Spring deals: Mexico, Caribbean for 5,000 AAdvantage miles one-way
If you’re looking to plan a spring getaway, you may be able to get some good use out of your AAdvantage miles. American Airlines is holding a spring award sale that has the carrier offering one-way tickets to a number of high-demand domestic, Caribbean and Central American destinations for as little as 5,000 miles one-way.
The deal runs through March 15 and applies to certain economy flights departing on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays in April and May.
In all, American said it's putting half a million seats on sale for 5,000 miles.
There’s plenty of good news in this deal, which may help you with your spring bookings. We found 5,000-mile one-way availability to places like Turks and Caicos, Barbados and Cancun, Mexico — not to mention the brand-new airport in Tulum, Mexico, which is set to open to U.S. airlines later this month.
You can also find similar award availability to popular domestic destinations, such as Austin, New Orleans and Charleston, South Carolina, this spring.
At the same time, the sale is a bit hit or miss in terms of dates and city pairs; you might, for instance, find 5,000-mile availability from Charlotte to Montego Bay, Jamaica, on one Saturday in April but not another. The same might be true for flights from Philadelphia to Austin.
But if you’re flexible in terms of travel dates and/or destinations, you may be able to fly somewhere warm this spring for as little as 10,000 miles round trip, making it a strong redemption opportunity if you’ve been accruing AAdvantage miles with the Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) or are planning to transfer Bilt Rewards points earned by paying rent every month.
Deal basics
Airline: American
Destinations: Many U.S. airports to domestic, Caribbean and Central American destinations
Travel dates: Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays between April 2 and May 29
Book by: March 15
How to book: Directly with American Airlines
How to transfer points: You can transfer Bilt Rewards to American Airlines AAdvantage at a rate of 1:1
Sample flights
You’ll likely want to start searching flight options on American’s website for this sale. It lists a bunch of different destinations involved in the deal.
However, your best bet to find your ideal award availability is to plug in your home airport and start playing around with different dates and destinations.
Again, you may run into some dead ends if you’re set on a particular city pair or date.
For instance, let’s say I want to fly from New York City to Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands on Saturday, April 6. The cheapest one-way ticket I can find is for 10,000 miles, not 5,000.
But, if I click American’s award calendar, I can see that by traveling the following weekend, on April 13, there is award availability starting at 5,000 miles one-way from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK).
Another word of advice: Watch out for some wonky itineraries. Here’s what appears to be a great option from Washington, D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Barbados' Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) for April 13. The one-way award flight goes for 5,000 miles ... but with an overnight layover in Miami.
If I can depart a few days earlier, on Wednesday, though, things look (at least somewhat) better.
The best news in this deal is that there are a lot of options out there. Here’s one from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to the brand-new Tulum International Airport (TQO) in Mexico for 5,000 miles each way. Note that there are brief stops at American hubs in each direction.
All things considered, though, the availability is fairly widespread. For instance, here's American's award calendar from Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU) to Cancun International Airport (CUN) in April. You can see 5,000-mile award availability every Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday.
So, depending on your origin and destination airports, there's a good chance there's a deal in there for you somewhere if you have AAdvantage miles to spend.
Bottom line
American Airlines now uses dynamic pricing for its AAdvantage redemptions and no longer sticks to an award chart. However, it does publish one that’s meant to serve as a reference for “estimated starting values.”
That chart lists 10,000 miles as the starting point for a one-way main cabin ticket between the 48 contiguous U.S. states and Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.
So, in a lot of cases, this deal offers flights at half that amount — and to some prime warm-weather destinations during peak spring travel season.
Related reading:
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
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- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.
Rewards Rate
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com. |
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Intro Offer
You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
$325Recommended Credit
Credit ranges are a variation of FICO® Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit card application.Excellent to Good
Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.