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Deal alert: Fly to London this summer in American business class from 57,500 miles each way

Chris Dong
Articles
Chris Dong was a reporter at The Points Guy, where he covered the intersection of credit card rewards and travel.
May 04, 2021
•
5 min read
View down Whitehall of buses and Big Ben
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Europe is getting set to reopen in the coming months so now may be the best time to book travel.

The European Union is expected to allow vaccinated travelers, including U.S. residents, to enter by summer. Additionally, support is mounting for the United Kingdom and U.S. to reestablish an air travel corridor by this June.

As first reported by View From The Wing, we're currently seeing one-way business class award space to and from London and a wide array of U.S. cities for 57,500 American AAdvantage miles. There’s availability for travel from this summer through the fall, but you’ll want to act quickly because there's no telling how long this MilesAAver award space will be around.

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AAdvantage awards in premium cabins are notoriously difficult to book at low mileage levels, so this is notable if you're sitting on a stash of American miles.

American flies an array of widebody planes to London, including the Boeing 787-8, 787-9, 777-200 and 777-300ER. While each American business class seat might vary, every configuration comes complete with direct aisle access, lie-flat beds and full, hot meals.

American's Boeing 777-200 in a reverse herringbone configuration. (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)

Related: American Airlines just put widebodies on 3 Alaska, Hawaii routes

Even better, as of November 2020, change and cancellation fees on all American award tickets are waived. That’s regardless of destination or class of service. While they remain non-changeable, anyone can now redeposit them back into an AAdvantage account for free.

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That means if your plans change -- or Europe doesn't follow through with its reopening -- you can book without having to worry about losing your miles or paying a redeposit fee.

The deal

Airline: American Airlines

Routes: Various U.S. cities to London-Heathrow (LHR). Best nonstop availability is from New York (JFK), Chicago (ORD) and Philadelphia (PHL). Other cities will likely require a connection.

Cost: 57,500 AAdvantage miles (MilesAAver) plus $11.20 in taxes and fees

Dates: Summer through early fall

Pay Taxes/Fees With: The Platinum Card® from American Express (5x on airfare booked directly with the airline; on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), Chase Sapphire Reserve (3x on travel) or Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2x on travel) for travel protections on the award flight.

Important note: To book, make sure you filter to American Airlines flights only, as booking with partner British Airways will incur a hefty fuel surcharge.

(Photo courtesy of American)

Sample itineraries

Here are a few examples of itineraries you can book. Note that this is not an exhaustive list of cities. In fact, in our search, many U.S. cities (including secondary, smaller airports) required only 57,500 AAdvantage miles. However, if you want to fly nonstop to London in business, the American hubs of New York and Chicago are your best bets.

Nonstop New York (JFK) to London nonstop (up to 4 seats per flight)

(Photo courtesy of American) Wide open availability to London nonstop from New York

Chicago (ORD) to London (LHR) in September nonstop

Los Angeles (LAX) to London (LHR) with connections

Low-level MilesAAver availability is even appearing from the U.S. West Coast, but you'll most likely require a domestic connection before heading onwards to London.

Boosting your AAdvantage balance

There are a variety of ways to boost your AAdvantage balance, so you’re ready for the next deal. One way is to sign up for an AAdvantage credit card. Some of the better offers include:

  • Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®: Earn 50,000 miles after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months of account opening. Earn 2 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases. Earn 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases. ($450 annual fee)
  • Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®: For a limited time earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $3,500 on purchases in the first four months of account opening. Earn 2x AAdvantage miles on gas station, restaurant, and eligible American Airlines purchases and 1x mile elsewhere. ($99 annual fee, waived the first year)
  • CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard®: Earn 65,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in purchases within the first four months of account opening. ($99 annual fee, waived for the first 12 months)

The information for the CitiBusiness AAdvantage Platinum Select has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

Related: Choosing the best credit card for American Airlines flyers

Maximize your purchase

When paying the taxes and fees on your award ticket, be sure to use a card that earns additional points on airfare purchases and offers travel protections in case anything goes wrong. Cards that fit the bill include The Platinum Card® from American Express, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card.

Related: The best credit cards for paying taxes and fees on award tickets

Featured image by Getty Images
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.