American AAdvantage still has award charts, although the awards you book may not be based on chart pricing. They’ve increased the price of ‘unpublished any time’ award levels and a one way business class ticket on an American flight to Tokyo may now cost as much as 450,000 miles – but there’s something to look for that could cut the cost of the same redemption by 84%.
First, some background in how American prices awards. There are actually 3 different ways:
- Saver award prices which are specific inventory for American Airlines flights, and how all partner flights are priced.
- Anytime award prices this is the most you should pay for an award, and is based on a chart as well.
- Dynamic prices introduced as web saver, these may be more or less than a saver award price, but less than the applicable anytime price.
Revenue-based award prices are what you’ll find most of the time when redeeming for American Airlines flights. And American’s Anytime Award chart isn’t very transparent either. They reveal levels 1 and 2 on their award chart but there are actually five levels, and level 3-5 are unpublished.
In December 2019 American raised its unpublished Anytime prices. I never noticed. After all I stopped most award searches for American Airlines flights in late February. To be clear this was not a devaluation during the pandemic like we’ve seen from SkyMiles and MileagePlus.
It’s now possible for a one-way transpacific flight on American Airlines in business class to be 450,000 miles!
The previous most expensive business class award I was aware of was 375,000 miles one way to Australia.
The good news is that you can check another departure city, especially if you live somewhere with multiple airports, and you may find a completely different price. That 450,000 mile business class flight to Tokyo? You can pick up the same long haul flight for 70,000 miles if you start from LaGuardia instead of Newark:
Although American Airlines still has award charts, they don’t announce changes to their ‘unpublished’ Anytime award levels. And that means Anytime awards effectively don’t have a published chart. And American Airlines awards are mostly dynamically prices. Where the award chart still matters, and remains truly in effect, is for partner awards – which is really how I redeem my AAdvantage miles anyway.
They all become SkyPesos eventually.
Wow, I guess business is so good that making customer-unfriendly moves is a great idea rather than being the height of stupidity during a global pandemic. My bad.
yes but its a great value cause they generously eliminated change and redeposit fees 😉
Simply copied Delta
That’s exactly why I cut app all my AA credit cards after 20 years
Done!
Yes, I have >1 m miles waiting for use on AA, and NO, I am not actively looking for more, just because of this horrendous devaluation coupled with the lack of any premium cabin awards last year anytime I looked. They are actively trying to make using the miles for travel so difficult to get value from that it is now pushing me into simply not giving a damn about loyalty. Nonstop please, and as far as flying is concerned when the pandemic is finally controlled, less is more. They are wrecking the magic, and I’ve had a pretty good run successfully using about 3,000,000 miles accrued during many years of (AA) business travel, but the customer-unfriendly changes make me feel free-agency is what they’ve pushed me to.
The only reason I was using one particular card so much because it was connected to my advantage miles so I ran that card up. Sounds like my paltry 100,000 miles will get me very little if anything. So much for ever using that card again. I thought the airlines were trying to get us to fly again. I guess not.
I have even seen other destinations even higher one-way, like SYD. The values are so high it makes the program worthless. AA has been pushing the selling of miles, but it doesn’t make sense to buy even with bonuses.
I am already planning to move my charges next year off of AA Credit cards and cancel the Exec Card. I will shift back to UA with LT lounge membership and LT top tier.
At some point people will wake up and realize that miles have turned into fools gold. I keep my AA card for one simple reason. Free bag and priority boarding on the few times I fly AA.
Yes these award levels are crazy and I can’t imagine who would actually book a ticket with them (just buy it if you have to go and can’t find a better offer). However, I find lots of web special fares (even on international business class tickets). I booked R/T CLT-FRA non-stop next September in business class for 105,000 miles total. You just have to look and be flexible on airports or departure dates. Also (and I’m sure everyone on here knows this trick) but I often look for flights from gateway US airports then book a separate domestic award ticket from CLT to there. It is often much fewer miles than CLT to where I want to go (mainly because CLT is a fortress hub and we rarely get any great deals – which is why I was shocked at the CLT-FRA special I booked.
BTW, lifetime Platinum on AA w over 3 million miles earned (still have around 900,000 in my account) and lifetime Gold on DL with another 3 million miles earned. Retired now and since don’t have to chase status I fly whomever has the best deal (miles or price) and is most convenient to me. I tend to prefer AA due to non-stops with DL 2nd choice but also fly SW and Frontier regularly. It is all about knowing what to expect and being willing to factor that experience into the price. For a $29 fare to Philly to have a weekend in Atlantic City I’ll fly in the cargo area if they want.
Get a cash back card or continue to gripe. It is your choice to chase miles and get locked into one carrier.
Loyalty? I don’t need no stinkin’ loyalty!
For years we have, as a company, used American as our primary carrier. Now the schedule is reduced and it takes hours for what should be short flights. It is great if you want to go to Phoenix but 8 plus hours to go to Tacoma. In fact we are now looking strictly at price and schedule. I have over a million advantage miles and many upgrade segments but really keep my status for baggage and priority seating.
As a 30 year loyalist I am deeply discouraged by the change in the AA program. Most cards offer cash back or cash savings which you can use for any purpose. With the increase in air mile requirements there is no incentive to bank and use miles. It become more effectively to purchase in the open market the “best deal”. Very Disappointed.
As a reminder let American Airlines know directly through their consumer relations
Otherwise they will continue on this path of hemorrhaging customers worse than the pandemic