Maximize redemption with American Airlines A Pros

American Airlines A Pros arguably one of the best loyalty programs out there. As it is the largest airline carried by passengers and has many Oneworld and non-alliance partners, you can redeem AAdvantage miles to travel to many destinations.

With the airline moving to dynamic pricing, it’s hard to get significant value out of your AAdvantage mileage. But it’s still possible to get a lot of value from partner awards and select domestic awards.

Today we are going to look at some strategies you can use to maximize America’s advantage corruption.

Redeem A Mileage Offer for US flights

Probably the simplest way to redeem your AAdvantage miles on flights operated by American Airlines. To do so, visit American’s website and search for your award ticket.

Technically, American Airlines still publishes its own metal flight award rankings. Awards leaderboard shows MileSAAver and AAnytime rates, but you can also book tickets with discounts Web Special Award for selected flights and dates. And MileSAAver’s off-peak awards can be very valuable, as highlighted in the following stories:

You can see award rankings for US operated flights on the AAdvantage website. Here is the ranking of US AAdvantage awards for flights originating in the contiguous US and Canada:

However, when you search for an award flight, you’ll likely see many prices that don’t appear on the award charts. That’s because Web Specials can discount MileSAAver or AAnytime rewards. And the AAnytime award actually has more than two levels listed.

In summary, looking at the award rankings for US-operated flights offers only limited value. If you want to know the price of an American-run AAdvantage award, your best bet is to visit the American Airlines website or mobile app and search for your award.

As you view your prize results, consider whether you’re willing to connect – either travel on an adjacent day, use an alternate airport, or fly at a less convenient time – to redeem fewer miles. For example, consider these options for Thanksgiving travel:

If you’re willing to fly out of Fort Lauderdale instead of Miami, you can fly non-stop for 19,500 miles. However, if you want to fly out of Miami, your best option on this day is to wake up to depart at 8:16 am and connect via Las Vegas. You might save some miles or book a better itinerary if you’re flying on an adjacent day, so check your options if you have a flexible schedule.

Related: How will TPG employees spend 1 million American Airlines AAdvantage miles?

Redeem for flights on AAdvantage . partners

American’s membership in the Oneworld alliance means you can use your AAdvantage miles to book flights on a number of spectacular airlines, including Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways. Here is the current list of Oneworld US partners:

• Alaska Airlines.
• Airline British.
• Cathay Pacific.
• Finnair.
• Iberian.
• Japan Airlines.
• Malaysian Airlines.
• Qantas.
• Qatar Airways.
• Royal Air Morocco.
• Royal Jordanian Airlines.
• Sri Lankan Airlines.

And here is a list of other American partners:

• Air Tahiti Nui.
• Cape Air.
• China Southern Airlines.
• Etihad Airlines.
• Fiji Airlines.
• GOL Airlines.
• Hawaiian Airlines.
• Dark blue.
• JetBlue.
• Silver Airways.

American Airlines still uses a fixed award chart for partner flights, which you can find on American Airlines website. You will pay the same mileage on a given route no matter which partner airline you choose to fly with. However, carrier-imposed fees, routing rules, and availability vary by partner.

Here is the AAdvantage partner award rankings for one-way awards from the contiguous US and Canada:

You can reserve AAdvantage miles in advance to redeem the actual rewards you want. Airlines such as Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Japan Airlines, Qatar and Qantas set incredibly high standards no matter which cabin you book. Best of all, you can book most partner award tickets online.

Redeem top AAdvantage partners

One of the best parts of the AAdvantage program is its partner awards leaderboard.

One of the most valuable partner awards is from the US to Japan or Korea, as AAdvantage designates these two countries as the “Asia 1” region. A one-way flight from the US to Japan or South Korea costs 35,000 miles in economy class, 50,000 miles in premium economy class, 60,000 miles in business class or 80,000 miles in first class.

Flights to the rest of Asia are a bit more expensive. However, you can fly Cathay Pacific’s business class to many Asian destinations in as little as 70,000 miles, which is a solid deal – especially given the airline’s extensive network of routes.

And you can fly Japan Airlines first class from the US to many destinations in Asia for 110,000 miles. Note, however, that your flight from Japan to your destination in Asia may be business class, not first class.

