IHG One Rewards members can score triple American Airlines AAdvantage miles on hotel stays through July 6, 2026. But here's the catch most people miss—you need to switch your earning preference from IHG points to airline miles, and the math doesn't always work in your favor.

How to Activate This Promotion

First, register for the promotion on IHG's promotion page between now and July 6, 2026. Then change your earning preference in your IHG One Rewards account from hotel points to American Airlines miles. You'll normally earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar spent at most IHG properties, but this promotion adds a 3x bonus on top—giving you 8 total miles per dollar.

Any qualifying stay of at least one night counts. Book directly through IHG to ensure your stay qualifies, and make sure your AAdvantage number is linked to your IHG account.

Should You Actually Do This?

Here's where it gets interesting. The standard IHG earning rate is 10 points per dollar at most brands. We value IHG points at 0.5 cents each and AA miles at 1.4 cents each. Let's break down a $200 stay:

Earning IHG points: 2,000 points = $10 value (5% return)Earning AA miles with this promo: 1,600 miles = $22.40 value (11.2% return)

The American Airlines option wins—but only with this promotion active. Without the 3x bonus, you'd earn just 400 AA miles worth $5.60, making IHG points the smarter choice.

Strategic Tips

If you're planning IHG stays before July 6, this promotion makes sense for these scenarios:

• You're saving AA miles for a specific redemption and need to top off your balance
• You're working toward AA elite status (miles from hotel stays count toward Loyalty Points)
• You already have plenty of IHG points but need airline miles

Don't switch if: You're planning to redeem at high-value IHG properties like InterContinental resorts, or if you're close to a meaningful IHG milestone (like enough points for a free night).

Also worth noting: If you have the IHG One Rewards Premier Credit Card, you'll still earn 26 total points per dollar at IHG properties even if you switch to earning AA miles—the card's bonus points post separately.

Bottom Line

This is a genuinely good deal if you have American Airlines redemptions planned. The 3x bonus pushes the value proposition clearly in favor of airline miles over hotel points. Just remember to switch your earning preference back after July 6 if you want to resume collecting IHG points.

Miles will post within 6 weeks of checkout. No cap on earnings is mentioned in the terms, so those planning multiple IHG stays this spring should definitely register.

This article contains affiliate links. If you apply through our links, we may earn a commission at no cost to you, which helps us continue sharing points and miles strategies with the community.