TPG Readers: The Best Ways to Use American Airlines AAdvantage Miles
With this in mind, we recently asked our TPG Lounge members to share the ways they love to use their AAdvantage miles, whether it's finding the best American award flights to get a bigger bang for their buck or utilizing them on an airline partner for an even swankier experience. Here’s a look at some of our favorite answers. (Some responses have been lightly edited for style and clarity).
Bragging Rights
There's no doubt our TPG Lounge audience is an extremely well-traveled group. That said, some of the trips and premium airline experiences they've been able to book with points and miles are just downright impressive.
"57,500 AA miles one-way in business class to Argentina, which retails for about $5,000." — Frank I.
"My wife and I went to Cancun (CUN) for 45,000 AA miles round-trip." — Frank M.
"120,000 AA miles for all four of us to get to Curaçao (CUR). The cash price is about $3,400." — Rosie R.M.
"60,000 AA miles for a round-trip to London-Heathrow (LHR) from Chicago-O'Hare (ORD). Pretty sweet. Never had a problem with booking the flight I want." — Farheen K.
"It's not flashy or unique but 30,000 AA miles round-trip in economy to pretty much anywhere in the Caribbean is better than award rates on Delta or United." — Erik L.
"I just booked a business-class ticket from Phoenix (PHX) to London for 57,500 AA miles and $87 dollars in taxes and fees. The fees vary and most of the time they don't make sense but every once in a while, you'll get some decent redemptions." — Mark S.R.
"We just got back today after two weeks in Argentina and Chile using 115,000 AA miles to fly round-trip per person in J from San Diego (SAN) to Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Buenos Aires (EZE), then open-jaw from Santiago (SCL) to DFW to SAN" — Maurice N.
Using Them to Fly With a Partner Airline
Lucky for us, American Airlines is part of the Oneworld alliance — which also includes partner airlines like Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Finnair, Iberia, British Airways and Qantas, among others. Since most of the included airlines are known for their luxurious business- and first-class products, some TPG readers wrote in saying they'd rather use their AAdvantage miles to fly those carriers instead.
"Award tickets within 48 states for 7,500 miles one-way [applies to flights under 500 miles in distance]. Business class on Cathay Pacific. Japan Airlines to Asia 1 for 70,000 or 75,000 to Asia 2. Qatar and Etihad are also nice." — Nakano S.
"I have used 80,000 AA miles to fly Cathay Pacific from LAX to India in economy class round-trip. Also, Argentina to LA for 30,000 and LA to Doha (DOH) in Qatar QSuites for 70,000 miles." — Beena M.
"Cathay Pacific business class to Asia." — Meg G.
"Etihad from Europe to Asia is a good way to go!" — David B.
"Qantas for 80,000 miles from the US to Australia." — Jamie L.
"Singapore (SIN)–Doha–Casablanca (CMH). 63,000 miles in Qatar business class." — Chie M.
"Cathay or Japan Airlines in F or J." — Danielle D.
"Qsuites from Phoenix–Dallas–Doha to Entebbe, Uganda. 70,000 miles each way." — Derek S.
"The Etihad Apartment." — Manab M.
"JAL business class. I have a big trip planned for next year so they better not devalue before the booking window opens!" — Mark K.
"I used 75,000 miles for Qatar's Qsuites from Tokyo-Narita (NRT) to Doha (DOH), then regular business class from DOH to Johannesburg (JNB). It was awesome." — Kyle L.
"Oneworld partners to Asia when searching through Qantas and/or British Airways. There's also really good value in flying Qatar Airways from Europe to the Indian subcontinent." — Kyle P.
"Just booked business class on Cathay Pacific for a 16-hour flight from Washington-Dulles (IAD) to Hong Kong (HKG) for two people. 70,000 miles each with a long layover in HKG and on to Auckland (AKL) for 10 hours in business for 40,000 each. Will do the same on the return trip." — Rick H.
"Etihad First Class Apartments, JAL First Class, Cathay Pacific First Class, Qatar Qsuites." — Will W.
"Qatar to South Africa and the Seychelles in business or economy, but especially in business!" — Adam J.
"Easy, Qsuites. 75,000 miles to or from Africa." — Philip N.
Readers Helping Readers
We love it when our TPG Lounge members get so caught up in a topic they end up answering each other's questions with tips and tricks based on their own experiences. That's what happened when TPG reader Matthew M. asked for advice about using AAdvantage miles to book first-class tickets on Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines.
"I’ve found that Cathay First is harder to find than JAL First but usually search through Qantas. JAL operates first only on the B77W as far as I know from New York-JFK, ORD and LAX." — Kyle P.
"I've only booked it once, but I found availability through the British Airways website, then called AA to book it." — Benny H.
"I'm a noob, so apologies here. How do I go about doing this exactly? Am I just looking on Oneworld airlines via AA for first-class availability operated by Cathay and JAL? Or is there a portal to just search for award redemptions for first-class flights on AA or Oneworld airlines? From the little I know about this stuff, I'm going to imagine this isn't the most straightforward process." — Matthew M.
"Basically, you're using the British Airways website to find availability and then using AA miles to book it because you're not going to see Cathay or JAL available when you search for award tickets on the AA website." — Benny H.
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.