The post is updated with the most recent information.

Travelers are encouraged to earn hotel nights and car rental days through loyalty programs. You might not know that hotels and rental car companies allow you to earn airline miles.

Loyalty points can be earned by hotel and rental car company transactions. That can lead to American Airlines elite status.

We are going to show you how you can change your earning preferences to earn airline miles instead of hotel or car rental points, and what you will get if you do.

How to earn airline miles instead of points

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You can change your earning preference by following the links below. You will earn airline miles whenever you shop at one of these chains. If you have a frequent flyer number, you don't need to change anything.

It's possible to change your preferences at will. Even though Hyatt has a link to change your earning preference on its website, a staffer had to ask the Globalist concierge to make the changes. There were errors when trying to access the profile page. If you want to earn more airline miles on hotel stays and car rentals, this is a good place to begin.

  • Alamo.
  • Avis.
  • Dollar.
  • Hyatt.
  • Hertz.
  • IHG.
  • Marriott.
  • National.
  • Wyndham.

The man who earned 1.2 million miles by renting cars is related.

Should you opt to earn airline miles?

There are some important considerations to keep in mind when earning airline miles on car rentals and hotel stays. ZACH GRIFF/THE POINTS GUY

Whether or not you should earn airline miles is a different matter. Fees can be used to earn airline miles on rental cars. If you want to earn airline miles, most rental car companies charge a small fee.

Different programs have different incomes. Dollar Car Rental will give 50 American AAdvantage miles per day, while customers can earn 1 mile per dollar spent on the base rate of their CarRentals.

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The World of Hyatt gives airline miles the most. World of Hyatt points can be earned by elite members from both programs. You have to choose one currency for Marriott and I hg.

When you earn airline miles, you can still get your usual elite benefits with the hotel and car rental programs. If you're a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite crediting to American, you can still get complimentary breakfast, but the 50% Marriott bonus point accrual that you're entitled to on paid stays doesn't apply.

There are 6 reasons to strive for Marriott Bonvoy titanium elite status.

Bottom line

Alternative earning methods have been around for a long time. When American Airlines reworked AAdvantage with Loyalty Points, it made this path more appealing for many people who are in the AAdvantage program.

The airline mile earning rates for car rental companies have not been a big deal in the past. If you earn airline miles you can get over the top for elite status.

The additional reporting was done by Kyle.