Booking award travel—which can involve using miles or points for flights, hotels, car rentals and more — is a great way to make use of the rewards programs associated with many credit cards. Knowing the best time to book could help maximize your miles or points and help you book that long-dreamed-of vacation. Read on to learn about award travel and how to make the most of your travel rewards on your credit card.
What is award travel?
Award travel programs allow customers to earn rewards by redeeming miles or points earned through certain purchases.
The AAdvantage® program with American Airlines, for example, allows you to earn miles not only for flights on American Airlines but also with the oneworld® Alliance partners and other participating airlines. In addition to earning miles through flights, you can also earn miles through AAdvantage eShopping®, AAdvantage Dining℠, and SimplyMiles® as well as with non-airline partners, including options for car rentals, hotel stays, and dining.
You can earn miles with an AAdvantage® credit card for everyday purchases, which contributes to your overall mileage balance. Furthermore, for every eligible mile you earn from purchases, you will accumulate 1 Loyalty Point. These Loyalty Points help you achieve AAdvantage® status, which provides benefits such as first checked bag free, Admirals Club® access and preferred boarding.
How to book award travel
Booking award travel can be a great way to maximize the value of your points or miles. While this guide focuses on the AAdvantage® program, the principles apply to most frequent flyer and rewards programs.
For the AAdvantage® program, you can redeem miles to book award travel (for yourself or others) on American Airlines and partner airlines, upgrade your cabin of service or redeem for hotel stays, vacation packages and other products.
You can book award travel on aa.com and on the American Airlines app. You can choose to include partner airline flights in award travel search results, and you can filter on the “Choose Flights” page. You can also contact Reservations to book award travel on American Airlines and airline partners and request mileage upgrade awards.
3 Tips for booking award seats
When redeeming points or miles for award flights, the process can vary depending on the airline. Many airlines use dynamic pricing, where the number of points or miles required is tied to the cash value of the ticket at the time of booking. Others offer a fixed rate for award seats, regardless of the ticket price. Knowing the rules of your airline and its partners is crucial, as the availability and value of these seats can fluctuate based on when you book and your travel dates. While there’s no surefire strategy for finding the best deals, these three tips can help you maximize your chances.
1. Look for Last-Minute Award Seats
It’s generally advised to start searching for award seats as early as possible, but that doesn’t mean all seats are released right away. Airlines often hold back award seats and release them closer to the departure date, especially if a flight isn’t filling up. This can make last-minute bookings a great opportunity to find available seats. However, this approach can be risky if your travel plans are inflexible, as there’s no guarantee seats will be released. Additionally, keep in mind that some airlines may charge fees for booking at the last minute, which can reduce the overall value of your points or miles.
2. Book During Off-Peak Times
Finding award seats during peak travel periods, such as holidays or summer vacations, can be challenging due to high demand. To increase your chances of snagging an award seat, try to book during off-peak times, like weekdays or less popular travel seasons. Award seats are more likely to be available on lower-traffic routes and during times when fewer people are flying. Planning and starting your search 10 to 11 months in advance can also give you a better shot at securing a seat, as availability tends to be higher when the booking window first opens.
3. Check Availability Regularly
Award seat availability can change frequently, depending on the airline, route, and travel dates. To improve your chances of finding the best deals, make it a habit to check availability often—daily, if possible. Consistently monitoring can help you spot newly released seats or better options as they become available. This persistence may pay off, especially if you're flexible with your travel dates and destinations.
Citi travel rewards credit cards
With the travel rewards credit cards from Citi, you can earn miles or points that can be redeemed for travel and other rewards and enjoy extra perks. Citi offers several options to choose the best card for you.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard®
Great for travel needs and upgrades, including a $125 American Airlines Flight Discount after you spend $20,000 or more in purchases during your card membership year and renew your account. You also earn double miles at restaurants and gas stations, as well as double miles on eligible American Airline purchases.
Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®
Many benefits for travelers including Admirals Club® membership and a statement credit of up to $120 every 4 years for your application for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Cardholders also enjoy priority check-in (where available), priority airport screening (where available), preferred boarding and the first checked bag free on domestic American Airlines itineraries for you and up to eight companions on the same reservation®.
American Airlines AAdvantage® MileUp® Mastercard®
Great for everyday purchases with double miles earned on grocery stores, including grocery delivery services, and eligible American Airlines purchases. The card also offers 25% savings on in-flight food and beverage purchases when flying American Airlines. With no annual fee, this card provides a way to earn travel rewards while managing your daily expenses.
Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite® Mastercard®
Great for business owners to turn business expenses into award travel by earning double miles on eligible American Airlines purchases, as well as double miles at telecommunications merchants, cable and satellite providers, car rental merchants and gas stations. Additionally, the card offers valuable perks, including a free first-checked bag on domestic American Airlines flights for you and up to four companions on the same reservation as well as preferred boarding and a 25% savings on in-flight purchases.
Citi Strata Premier® Credit Card
The Citi Strata Premier® Card offers you 3X ThankYou® Points on air travel, hotels, restaurants, supermarkets and gas stations, in addition to 1X ThankYou® Points on all other purchases. It also includes an annual $100 hotel credit for stays of $500 or more when booked through CitiTravel.com. Additional perks include no foreign transaction fees and flexible redemption options, including the ability to transfer points to participating travel loyalty programs.
Disclosure: This article is for educational purposes. It is not intended to provide legal, investment, or financial advice and is not a substitute for professional advice. It does not indicate the availability of any Citi product or service. For advice about your specific circumstances, you should consult a qualified professional.
