How To Earn Airline Miles On Broadway Shows

Airline loyalty programs are constantly on the lookout for innovative partnerships that keep their members engaged and rewarded. For those living in or visiting New York City, one of the easiest and most fun ways to earn extra miles can be to buy tickets to a Broadway show, from iconic classics to the newest releases. Some of the country’s largest carriers have teamed up with ticket providers to offer members of their respective loyalty programs the opportunity to earn bonus miles.

United Airlines

Earn miles with Audience Rewards

Through its partner Audience Rewards, United Airlines offers MileagePlus members miles rewards on more than 50 Broadway shows. While some of the shows, such as Clowns Like Me and Drunk Shakespeare, only attract a bonus of 50 miles, some of the bigger-name shows, such as The Notebook, Hamilton, Moulin Rouge, and The Lion King, offer theatergoers up to bonus miles. But by far, the largest number of miles can be earned by watching Chicago.

Photo: EQRoy | Shutterstock

Tickets to the longest-running American musical on Broadway currently earn 1,650 bonus miles each for peak performances.

Coincidentally, the airline has one of its largest hubs at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), from where it operates to destinations across the US and the rest of the world. These include Tokyo (HND), London Heathrow (LHR), and São Paulo (GRU), and from March 2025, the carrier will resume its direct service to Delhi (DEL).

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

In order to obtain this offer, MileagePlus members register their membership number with Audience Rewards. The table below highlights some of the Broadway shows offered through Audience Rewards and the number of reward miles they attract:

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American Airlines

Earn miles with Ticketmaster

Ticketmaster is one of the world’s largest distributors of event, concert, and theater tickets. The online retailer has teamed up with American Airlines to offer exclusive benefits for members of the carrier’s loyalty program, AAdvantage.

Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

The below example is for tickets to see Aladdin on Broadway on July 25th, 2024, showing that even the cheapest seats will attract a reward of 131 miles, with rewards of up to 431 miles possible for the more expensive ticket options:

Image: American Airlines

For those looking to spend their miles, Ticketmaster also offers AAdvantage members the opportunity to pay for tickets with miles. American Airlines outlines the four simple steps that AAdvantage members must follow in order to take advantage of the exclusive offers:

1. Browse for events – log in and search for events on the AAdvantage Events website
2. Select event and seats – each event will accrue a different number of miles, which will be clearly visible at this stage
3. Proceed to checkout and payments – pay for the tickets at the checkout, where there is also the option to pay with miles
4. Receive tickets and collect miles – e-tickets can be downloaded immediately after purchase, and AAdvantage members will receive the miles in their account within 30 days of the transaction.

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Delta Air Lines

Earn with Ticketmaster

Delta Air Lines has also teamed up with Ticketmaster, offering members of its SkyMiles loyalty program the chance to earn miles on eligible ticket purchases for events across the US and Canada. Unlike American Airlines, the SkyTeam member has a flat rate of 1 mile for every $1 spent on eligible Ticketmaster purchases, which may be more advantageous or not, depending on the specific tickets being purchased.

For those going for dinner before their Broadway show, extra savings can be found by using the Delta SkyMiles Platinum American Express Card to pay at eligible US Resy restaurants. Cardholders can earn up to $10 per month in statement credit (up to a total of $120 in one year) by doing so.

Alaska Airlines

Earn with StubHub

As part of its extensive portfolio of entertainment and shopping partnerships, Alaska Airlines has teamed up with StubHub, an online ticket marketplace. Currently, the carrier is offering members of its Mileage Plan loyalty program a bonus reward of 2 miles for every $1 spent on StubHub. It is worth noting, too, that by using their Alaska Airlines Visa Signature credit card to make the purchase, Mileage Plan members can earn additional miles.

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Although the number of miles obtained from going to one Broadway show is unlikely to be enough to redeem on a flight, over time, regular theatergoers can see their balances soon creep up in what is an easy (and fun!) way of collecting miles. Furthermore, if groups of friends or families see a show together, the mile-earning potential is maximized. For those looking for live events off-Broadway, the Ticketmaster and Stubhub partnerships offer opportunities to earn miles on tickets to concerts, live sporting events, festivals, and more.