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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Guides
Sweet Spot Sunday: Fly to Central America for 12,500 American miles or less
Andrew Kunesh is TPG's Points & Miles editor. He has been active in the points and miles space since 2014, using them to travel far and wide around the world. He is originally from Chicago but moved to New York City after graduating from DePaul University. His work is featured on Credit Karma, UpgradedPoints, ValuePenguin and various other travel and finance publications. He currently holds Delta Diamond Medallion and Marriott Titanium status, and 20+ credit cards that each have a special place in Andrew's wallet.
June 5, 2022 • 8 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.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.
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Quick summary
Central America offers vibrant culture, cuisine and historical sites, with easy access from major U.S. cities via nonstop flights.
A major U.S. airline provides a strong loyalty program deal for economy flights to Central America, with off-peak one-way awards starting at 12,500 miles and Web Special fares sometimes even lower.
Off-peak pricing windows are April 21-May 20 and Sept. 9-Nov. 18, with generally plentiful award space and low taxes and fees, though Costa Rica has higher departure taxes.
Booking is straightforward through the airline's website, with options to sort and filter for the lowest award prices.
What to consider
Some offers mentioned in the article are no longer available.
Web Special awards are non-changeable but can be canceled for a mileage refund at no cost.
Points from some hotel and alternative loyalty programs can be transferred to this airline, but not from most major transferable points currencies.
What you'll miss from the article
A step-by-step booking guide and tips for maximizing value when redeeming miles for Central America flights.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Central America is a popular region for American tourists. No matter which country you pick, from Belize to Panama, you can experience vibrant and dynamic cultures with some of the world’s best food, nightlife and historical sites.
Better yet, Central America is close to home. You can reach most Central American countries in just a couple of hours from most major U.S. cities on a nonstop flight. The Dallas-based American Airlines has a large Central American route map, with most flights departing from its hubs in Dallas and Miami.
Its AAdvantage program offers a great deal on these flights, with economy awards starting at 10,000 miles one-way. In this edition of Sweet Spot Sunday, I’ll take a closer look at this sweet spot and show you how to book it with your AAdvantage miles.
Why it’s special
Fly to Belize for 12,500 miles or less during off-peak dates. (Photo by Felipe Garcia R/Shutterstock.com)
You’ll pay just 12,500 miles for a one-way ticket from the U.S. to Central America on off-peak dates. This is a great award price and far less than what many other airlines charge. For example, United MileagePlus charges a minimum of 17,500 miles on most award tickets to Central America. Delta SkyMiles' dynamic award pricing can incredibly expensive:
(Screenshot from delta.com)
American’s off-peak dates aren’t too limiting either. You’ll find the 12,500-mile price on flights from April 21-May 20 and Sept. 9-Nov. 18 with Main Cabin award space. This gives you two big windows for booking cheap award tickets to Central America, and award space is plentiful on most routes.
(Screenshot from aa.com)
You can also bring the price down even more by booking Web Special awards. These are promotional fares that often price lower than Main Cabin award tickets. For example, I found this award ticket from New York City to Belize City via Dallas for just 10,000 miles one-way in Main Cabin.
(Screenshot from aa.com)
Taxes and fees vary by region, but you’ll rarely spend more than $50 each way. Flights to Costa Rica tend to be on the pricier side due to high tourism and departure taxes. On the other hand, flights to Panama have less than $10 in taxes one-way.
You can book almost all American award tickets on aa.com — including tickets to Central America. (Photo by Zach Griff/The Points Guy)
You can book off-peak American award tickets to Central America on American’s website. Here’s a step-by-step look at the booking process.
Step 1: Log in to your American account
First things first: Head to the American Airlines website and log in to your account. Click the “Log in” button at the upper right-hand corner of the screen and enter your credentials. (Screenshot from aa.com)
Step 2: Enter your desired itinerary
Enter your desired itinerary at the center of the homepage and select the “Redeem miles” box. Then, click the blue “Search” button to view your flight options.
(Screenshot from aa.com)
Step 3: Look through available flights
All available flights will appear at the center of the screen. Click the arrow next to the “Main Cabin” label to sort by lowest points price on the date you searched. You can also see the lowest price for the week you searched at the top of the screen.
(Screenshot from aa.com)
If your travel is flexible, click the “Calendar” button at the top of the screen. This will show you the lowest points price per day for the entire month. You can filter by number of stops and class of service using the buttons above the calendar. Click on the date you’d like to book to view available flight options.
(Screenshot from aa.com)
When you find a flight you like, click on its points price to start the booking process. You will be asked if you’d like to book a Web Special or Main Cabin award if both are available. The only difference between the two awards is that you cannot change Web Special tickets, but you can cancel them and have your miles refunded at no cost.
For example, the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card earns 2 points per dollar on travel and 3 points per dollar on dining and includes various travel protections. Plus, you’ll earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. That’s worth at least $1,230 based on TPG’s valuations.
The fastest way to earn American miles is by opening an American cobranded credit card and earning the sign-up bonus. The airline has partnerships with Barclays and Citi to offer a variety of different credit cards. Each has a unique set of benefits and a different sign-up bonus and annual fee. Do your own research to see which is best for your wallet.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®(see rates and fees): Earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 within the first three months of account opening. Earn 4 miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases. Then, if you spend $150,000 on purchases in a calendar year, you'll earn a boosted rate of 5 miles per dollar spent on American purchases for the remainder of the calendar year. You'll also earn 10 miles per dollar spent on eligible car rentals and hotels booked through American's car rental and hotel booking sites, respectively. Earn 1 mile per dollar spent on other purchases. ($595 annual fee).
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®(see rates and fees): Earn 50,000 bonus miles after you spend $2,500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases and at gas stations and restaurants, and 1 mile per dollar elsewhere ($99 annual fee, waived for the first 12 months).
Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees): Earn 65,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 on purchases within the first four months of account opening. Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar on eligible American Airlines purchases, cable and satellite providers, select telecommunications merchants, car rentals and at gas stations, and 1 mile per dollar elsewhere ($99 annual fee, waived for the first 12 months).
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp®: Earn 10,000 bonus miles and a $50 statement credit after spending $500 on purchases within the first three months of account opening. Earn 2 AAdvantage miles per dollar on grocery store and eligible American Airlines purchases and 1 mile per dollar elsewhere (no annual fee).
The information for the 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.
There are many great ways to redeem your American miles — and booking off-peak flights to Central America may be one of the best. You can leverage American’s huge Central American route network to see amazing destinations like Belize, Costa Rica and Panama. Bookmark this guide and refer to it the next time you’re looking for a vacation to warmer weather.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
