American Airways AAdvantage is arguably among the best loyalty packages on the market. As it’s the largest airline by passengers carried and has many Oneworld and non-alliance companions, you’ll be able to redeem AAdvantage miles for journey to many locations.
With the airline’s transfer to dynamic pricing, it is tougher to get vital worth out of your AAdvantage miles. But it surely’s nonetheless potential to get a ton of worth from companion awards and choose home ones.
As we speak we’ll have a look at some methods you need to use to maximise your American AAdvantage redemptions.
Redeem AAdvantage miles for American flights
Maybe probably the most easy approach to redeem your AAdvantage miles is on flights operated by American Airways. To take action, go to American’s web site and seek for your award ticket.
American Airways technically nonetheless publishes award charts for flights by itself steel. The award charts present MileSAAver and AAnytime charges, however you too can e-book discounted Net Particular awards for choose flights and dates. And the MileSAAver off-peak awards can present quite a lot of worth, as highlighted in these tales:
You may see the award chart for American-operated flights on the AAdvantage web site. Here is a have a look at the American AAdvantage award chart for flights originating within the contiguous U.S. and Canada:
Nevertheless, once you search for an award flight, you may possible see many charges that do not seem on the award chart. That is as a result of Net Particular awards can low cost the MileSAAver or AAnytime award worth. And AAnytime awards even have extra than simply the 2 ranges listed.
In brief, trying on the award chart for American-operated flights solely offers restricted worth. If you wish to know the value of an American-operated AAdvantage award, the best choice is to go to the American Airways web site or cellular app and seek for your award.
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Whenever you have a look at the award outcomes, think about whether or not you would be prepared to attach — or journey on an adjoining date, use an alternate airport or fly at a much less handy time — to redeem fewer miles. For instance, think about these choices for Thanksgiving journey:
In the event you’re prepared to fly out of Fort Lauderdale as a substitute of Miami, you’ll be able to fly nonstop for 19,500 miles. However, if you wish to fly out of Miami, the best choice on this date is more likely to stand up for the 8:16 a.m. departure and join by way of Las Vegas. You may have the ability to avoid wasting miles or e-book a greater itinerary should you fly on an adjoining date, so examine your choices if in case you have schedule flexibility.
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Redeem for flights on AAdvantage companions
American’s membership within the Oneworld alliance means you need to use your AAdvantage miles to e-book flights on some spectacular airways, together with Cathay Pacific, Japan Airways and Qatar Airways. Right here’s an inventory of American’s present Oneworld companions:
- Alaska Airways.
- British Airways.
- Cathay Pacific.
- Finnair.
- Iberia.
- Japan Airways.
- Malaysia Airways.
- Qantas.
- Qatar Airways.
- Royal Air Maroc.
- Royal Jordanian Airways.
- SriLankan Airways.
And here is an inventory of American’s different companions:
- Air Tahiti Nui.
- Cape Air.
- China Southern Airways.
- Etihad Airways.
- Fiji Airways.
- GOL Airways.
- Hawaiian Airways.
- IndiGo.
- JetBlue.
- Silver Airways.
American Airways nonetheless makes use of a hard and fast award chart for companion flights, which you could find on the American Airways web site. You’ll pay the identical quantity of miles on a given route regardless of which companion airline you select to fly with. Nevertheless, carrier-imposed charges, routing guidelines and availability fluctuate by companion.
Here is the AAdvantage companion award chart for one-way awards from the contiguous U.S. and Canada:
There are a lot of really aspirational redemptions you’ll be able to e-book along with your AAdvantage miles. Carriers comparable to Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Japan Airways, Qatar and Qantas set the bar extremely excessive regardless of which cabin you e-book. Better of all, you’ll be able to e-book most companion award tickets on-line.
Prime AAdvantage companion redemptions
Probably the greatest elements of the AAdvantage program is its companion award chart.
Probably the greatest worth companion awards is from the U.S. to Japan or South Korea, as AAdvantage designates these two nations because the “Asia 1” area. A one-way flight from the U.S. to Japan or South Korea prices 35,000 miles in financial system, 50,000 miles in premium financial system, 60,000 miles in enterprise class or 80,000 miles in first-class.
Flights to the remainder of Asia are slightly pricier. Nonetheless, you’ll be able to fly Cathay Pacific enterprise class to many Asian locations for less than 70,000 miles, which is a stable deal — particularly given the service’s huge route community.
And you may fly Japan Airways first-class from the U.S. to many Asian locations for 110,000 miles. Nevertheless, notice that your flight from Japan to your vacation spot in Asia could also be in enterprise class, not first.
