airline comparison · 1.3¢ vs 1.5¢
United MileagePlus vs American AAdvantage
Side-by-side: cents-per-point, sweet-spot depth, and which program wins for your trip mix.
All program comparisons
Bottom line: our valuation framework values American AAdvantage higher at 1.5¢ per point. The other program at 1.3¢ still has its place, see below for use cases where it pulls ahead.
United MileagePlus
airline · star-alliance
CPP
1.3¢
Sweet spots
0+
Full program details
OUR PICK
American AAdvantage
airline · oneworld
CPP
1.5¢
Sweet spots
1+
Top redemption
AAdvantage Web Special Awards
3.5¢/pt
Full program details
When United MileagePlus wins
Lean toward United MileagePlus if your routes match its hub network and alliance partners.
When American AAdvantage wins
Higher baseline CPP (1.5¢ vs 1.3¢). Deeper sweet-spot library (1+ curated redemptions vs 0). Lean toward American AAdvantage if you're loyal to its hubs or partner alliance.
How we value: our CPP numbers are anchored to saver award space at the median observed redemption, not chart-floor pricing. Read the full valuation methodology for why our numbers run lower than competitor rankings.