Book American Airlines Flights With Avios

Book American Airlines With Avios

One of the questions we get asked a lot at Reward Flight Finder is whether you can use Avios on American Airlines flights. Avios is a loyalty rewards currency used by the IAG group of airlines: British Airways, Iberia, Iberia Express, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL. American Airlines (AA) is not owned by IAG and does not use Avios as its reward currency. Instead, AA has its own loyalty programme called AAdvantage which awards “Miles” to members for their participation. So there is no such thing as “American Airlines Avios” and you can’t earn or spend Avios directly with American Airlines.

But wait, whilst there is no such thing as “American Airlines Avios”, you can use Avios on American Airlines reward flight bookings.

How to use Avios for American Airlines Flights To use Avios on American Airlines flights, you need to book them through an IAG airline’s website. The best options are British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus, since these airlines have generous loyalty programmes which allow you to earn and spend Avios directly.

If you are thinking about becoming an Avios collector, we’d recommend you compare British Airways Executive Club, Aer Lingus AerClub and Iberia Plus to decide which is the best programme for you to manage your Avios within. This is likely to be the one operated by the airline you will fly the most with, so for those based in the UK, it will probably be British Airways (BA).

All three programmes are free to join. If you already have a collection of Avios points you will almost certainly be a member of at least one of these airline loyalty programmes.

Whichever one of these programmes you're a member with, the good news is that you are not limited to earning or spending Avios points with British Airways, Aer Lingus or Iberia.

BA and Iberia are both a part of a global airline alliance called Oneworld. This partnership allows members of each airline’s loyalty scheme to earn and redeem Avios for flights with all of the Oneworld member airlines as well as their sister airlines within the IAG group.

American Airlines is a member of Oneworld too, in fact, AA is the largest airline in the alliance and it also partners directly with Aer Lingus. It is these inter-airline agreements that provide a way to earn Avios on AA and to book American Airlines with Avios, even if you aren’t an AAdvantage member.

In fact, you can earn and spend Avios with any Oneworld airline, including: ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Alaska Airlines American Airlines Cathay Pacific Finnair Iberia Japan Airlines Malaysia Airlines Qantas Qatar Airways Royal Air Maroc Royal Jordanian Airlines SriLankan Airlines S7 Airlines

(List correct as of January 10 2022)

Let’s take booking an American Airlines reward flight on BA.com as an example.

The process is identical to booking a BA flight with points. Once you have used a reward flight tracker, such as Reward Flight Finder, to discover availability, go to ba.com, log in to the British Airways Executive Club and then go to the booking with Avios page.

Find your flight and book it by redeeming your points. Even though you are booking through British Airways, you don’t need to start your flight in the UK. In fact, even if the UK is your starting point, you might find more seats by searching for a different departure city elsewhere in Europe and then buying a connecting flight. You can save money doing this too.

Whilst you can book a reward flight ticket on American Airlines entirely with Avios, you will need to pay the taxes. UK air taxes are among the highest in Europe, so our tip would be to look for availability on AA flights that start in nearby European airports where lower air passenger duty applies such as Dublin, Shannon or Amsterdam Schiphol.

What are the cancellation rules for American Airlines flights booked with Avios?

Cancellation and change fees for American Airlines flights booked with Avios through BA are the same as if you had booked a British Airways operated flight. You can cancel your flight up to 24 hours before departure, either online or by calling British Airways customer services. (If possible we’d recommend doing it online as call waiting times can be significant).

If you cancel all the Avios, taxes and any surcharges you paid for your flight will be refunded, minus a £35 cancellation fee per person. The fee also applies to changes you make to your booking. If you change your flight from an off-peak date to a peak date you will have to pay extra Avios too. The good news is that if the taxes and charges you paid were less than £35 per traveller, you won't have to pay any extra fees.

If British Airways or American Airlines cancels your flights, you will be able to change your itinerary or get a full refund without incurring any fees, under UK and EU rules.

How many Avios do I need to fly on American Airlines?

British Airways uses a distance-based tariff for reward flights. The number of Avios needed for flights on its partner airlines, such as American, varies according to the route and distance travelled, the cabin class booked and the date travelled.

Typically a one-way flight from London, Amsterdam or Paris, to New York or Boston on American Airlines costs 20,750 Avios in the economy, 41,250 Avios in premium economy, 62,000 Avios in business class and 82,500 in first.

Flights on American Airlines within North America, up to 650 miles in length, have their own pricing: 7,500 Avios one way in economy class, 15,000 in business class or 30,000 one way in First.

If your reward flight itinerary includes BA plus two or more Oneworld partner airlines, there is a separate pricing chart on the BA website.

So, in summary, it is possible to earn Avios points on American Airlines and to use your Avios to purchase reward flights on AA too, thanks to the Oneworld alliance.

The process is fairly straightforward if you are a member of the BA Executive Club, Iberia Plus or Aer Lingus AerClub. The option to book American Airlines with Avios opens up a fantastic range of destinations for Avios collectors and great savings when they fly on points.

Original Source https://rewardflightfinder.com/news-and-advice/book-american-airlines-with-avios