One other nice choice is reserving flights from the U.S. to the Center East or the Indian subcontinent for 40,000 miles one-way in financial system or 70,000 miles one-way in enterprise class. And reserving flights from the U.S. to Africa will solely set you again 75,000 miles every manner in enterprise class.
British Airways presents flights on many routes, however the taxes and costs will be excessive. So, you may possible need to think about flying with different companions like Qatar or Royal Jordanian.
Air Tahiti Nui additionally presents an ideal product. There are actually extra methods than ever to fly to Tahiti utilizing factors and miles, and AAdvantage is one among your greatest choices. Air Tahiti Nui flies every day between Los Angeles and Tahiti. You may e-book a one-way award for 40,000 AAdvantage miles in financial system, 65,000 miles in premium financial system or 80,000 miles in enterprise class.
After all, these are just some examples of how the AAdvantage companion award chart can present a ton of worth. Take a look at the award chart and see what AAdvantage candy spots stick out to you.
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Know when to make use of alternate packages
In case your journey plans imply that you should fly on American Airways, AAdvantage won’t be the most cost effective program to e-book your award.
For instance, you may have the ability to leverage the British Airways distance-based award chart to e-book quick, nonstop flights for much less. You may e-book an financial system flight to, from or inside North America for simply 7,500 British Airways Avios if it is 650 miles or much less.
In the meantime, a nonstop financial system flight to, from or inside North America that is 651 to 1,151 miles can be 9,000 Avios. And a nonstop flight between 1,152 and a pair of,000 miles would value simply 11,000 Avios. Utilizing British Airways Avios to e-book nonstop home flights can present wonderful worth, particularly because it’s comparatively straightforward to earn Avios.
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In the event you’re trying to fly within the ahead cabins of the aircraft, think about reserving American Airways flights by way of Etihad Visitor as a substitute. Etihad’s award chart for American-operated flights mirrors what AAdvantage used to cost for its flights earlier than its 2016 devaluation. Etihad usually requires fewer miles to fly American-operated flights than AAdvantage.
Realizing when it is sensible to not use the AAdvantage program to e-book American-operated flights can save your American miles for extra helpful redemptions.
Associated: E-book this, not that: Oneworld award flights
Cancel AAdvantage awards free of charge
In late 2020, American launched a brand new coverage that made the AAdvantage program considerably extra helpful for many members: the flexibility to cancel awards till departure free of charge. Beforehand, solely Government Platinum elite members bought this profit.
Though we do not suggest reserving awards speculatively, having the ability to cancel your award in case your plans change, you discover a higher award choice otherwise you discover a higher worth is effective. Having the ability to cancel AAdvantage awards free of charge and get the miles deposited again into your account might encourage you to e-book by way of AAdvantage as a substitute of a companion.
Associated: The best way to change or cancel an American Airways flight
The best way to earn American miles
Earlier than you’ll be able to redeem American miles, you should earn American miles. As we talk about in our information to incomes American miles, it’s comparatively straightforward to spice up your steadiness. For instance, you might earn miles once you:
However you might also discover it worthwhile so as to add a number of American Airways bank cards to your pockets. Specifically, here is the sign-up bonus and incomes charges for a few of our favourite American Airways playing cards:
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Government World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 80,000 American Airways AAdvantage bonus miles after you spend $5,500 throughout the first three months of account opening. Plus, earn a complete of 4 miles per greenback spent on eligible American Airways purchases by way of Dec. 31, 2022. After that, earn 2 miles per greenback on eligible American Airways purchases. Earn 1 mile per greenback spent on different purchases.
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 50,000 American Airways AAdvantage bonus miles after you spend $2,500 throughout the first three months of account opening. Plus, earn 2 miles per greenback spent at gasoline stations, eating places and on eligible American Airways purchases. Earn 1 mile per greenback spent on different purchases.
- American Airways AAdvantage MileUp℠ Card: Earn 10,000 AAdvantage bonus miles and get a $50 assertion credit score after you spend $500 throughout the first three months of account opening. Plus, earn 2 miles per greenback spent at grocery shops and on eligible American Airways purchases. Earn 1 mile per greenback spent on different purchases.
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Backside line
There are many nice methods to redeem American miles, however it helps to have a good suggestion of the way to get stable worth even earlier than you begin looking.
You’ll usually get a significantly better worth utilizing your AAdvantage miles for companion flights, particularly these to Asia and the Center East. And if you wish to redeem American miles to fly on an American-operated flight, have a look at all of the award choices and resolve whether or not you are prepared so as to add in an additional connection or journey at much less fashionable occasions to snag deal.
Further reporting by Ehsan Haque, Andrew Kunesh, Katie Genter, Richard Kerr and Joseph Hostetler.
