In 2026, you cannot directly "cash out" American Airlines AAdvantage miles into a bank account, but you can convert their value through several high-value methods. The most common "conversion" is redeeming miles for award flights, where miles are valued at approximately 1.3 cents each. For example, a 25,000-mile flight replaces a roughly $325 cash expense. Another method is using the AAdvantage car rental and hotel portal, which allows you to pay for bookings using miles, effectively treating them as currency. For those seeking direct cash value, some third-party mileage brokers exist, though they often violate airline terms of service. A safer 2026 alternative is using miles to pay for Admirals Club memberships or donating them to partner charities for a tax deduction. Additionally, certain co-branded Mastercard holders can sometimes use miles to "erase" specific travel purchases on their statements at a lower fixed rate, typically around 1 cent per mile, providing a pseudo-cashback experience.