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On the subject of the loyalty applications of the “large three” carriers in america, I are inclined to assume that American AAdvantage gives essentially the most worth when redeeming miles for worldwide premium cabin journey, each when it comes to associate airways and redemption charges.
There are many markets the place American AAdvantage has one of the best pricing for award journey amongst oneworld applications, whereas I’d argue the identical can’t be stated for Delta SkyMiles for SkyTeam awards, and United MileagePlus for Star Alliance awards.
On this submit I needed to go over the fundamentals of redeeming American Airways AAdvantage miles. I’ll cowl all the small print of redemption logistics, and also will share my favourite candy spot awards.
The right way to earn American AAdvantage miles
For those who’re trying to earn American AAdvantage miles, there are many methods to accumulate these miles, past crediting flights to this system:
Take into account that with American’s Loyalty Factors system, you possibly can even earn elite standing with bank card spending. So whether or not it’s Government Platinum, Platinum Professional, Platinum, or Gold, you possibly can rack up any tier, in addition to numerous bonus miles, by way of non-flying means.
Fundamentals of redeeming American AAdvantage miles
Earlier than we speak about one of the best makes use of of American AAdvantage miles, let me cowl the essential particulars in relation to redeeming these miles, starting from expiration insurance policies, to alter and cancelation charges.
American AAdvantage mileage expiration coverage
On the subject of the mileage expiration coverage, American AAdvantage miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. Any mileage incomes or redemption exercise resets the expiration of your miles by an extra 24 months.
Moreover, AAdvantage members below the age of 21, in addition to major cardmembers on a co-branded American Airways bank card from Barclays or Citi, received’t have their miles expire, no matter account exercise.
American AAdvantage award change & cancelation charges
American AAdvantage has no award change or cancelation charges. This implies you possibly can lock in an award ticket upfront, and might then redeposit your miles any time till departure with out paying any charges. Your taxes and costs can even be refunded to your authentic type of cost.
American AAdvantage award reserving window
Each frequent flyer program has a distinct coverage in relation to the timeline of opening award seats. American AAdvantage opens its schedule at most 331 days upfront. That’s not essentially to say that there’ll all the time be award seats that far out, however that’s the earliest that you simply’ll discover award house.
American AAdvantage award service imposed surcharges
Some frequent flyer applications are identified for imposing hefty service imposed surcharges on award tickets. Within the case of American AAdvantage, you’ll solely pay these when redeeming on British Airways. In any other case, you’ll simply be on the hook for presidency taxes and costs.
American AAdvantage award stopover coverage
American AAdvantage doesn’t enable stopovers on award tickets. For those who do have a stopover, the ticket will simply be priced based mostly on the person segments. For an extended haul award, any cease of greater than 24 hours can be thought-about a stopover. In the meantime on home awards, the cutoff is usually six hours for one thing being thought-about a stopover.
American AAdvantage award maintain coverage
American AAdvantage has the business’s most beneficiant coverage in relation to holding award tickets. For those who’re planning your journey 14 or extra days upfront, you possibly can maintain your ticket for as much as 5 days. In the meantime inside 14 days of departure, you possibly can maintain your ticket for as much as in the future.
American AAdvantage award airline companions
American AAdvantage means that you can redeem miles on all oneworld airways. Along with American, this contains Alaska, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airways, Malaysia Airways, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Royal Air Maroc, and SriLankan.
Along with oneworld airways, you possibly can redeem on Air Tahiti Nui, China Southern, Fiji Airways, GOL, Hawaiian Airways (however not between the decrease 48 and Hawaii), and Silver Airways (choose flights to & from San Juan).
Finest makes use of of American AAdvantage miles
In contrast to Delta SkyMiles and United MileagePlus, American AAdvantage continues to publish an award chart for journey on associate airways.
Under is what American AAdvantage’s award chart seems like for first and enterprise class redemptions originating within the continental United States on associate airways.
|
Contiguous 48 U.S. To: |
Enterprise Class |
First Class |
|---|---|---|
|
Contiguous 48 U.S. States |
25,000 |
50,000 |
|
Canada & Alaska |
30,000 |
55,000 |
|
Hawaii |
55,000 |
80,000 |
|
Caribbean |
25,000 |
50,000 |
|
Mexico |
25,000 |
50,000 |
|
Central America |
25,000 |
50,000 |
|
South America Zone 1 |
30,000 |
55,000 |
|
South America Zone 2 |
57,500 |
85,000 |
|
Europe |
57,500 |
85,000 |
|
Center East / India |
70,000 |
115,000 |
|
Africa |
75,000 |
120,000 |
|
Asia Zone 1 |
60,000 |
80,000 |
|
Asia Zone 2 |
70,000 |
110,000 |
|
South Pacific |
80,000 |
110,000 |
Whilst you can embrace American segments on awards with associate airways, awards solely on American are inclined to have dynamic pricing. Let me share my favourite makes use of of AAdvantage miles, although let me in fact acknowledge that award availability can usually be the problem.
Enterprise class to the Center East & India (70,000 miles)
One space the place American AAdvantage miles proceed to be among the many most precious is for journey to the Center East & India. Per American’s award chart, this area contains all the things from India to the Maldives to Oman to Sri Lanka. There’s a lot magnificence on this space, and it’s someplace that’s in any other case robust to get to on miles.
