Editor’s word: We have up to date this submit with new data. TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt advisor and investor.
Regardless of being shorter than some home routes, flights to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America may be costly. Along with the additional taxes and charges, many airways cost larger award charges for these routes.
However you possibly can typically guide low cost flights to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America with American Airways. Following the steps under, you may discover awards to those areas for comparatively few American Airways miles.
Why it’s particular
American Airways AAdvantage will quickly supply totally dynamic mileage awards and introduce a simplified award chart for journey on its flights. However, for now, you possibly can nonetheless guide MileSAAver off-peak awards to pick out areas. These awards allow you to save on financial system awards between sure areas throughout choose journey durations.
MileSAAver awards to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America usually value 15,000 AAdvantage miles every means in financial system however can be found for simply 12,500 miles on off-peak dates.
The low cost is utilized robotically, so you possibly can guide these awards even when you don’t have sufficient miles at the usual charges.
There are some terrific locations you possibly can guide at these discounted charges, together with San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO), Panama Metropolis (PTY), Aruba (AUA), Barbados (BGI), Bermuda (BDA), Mexico Metropolis (MEX) and Cancun (CUN).
The right way to guide this award
Reserving an off-peak MileSAAver award is not any completely different than some other AAdvantage redemption. Nonetheless, it’s essential to familiarize your self with the off-peak dates to know when to guide.
The present off-peak dates for the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America are April 21 to Could 20 and Sept. 9 to Nov. 18. Remember that the autumn dates are throughout peak hurricane season for among the locations, so that you’ll wish to pay the taxes and charges with a bank card that comes with journey protections.
Join our every day e-newsletter
When you’ve picked your dates, search as you usually would on the American Airways web site. Enter your route, choose your dates and test off the “Redeem miles” field.
If there may be MileSAAver availability, you’ll robotically see the decrease charges — no promo code wanted. Simply do not forget that the low cost is simply out there for financial system class, not enterprise or first.
If there’s no MileSAAver availability, I like to recommend you utilize the calendar search instrument to test alternate dates. Sadly, MileSAAver off-peak awards do require you to fly American Airways. So, you gained’t be capable to get these charges when you join by way of a accomplice airline like Alaska.
As American Airways costs awards dynamically, we discovered some dates priced even decrease than the anticipated off-peak MilesSAAver price. If you’re versatile, you might be able to guide these awards for under 10,000 miles (plus taxes and charges) every means.
The draw back of dynamic pricing is that for peak durations, American costs way over these costs. For instance, we discovered some one-way financial system awards to Costa Rica pricing as excessive as 65,000 miles plus $28.28 in taxes and charges.
After you’ve chosen a flight, you’ll have to log in to your AAdvantage account to finish the reserving. A number of the finest playing cards for paying taxes and charges on award tickets embrace The Platinum Card® from American Specific and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Not solely do they earn bonus factors on airfare, however they arrive with journey delay reimbursement — which is very vital when you’re touring throughout hurricane season.
Associated: Maximizing redemptions with American Airways AAdvantage
The right way to earn miles for this award
You may surprise easy methods to earn sufficient miles for this award when you’re not a frequent American Airways flyer. At first, this might sound difficult since American isn’t a switch accomplice of American Specific Membership Rewards, Capital One, Chase Final Rewards or Citi ThankYou. Nonetheless, there are many different methods to earn AAdvantage miles.
Incomes American miles with playing cards
Two main transferable currencies accomplice with American Airways: Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy. Bilt Rewards switch to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio, when you can switch Marriott factors to American Airways AAdvantage at a 3:1 switch ratio. To earn Marriott factors, think about including the Bilt Mastercard® (see charges and charges) or a Marriott Bonvoy bank card to your pockets.
A probably easier means of racking up AAdvantage miles can be by choosing up and spending on an American cobranded bank card. Along with giving your AAdvantage account a pleasant enhance, some American Airways cobranded playing cards present precious “elite-lite” perks starting from free checked baggage on home itineraries to lounge entry.
Different strategies for incomes American miles
You don’t essentially must get a brand new bank card to earn the miles you want. Whereas usually at suboptimal charges, you possibly can additionally switch World of Hyatt factors, IHG One Rewards factors and Alternative Privileges factors to American AAdvantage.
Alternatively, you possibly can store on-line by way of the AAdvantage eShopping portal or dine by way of AAdvantage Eating. You can additionally purchase American Airways miles, however this might typically be extra pricey than shopping for the flight outright.
For extra choices, learn our full information on incomes American Airways miles.
Associated: What’s American Airways elite standing value?
Backside line
American Airways AAdvantage will quickly get rid of its MileSAAver and AAnytime awards, going all-in on dynamically priced flight redemptions. However as of publishing, you possibly can nonetheless guide off-peak MileSAAver awards. And as we famous on this story, you may discover even cheaper pricing on some dates as a result of dynamic pricing.
For charges and charges of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
Further reporting by Ben Smithson.