20 Best Ways To Redeem American Airlines AAdvantage Miles for Maximum Value

Key Takeaways

• AAdvantage miles can be redeemed for premium cabin awards on American Airlines and Oneworld partners like Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, and British Airways.
• American Airlines has partners outside of the Oneworld Alliance, such as Cape Air, Etihad Airways, and JetBlue.
• Some of the best redemptions for your miles include Etihad Airways’ first class the Apartment, Qatar Airways Qsuites, and Qantas business class.

American Airlines is one of the most well-known airlines in the world. Its AAdvantage loyalty program is also well-received thanks to the value of American Airlines miles.

The AAdvantage program has undergone significant changes over the years, including an entirely new way of earning elite status and switching to a dynamic pricing method for its flights. However, there is still a ton of value, particularly when it comes to redeeming American AAdvantage miles on partner airlines.

American Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance and also has plenty of partners outside of it. These partnerships allow for several ways to redeem American Airlines miles.

Let’s look at 20 of the best ways to use your American Airlines miles for maximum value. These include various business and first class products you can fly, as well as some routes with great pricing.

Booking Awards With American Airlines AAdvantage

For its own flights, American Airlines has implemented a dynamic pricing method. That means miles needed for an award redemption will vary based on the cash price of the ticket. When the cash price of a ticket is high, the number of miles you need is also high.

Because of the dynamic pricing on its own flights, it’s hard to get great value with your American miles on American-operated flights.

However, partner awards with American AAdvantage are not subject to dynamic pricing. American still has a published award chart for its partner airlines. This is where most of the value of American Airlines miles comes from.

Since American Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance, you can use AAdvantage miles to fly on their many partner airlines, which include some of the best airlines in the world: British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, and Qatar Airways.

American Airlines also has some great partners outside of the alliance, including Air Tahiti Nui, Fiji Airlines, and Etihad Airways.

Here is American’s award chart for flights from the U.S. to various regions:

Now that we’ve taken a look at American’s structure for award redemptions, let’s look at some of the ways to earn American Airlines miles.

Earning American Airlines AAdvantage Miles

Earn American AAdvantage miles to redeem for flights with American Airlines, any of the Oneworld alliance partners, or American’s other partners.

Earn AAdvantage Miles With Credit Card Partners

American Airlines offers numerous co-branded credit cards available through Citi and Barclays.

Marriott Credit Cards

You can earn Marriott points and transfer those to American Airlines at a transfer rate of 3:1.

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Hot Tip:

The American Airlines site can be a great place to look for Oneworld alliance partner award space.

The 20 Best Ways To Use Your AAdvantage Miles

Now that we know how American prices its awards and how to earn American Airlines miles let’s look at some of the best ways to use your AA miles.

1. Fly Etihad First Class Apartment Between Abu Dhabi and New York City

When it comes to the best first class product, it’s hard to beat Etihad Airways’ first class the Apartment. Etihad’s inflight product is some of the best, and the Apartment reflects just that. Each seat consists of a wide armchair as well as a separate couch, which turns into a massive bed.

To book a flight on Etihad with your AAdvantage miles, you can search directly on the American Airlines’ website, as the site now displays Etihad award availability.

One of the best redemptions available is flying first class from the U.S. to Abu Dhabi (AUH), in the United Arab Emirates. This award would cost you 115,000 AAdvantage miles one-way in the first class Apartment. Etihad discontinued this route for nearly 4 years but has announced it will return in the summer of 2024.

Business class on the same flight costs 70,000 American Airlines miles, and economy goes for a mere 40,000 miles each way.

Here’s the exact route you’ll want to book:

• New York City (JFK) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)

Need help booking? See our step-by-step guide for booking Etihad first class.

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Etihad has announced that it plans to bring back the Airbus A380 on flights to New York (JFK) effective April 2024.

2. Fly Qatar Airways Qsuites From the U.S. to the Middle East

Qatar Airways Qsuites is often considered the best business class product in the sky. The suites come with closing doors, providing ample space and privacy, and feature some of the best bedding in the sky.

