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American Airlines is part of Oneworld, and with a dozen non-alliance partners, AAdvantage members have access to some fantastic world-class award opportunities. Not to mention excellent deals within the United States on the carrier’s own routes.
See our best credit card bonuses here.
In this post, we’ll cover the best ways to redeem your AAdvantage miles.
Easily earn AAdvantage miles with cobranded cards like the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® and the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.
CITI® / AADVANTAGE® EXECUTIVE WORLD ELITE MASTERCARD®
The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® has a 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage bonus miles offer. Make $5,000 in purchases within the first 3 months of account opening to earn this bonus. See our valuation of AAdvantage miles are worth. You’ll easily receive at least $500 in value from these bonus miles.
The card earns 2 AAdvantage miles for every $1 spent on eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile for every $1 spent on other purchases.
You’ll receive expected perks like no foreign transaction fees and your first checked bag for free on domestic American Airlines flights. Up to 8 companions traveling with you on the same reservation will also receive this free checked bag perk.
The main reasons travelers choose this $450 annual fee card are:
- Complimentary Admirals Club lounge access
- 10,000 AAdvantage Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) after you spend $40,000 in purchases within the year
| Best Redemption Options | American Airlines flights Partner flights |
| OK Redemption Options | Upgrades Admirals Club memberships |
| Bad Redemption Options | Hotel stays Car rentals Vacation packages Magazines & newspapers Gift cards LifeLock memberships Transfer/gift miles Charitable donations |
| Mile Valuation | $0.014/mile |
American Airlines Flights
Of course, one of the best – and most straightforward – ways to use your AAdvantage miles is for American-operated flights. The carrier still uses a region-based chart to price awards, whereas other airlines are now using dynamic pricing. Below is the AAdvantage chart for Economy awards and a chart for Business/First Class (prices are one-way and apply to flights starting in the United States):
As you can see, there are four levels of awards: Off-Peak, MilesSAAver, AAnytime Level 1 and AAnytime Level 2. Keep in mind, the cost does not change when you add connecting legs. That’s a great feature if you’re flying out of smaller airports because you can redeem at the same rates as others flying from major American Airlines hubs.
Best Ways To Redeem With American Airlines
Now for the good part. Below are our favorite ways to redeem AAdvantage miles with American Airlines.
Not long ago, American Airlines launched Economy Web Specials. These deals are award flights priced from merely 5,000 miles for a one-way trip, with mileage levels varying by date and flight.
Examples of past Economy Web Specials include:
- New York (JFK) to Dallas (DFW) for 5,000 miles
- Philadelphia (PHL) to Aruba (AUA) for 7,500 miles
- Miami (MIA) to Belize (BZE) for 7,500 miles
If the deal is available, you’ll see the award level when you book your trip. But buyer beware, Economy Web Special tickets don’t allow changes. You can cancel and reinstate your miles, but that’ll cost you (except if you’re an Executive Platinum member).
Reduced Mileage Awards are limited-time monthly deals that can save you up to 7,500 AAdvantage miles on award travel. To qualify, you’ll need an American Airlines cobranded credit card. Different cards offer different mileage discounts.
The following AAdvantage cards offer a 2,000-mile discount on flights under 500 miles and a 7,500-mile discount on flights over 500 miles:
- The Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
- CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Select MasterCard®
- CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®
- AAdvantage® Aviator® Silver World Elite MasterCard®
- AAdvantage® Aviator® Red MasterCard®
- AAdvantage® Aviator® Business MasterCard®
The following AAdvantage cards offer a 1,000-mile discount on flights under 500 miles and a 5,000-mile discount on flights over 500 miles:
- Citi® / AAdvantage® Gold World Elite MasterCard®
- AAdvantage® Aviator® Blue MasterCard®
You must book Reduced Mileage Awards over the phone. Award taxes and fees are just $5.60 per one-way trip.
There are loads of sweet spots in the American Airlines award chart. Our favorites include:
| DESTINATION (ONE WAY) | CLASS | MILES |
| Europe | Economy (Off-Peak) | 22,500 |
| Europe | Economy | 30,000 |
| Peru (from Miami) | Business | 30,000 |
| Hawaii | Economy (Off-Peak) | 20,000 |
| Bahamas | Economy (Off-Peak) | 12,500 |
| Mexico or The Caribbean | Economy | 15,000 |
| New Zealand (from Los Angeles) | Economy | 40,000 |
We also recommend going on short, nonstop award flights that are less than 500 miles. Those go for just 7,500 miles each way. Examples include:
- Chicago (ORD) to Kansas City (MCI)
- Dallas (DFW) to Memphis (MEM)
- Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO)
- Tampa (TPA) to Tallahassee (TLH)
Partner Flights
As part of the Oneworld alliance, AAdvantage members are able to redeem their AA miles for award flights with:
- Japan Airlines
- LATAM Airlines*
- Malaysia Airlines
- Qantas
*Must call in to book award travel.
