AA is Charging Up to 420,000 Miles for a (Mostly) Economy Award Flight to Australia
Airlines are known for devaluing their frequent flyer programs all the time. They do this by increasing award rates, requiring you to pay more miles to book an award flight. However, sometimes award prices reach a rate that's simply unreasonable, as I discovered while searching flights on American Airlines' website for an upcoming trip to Australia.
While there are only three official levels of awards between the US and Australia (MileSAAver, AAnytime Level 1 and AAnytime Level 2), American Airlines unofficially has up six award rates between these regions:
| US-Australia One-Way | Coach | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|
MileSAAver | 40,000 | 80,000 | 110,000 |
AAnytime Award Level 1 | 70,000 | 175,000 | 220,000 |
AAnytime Award Level 2 | 90,000 | 195,000 | 260,000 |
AAnytime Award Level 3 | 120,000 | 250,000 | 300,000 |
AAnytime Award Level 4 | 150,000 | 325,000 | 370,000 |
AAnytime Award Level 5 | N/A | 375,000 | 420,000 |
Usually, you'll see award rates somewhere in the MileSAAver to Level 2 range, but I stumbled across AA selling flights for 420,000 miles, at the AAnytime Award Level 5.
In a normal situation, any sane person would avoid spending that many miles for a flight. There are other options, via American's Oneworld partners or through other alliances. However, this was my first stop while shopping for the best value for my award flight.
Luckily, I took a closer look before pulling the trigger. When I examined the flight options, it showed that the segment from JFK-LAX would be in first class on AA's premium-focused A321T aircraft, which features lie-flat seats in a 1-1 configuration with direct aisle access. However, the long-haul segment from LAX-SYD would be in economy aboard the 787-9 set up in a 3-3-3 configuration.
See the red note at the bottom that says "First or Business is not available on all flights?" That's right: You could fly in economy for 15 of the 21.5 hours of flying for 300,000 to 420,000 miles per person, one-way, depending on your travel dates. What a terrible deal!
Turns out that AAdvantage is charging the highest fare possible because the one segment from JFK-LAX is in first on an in-demand date. There are certain days when this fare does have the flight from JFK-LAX in first and LAX-SYD in business — and there's a simple way to tell if you'll get seated in business or economy.
If AA has business/first AAnytime award space available, then your flight from LAX-SYD will be in business. You can see the days when the blue and purple overlap below. Additionally, the notes at the bottom are different; they say "The Class of service you searched may not be available on one or more flights" instead.
Currently, this egregious fare can be found on awards originating in JFK as well as other East Coast cities that route through JFK-LAX-SYD.
In my opinion, American simply shouldn't offer these types of awards, as they're incredibly misleading. Thankfully these aren't your only options to fly to Australia in a premium cabin on an award ticket. You can try searching for Qantas awards via AA's website like I did, but no flight appeared available for an entire month around my required travel dates, and they've yet to appear.
In the chart below, you can see the cost of a one-way ticket using the American Airlines Partner Award Chart. Each of the rates below is technically two separate award costs combined, as you need to book one award from your starting point to the specified departure city and then another award from the departure city to Australia.
| US-Australia AA Partner Award Cost | Coach | Business | First |
|---|---|---|---|
Cathay Pacific - via Hong Kong | 67,500 | 110,000 | 160,000 |
Japan Airlines - via Tokyo | 65,000 | 100,000 | 140,000 |
Etihad Airlines - via Abu Dhabi | 82,500 | 150,000 | 215,000 |
Qatar Airways - via Doha | 82,500 | 150,000 | 215,000 |
LATAM Airlines- via SCL and AKL | 75,000 | 140,000 | 197,500 |
Malaysia Airlines + British Airways - via Europe and Asia | 90,000 | 142,500 | 200,000 |
With this option, you can also mix and match class award types. For example, if there's only one seat in business on one leg and one seat in first on the other, you pay for each leg at cost rather then pay the higher fare the entire way, which will save some miles.
The best part is that these mileage costs are fixed unlike the rates when flying on American Airlines' tiered chart, at least for now. To search for availability for these awards, use BA.com or check out our article on how to search for Oneworld awards.
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- 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.
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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. |
| 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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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.