Redeeming Miles on American Just Got Easier
American Airlines this week launched One-Way Flex Awards, which allows members of AAdvantage to book a one-way trip using miles. the cost of one segment equates to half the number of miles of a round trip award redemption (starting at 12,500 miles for travel in the U.S.) Travelers can also combine several different types of one-way awards to make up a round trip, such as booking a MileSAAver award with AAnytime awards, or flying one way in economy class awards and the other in First or Business Class awards.
The ability for frequent flyers to use miles on one leg provides several benefits to travelers:
- Lowers barriers to entry for AAdvantage members. Now frequent flyers can utilize account balances as low as 12,500 to get free travel, rather than waiting until the 25,000 mark for miles to be useful.
- Increases opportunity to redeem miles for award seats because frequent flyers can now book round trip flights by mixing and matching levels of service, unrestricted and restricted flights, and cash/miles combinations.
Awards have historically been offered by most carriers only on a round-trip basis. Air Tran and U.S. Airways (by phone call only) offer segment-based redemptions, but not with all of the options and features that American’s new program boasts. Let’s hope that other airlines (United, please take note) follow suit.
