Monday only: Earn up to 4 miles per dollar on Apple purchases, including laptops and phones

Just in time for Christmas and Hannukah shopping, it is a good time to buy the Apple products that have been sitting in your shopping cart.

Several airlines are offering bonus miles for purchases made on Apple’s website for a limited time. While not as generous as the 5 bonus miles or points that we occasionally see, up to 4 miles per dollar is pretty darn good.

Usually, some of the top Apple products like iPhones and MacBooks are excluded, but not this time. That means if you’ve had your eye on a new iPhone or MacBook Pro, now may be the time to act. The Alaska and United offers appear most generous to us.

Here are the elevated earnings you’ll receive on Apple purchases on Monday when you click through these online shopping portals:

• American Airlines: Earn 3.5 miles per dollar at Apple (typically 1 mile per dollar).
• Alaska Airlines: Earn 4 miles per dollar at Apple (typically 1 mile per dollar).
• Delta Air Lines: Earn 3.5 miles per dollar at Apple (typically 1 mile per dollar).
• Southwest Airlines: Earn 2 points per dollar at Apple (typically 1 point per dollar).
• United Airlines: Earn 4 miles per dollar at Apple (typically 1 mile per dollar).

According to Apple, “Rewards not eligible on: Apple Vision Pro, all Apple Vision Pro accessories, Apple Pro Display XDR, gift wrap, Apple Developer Programs, AppleCare+ monthly subscription, and shipping, handling and taxes.”

There are just a few other exclusions:

• Orders purchased on the Government or Veterans and Military Stores
• Purchases made for resale and bulk orders
• Gift cards
• Gift certificates
• Cash equivalents
• Purchases made with coupon or discount codes not found on the site through which the purchase is made

Additionally, each customer is only eligible to receive a bonus on up to five units per eligible product — except the iPhone, which is limited to only two units within 30 days.

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You should always use a shopping portal aggregator to compare the top earning rates for various retailers before making a big purchase. How you value your miles will affect which offer is best for you overall. These aggregators won’t always list bonuses based on spending thresholds.

Since you’ll earn up to 4 miles per dollar spent on eligible Apple products, if you purchase a base-model 15-inch MacBook Air for $1,199 through the Alaska Airlines portal Monday, you’ll earn 4,796 Alaska Mileage Plan miles. Those miles are worth about $70, according to TPG’s December 2024 valuations. They could be worth even more if you can find the right flight to redeem them on.

It’s worth noting that base miles earned through the American Airlines shopping portal count as Loyalty Points. So, the above purchase (earning 3.5 points per dollar) would bring you 4,196 Loyalty Points closer to earning (or requalifying for) American elite status. In other words, this single purchase would get you more than 10% of your way to the 40,000 Loyalty Points required for entry-level AAdvantage Gold status.

Surprisingly, the Apple Card isn’t necessarily the best card for Apple purchases.

It offers a decent return, but given the high cost of Apple’s devices, you should focus on credit cards with purchase protection and extended warranty benefits instead. Benefits vary from card to card, but you may have success getting compensated if your product is damaged or destroyed during the coverage period. Several TPG staffers have successfully covered their Apple products through credit card protections.

The information for the Apple Card has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

If you’re picking up a pricey new phone, it’s good to have a card that will help protect it in case of loss or damage beyond those initial few months when purchase protection is in play. The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a good option.

You might also consider a card that earns more than 1 point or mile per dollar on all purchases, like the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card or the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card. Both cards offer 2 Capital One miles per dollar on all purchases. You can then redeem these miles at a fixed value toward travel purchases or transfer them to various travel partners.

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