Redeem American Airlines miles to fly to the Caribbean

Editor’s be aware: 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 could be costly. Along with the additional taxes and costs, many airways cost larger award charges for these routes.

However you may typically guide low-cost flights to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America with American Airways. Following the steps under, you would possibly discover awards to those areas for comparatively few American Airlines miles.

American Airlines AAdvantage will quickly provide fully dynamic mileage awards and introduce a simplified award chart for journey on its flights. However, for now, you may nonetheless guide MileSAAver off-peak awards to pick 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 manner in financial system however can be found for simply 12,500 miles on off-peak dates.

The low cost is utilized mechanically, so you may guide these awards even when you don’t have sufficient miles at the usual charges.

There are some terrific locations you may 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).

Find out how to guide this award

Reserving an off-peak MileSAAver award is not any completely different than every other AAdvantage redemption. Nonetheless, you have 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. Understand that the autumn dates are throughout peak hurricane season for a number of the locations, so that you’ll wish to pay the taxes and fees with a credit card that comes with travel protections.

When you’ve picked your dates, search as you usually would on the American Airways web site. Enter your route, choose your dates and examine off the “Redeem miles” field.

If there may be MileSAAver availability, you’ll mechanically see the decrease charges — no promo code wanted. Simply keep in mind that the low cost is simply accessible for financial system class, not enterprise or first.

If there’s no MileSAAver availability, I like to recommend you utilize the calendar search software to examine alternate dates. Sadly, MileSAAver off-peak awards do require you to fly American Airways. So, you gained’t have the ability to get these charges when you join by means of a accomplice airline like Alaska.

As American Airways prices awards dynamically, we discovered some dates priced even decrease than the anticipated off-peak MilesSAAver fee. If you’re versatile, you might be able to guide these awards for under 10,000 miles (plus taxes and costs) every manner.

The draw back of dynamic pricing is that for peak durations, American fees 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 costs.

After you’ve chosen a flight, you’ll have to log in to your AAdvantage account to finish the reserving. Among the greatest playing cards for paying taxes and costs on award tickets embody The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Not solely do they earn bonus factors on airfare, however they arrive with trip delay reimbursement — which is particularly essential when you’re touring throughout hurricane season.

Associated: Maximizing redemptions with American Airlines AAdvantage

You would possibly surprise the way 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 Express Membership Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate 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 transfer Marriott points to American Airways AAdvantage at a 3:1 switch ratio. To earn Marriott factors, take into account including the Bilt Mastercard® (see rates and fees) or a Marriott Bonvoy credit card to your pockets.

A probably easier manner of racking up AAdvantage miles can be by choosing up and spending on an American cobranded credit card. Along with giving your AAdvantage account a pleasant enhance, some American Airways cobranded playing cards present worthwhile “elite-lite” perks starting from free checked bags on home itineraries to lounge access.

Different strategies for incomes American miles

You don’t essentially should get a brand new bank card to earn the miles you want. Whereas usually at suboptimal charges, you could possibly additionally switch World of Hyatt points, IHG One Rewards points and Choice Privileges points to American AAdvantage.

Alternatively, you could possibly store on-line by means of the AAdvantage eShopping portal or dine by means of AAdvantage Dining. You possibly can additionally buy American Airlines miles, however this might typically be extra expensive than shopping for the flight outright.

For extra choices, learn our full information on earning American Airlines miles.

Associated: What is American Airlines elite status worth?

American Airways AAdvantage will quickly eliminate its MileSAAver and AAnytime awards, going all-in on dynamically priced flight redemptions. However as of publishing, you may nonetheless guide off-peak MileSAAver awards. And as we famous on this story, you may discover even cheaper pricing on some dates resulting from dynamic pricing.

For charges and costs of the Bilt Mastercard, click on here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on here.

Further reporting by Ben Smithson.