Qsuites availability is generally pretty good if you search well in advance.

If you’re set on flying Qsuites, check out our guide on best ways to book Qatar Airways Qsuites with points. Qsuites from the U.S. can be booked for 70,000 AAdvantage miles one-way plus minimal taxes (less than $100 per person one way).

Here are some great example routes you can take:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Doha (DOH)
• Houston (IAH) – Doha (DOH)
• Washington D.C. (IAD) – Doha (DOH)

3. Fly Qatar Airways Qsuites From the U.S. to Africa

If the Middle East is not on your radar, you can still book Qatar Airways using AAdvantage miles to get to Africa.

For just 5,000 more AA miles, you can fly anywhere on the African continent. This includes destinations like South Africa, which would effectively add an 8-to-9-hour flight in Qsuites.

Unfortunately, stopovers are not allowed with American Airlines redemptions, so you won’t be able to spend time in Doha (DOH). If you want to make a stop in Doha, you have to pay for each segment separately.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

• Los Angeles (LAX) – Doha (DOH) – Johannesburg (JNB)
• Chicago (ORD) – Doha (DOH) – Windhoek (WDH)
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Doha (DOH) – Seychelles (SEZ)

4. Fly Qatar Airways Qsuites From South America 2 to Africa

Yet another redemption for those who want to maximize their time in Qsuites is flying from South America Region 2 to Africa. This consists of countries like Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. However, if you’re set on Qsuites, you have to look at routes where Qatar flies its Qsuites-equipped aircraft.

AAdvantage charges 97,500 AAdvantage miles for one-way flights between South America 2 and Africa.

Considering the flight from São Paulo (GRU) to Doha (DOH) is nearly 15 hours in duration and flights from Doha (DOH) to Southern Africa are 7 to 9 hours long, you could get up to 24 hours in Qsuites for only 97,500 AAdvantage miles.

Additionally, if you originate in a country such as Brazil, your fuel surcharges are limited, which is icing on the cake.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

• São Paulo (GRU) – Doha (DOH) – Cape Town (CPT)
• São Paulo (GRU) – Doha (DOH) – Maputo (MPT)
• São Paulo (GRU) – Doha (DOH) – Mount Kilimanjaro (JRO)

5. Fly From the U.S. to Africa in Etihad Business Class

Another great option to fly to Africa in business class is with Etihad Airways. Pricing is the same whether you want to fly on Qatar or Etihad. Both offer a great experience and are generally considered among the best airlines in the world.

You can book Etihad business class to anywhere on the African continent for 70,000 AAdvantage miles one-way.

Here are a few great example routes you can take:

• Washington D.C. (IAD) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Lagos (LOS)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Johannesburg (JNB)
• Philadelphia (PHL) – Doha (DOH) – Nairobi (NBO)
• New York City (JFK) – Doha (DOH) – Casablanca (CMN)

6. Fly From the U.S. to Australia or New Zealand With Qantas in Business Class

Qantas offers nonstop service to Sydney from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Dallas, which makes Qantas great for flights between the U.S. and the South Pacific.

From the U.S., you can fly to Australia and New Zealand one-way in business class for 80,000 American Airlines miles. You could also book seats in first class for 110,000 AAdvantage miles each way.

Award space can be difficult to come by on most of these routes, especially in the premium cabins.

Hot Tip:

Interested in flying to Australia? Check out our guide on the best ways to book Qantas business class.

7. Fly Between Australia and Hong Kong in Qantas First Class

Flying on Qantas premium cabins is notoriously difficult, as Qantas is stingy with releasing award availability. However, Qantas is slightly better for partner award space on routes not involving the U.S.

Interestingly, there is an excellent sweet spot between Hong Kong and Australia. Qantas operates the A380 on this route featuring first class.

American charges just 50,000 AAdvantage miles each way in first class. This is an incredible redemption, as this flight is nearly 10 hours long.

