Quick Points: Book partner awards at fixed rates using AAdvantage miles
Dynamic pricing has taken some of the luster out of redeeming points and miles for great-value flights, but here's a tip for your next American Airlines AAdvantage redemption.
In April, American Airlines became the final major U.S. carrier to drop its saver award charts — a move it first announced was coming late last year.
AAdvantage redemptions for travel on American are now exclusively priced dynamically, allowing the airline to adjust the award rate for any flight. If you're traveling during off-peak periods when cash prices are low, you can expect pricing similar to when AAdvantage used award charts for travel on American.
However, if you are looking to fly during busy periods to popular destinations, like Europe during the summer, prepare for a pricing shock, with one-way, premium-cabin flights priced at several hundred thousand AAdvantage miles per person.
And yes, that is (in fact) just for a one-way ticket.
American Airlines partner award rates
The good news is American Airlines has retained, for now, an award chart for flights operated by partner airlines, and there are great deals to be found there. Here's a list of all of American's current partners:
Oneworld airline partners:
- Alaska Airlines.
- American Airlines.
- British Airways.
- Cathay Pacific.
- Finnair.
- Iberia.
- Japan Airlines.
- Malaysia Airlines.
- Qantas.
- Qatar Airways.
- Royal Air Maroc.
- Royal Jordanian Airlines.
- SriLankan Airlines.
- Fiji Airways (Oneworld Connect).
- Oman Air (future member).
Non-alliance airline partners:
- Air Tahiti Nui.
- Cape Air.
- China Southern Airlines.
- Etihad Airways.
- Gol Airlines.
- Hawaiian Airlines.
- IndiGo.
- JetBlue.
- JetSmart.
- Silver Airways.
You can book most of these partners online — only three (China Southern Airlines, IndiGo and JetSmart) require you to call AAdvantage. That said, even though American's website indicates Etihad awards are available online, you generally need to call to book.
Here is the partner award chart for travel from the United States and Canada.
Provided there is availability, this means you will not pay more than 110,000 miles, even in first class, for a one-way award from the continental U.S. to anywhere on the planet. It's much easier to plan how to earn the miles required to book flights to the destinations you want to travel when you can follow an award chart rather than be at the mercy of dynamic pricing that changes daily.
Related: Dynamic pricing vs. fuel surcharges — which is the lesser of 2 evils for your next redemption?
Some favorite AAdvantage partner sweet spots
Some of our favorite uses of AAdvantage miles include:
- Book Japan Airlines first class from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Tokyo's Haneda Airport (HND) for only 80,000 miles each way.
- Qatar's fantastic Qsuite product — arguably the best way to reach the Middle East on points and miles — is only 70,000 miles each way between anywhere in the U.S. and the Middle East or the Indian subcontinent. Alternatively, just 75,000 miles each way from the U.S. will get you to destinations in Africa like the Seychelles and South Africa.
- For just 57,500 American miles one-way, you can book business-class seats to Europe from anywhere in the U.S., regardless of the distance or if you need to make a connection.
Bottom line
American has some excellent partner airlines, so while the award chart remains in place for these airlines, consider booking a partner (rather than AA) for your next AAdvantage redemption. Of course, this is subject to availability, but if you're planning in advance and have some flexibility in your dates, there are some fantastic awards to book.
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