earning an additional 2.5 miles per dollar spent on a $200 purchase. With the United offer, it’s like an additional 5x on a $100 purchase. I’ll keep those added payouts in mind if I end up needing to make a purchase in one of those ranges.

American Airlines loyalists should keep in mind that while the miles you ordinarily earn for your purchase, like the typical 6x or 12x or miles that are associated with the purchase itself do count as both redeemable miles and Loyalty Points with American Airlines, the 500 bonus miles from a portal-wide bonus like this one do not count as Loyalty Points.

Overall, these bonuses are small potatoes, but I like to take advantage of them when it makes sense to do so.

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