8. Check Out French Polynesia on Air Tahiti Nui From the U.S.

Another great way to use AA miles is for those wanting to go to French Polynesia. You could do so aboard Air Tahiti Nui, another non-Oneworld partner of American.

From the U.S., you can fly to Tahiti for just 40,000 AAdvantage miles in economy or 80,000 AAdvantage miles in business class.

Best of all, you can now search for Air Tahiti Nui award availability directly on the American Airlines site.

9. Fly From the U.S. to Tokyo With Japan Airlines in First Class

Using your American Airlines miles to fly Japan Airlines in a premium cabin presents another great luxury redemption with your miles.

You can fly from the U.S. to Japan for 80,000 American Airlines miles in first class. Best of all, Japan Airlines offers numerous routes between Tokyo and the U.S., and award availability is generally pretty good.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

• New York City (JFK) – Tokyo-Haneda (HND)
• Chicago (ORD) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT)

Japan Airlines has also announced its new first class product aboard its A350-1000s, which it’s rolling out starting in January 2024. The new first class cabin will feature privacy doors and a seat that can be configured in many different ways.

Hot Tip:

Check out our step-by-step guide on booking Japan Airlines first class.

10. Fly From the U.S. to Japan or Korea in Business Class

If the 80,000 AAdvantage miles price for flights between the U.S. and Japan or South Korea is too much, you can also book business class.

American charges 60,000 AAdvantage miles for one-way business class award tickets between the U.S. and Asia Region 1 (Japan and Korea).

Here are some great example routes you can take:

• Boston (BOS) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT)
• Seattle (SEA) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT)
• Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT)
• Los Angeles (LAX) – Osaka (KIX)

11. Fly From the U.S. to London and Onward With British Airways in First Class

British Airways award availability tends to be pretty good. However, it’s not always the most popular option because of ridiculously high fuel surcharges.

Nevertheless, British Airways does have great first and business class products as well as generally decent award space from the U.S. to Europe, as long as you’re willing to pay the surcharges. British Airways also flies nonstop to more than 20 different U.S. airports.

American charges 57,500 miles in business class or 85,000 miles in first class for flights between the U.S. and Europe. However, fuel surcharges can often be over $700 for a one-way award ticket.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

• San Diego (SAN) – London Heathrow (LHR)
• Phoenix (PHX) – London Heathrow (LHR)
• Washington D.C. (IAD) – London Heathrow (LHR)
• Boston (BOS) – London Heathrow (LHR)
• New York City (JFK) – London Heathrow (LHR)

Need help booking? Read our guide to help you book British Airways First Class using Points!

12. Fly Off-Peak to Europe in Economy on American Airlines

American Airlines offers off-peak tickets on certain routes, which allow you to fly to a destination for fewer miles.

For example, you can fly from the U.S. to Europe during off-peak dates for only 22,500 American miles each way in economy. When booking during peak season, you pay 30,000 miles to fly in economy between the U.S. and Europe.

Unfortunately, this pricing only works for Main Cabin economy award tickets. Business and first class tickets do not have off-peak pricing. These cost 57,500 and 85,000 all year, respectively.

13. Take Short-Haul Flights Within the U.S.

Short-haul flights within the U.S. can be another great way to redeem AAdvantage miles. Although American dynamically prices its own flights, that does open up great redemption opportunities.

For example, you can book economy tickets for as few as 7,500 miles one-way on many short-haul routes within the U.S.

These flights will generally be quite short, so unless your miles are burning a hole in your pocket, it might be better to redeem an economy ticket and save the extra miles for another (more exciting) award redemption.

Hot Tip:

Don’t miss our in-depth review of American Airlines, from fare types to baggage fees, seat specs, customer satisfaction, and more.

14. Fly From the U.S. to South America in Business Class

American Airlines still offers competitive pricing for flights to South America in business class. AAdvantage splits South America into 2 zones, and pricing depends on which country you are flying into.

South America Region 1 includes countries that are in the northern part of South America, including Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia. One-way business class awards between the U.S. and these countries can be booked for 30,000 AA miles.

