Off-Peak AAdvantage Awards

[NHBob]

This may be old news, but while shopping for an award ticket from Boston to Lisbon for a repositioning cruise in December of this year I came across what I consider a bargain - 20,000 miles for a 1-way ticket. American offers off-peak award tickets for various locations. Off-peak periods vary by region, but for Europe it is October 15 to March 15. Unfortunately there are no off-peak reductions for business or first class.

 

So, I was able to book flights BOS-MAD-LIS on One World Partner Iberia, (unlike UA, AA issues 1-way award tickets on partner and code-share flights) for 20,000 miles, only cost being $16.30 tax plus $20 phone ticketing fee. The phone fee can't be avoided, as AA website doesn't have capability to issue international award tickets, but $36 to get myself to Lisbon ain't bad!

 

Now all I need to do is find a way to get back to Boston from Miami 3 days before Christmas! AAdvantage wants 25,000 miles for this, so so guess I'll end up buying a ticket.

[Gardyloo]

This may be old news, but while shopping for an award ticket from Boston to Lisbon for a repositioning cruise in December of this year I came across what I consider a bargain - 20,000 miles for a 1-way ticket. American offers off-peak award tickets for various locations. Off-peak periods vary by region, but for Europe it is October 15 to March 15. Unfortunately there are no off-peak reductions for business or first class.

 

So, I was able to book flights BOS-MAD-LIS on One World Partner Iberia, (unlike UA, AA issues 1-way award tickets on partner and code-share flights) for 20,000 miles, only cost being $16.30 tax plus $20 phone ticketing fee. The phone fee can't be avoided, as AA website doesn't have capability to issue international award tickets, but $36 to get myself to Lisbon ain't bad!

 

Now all I need to do is find a way to get back to Boston from Miami 3 days before Christmas! AAdvantage wants 25,000 miles for this, so so guess I'll end up buying a ticket.

Actually the off-peak period is Oct. 15 - May 15.

 

And even if you didn't have 20K AA miles to begin with, you could buy 20K miles for around $500, which is still a lot cheaper than a one-way airline ticket to someplace like Lisbon. And for the time being, AA is offering a decent bonus on purchased miles, so e.g. buy 40,000 miles (around $1000) and get 15,000 bonus miles.

[6rugrats]

And for the time being, AA is offering a decent bonus on purchased miles, so e.g. buy 40,000 miles (around $1000) and get 15,000 bonus miles.

I thought the bonus miles promotion ended yesterday (31 Jan).

[Gardyloo]

I thought the bonus miles promotion ended yesterday (31 Jan).

Got an email this morning - now 28 Feb.

[NHBob]

I thought the bonus miles promotion ended yesterday (31 Jan).

 

By coincidence, shortly after my last post I received Email from AA showing the bonus miles promotion ending 2/28/11.

 

Bob

[6rugrats]

Got an email this morning - now 28 Feb.

 

I guess they were selling lots of miles!

[NHBob]

Actually the off-peak period is Oct. 15 - May 15.

 

And even if you didn't have 20K AA miles to begin with, you could buy 20K miles for around $500, which is still a lot cheaper than a one-way airline ticket to someplace like Lisbon. And for the time being, AA is offering a decent bonus on purchased miles, so e.g. buy 40,000 miles (around $1000) and get 15,000 bonus miles.

 

You are right about the dates - senior moment on my part I guess.

 

The combination of off-peak awards and purchase of miles does offer possibility of less expensive 1-way tickets, and it's certainly wise to check this alternative if you are headed someplace served by AA or One World. I usually am able to get myself to Lisbon via Zurich on Swiss for under $400 because my TA has a contract with Swiss, but normally 1-way BOS-LIS certainly costs a lot more than $500 to buy 20K AAdvantage miles.

 

I'm currently considering Crystal's Yokohama-LA segment of the 2012 World Cruise, so keeping my fingers crossed that I can get an AA BOS-NRT off-peak award ticket, which is only 25K miles for economy ticket. This is something I'll have go to work on as soon as we're within the 330-day window for March 2012 reservations.

 

Bob

[NHBob]

....

Now all I need to do is find a way to get back to Boston from Miami 3 days before Christmas! AAdvantage wants 25,000 miles for this, so so guess I'll end up buying a ticket.

 

A bit off topic, but not worth starting a new thread.

 

A little further research turned up a United 1-way award ticket, MIA-IAD-BOS, for only 12,500 miles. Better yet, this was upgradable to United's "Premier Travel" for $65, providing a bit more leg room and more important to me, two free checked bags. Not a bad deal, since it would have cost me $60 to check my bags!

 

Bob