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You can now book American Airlines Web Specials by phone — great news for families

April 06, 2020
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3 min read
American Airlines A321T Business/Economy JFK-SFO
You can now book American Airlines Web Specials by phone — great news for families
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The unfortunate trend that we've seen from airlines around the globe in recent years is a shift away from fixed award charts and towards a variable or "dynamic" pricing scheme. Delta was the first of the three legacy U.S. carriers to adopt this policy several years back, and United followed suit late last year.

American Airlines, meanwhile, has taken a slightly different approach. Instead of an all-out shift to dynamic pricing, AA has increased the cost of its more expensive AAnytime awards while expanding the use of its discount Web Special awards to effectively create dynamic pricing. There have been some truly incredible Web Specials deals in the year and a half these awards have been around, including domestic AA flights for as little as 5,000 miles each way.

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Book AA Web Specials over the phone

Based on the name — "Web Specials" — you would assume that these awards can only be booked online. In fact that's been true for quite a long time, with AA phone agents not being physically able to see or ticket flights at the Web Specials prices. However, venerable twitter user @JonNYC reported that as of April 1, you can book some Web Specials awards over the phone as well.

Here's what American Airlines had to say about the improvement:

"We’re making it easier for customers to book Web Special Awards. Previously available only on aa.com, customers can now call American Airlines Reservations for support booking domestic Web Special Awards and those to Canada and U.S. Virgin Islands. This update creates a more seamless experience across booking platforms and enables customers with infants or unaccompanied minors to book these awards through Reservations.”

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This change isn't significant for many customers, as booking online and skipping the long hold times is always a preferable option. There are two groups of travelers who will really benefit here, as AA notes. Since unaccompanied minors and passengers traveling with a lap infant have to call in to book, they previously weren't able to take advantage of Web Special award pricing. With this new change, they'll be able to score the same great deals over the phone that they see online, but note this is currently limited to flights in the U.S. and to Canada and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Related: Redeeming American Airlines AAdvantage miles for maximum value

Bottom line

Dynamic pricing has not gotten a warm welcome from award travelers, but everyone like a good discounted award sale which is exactly what AA Web Specials offer. It's nice to see AA expanding access to the program, and specifically making it possible for children traveling as unaccompanied minors or lap infants to take advantage of these deals.

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Apply for American Express® Gold Card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees
Best for dining at restaurants

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TPG Editor‘s Rating
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Rewards Rate

4XEarn 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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  • Intro Offer

    As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.

  • Annual Fee

    $325

  • Recommended Credit

    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.