TPG readers' best American Airlines AAdvantage success stories
We recently asked our TPG Lounge audience to share their greatest success stories with the American Airlines AAdvantage loyalty program. Here's a look at some of our favorite answers. (Some responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity.)
Related: Maximizing redemptions with American Airlines AAdvantage
Trips to Maui, Mexico, South America and Europe
From tropical islands like Hawaii and Cozumel to major metropolises like Rio de Janeiro and Paris, our intrepid TPG Lounge members definitely know how to make the most of their American Airlines miles when it comes to seeing the world.
"Newark (EWR) to Kahului, Maui (OGG) in lie-flat first class for 40,000 AAdvantage miles." — Cara C.
"Not nearly as exciting as some but took our family of four from Dallas (DFW) to Cozumel for 22,500 AAdvantage miles each round-trip for a four-day weekend!" — Christy G.C.
"Business class from Washington, D.C. (DCA) to Brasília (BSB), with a return trip from Rio de Janeiro (GIG), for 105,000 AAdvantage miles total." — Raina R.
"Round-trip from San Jose, California, to Montevideo, Uruguay. [Tickets were] $1,280 or 60,000 AAdvantage miles. It was in economy but I used miles and only paid $80 in fees!" — Thiago L.
"Only 30,000 AAdvantage miles to fly J one way on LATAM's New York to Guayaquil to Galápagos route. Got a flat-bed seat for the flight between JFK and Guayaquil and 10% back so it was a major steal at 27,000 miles. Not only that, but the route will get you to Guayaquil in the morning so you can fly to Galápagos." — William T.
"777 business class to London during Christmas for 57,000 miles. Can't get better than that." — Parham K.
"Business class from Miami to Amsterdam for 57,500 AAdvantage miles and $5.60 in taxes." — Susie G.A.
"Business class from Philadelphia to Budapest nonstop for 60,000 round-trip." — Clifford O.
"From Los Angeles to Paris round-trip for 36,000 AAdvantage miles, before the devaluation when they would give back 10%." — Soroya G.G.
"Round-trip to Barcelona from San Francisco in first class for two at 75,000 miles each." — Allen E.
"Our family of four went to Mykonos on American Airlines and British Airways in June for 30,000 AAdvantage miles each one-way. I checked the AA site daily 10 months out, looked at various destinations in Greece and hopped on it when I found it." — KC N.
Related: How to earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles
Adventures in Africa, India and the Middle East
Not only does our TPG Lounge audience specialize in seeing the world with points and miles, they know how to do it in style, flying some of the best business- and first-class products in the skies to get there.
"Honeymoon flight: business class on American Airlines from New York (JFK) to Boston (BOS), Qatar Airways from Boston to Doha (DOH) to Nairobi (NBO), with return flights in business class from the Seychelles (SEZ) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) and JFK on Etihad." — Ted D.
"First class from Kerala, India (COK) to Mumbai (BOM) to San Francisco (SFO) for 90,000 miles on Etihad." — Charlie F.
"Qatar QSuites home from our honeymoon in the Maldives (MLE) to Doha (DOH) to Chicago (ORD) for only 70,000 AAdvantage miles each." — Bryan D.
"75,000 miles plus $65 in taxes and fees to fly from Northern California to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, with the long flights on Qatar in a Qsuite." — Thomas P.
"Washington, D.C. (IAD) to Doha (DOH) to Johannesburg (JNB) round-trip for a family of four in business class at 120,000 AAdvantage miles per person total. Took my dad on his first international flight and now he thinks all international travel is as magical as Qatar's exceptional product." — Jessica R.
"Business class on Qatar Airways in Qsuites from Los Angeles to Doha for 70,000 AAdvantage miles. Business class from Mumbai to LA on Etihad for 70,000 miles. Argentina to LA in economy for 30,000 miles." — Beena M.
"Just booked Boston to Doha to the Maldives using 140,000 AAdvantage miles for business class in Qsuites for my wife and me. Then, on return, we're flying from the Maldives to Abu Dhabi in business class on Etihad for 60,000 AAdvantage miles via a separate award for two. We're stopping over in Abu Dhabi for two nights, then flying first class from Abu Dhabi to New York in Etihad's Apartment on the A380 — it's 230,000 AA miles for this part. Total AAdvantage miles used: 430,000 for roughly $35,000 in value! Pretty excited!" — Jeff K.
Related: How to redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles
Epic Trips to Asia and Oceania
Some TPG Lounge readers mentioned how they'd used their AAdvantage miles to travel to far-flung locales in Asia, Australia and French Polynesia.
"Our favorite usage by far was for our honeymoon. 110,000 AAdvantage miles each way for each of us from New York to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, with a return trip from Tokyo in first class. Incredible experiences on both. They knew it was our honeymoon so they did special things and on the Cathay Pacific flight, we got a $300 bottle of Krug as we left the plane." — Pat G.
"JAL first class from New York to Tokyo for 75,000 AA miles per person after a 10,000-mile rebate. The cash price was about $14,000 per person." — Kyle P.
"Used to be round-trip in Cathay Pacific first class for 130,000 AAdvantage miles from New York (JFK) to Hong Kong (HKG). I love those pajamas." — Kevin C.
"First class on OneWorld partner Cathay Pacific from Los Angeles to Jakarta via Hong Kong for 70,000 AAdvantage miles each way, then on to Bali." — Mariah S.
"AA miles are a fantastic deal for long-haul intra-Asia flights, Sydney to Singapore for 50,000 miles in first, for example, or Sydney to Kuala Lumpur in J for 40,000 miles." — Prash K.
"Qantas first class from Dallas to Sydney for 65,000 AAdvantage miles. It was 2016 and I'd searched about 10 months out from just about every major U.S. city, then decided to check from my hometown airport in Kansas City and found a first-class award to Sydney through DFW." — Debbie G.
"Qantas first class from London to Dubai to Melbourne for 80,000 AAdvantage miles each way. Those were the days." — Ross H.
"New York to Fiji for three in business class for 80,000 per person each way. I just came back." — Giovanna W.
"Air Tahiti Nui in business class from JFK to LA on American Airlines and LA to Tahiti (PPT) on Air Tahiti Nui for 57,500 AAdvantage miles. Only two award seats per plane so I needed to check Expert Flyer a year out." — Graham F.
Related: The best websites for searching Oneworld award availability
Vote for TPG UK's four-class British Airways review in this year's Lovie Awards!
TPG featured card
Rewards
| 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. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro offer
Annual Fee
Recommended Credit
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.
Rewards Rate
| 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. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Intro Offer
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.