Another great option is to book flights from the US to the Middle East or the Indian subcontinent for 40,000 miles one way in economy class or 70,000 miles one way in business class. And book flights from From America to Africa will only set you back 75,000 miles each way in business class.

British Airways offers flights on many routes, but taxes and fees can be high. So you will probably want to consider flying with other partners like Qatar or Royal Jordanian.

Air Tahiti Nui is also a powerhouse. There are now more ways than ever to fly to Tahiti using points and milesand AAdvantage is one of your best choice. Air Tahiti Nui flies daily between Los Angeles and Tahitian. You can book a one-way reward for 40,000 AAdvantage economy miles, 65,000 premium economy class miles, or 80,000 business class miles.

Of course, these are just a few examples of how the AAdvantage partner award chart can provide so much value. Take a look at the award rankings and see what AAdvantage attractions have to offer.

Related: The Sweetest Places with American Airlines AAdvantage

For example, you can take advantage of British Airways Distance-Based Awards Ranking to book short, direct flights at a lower cost. You can book an economy class flight to, from or within North America for as little as 7,500 British Airways Avios if it’s 650 miles or less.

Meanwhile, a direct economy class flight to, from or within North America 651 to 1,151 miles will be 9,000 Avios. And a non-stop flight from 1,152 to 2,000 miles will cost just 11,000 Avios. Using British Airways Avios to book non-stop domestic flights can offer great value, especially since it’s relatively inexpensive. Easy to find Avios.

Related: How to book award tickets with British Airways Avios

If you’re looking to fly in the front cabins of your plane, consider booking American Airlines flights through Etihad guest instead of. Etihad’s award chart for US-operated flights reflects what AAdvantage used to charge for its flights before Depreciation in 2016. Etihad typically requires fewer miles to fly US-operated flights than AAdvantage.

Knowing when it doesn’t make sense to not use AAdvantage to book American-operated flights can save your US miles for more value redemption.

Related: Book this, not that: Oneworld Prize Flights

Free AAdvantage Prize Cancellation

In late 2020, American introduced a new policy that makes the AAdvantage program significantly more valuable to most members: the ability to cancel the prize until free departure. Previously, only elite members of Executive Platinum tier were entitled to this benefit.

While we don’t recommend speculatively pre-booking a bonus, you can cancel it if your plan changes, you find a better selection of rewards, or you find a better price available. value. Being able to cancel a free AAdvantage bonus and get your miles back to your account may encourage you to book through AAdvantage instead of a partner.

Related: How to change or cancel an American Airlines flight

How to earn US miles

Before you can change US miles, you must earn US miles. When we discuss in guide to earn US miles, it is relatively easy to increase your balance. For example, you can earn miles when:

But you may also find it worthwhile adding one or more American Airlines credit cards to your wallet. In particular, here are the sign-up rewards and earning rates for some of our favorite American Airlines cards:

• Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 80,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles after you spend $5,500 within the first three months of account opening. Plus, earn a total of 4 miles per dollar spent on qualifying American Airlines purchases through December 31, 2022. Thereafter, earn 2 miles per dollar on qualifying American Airlines purchases. . Earn 1 mile for every dollar spent on other purchases.
• Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles after you spend $2,500 within the first three months of account opening. Plus, earn 2 miles for every dollar spent at gas stations, restaurants, and on qualifying American Airlines purchases. Earn 1 mile for every dollar spent on other purchases.
• American Airlines AAdvantage MileUp card: Earn 10,000 AAdvantage bonus miles and get $50 worth of statement credits after you spend $500 within the first three months of account opening. Plus, earn 2 miles for every dollar spent at grocery stores and on qualifying American Airlines purchases. Earn 1 mile for every dollar spent on other purchases.

Related: Best Credit Cards for American Airlines Passengers

There are so many great ways to change US milesbut it should get you a good idea of ​​how to get solid value even before you start looking.

You’ll often get much better value when you use your AAdvantage miles on partner flights, especially those to Asia and the Middle East. And if you’d like to redeem US miles for flying on a US-operated flight, review all the award options and decide if you’re willing to connect extra or travel during less popular times. more variables to make more money or not.

Additional reporting by Ehsan Haque, Andrew Kunesh, Katie Genter, Richard Kerr and Joseph Hostetler.