Summary
Airline loyalty programs offer various ways to earn points or miles, including concert ticket purchases through partnerships with Ticketmaster.
American Airlines AAdvantage, Delta Air Lines SkyMiles, and Air France-KLM Flying Blue are among the airlines offering miles for concert ticket purchases.
Earning rates vary, and co-branded credit cards can further boost earnings on concert ticket purchases.
There are continually increasing ways to earn points or miles with airline loyalty programs. Earning from flying has long been the main focus of airline loyalty programs, but over the years, the offerings have increased significantly.
It is now common to earn points or miles and elite status credits from many sources. Flying with other airlines is common, as is spending on credit cards and earning from hotels, car hire, and retail stores. Earning from events and experiences is increasingly common, too. This article takes a look at the options for earning with concert ticket purchases, including with American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Air-France KLM.
American Airlines AAdvantage
American Airlines AAdvantage probably offers the most extensive options for earning from concert tickets. There is a partnership with Ticketmaster, offering AAdvantage miles earning on ticket purchases for events in the US and Canada. This needs to be done through a dedicated AAdvantage Events portal. These purchases also earn Loyalty Points – contributing towards elite status,
Earning is at the following rate:
One AAdvantage mile and 1 Loyalty Point on every $1 spent on standard and resale tickets (not including taxes and fees). Image: American Airlines
There are some big changes on the way with AAdvantage and its concert options, however. Several upgrades to the program have been announced as coming later in 2024. These include earning miles for paid upgrades, and new ways to redeem miles for premium lounges and experiences. This will include using miles for AAdvanatge Events experiences. We will have to wait and see the range of options and the value offered.
Related American Airlines Announces Additional Benefits For Frequent Flyers Members of the carrier’s AAdvantage loyalty program will soon be able to redeem miles for concerts and First Class dining in the Flagship Lounges.
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles has a similar partnership with Ticketmaster, allowing you to earn SkyMiles with all purchases for events in the US and Canada. The main difference here is that you will earn standard redeemable miles but not any elite qualifying credit.
Image: Delta Air Lines
As with American Airlines, there is a dedicated portal for eligible purchases. And purchases earn at the rate of:
One mile per $1 spent on standard ticket purchases (not including taxes and fees).
Related The Different Ways To Earn Delta Air Lines SkyMiles Flying is the most obvious route to earn SkyMiles, but there are other ways too.
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
Outside of the US, Air France-KLM Flying Blue has a similar earning setup for tickets. You will earn miles with Flying Blue but no status credits. It is linked to a Ticketmaster portal where tickets purchased will earn miles at the following rate:
One mile per Euro spent on all tickets (excluding taxes and fees). Tickets purchased in other currencies will convert to Euros for earnings.
Image: Flying Blue
The portal here covers events in many locations across Europe and North America. This sets it apart from the American Airlines and Delta Air Lines portals, which can only be used for events in the US and Canada.
British Airways Executive Club
British Airways Executive Club is another option for earning in Europe. Unlike the other three airlines, this one does not have a dedicated Ticketmaster booking portal. Instead, Avios can be earned through the Executive Club shopping portal.
There are many options here for online and in-store earning. By clicking through to Ticketmaster, Avios can be earned at the rate of:
One mile per £1 spent on all tickets (excluding taxes and fees).
Image: British Airways
This offers similar possibilities to Air France-KLM earnings and, of course, is better if you collect primarily with Executive Club. However, the rate is slightly lower (as you are earning based on GBP rather than EUR). There are also often issues with shopping portal transactions tracking properly, which could mean you do not earn anything.
Don’t forget credit card earnings as well
These portals provide nice earning extras when purchasing event tickets, but at one mile per dollar or euro spent, earnings are going to be slow. Remember that you can also boost earnings slightly by earning with a credit card as well. All of the airlines discussed here (American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Air France-KLM) have co-branded credit cards on offer. These will allow earning points or miles based on all spending, including concert tickets – at least doubling your earnings in most cases.
Related The 5 Best Credit Cards To Get Airline Elite Status Fast These credit cards provide a quicker way to earn elite status with airlines.
Some cards will also offer bonus earnings for certain categories. This does not currently apply to cards from these three airlines, but some others will offer bonuses for spending on entertainment (including Ticketmaster purchases). Examples include (these are for the US market, with details from the financial website NerdWallet) :
Citi Custom Cash Card. This awards a 5% cashback bonus for the category where you spend the most in each billing cycle. Live entertainment is one of these categories. Chase Freedom Flex card. This gives 5% cashback in categories you select each month, including live entertainment. Capital One Savor Cash Rewards Credit Card. This gives a fixed 4% cashback on all entertainment spending.
Have you used the miles earning option for American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, or Air France-KLM when purchasing concert or event tickets? Let us know in the comments section below.