AA - best redemptions

Barefootwoman

Level 2 Member
Firstly, I only posted here instead of the AA subforum because that subforum looks quiet.

I am looking at the pile of AA points I have and where I want to travel to in the coming year and whether I should book prior to the 3/22 devaluation.

My understanding is that redemption values for economy class are not changing, so I guess redemptions should be considered now for first class, business, etc....I forget the names that AA uses.

Do you have a favorite redemption for AA that you'd care to share? a sweet spot maybe? I have some places targeted for travel, but always remain open.

Thanks
 

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
Will I've it to AA forum once it gathers a bit of speed so we can all find it more easily in the future.

Etithad F for the wife from AUH to LHR 40k
 

HGF

Level 2 Member
Etihad F Apartments on the A380 SYD-AUH for only 60k is a pretty good sweet spot in my opinion. It's about the same flight length as AUH-JFK, but that costs 90k miles.
 

SOC 787

Flight Club
it doesn't look like you've flown Oneworld that much. so there's a lot you could knock off your bucketlist if the goal was to just fly to try out primo cabins. if you have actual destinations in mind - that changes the equation drastically - if only to make use of creative/complex routings to accomplish it.

CX F, US to Asia 2 for 67.5k is a great value. which is unfortunately going up 135%, something crazy lke that after the mAAsacare kicks in. US to Asia 1 is also great value at 62.5k in JAL F.

you can try QF for 40k between ME and EU. make use of a great 5th freedom route DXB to LHR. thanks to QFs partnership w/EK.

another great option is QR Flagship F between EU (LHR or CDG) to Doha on the A380. and then add on a free leg to try out their B787 Dreamliner to one of their other destinations in ME or Ind subcon. otherwise add-on another leg on QR A380 F to BKK (Asia 2) for 45k miles.

likewise EY Flagship F Apartment is awesome from EU to AUH for 40k. you can also do a nice longhaul, something like AUH-ICN and get a 10-11 hr flight in EY F Diamond Suite for something like 45k miles. ME to AUS is also a great way to get EY or QF F, a 14 hr flight for something like 60k miles.

recently lots of US-AUS space was opened up. not sure if that is still the case but def try out AAs new F on B777-300ER for the novelty (to SYD.) oh speaking of AAs own metal, anytime you see a transcon (JFK-LAX/SFO) jump on it stat or add it for free as part of an intl itin assuming you can make these cities your intl gateway. these awards are going up from 32.5 to 55k or something ridiculous as well. the ride (just for the sake of flying) is def worth 32.5k on a newish A321T bird + access to the Flagship lounge. not sure this domestic flight is otherwise worth it at over 50k.

btw all these prices are one way.

I'm also jonesing to get a J flight done on Finnair. they are flying their new A350 from US to HEL for the next week or so exclusively. I'm still deciding if I wanna pull the trigger on that. its great value for 50k and no BS taxes/surcharges/APD. and from HEL to something like BKK if I can find space on the A350 once again.

speaking of which AB J for 50k is also a great way to go TATL if you wanna go anywhere in EU from the US. its not the most inspirational product but last I checked, space was readily available (and searchable on AAs site)
 
Last edited:

dukerau

Level 2 Member
Most of the sexy redemptions have been listed (EY F, CX F, etc). While economy mostly isn't changing, off-peak economy is. US-Europe (or vv) is currently 20k one-way on AA or any partner for travel dates between 10/15 and 5/15. After 3/22, the 20k goes up to 22.5k and is only good on AA and the valid travel dates shrink to 11/1 - 3/14 with a month (12/15-1/9) removed for holiday travel at regular saver rates. US-Europe are relatively short flights, particularly east coast US, and I'll happily take a 20k economy day flight westbound rather than holding out for 50k business.

In the end, it really depends on what you want. If you want to experience different products, SOC 787's post gives great ideas. Personally, I'm just deciding where I'd like to go and finding the best product/availability combination to get there and back. Here's what I've booked for the next year (note, I'm not trying to deplete my AA miles, just focusing on using them for now with the devaluation looming):

CLT-LAX-PPT, round trip J on AA/TN: 125k pp
CLT-DUB, one-way J on AA: 50k pp
DUB-AUH, one-way J on EY: 30k pp
AUH-JFK-CLT, one-way F Apartments on EY: 90k pp
 

falconbeach

Level 2 Member
CX F, US to Asia 2 for 67.5k is a great value. which is unfortunately going up 135%, something crazy lke that after the mAAsacare kicks in. US to Asia 1 is also great value at 62.5k in JAL F.
Is there something special about CX F cabin that makes it better than say JAL F? I hear CX F referenced all the time. Trying to decide on the best experience since I'm mainly going to be booking that for my sister.
 

SOC 787

Flight Club
just preference, IMHO they are both excellent products. both are worth trying and maximizing your air time with. thus if you notice I mentioned both CX & JL. in diff places on the basis of diff award regions.
 

falconbeach

Level 2 Member
just preference, IMHO they are both excellent products. both are worth trying and maximizing your air time with. thus if you notice I mentioned both CX & JL. in diff places on the basis of diff award regions.
Thanks, and I'm guessing those are just a class above AA F?
 

MickiSue

Level 2 Member
I have flown AA F. Until they get some new birds, pretty much anybody's F is a cut above.

Delta's "business first" has better seats and AV equipment.
 

PghRocks

New Member
The changes are all bad. Just mostly bad.

