Transferring American Airlines AAdvantage miles to a family member in 2026 is a relatively expensive process because the airline charges a transaction fee rather than allowing free pooling. Typically, the cost is approximately $12.50 for every 1,000 miles transferred, plus a flat $15.00 to $20.00 processing fee per transaction. This means if you want to transfer 10,000 miles to a relative, you could end up paying nearly $145, which often negates the value of the miles themselves. AAdvantage members are limited to transferring or receiving a maximum of 200,000 miles per calendar year. Because of these high costs, travel experts in 2026 generally recommend that instead of transferring miles, you simply book the award flight for your family member directly from your own account; American Airlines allows you to use your miles to book a ticket for anyone else for free, which saves you the significant transfer fees while achieving the same goal. The only time a transfer truly makes sense is if your family member is just a few thousand miles short of a specific high-value redemption that they can't otherwise afford.