nsx

Today I redeemed 4500 BAEC Avios and $2.50 for same-day AA flight LAX-SFO. BA gave me Priority Access, an extra legroom seat, and even TSA PreCheck even though I haven't flown AA in a long time. There was zero line at PreCheck so I got to the gates in about 5 minutes from the curb, stopping only at the kiosk downstairs.

Incidentally I did attempt to assign a seat 2 hours before departure but the website refused to process it. Apparently that was because I already had been given a premium seat. No complaints here!

I also made use of my Admirals Club membership which I got just 2 days ago with my new Citi Executive MasterCard on the current 100k mile signup bonus offer.

This is shaping up to be a great little trip. The only weird aspect was that the AC charges for chips (much healthier that way!) and for Coke Zero, but the nearly identical Diet Coke is free. Go figure.

Is it normal to get the elite traveler treatment when redeeming Avios for a last-minute AA flight? My wife got pretty much the same deal a couple weeks ago on her 4500-point redemption. Saved $200 both times.

lwildernorva

In November 2011, when BA made changes to its award chart, I felt that these types of redemptions were immediately the strength of the system for American residents who had accumulated what had become Avios through Chase credit card bonuses. Instead of 25K AA miles SFO-LAX-SFO, you could fly the same route for a reasonable 9K Avios. For me, the equivalent route has been ORF-JFK-ORF. Cash price on that route generally runs around $300. Or 9K Avios plus $5. Guess how I roll? And this will only get better when the US/AA merger allows complete Avios access to US flights as well--that brings Charlotte and Philadelphia into play for me.

I've gotten the premium treatment on AA, but I've been BA Silver since taking flights since the changes were made so I'm not sure of the applicability of elite traveler treatment if you have no status with either airline, but I agree that the combination of Avios and an AA Exec MC (AF less than the price of an annual membership for Admirals' Clubs--how long can that last?) can make domestic AA flights a pretty sweet deal.

But, of course, while still bemoaning the BA "devaluation," most American travel bloggers still seem to push the Chase BA card, even at its low signup of 50K Avios, as one of the best travel cards to get in the US. I've gotten and maintained BA status because, from the East Coast, it's reasonably possible to upgrade the BA flights to Europe I buy in WT+, on sales and using the 10% Chase BA discount on BA flights so as to be little more than $100 than I'd expect to pay for a coach class ticket on any airline except during the deepest offseason, to CW for my eastbound flight (WT+ is fine for me for the westbound return trip) and still earn enough Avios for one RT to NYC. No frequent flyer program in the USA is as generous.

Yeah, it would be great if the BA fuel surcharges and the London APD disappeared, but I've found myself quite content with the BAEC program.

drspear

I must say although it wasn't the same route exactly as I was trying to get SFO-LAS I was going to be 9k avios one way and as mentioned a very low tax cost of 2 dollars or so.

This of course is because AA don't go direct from SFO to LAS and you have to go through LAX as mentioned, so 2 sectors.

United airline were the princely sum of USD 49 so in terms of value versus using 27,000 avios as it would be in my case guess how I rolled ?

Not too dissimilar on the return San diego route SAN-SFO also required the same 2 sectors through LAX.

The other issue was availability to call it limited was an understatement, this was for 13 October but the first one I could get was the 15th all other days were full, and here we are 6 months out from the time.

Don't get me wrong its great, but would caution that it always serves as the highest value to use avios in the US.

Farringdon

Very true. These short flights on AA are a good value using Avios.

BTW, with Silver status or above on BA, you would get into the Admirals Club free as well.

UA Fan

This is interesting - did you get MCE seats?

nsx

I was preassigned a "Premium" seat, 17 window. I switched for an aisle at the gate and got row 18. However on the plane I looked carefully and neither row 18 nor row 17 appeared to have extra legroom. I don't know what to make of this, but since I had use of all 3 seats in my half-row I just went to sleep rather than worry about it.

GUWonder

It's normal, whether a last-minute or well-in-advance redemption on AA flights. BA redemption tickets for AA-operated flights generally come with this.

The PreCheck LLL outcomes are independent of the "elite treatment" benefits that generally come up with these redemptions.

I've redeemed hundreds of 4,500 point awards for AA flights -- and unlike when it used to have to be booked at least the day before, for some time now it's possible to do same day redemption bookings online. After the BA point reservations for AA-operated flights, my next most common use for them is for AB-operated flights or to get a BA Reward saver to/from the UK with a free domestic UK trip on top of the international intra-Europe trip, especially given AA wants more miles and money for such redemptions when using AA miles.
It's possible on such bookings to get MCE, but it doesn't happen with high probability -- unlike with the Priority Access, free checked luggage and preferred seat benefits.

stevieg999

I just redeemed 4.5k SFO-LAX and was able to select MCE seats right after. This is most likely to me being a GCH.