Ebook American Airways’ new Flagship Suites enterprise class for simply 55,000 miles
It is solely been a couple of days since American Airways launched the primary real-life pictures of its new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners that includes its novel Flagship Suites idea. Now, these seats are on sale — and we’re seeing some fairly engaging award area in its new business-class cabin for as little as 55,000 miles one-way.
As TPG reported final week, American will launch service from Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) to London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) starting June 5. On Aug. 6, the airline will add service from Philadelphia Worldwide Airport (PHL) to LHR.
American may also debut the jet — and the Flagship Suites idea — on its flights between Dallas Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW) and Brisbane, Australia, come late October.
Excessive demand for American Airways’ new Flagship Suites
As you would possibly count on, these planes — and particularly the brand new suites, full with American’s first-ever sliding privateness doorways — are in excessive demand.
Coach seats on the June 5 inaugural worldwide flight from O’Hare to Heathrow are already offered out, per American’s reserving platform. When you choose to e book one of many snazzy new suites, it’s going to run you north of $6,000.
Utilizing AAdvantage miles would not look way more interesting, at almost 300,000 miles one-way. In line with TPG’s Could 2025 valuations, American miles are value 1.65 cents every. Whereas this award offers you a powerful redemption worth of two cents per mile, not many individuals might have 300,000 AA miles of their account.
And whereas there’s loads of summer time economic system award area by way of AAdvantage at 27,000 miles one-way, business-class redemptions look fairly dear by way of June and July, with award tickets working north of 100,000 miles and even 200,000 miles, in some instances.
Notice that premium economic system tickets for 47,000 American miles is a very good award deal, supplying you with a worth of about 8.6 cents per mile. Nonetheless, chances are you’ll need to maintain off on reserving these premium economic system seats when you possibly can e book an expensive business-class seat for only a few extra miles.
Ebook American Flagship Suites by way of Alaska Mileage Plan
However there’s an attractive work-around: Ebook by way of one in every of American’s Oneworld alliance companions — particularly, Alaska Airways’ Mileage Plan program.
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As View from the Wing’s Gary Leff was the first to report, Alaska has opened up new Flagship Suite award redemptions beginning at simply 55,000 miles one-way (plus taxes and charges). Alaska miles are value 1.5 cents apiece, per our Could 2025 valuations. Due to this fact, this redemption would offer you a worth of 11 cents per mile. That’s an incredible deal!
Whereas there is not award area obtainable day-after-day this summer time, it isn’t too tough to search out.
To e book a Flagship Suite utilizing Alaska miles, you may need to be sure to’re choosing a flight route that operates utilizing the brand new airplane. American designates its new 787-9s with the Flagship Suites (a whopping 51 of them, to be exact) as its “787-9P.”
In American’s reserving channels, search for flights that say “78P,” like on this instance for an ORD-LHR flight for July 18.
Reserving this flight by way of American for a business-class seat just isn’t a nasty deal (I’ve seen a lot worse). However you may be losing priceless reward miles.
When you simply go over to Alaska’s web site and run an award search for a similar flight, you may discover it obtainable (on this case) for 55,000 miles plus $19 in taxes and charges.
PHL-LHR
This is an instance for the Philly flight on the brand new 787-9P on Aug. 13.
There’s truly some fairly first rate August award area on this route by way of AAdvantage at 62,000 miles one-way.
However once more, you may get it for 55,000 Alaska miles as a substitute.
Keep in mind, even when you do not have a stash of Alaska miles sitting round, you possibly can — not less than for now — switch American Categorical Membership Rewards factors to its new sister airline, Hawaiian Airways, after which transfer these miles to Alaska (however chances are you’ll need to act quickly). Notice that Amex does cost a price (as much as $99) to switch factors to HawaiianMiles.
Additionally, if you’re a Bilt Rewards member, you possibly can switch Bilt Factors at a 1:1 ratio to Alaska Mileage Plan.
When you’re not discovering appropriate award area by way of American or Alaska, you possibly can all the time strive looking out by way of Oneworld alliance companions, such because the handful of carriers that use Avios as their award forex (equivalent to British Airways, Iberia, Qatar Airways and Finnair) — or American’s Australian companion, Qantas.
You may also use a third-party instrument like Seats.aero, Level.me or Roame.journey to help you in trying to find award area. Simply triple-check the plane sort on the route. It is attainable a third-party instrument or companion (equivalent to Alaska) will solely listing the plane sort because the “787-9” — you may need to make sure that it is the “787-9P” or “78P” configuration.
As talked about, American’s new Dreamliners with the brand new configuration have 51 business-class suites, versus 30 on its present 787-9s.
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