Two particularly useful ones depending on your seating preferences and more importantly, your location -

7,500 for Economy Under 500 miles - there's little point IMO to getting anything other than coach for these short flights, being in Pittsburgh, there's tons of cool places within 500 miles - Boston, Chicago, NYC, Charlotte, Toronto (though I am unclear on whether the Under 500 Mile rule will apply internationally)

Mexico/Carribean actually drop from 17,500 to 15,000 for Economy, being under 4 hours, I again see little need for anything other than coach
 

KennyBSAT

Moderator
Staff member
JFK-LIM and LAX-LIM on LAN business class, both over 8 hours, are usually overlooked and offer some of the best CPP out there at 35K miles one-way. Up from 30K.

That would be Comfort, not Cents, per point.
 

SOC 787

Flight Club
Thanks, and I'm guessing those are just a class above AA F?
forget about AA, the actual irony is AA miles should rarely ever be redeemed for AAs own metal atleast for intl itins. but actually forget about AA cause you wont be able to book any seats atleast at the sAAver level -- they'd litrally have planes go out empty than let you book award seats on any given flight.

so even more ironic & funny is that AA is really really stingy w/award space on their own flights. fine by me, dont wanna fly em anyways cept to get to my gateway city since I'm based at UAs biggest hub.
 

MickiSue

Level 2 Member
forget about AA, the actual irony is AA miles should rarely ever be redeemed for AAs own metal atleast for intl itins. but actually forget about AA cause you wont be able to book any seats atleast at the sAAver level -- they'd litrally have planes go out empty than let you book award seats on any given flight.

so even more ironic & funny is that AA is really really stingy w/award space on their own flights. fine by me, dont wanna fly em anyways cept to get to my gateway city since I'm based at UAs biggest hub.
Not necessarily true. I booked a one way in first from VCE-MSP, about 5 months in advance. The BA biz class seat from VCE to LGW was the most uncomfortable seat in the history of "business class" seats, but the aforementioned F seat on AA was good enough to sleep well in, anyway.
 

MickiSue

Level 2 Member
I keep forgetting to note this, for the OP: never worry about whether you are posting in a quiet subforum. Many people (I'm one) are more likely to peruse the New Posts, and they make no use of the forum classifications.
 

Hanaleiradio

Level 2 Member
it doesn't look like you've flown Oneworld that much. so there's a lot you could knock off your bucketlist if the goal was to just fly to try out primo cabins. if you have actual destinations in mind - that changes the equation drastically - if only to make use of creative/complex routings to accomplish it.

CX F, US to Asia 2 for 67.5k is a great value. which is unfortunately going up 135%, something crazy lke that after the mAAsacare kicks in. US to Asia 1 is also great value at 62.5k in JAL F.

you can try QF for 40k between ME and EU. make use of a great 5th freedom route DXB to LHR. thanks to QFs partnership w/EK.

another great option is QR Flagship F between EU (LHR or CDG) to Doha on the A380. and then add on a free leg to try out their B787 Dreamliner to one of their other destinations in ME or Ind subcon. otherwise add-on another leg on QR A380 F to BKK (Asia 2) for 45k miles.

likewise EY Flagship F Apartment is awesome from EU to AUH for 40k. you can also do a nice longhaul, something like AUH-ICN and get a 10-11 hr flight in EY F Diamond Suite for something like 45k miles. ME to AUS is also a great way to get EY or QF F, a 14 hr flight for something like 60k miles.

recently lots of US-AUS space was opened up. not sure if that is still the case but def try out AAs new F on B777-300ER for the novelty (to SYD.) oh speaking of AAs own metal, anytime you see a transcon (JFK-LAX/SFO) jump on it stat or add it for free as part of an intl itin assuming you can make these cities your intl gateway. these awards are going up from 32.5 to 55k or something ridiculous as well. the ride (just for the sake of flying) is def worth 32.5k on a newish A321T bird + access to the Flagship lounge. not sure this domestic flight is otherwise worth it at over 50k.

btw all these prices are one way.

I'm also jonesing to get a J flight done on Finnair. they are flying their new A350 from US to HEL for the next week or so exclusively. I'm still deciding if I wanna pull the trigger on that. its great value for 50k and no BS taxes/surcharges/APD. and from HEL to something like BKK if I can find space on the A350 once again.

speaking of which AB J for 50k is also a great way to go TATL if you wanna go anywhere in EU from the US. its not the most inspirational product but last I checked, space was readily available (and searchable on AAs site)
This is a very nice list! With the imminent devaluation, I've already decided to ditch the new year's resolution to make fewer, but longer trips this year in order to book the bling on EY F (which I've never flown), and to do one last RTW fling in J & F. Using the 20k off-season to EU to position in both spring and fall, as there's much better availability on CX, EY, and QR in both Y and J to and from Asia 1&2, and AUS, than from US. (As of last weekend there is not a single J or F award seat open on AA to SYD for the entire schedule. CX J and JAL F & J award space is also very scare ex USA, and disappears fast when it opens. Everyone's trying to get that space before its priced out of reach.)

As widely reported, AA J award availability to/from PVG from ORD and LAX is still wide open from mid-March to end of schedule. From LAX, AA uses a new 787, which is very nice in J (and a squeezed cattle car in Y), matching JAL on the hard product (but certainly not the soft!) Given scarcity of both CX and JAL award availability ex USA, I would jump on this now if you want trans-Pacific before it disappears.
 

Littleblackdress

Little family
I have an upcoming trip, O'Hare to Paris (then easy jet to london and iceland and back to london) then London to Ohare . I only had to pay the taxes to leave out of London. I decided that it was worth the non stop flight back home. I was never able to afford to travel anywhere to far out of state. Now I am globe trotting.
 
Top