American Airlines moves Morocco to Europe award region
While airline alliances are generally rather set in stone, the Oneworld alliance has had an exciting six months. The action kicked off with Delta poaching LATAM out of Oneworld, and carried on into 2020 with Royal Air Maroc joining Oneworld and the announcement that Alaska Airlines would join too.
Royal Air Maroc represents a huge addition as it's the first African airline to join Oneworld, but because of its geographical position in North Africa, it also offers seamless connections to Europe and the Middle East. American Airlines seems to have read into this geography, and as reported by One Mile At a Time, AAdvantage has restructured its award chart to include Morocco in the Europe region.
Get Coronavirus travel updates. Stay on top of industry impacts, flight cancellations, and more.
This is great for travelers based in North America who were looking to fly with Oneworld's newest airline to Morocco, as award prices from the U.S. to Europe are substantially cheaper than those from the U.S. to Africa. One-way AAdvantage awards from the U.S. to Europe cost the following amounts:
- Economy: 30,000 miles
- Business: 57,500 miles
While one-way awards to Africa cost the following amounts:
- Economy: 40,000 miles
- Business: 75,000 miles
Related: Maximizing redemptions with American Airlines AAdvantage
This represents a savings of roughly 25% whether you choose to fly in economy or business, but it also means you can fly from the U.S. to Morocco and connect on to other European destinations for the same price. In fact, one of the best opportunities that this change opens up is the ability to fly from the U.S. to Europe via Casablanca (CMN) and avoid the hefty fuel surcharges that normally come from crossing the Atlantic on Oneworld carrier British Airways.
Of course, if you planned on using Morocco as a jumping-off point to visit the rest of Africa, this will make those awards more expensive. Flying from the U.S. to Africa via Morocco will price out as a more expensive award to Africa, while one-way awards from Morocco to the rest of Africa will now cost 30,000 miles in economy or 55,000 miles in business class, meaning you could end up paying as much for a two-hour regional flight from Casablanca as you would for the entire transatlantic leg from the U.S. to Morocco.
Royal Air Maroc normally operates nonstop flights from its hub in Casablanca to Boston (BOS), New York-JFK, Washington Dulles (IAD) and Miami (MIA) — though these frequencies have been suspended in light of the coronavirus outbreak. All U.S. routes are operated by Boeing 787 aircraft, though the hard product on the 787-9 is much better than the 787-8 so you'll want to check your seat map accordingly (and look for 1-2-1 seating not 2-2-2).
Related: To Morocco, in style: A review of Royal Air Maroc's 787-9 in business from NYC to Casablanca
While Morocco is most certainly not part of the European continent, this decision makes sense (in addition to being a plus for U.S.-based travelers). The flight from JFK to Casablanca is only 150 miles longer than the flight from JFK to London Heathrow (LHR), and much shorter than most nonstop flights between the U.S. to central/southern Africa.
Related: The best ways to get to Europe with points and miles
Bottom line
Royal Air Maroc joining Oneworld was a positive development on its own, but American Airline's decision to reshuffle its award chart, and in the process knock 25% off the cost of these awards only further sweetens this deal. Whether Morocco is your final destination or you plan on using this as a unique and cheap way to route to Europe, this is something worth keeping on your radar moving forward.
TPG featured card
at American Express's secure site
Terms & restrictions apply. See rates & fees.
| 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. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
- Flexible rewards with airline and hotel transfer partners
- Multiple travel and purchase protections
- No foreign transaction fees
- Access to Amex Offers for additional savings (enrollment required)
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 $8,000 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.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
- Updated! $120 Dining Credit: Earn up to a total of $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the Gold Card at Grubhub (including Seamless), Buffalo Wild Wings, Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, and Wonder. This can be an annual savings of up to $120. Enrollment required.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: Earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin’ locations. Enrollment required.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
- Book your travel through the Amex Travel App with added peace of mind – backed by American Express® service and support. Only for American Express® Card Members.
- Whenever you need us, we're here. Our Member Services team will ensure you are taken care of. From lost Card replacement to statement questions, we are available to help 24/7.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.