American Airlines AAdvantage is the only U.S. program remaining that still publishes an award chart – at least for travel on partner airlines. United, Delta, and Alaska have eliminated award charts and instead have dynamic pricing. Most of the time dynamic pricing means that if the cost of a ticket goes up in cash, it will also go up in miles.
AAdvantage is also beneficial as the program allows you to create custom itineraries as long as you follow all of the rules – you can even mix and match world-class airlines like Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, for example. The program also no longer charges change or cancel fees. There are plenty of sweet spots in the AA partner award chart that we want to highlight – though keep in mind these only apply as long as you have at least one partner segment (awards featuring only AA flights are now dynamic).
To Europe in Business Class for 57.5k AAdvantage Miles
United charges around 88k and Delta wants 350k+ most of the time for a one-way Business Class ticket to Europe. If you redeem AA miles on British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Royal Air Maroc, or Air Tahiti Nui from the US to Europe, you’ll pay 57.5k miles one-way in Business Class.
You’ll want to avoid British Airways departures from North America as the fuel surcharges are significant – however flying British Airways from Europe on the way back could be a decent deal if you begin your journey in one of the countries that charges lower fuel surcharges.
To the Middle East/India for 70k Miles in Business Class
Flying the Qatar Airways Qsuite is possible for just 70k AA miles one-way. Finding award availability might be a bit hard, but once you do, it will be worth it. You can also fly Etihad Airways – another fantastic Business Class experience.
Remember that you can have up to 4 segments on a one-way international award, so you can easily add connecting flights – whether in the US or in the Middle East/India.
From Europe to the South Pacific for 115k Miles in First Class
My favorite way to use AA miles – flying from Europe to Australia in First Class for just 115k miles. Since AA is a member of oneworld and has some awesome partner airlines, there are plenty of ways to fly to the South Pacific in First Class.
You could fly Etihad via Abu Dhabi, Qatar Airways via Doha, JAL via Tokyo, Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong, Qantas via Singapore (or others), etc. – remember that you can have layovers of up to 23h59m for free, therefore a brief stop in Tokyo for some sushi is always a good idea.
Hawaii to Asia 2 for 55k Miles in Business Class
If you find yourself on a round-the-world journey, perhaps you can maximize this sweet spot. You can fly from Hawaii to South Asia for just 55k miles in Business Class. You can even connect in the Asia 1 region.
For example, a routing like Honolulu – Tokyo – Osaka – Hong Kong – Bali is totally valid and will price for 55k in Business Class if your layovers are under 24h. This is just one example – the possibilities are endless with all of the oneworld airlines available in Asia.
Asia to South Pacific for 40k Miles in Business Class
If you find yourself in Asia and want to fly to the South Pacific in Business Class, you can do so for just 40k miles. The South Pacific region doesn’t include just Australia and New Zealand, but also Fiji, French Polynesia, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and more.
You can easily fly from Hong Kong to Tahiti via Sydney and Auckland on a combination of Cathay/Qantas and Air Tahiti Nui. If Fiji is in your travel plans, then perhaps you might want to redeem your AA miles for travel on Fiji Airways in their fantastic A350 Business Class. Again, remember that you can mix and match any of AA’s partner airlines all on one award as long as you follow routing rules and maximum permitted mileage.
Asia to the Middle East for 50k AAdvantage Miles in First Class
Another great way to fly First Class for significantly less miles. While not many AA partner airlines operate flights with a First Class cabin between these two regions, you’ll find that Qatar Airways does operate a route from Doha to Bangkok on the A380 with First Class – and it isn’t hard to book this award.
There may be other airlines that operate flights with a First Class cabin, but that changes from time to time depending on aircraft use and season – be sure to check AA’s partner airlines and what routes they operate.
Domestic Flights outside of the US with AAdvantage Miles
If you find yourself needing a domestic flight within Morocco, Finland, Spain, the UK, Australia, and others, AA miles might be the way to go. AA publishes lower award costs on domestic flights on partner oneworld airlines. For example, Marrakech to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc is 5k miles in Economy.
If you have British Airways Avios points, redeeming those could be a better deal depending on the distance you fly – as always, be sure to research all of your options prior to booking.
All in All
There are a lot more great ways to redeem AA miles, but these mentioned above are our favorite. AA miles are a bit harder to earn than other miles since the only transfer partner is Marriott Bonvoy – but the great thing about AAdvantage is that you can hold an award for 5 days while points transfer or you finalize your travel plans. AA has some incredible partner airlines and therefore it is worth collecting one of the more valuable airline miles for aspirational awards.