Better of all, American companions with each Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, and each of them have glorious enterprise class merchandise. Sadly for the time being, this award availability may be fairly robust to return by:
Enterprise class to Africa (75,000 miles)
That is an extension of the above idea of going to the Center East. Africa is likely one of the hardest continents to get to utilizing miles, and with Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, you probably have some nice entry.
Whilst you may fly to Africa on British Airways or Iberia, that will imply you’d need to pay gasoline surcharges, and/or wouldn’t get as a lot of a product. As a substitute I like to recommend flying Etihad and Qatar, which have nice merchandise and fly to a lot of factors in Africa.
Whether or not you’re flying to South Africa or Tanzania or Kenya or Rwanda, there are glorious choices. Personally my favourite alternative is Qatar Airways, and a few years in the past I redeemed 75,000 miles to fly one-way from Cape City to Dallas.
Royal Air Maroc can be a oneworld member, so you should utilize American miles to fly to Morocco and past on the nationwide service. Fortuitously American considers Morocco to be Europe for the needs of award pricing, so that you’d pay solely 57,500 AAdvantage miles for a one-way enterprise class award between america and Morocco (which is honest, given what a brief flight it’s).
Enterprise class to Asia 1 & 2 (60,000-70,000 miles)
In Asia, American AAdvantage’s most helpful partnerships are with Japan Airways and Cathay Pacific. For simply 60,000 miles you possibly can fly enterprise class to Asia 1 (together with Japan and South Korea), whereas for 70,000 miles you possibly can fly enterprise class to Asia 2 (together with China, Singapore, Thailand, and so forth.).
Sadly neither airline is that nice about making award house out there these days:
- Cathay Pacific makes most award house out there to members of its personal Cathay Pacific Asia Miles program
- Japan Airways is extra inconsistent, but when reserving far upfront or near departure, it’s not unimaginable to search out award house
Nice associate award values between different areas
Above I’m specializing in redemption values to & from america. That’s as a result of a majority of OMAAT readers reside in america, in order that’s going to be essentially the most sensible for a lot of. Nonetheless, I did wish to spotlight another implausible award values between different areas, as that is usually the place you’ll discover essentially the most worth.
Truthfully, AAdvantage’s redemption values are constantly one of the best for awards not touching america. Heck, even Delta SkyMiles has nice award values exterior america.
Simply to provide some examples of different nice AAdvantage redemption values:
- You’ll be able to fly between the Center East and Asia 1 or Asia 2 for simply 40,000 AAdvantage miles in enterprise class; this might embrace a 10-hour flight in enterprise class on Qatar Airways or Etihad
- You’ll be able to fly between the Center East and Europe for simply 42,500 AAdvantage miles in enterprise class or 62,500 AAdvantage miles in first-class; this is also used for a flight on Qatar Airways or Etihad
- You’ll be able to fly between the South Pacific and Asia 1 or Asia 2 for simply 40,000 AAdvantage miles in enterprise class; you might use this for a 10-hour flight on Japan Airways, Qantas, Fiji Airways, or Air Tahiti Nui
- You’ll be able to fly between Asia 1 and Asia 2 for simply 30,000 AAdvantage miles in enterprise class; this might embrace fairly an extended flight between Japan and Southeast Asia
These are only a few examples, but when something, you’ll discover the worth with redeeming AAdvantage miles exterior of North America is even higher.
American first & enterprise class flight awards
Whereas AAdvantage continues to publish an award chart for journey on associate airways, this system now has totally dynamic award pricing for journey on American. American doesn’t launch a lot award availability that’s additionally bookable by way of associate applications (usually known as “saver” availability), although the airline does usually have moderately priced lengthy haul first and enterprise class flight awards by way of AAdvantage.
Frankly with how restricted numerous associate award availability is, I believe lots of the finest redemption alternatives these days are for journey on American.
Observe that you simply’ll nearly all the time discover one of the best worth for connecting itineraries. American often costs considerably greater if touring nonstop, whereas a connection may drastically decrease the award price. Moreover, word that almost all of those low cost awards can’t be booked along with an award on a associate airline.
Simply to tug up some examples, you might fly between america and Europe in American first-class for 72,000 AAdvantage miles, or in American enterprise class for 62,000 AAdvantage miles.
You possibly can fly between america and South America in American enterprise class for 55,000 AAdvantage miles.
You possibly can fly between america and India in American first-class for 75,000 AAdvantage miles, or in American enterprise class for 65,000 AAdvantage miles.
You possibly can fly between america and Australia in American first-class for 75,000 AAdvantage miles, or in American enterprise class for 65,000 AAdvantage miles.
The nice values aren’t only for lengthy haul premium cabin awards. In lots of instances you’ll discover attractively priced economic system awards briefly haul markets, much like the pricing you’ll discover with applications like Alaska Mileage Plan and British Airways Government Membership.
Backside line
Of the “large three” carriers in america, I are inclined to assume the American AAdvantage program has essentially the most useful award redemption alternatives, particularly for somebody with a diversified mileage portfolio. There are every kind of awards the place American has one of the best redemption values, particularly for journey to the Center East, Africa, India, and so forth.
On high of that, American has no change or cancelation charges for awards, which provides members a lot of flexibility when locking in awards. Hopefully the above is a few inspiration for the subsequent time that you simply’re planning an journey.
What are your favourite methods to redeem American AAdvantage miles?
