This year, that was a one-way ticket from New York to Buenos Aires (via Miami) in American Airlines’ Flagship First cabin. Booked at the last minute for just 65,000 AAdvantage miles each — and nearly identical to a South America deal I booked the year before — my traveling companion and I snagged two spacious seats on the only international first-class product offered by a U.S. carrier.
We scored on the hotel front, too, when I secured two nights around New Year’s Eve at the swanky Palacio Duhau — Park Hyatt Buenos Aires. It’s one of the city’s nicest hotels, and we stayed in a nearly 1,000-square-foot suite for 44,000 points per night. Standard rooms — not even suites — were priced at $1,600 a night at the time I made my redemption.
Not everything was a steal, however. Our return cost 176,500 AAdvantage miles each for a one-way business-class ticket on the nonstop back to New York. In the end, though, I consider it a win: a round-trip itinerary with lie-flat seats booked within two weeks of New Year’s Day for just about 240,000 miles. In cash, this itinerary likely would’ve cost at least $6,000 during the peak winter holiday period.
For now, though, there are sweet spots to be found. Enjoy them for as long as they may last.
Until next time …
Ben
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