Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure an...
Edited by: Kellie Jez
Kellie’s professional experience has led her to a deep passion for compliance, data reporting, and process improvement. Kellie’s learned the ins and outs of the points and miles world and leads UP’s c...
15 comments
FELICIA renee WILSON
February 04, 2020
Once I book a reservation with American Airlines Vacations, can I add a person to my reservations at a later date
Katie Seemann
February 05, 2020
Hi Felicia,
Generally, no. If you want someone else to join you on vacation they will need a separate flight reservation.
Donna Price
May 19, 2020
I am thinking about a trip to Florida during hurricane season. Is a refund possible if there is a probable hurricane?
Jarrod West
May 22, 2020
Hi Donna,
If your flight is canceled due to a hurricane then yes you should receive a full refund for it.
Tim
October 07, 2020
I think I know the answer, but is it possible to a) fly AA-partner airlines or b) originate from location outside of US (assumes A is “yes”)? Could be some interesting opportunities if they allowed partner bookings!
Jarrod West
October 07, 2020
Hi Tim,
Yes, you can fly AA partner airlines. As for originating outside of the US, AA Vacations must start in either the U.S., Canada, Bermuda, Mexico, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Ryan
October 15, 2020
Do you get hotel status points accumulation for these packages?
Katie Seemann
October 16, 2020
Hi Ryan,
Probably not. Usually, you’ll only earn hotel points and elite night credits when you book directly through the hotel.
Marcelo P
November 29, 2020
Hi! This blog is great! Thanks for sharing! Do you know how can I use my American miles to to pay for a hotel? I live in Argentina and want to book a hotel in Miami. However, the option is available when the flag on the web site is the USA flag but is not available under the Argentinian flag?
Katie Seemann
December 03, 2020
Hi Marcelo,
I’m so glad you are enjoying the blog! You won’t be able to use miles to book a hotel from Argentina through American Airlines Vacations. This website only accepts credit cards with billing addresses that are within the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands. Even if you’re using miles, you’d have to pay your taxes and fees with a credit card which means you won’t be able to book a hotel from Argentina.
Rhinda
April 11, 2021
We just booked a trip going to Puerto Rico for the month of June. The cases of Covid 19 uptick are high. If the cases remain high in June will AA Vacations allow us to change the date of our vacation?
Jarrod West
April 12, 2021
Hi Rhinda,
According to the AA Vacations Terms, Revisions may be possible within 7 days from travel, however third-party fees may apply. Certain name changes may be permitted without a fee. Please call reservations at 800-321-2121 for more information. So it sounds like if you need to make a change they will be able to facilitate that!
shawn griffin
March 04, 2022
Actually you want to stay away from American Airlines vacations, when I used them in 2009 to book hotel rooms in Hawaii, the rooms did not meet my specifications, were uncleaned and had mice. I swore never to use AA Vacations again, flash forward to some 13 years the rental car insurance from BDL seem like a good deal from AA Vacations so why not try them again? Bad idea, I booked the car for the weekend of 1-28-2022 which was the big snow storm. No flights were going into the airport. American Airlines rebooked my flight, Hilton canceled my reservations American Airlines Vacations refused a refund, stating it was their policy. I guess I was supposed to sled to the airport to pick up the car and then wait for the Spring thaw to drive the car. I would not be out $66 if I had booked directly with Avis or Enterprise used theirs or my credit card insurance. Any savings or convenience of used American Airlines Vacations services is canceled by American Airlines lack to identify good partners with quality customer service. Just book everything yourself and make the monthly payments on your credit card it is much better than the dubious companies American Airlines partners.
Jonathan
April 03, 2022
I was just exploring AAVacations and I believe you need to update the article when it comes to paying with AA Miles. The site shows that you can pay for your entire vacation with miles, including the taxes and fees, for $0 out of pocket.
Also, I ran several scenarios, and the cents/mile calculation came out to right around 1.14, which is still not great, but far better than the fixed 1.0 that is quoted in the article.
It sucks that the insurance options are so limited. Do you know whether there is increased flexibility for change and/or cancellation/refund if booking using miles, or do they treat it like a cash booking once it’s made? I’ve got a lot of miles to spend!
Katie Seemann
April 05, 2022
Hi Jonathan,
Yes, there are many hotels that you can book for $0 out of pocket but if the hotel has a resort fee, you’ll have to pay that at the hotel as it’s not included in the price you pay AAVacations.
We still get a 1 cent per mile value in all of the packages we priced out. Make sure you are taking into account all of the taxes and fees when doing your calculations to get an accurate number, and congrats if you found a package where you can get more than 1 cent per mile in value!
The change/cancellation policies will be what is stated at the time of booking so make sure you read them carefully and purchase extra insurance if you think you might need it.
I hope you find a great use for your miles!
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