South America Region 2 features countries farther away, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay. These destinations are much further, and pricing is also higher. One-way business class awards between the U.S. and these further destinations can be booked for 57,500 AA miles.

Here are a few great example routes you can take:

• New York City (JFK) – Lima (LIM) for 30,000 AAdvantage miles
• Orlando (MCO) – Sao Paulo (GRU) for 57,500 AAdvantage miles

15. Fly From the Middle East to Australia in Etihad First Class

Although we covered Etihad First Class Apartments between New York and Abu Dhabi earlier, this redemption may be slightly better. You just need to be flying between Abu Dhabi and Sydney, Australia.

Flights between Abu Dhabi and New York take around 12 to 13 hours and can be booked for 115,000 miles one-way in Etihad Apartments.

Flights between Abu Dhabi and Sydney take around 14 to 15 hours and can be booked for even less, just 100,000 miles one-way in Etihad Apartments.

With this redemption, you’ll take a longer flight, but it will cost fewer AAdvantage miles.

16. Fly Within the South Pacific: Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji

Flights within Australia and New Zealand can be quite expensive and present a good redemption for your American Airlines miles.

If you fly wholly within Australia, flights only cost 10,000 miles each way in economy. Flying between Australia and New Zealand will set you back 15,000 miles each way in economy.

Similarly, flights wholly within Fiji can be booked for just 5,000 American Airlines miles one-way. This can represent tremendous value, as these are typically quite expensive cash fares.

17. Fly Between Asia and Africa

Depending on where in Africa you’re flying to or from, this redemption can be anywhere from great to downright terrible. American Airlines charges 30,000 miles in economy, 55,000 miles in business, and 80,000 miles in first class to fly between Europe and Africa.

If you’re flying from Cairo to Rome, for instance, there are certainly better options available. But if you are looking to fly between Cape Town and Helsinki, this is a potentially awesome redemption!

18. Fly Between Asia 1 and the South Pacific

Flights between Asia 1, which includes Japan and Korea, and the South Pacific can also be a great redemption using AA miles.

Flights between Asia 1 and the South Pacific cost 30,000 miles each way in economy, while business and first class set you back 40,000 and 60,000 miles, respectively. Best of all, you have options on which airlines to fly, including Japan Airlines, Qantas, and even Cathay Pacific.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

• Tokyo-Narita (NRT) – Sydney (SYD) on Japan Airlines business class
• Tokyo-Narita (HND) – Melbourne (MEL) on Qantas business class

19. Fly to Mexico or the Caribbean on American

For those wanting a beach vacation getaway, look no further than Mexico or the Caribbean.

American Airlines prices award tickets to Mexico or the Caribbean at just 10,000 AAdvantage miles each way in economy or 20,000 miles in business class. This can provide a ton of value, as cash fares on certain routes can be quite expensive.

20. Fly From One End of Europe to the Other

American charges just 12,500 miles one-way in economy for flights within the Europe zone. The value of this redemption entirely depends on where you are flying from and to.

If you’re looking for a short hop, there’s probably a better option, and it’s definitely worthwhile to check budget carriers within Europe. However, if you’re looking to make a last-minute booking or don’t see good prices available for your dates and cities, then using 12,500 miles for a one-way ticket is tough to beat!

List of American Airlines Partners — Oneworld

American Airlines partners include Oneworld alliance members. Here’s a list of all Oneworld members:

Hot Tip:

For more information about using these partners, check out our guide to searching for award availability on Oneworld alliance airlines.

List American Airlines Partners Outside Oneworld

These are AA partners that aren’t part of Oneworld:

Final Thoughts

Although the American Airlines AAdvantage program has undergone major changes over the last few years, AAdvantage miles still have plenty of value.

You can generally get more value from AAdvantage miles booking through American’s Oneworld and other partners.

Whether you want to fly in first class to the Middle East or you want to take an economy flight to Mexico, American Airlines AAdvantage miles can get you there.