Airfare is Up, American AAdvantage Miles Rates Aren’t

The antidote to high airfare might be sitting in your American AAdvantage account. 

We know that airfare was up nearly 30% last month (year-over-year), and if you’re doing some searching on Google Flights, that definitely feels true. (Even if it’s not true everywhere!)

But even as airlines are asking for $600 or more for a roundtrip domestic flight, the rate you’ll pay with American Airlines AAdvantage miles has stayed the same. It’s a high-airfare cheat code, and it’s one reason I always make AA miles a part of my points-earning strategy. 

Here’s why AAdvantage miles are crucial for beating high airfare, and why they’re some of our favorite miles, period: 

1. AA miles rates often don’t rise with cash rates (we’ll show some examples below)
2. All AA miles fares book into Main Cabin – giving you free seat selection, free changes, and cancellation for a full refund, too! 
3. You can use AA’s long list of partner airlines to fly all over the world, too (even in business class!)

Here’s an example: If you search for a spring break flight next year from Atlanta (ATL) down to Key West (EYW) in Main Cabin, Delta and American want you to fork over $400 for a Main Cabin ticket. Ouch. 

Search those same dates on American using AAdvantage miles and it’s a totally different story. 

Just 7,000 miles each way, or 14,000 roundtrip, and the taxes and fees at just $11.20. That’s more like it! 

Key West (EYW) flights are a perfect example of this, because the airlines charge a premium for flights to the coveted destination. But if you use your AA miles, it’s treated just like a normal domestic flight. 

When we searched from more than 220 U.S. and Canadian cities for flights down to EYW for our Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alerts, we found a list that looked like this. 

That’s about one-third of the total list screenshotted above, but you can understand the scope of the deal. You can fly all the way from Monterey, California (MRY) to Key West (EYW) with one quick stop for just 17,000 miles roundtrip. If you pay in cash … that fare is going to be closer to $900. 

Domestic flights like Key West are a great example of this, but it’s not limited to short trips. Actually, the further the flight, the better deal you can find using your AA miles in some cases. Let’s say you want to book a trip to Asia, instead. Your AA miles can get you there for less. 

When you book flights on AA’s partner Japan Airlines using your AA miles, you can book roundtrip economy flights to Tokyo for just 70,000 miles and $50 in taxes and fees. That includes flights when you connect to Japan Airlines on American flights, meaning you could book this from more than 100 U.S. cities! (Also, Japan Airlines has the best economy seat and experience in the world … in our always, humble opinion.) 

Same goes for flights to Bangkok, Thailand (BKK) using American’s partner Cathay Pacific. 

One quick stop in Hong Kong (HKG) is all it takes to get to Bangkok (BKK) from several U.S. cities … all for just 75,000 AA miles and $107 roundtrip!

The trend extends to Fiji Airways, too, which can fly you to … well … Fiji!

Just 56,000 AA miles and $125 roundtrip can get you there, too. 

All of these examples usually cost between $800 and $1,200 roundtrip – making these points redemptions even more valuable. It’s exactly why we alerted our Thrifty Traveler Premium flight deal alert subscribers to all of these fares. 

Finally, you can’t talk about AA miles without talking about business class, because they’re some of the most valuable points you can use to book lie-flat seats, too. 

Here’s a sample of the best AA miles availability alerts we’ve sent to our Thrifty Traveler Premium members: 

• American Airlines Biz Class to London (LHR), Athens (ATH), Dublin (DUB), Madrid (MAD), Paris (CDG), and more for 77,000 AA miles each way
• Hawaiian First Class Leihoku Suites to Honolulu (HNL) for 63,000 AA miles each way
• Alaska Airlines Business Class to Rome (FCO) for 58,000 AA miles each way
• Fiji Airways Business Class to Fiji & New Zealand for 80,000 AA miles each way
• Air Tahiti Nui Business Class to French Polynesia for 80,000 AA miles each way
• Aer Lingus Business Class to Ireland (& Europe) for 57,500 AA miles each way
• Royal Air Jordanian Biz Class to Amman (AMM) for 70,000 AA miles each way

If you’re sitting on a stash of AA miles, booking a lie-flat seat over the ocean might be in the cards … if you can find the availability. 

How to Earn AA Miles

It’s easier than ever to earn American AAdvantage miles at scale if you want to take advantage of one or more of these stellar deals. 

For years, American Airlines offered a full slate of co-branded credit cards, issued by two different banks: Citi and Barclays. This was huge because it meant you could pick up multiple AA cards – from two different banks – and earn big sign-up bonuses on the full lot of them.

But late last year, AA severed ties with Barclays, leaving travelers in search of AAdvantage miles with Citi … and only Citi. So that’s it? The AAdvantage miles gravy train just screeched to a halt then? Not so fast … 

Last year, Citi answered many points and miles aficionado’s prayers when it finally added American Airlines as a transfer partner. This means you can still pile up AAdvantage miles in a hurry … and not just with American Airlines co-branded credit cards. By applying for both the Citi Strata Premier℠ Card and the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®, you can quickly earn 140,000-plus AAdvantage miles, thanks to both cards’ big bonus offers. 

Here’s what is currently at stake with both cards: 

If you can hit both of those minimum spend requirements and earn those points, you’re all of a sudden sitting on 140,000 AA miles and the world is your oyster! 

Bottom Line

Airfare is going up, but American AAdvantage miles rates are not. It’s the best way to fight back against rising fares. 

Whether you want to fly short, domestic trips or you want to fly business class around the world, AA miles are your key to keep traveling while fares are high.