You’ll also be able to book award flights with the following non-alliance partners:
*Must call in to book award travel.
Like its own award flights, American Airlines prices partner awards using a distance-based chart:
If you compare the American Airlines award chart with its partner award chart, you’ll see that they’re actually quite similar. For the most part, flying on an AA partner costs the same as flying with American Airlines.
Be mindful of carrier-imposed fees and surcharges. For example, British Airways usually charges $500 or more in surcharges for flights to Europe.
Best Ways To Redeem With American Airlines Partners
Here are our favorite American Airlines partner redemptions:
Qatar Airways Qsuites is one of the best business class options available. Enjoy double beds in the middle section – great for couples who want to nap together – with sliding doors for privacy.
Destination: Seoul (via Doha)
Miles: 40,000 for a one-way ticket.
Destination: The Middle East or Indian Subcontinent
(ie: Jordan, Oman, Sri Lanka)
Miles: 70,000 for a one-way ticket.
Similar: Cathay Pacific, but they have very steep surcharges.
Destination: Africa (via Doha)
Miles: 75,000 for a one-way ticket.
With Etihad Apartments, enjoy a ton of personal space and the ability to customize your meal from the menu. Combine a couple of dishes or select certain parts of one dish and pair it with another. If you have a travel companion, you can dine together in your Apartment.
Destination: Seoul (via Abu Dhabi)
Miles: 50,000 for a one-way ticket.
Destination: The Middle East or Indian Subcontinent
(from New York – JFK)
Miles: 115,000 for a one-way ticket. Add a connection to JFK on American Airlines for no extra miles.
If you’re traveling to Hong Kong, China or Southeast Asia, Cathay Pacific is the way to go. The carrier operates flights from seven airports in the United States. And if you need to make a connection, you’ll often find award space on American Airlines.
Cathay Pacific Business Class cabins have a reverse herringbone layout with seats that provide privacy and direct aisle access. We also love Cathay lounges at its home airport in Hong Kong, not to mention the flight crews are top-notch.
Destination: Hong Kong, China or Southeast Asia
Miles: 70,000 for a one-way ticket.
Japan Airlines has one of the best First Class experience today. Of course the seats are nice, but here’s what makes the carrier’s First Class service really stand out:
- Quality amenity kit products
- Delicious meals
- Solid, complimentary inflight WiFi
- Great customer care
Destination: Asia Zone 1 (ie: Korea, Japan)
Miles: 80,000 for a one-way ticket.
LATAM has a new Business Class product for their new aircraft, and they’re retrofitting the current fleet. Lie-in flat seats are already available on LATAM’s current Dreamliners, but the new Business Class cabins feature 1-2-1 seating, so you’ll have direct aisle access no matter where you sit.
Destination: Southern South America
(ie: Buenos Aires, Lima, Santiago)
Miles: 57,500 for a one-way ticket.
Note: LATAM will be leaving Oneworld on October 1, 2020.
There aren’t a lot of options if you’re trying to get to the islands in the South Pacific. But at least AAdvantage offers its members a way there via Air Tahiti Nui.
The Business Class cabins have 2-2-2, angle-flat seats. If you don’t want to climb over someone – or vice versa – select a middle seat with direct aisle access.
Destination: Papeete (Tahiti from Los Angeles – LAX)
Miles: 80,000 for a one-way ticket.
It’s a long way to Australia from the United States, so you might want to consider splurging on a Qantas First Class award seat. If you’re flying out of Los Angeles (LAX), you can access the Qantas First Class Lounge. You’ll also get to enjoy the First Class lounge in Sydney (SYD).
Destination: Australia
Miles: 110,000 for a one-way ticket.
*We independently collected the information above from public sources. The actual cost in miles is subject to change.
Bottom Line
There are so many great ways to redeem your American Airlines AAdvantage miles, both domestically and internationally. If you take the time to find the best routes for your award travel and avoid high fuel surcharges, you’ll stretch your rewards to their limit.
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