Save $30,293 to Asia; $1,719 to Africa; $15,935 to Australia; $1,812 to the Middle East; $1,911 to S. America.
Last month we introduced you to a simple yet powerful travel formula:
RGV=BR2
It means Really Great Value = Be Ready, Squared (in other words, be REALLY ready.)
This month, the same genius formula applies, but this time it’s for American Airlines.
A Buying Miles Primer
For those fresh to the idea, there’s more than one way to skin a miles cat. Earning them by flying or making purchases on credit cards is the slow way. You can shortcut this process by simply buying them.
Buying them gives you a big pile of miles so you can take advantage of great opportunities right when they surface (and before they disappear). Importantly, don’t buy these miles off the first shelf—wait until they’re on sale.
That’s the idea of “being ready.” Since these sales don’t always last long, you need to be cash ready to pounce.
Now, combine the low cost of buying miles on sale with airlines that have low mileage award rates, and you have a sweet spot of a deal. See our special report about “When to Buy Miles Instead of Purchasing a Normal Published Fare” here.
So, back to American Airlines.
Like Iberia, AA often has great buy-miles deals and low-cost mileage award rates for travel on AA flights and flights on its airline partners all over the world.
FCF’s 3-Step Action Plan for American Miles
Step 1: Follow FCF Sweet Redeems Alerts.
We’ll keep you informed when both the sale hits and details on routes and partners where availability is rich.
Step 2: Buy miles when they’re on sale.
Let’s look at an example. In July, American had a buy-miles deal that offered a purchase bonus of up to 100,000 miles + a saving of up to 10%. So at that time you could buy up to 150,000 AA miles (the maximum amount) and receive another 100,000 (total 250,000) for $4,319, a cost of 1.7¢ each. Even now there is a sale that can net a price at just 1.8¢ each (ends Aug. 31). Still a good deal if you can use the miles now. Otherwise I usually wait till they can be had at 1.7¢.
Step 3: Book the low-cost mileage award ticket.
Here are a few finds that demonstrate the power of this approach:
FIRST CLASS TO ASIA $3,807 (UP TO 89% OFF) ON CATHAY PACIFIC
AA charges 220,000 miles round-trip in First Class from the continental U.S. to Asia (region 2: Hong Kong), which you can buy when they’re on sale for $3,740, plus ~$67 in award taxes, making the total $3,807.
See this Sweet Redeem for details.
FIRST CLASS TO ASIA $2,776 (UP TO 83% Off) ON JAPAN AIRLINES
AA charges 160,000 miles round-trip in First Class from the continental U.S. to Asia (region 1: Japan and Korea), which you can buy when they’re on sale for $2,720, plus ~$56 in award taxes, making the total $2,776.
See this Sweet Redeem for details.
BUSINESS CLASS TO SOUTH AMERICA FOR $2,015 (UP TO 49% Off) ON AMERICAN
AA charges 115,000 miles round-trip in Business Class from the continental U.S. to southern South America, which you can buy when they’re on sale for $1,955, plus ~$60 in award taxes, making the total $2,015.
See this Sweet Redeem for details.
BUSINESS CLASS TO THE MIDDLE EAST FOR $2,455 (Up to 42% Off) ON Etihad
AA charges 140,000 miles round-trip in Business Class from the continental U.S./Canada to the Middle East on partner Etihad Airways, which you can buy when they’re on sale for $2,380, plus ~$75 in award taxes, making the total $2,455.
See this Sweet Redeem for details.
FIRST CLASS TO THE SOUTH PACIFIC FOR $3,865 (UP TO 80% Off) Qantas
AA charges 220,000 miles round-trip in First Class from the continental U.S. to the South Pacific on partner Qantas, which you can buy when they’re on sale for $3,740, plus ~$125 in award taxes, making the total $3,865.
See this Sweet Redeem for details.
BUSINESS CLASS TO AFRICA FOR $2,644 (Up to 39% Off) ON Etihad Airways
AA charges 150,000 miles round-trip in Business Class from the continental U.S./Canada to Africa, which you can buy when they’re on sale for $2,550, plus ~$94 in award taxes, making the total $2,644 for one ticket.
See this Sweet Redeem for details.
God Bless American*
We know you don’t need it, but just in case, here are a few more reasons we recommend buying miles on American:
American Partner Power
It charges the same mileage award rates for its own and oneworld partner flights (more here). For more on “American Partner Power 101 and the Hidden Miles Opportunities,” go here.
Low Award Taxes for American Flights
American Airlines charges low award taxes for their own flights. For partners it varies, but often these are also low (except for AA partner British Airways, which has some of the highest award taxes).
Free Hold for Mileage Award Tickets
For American mileage award tickets booked 15 or more days in advance, AA usually holds free award space for five days. This perk also applies to partners such as British Airways, Finnair, Japan Airlines, Hawaiian, Qantas, and Royal Jordanian Airlines. This means you can look for your mileage award, find something you like, put a free hold on the ticket for up to five days, during which time you can buy your miles. For more details on the free award hold option, go here.
Free Connecting Cities from Anywhere in the Continental U.S. that AA Operates Flights
Because AA uses a zone award mileage program (meaning travel from anywhere in the continental U.S. to your departure city costs the same amount of miles, regardless of where in the U.S. you depart from), you do not have to spend additional miles to get from your home city to the other departure cities in the U.S.
For example, if you see an FCF Sweet Redeems Alert (Step 1 in the Action Plan) for Japan Airlines in First Class from Chicago to Tokyo for travel in June 2020 for 80,000 miles one-way using AA miles, but you live in Tampa, FL, no problem. You can add an American flight from Tampa to Chicago (also in First Class) for no extra cost, still only using 80,000 one-way to Tokyo.
For more details on connecting cities from the U.S., go here.
Free Connecting Cities Within the Arrival Region on Partner Flights
And remember, because AA uses a zone award program, travel beyond your arrival city does not require more miles as long as you stay in the same region.
For example, you see an FCF Sweet Redeems Alert for Etihad Airways in First Class from Washington, DC, to Abu Dhabi for 115,000 miles one-way using AA miles, but you need to go to Kuwait City. No problem, you can add an Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi to Kuwait City for no extra cost, still only using 115,000 miles one-way from Washington, DC, to Kuwait City.
[aside headline="Can’t Get Enough Miles? Get by with Some Help from Your Friends" alignment="aligncenter" width="big" headline_size="default"]Need more miles than the maximum you’re allowed to buy? No problem.
Most airlines allow you to redeem miles for your trip from someone else’s account. So open an account for your dad, daughter, or other family members or friends, fill it with miles when they go on sale, and then use the miles for your ticket.
Once you have these other mileage accounts set up, you can buy the annual maximum for each account when the miles are on sale, giving you almost unlimited access to miles for travel.[/aside]
Opportunity Summary
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