Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
If you can find and book F or J award space on CX (or JL) before the AA devaluation takes place towards the end of March, then using your Avios for this trip would make little sense. Currently, AA charges 135K miles for the roundtrip in F, and 110K miles for the roundtrip in J. Look at what it would cost to simply
buy those miles now from AA (add 7% excise tax and a $30 processing fee to the prices shown at the following site):
https://buymiles.aa.com/en/buygift
AA does not impose any surcharges on CX or JL awards. You would have to add government taxes and fees to the AA redemption, but I don't think they are very high on such an itinerary.
If you won't be able to book the trip until after the AA devaluation, then using your Avios would make more sense.
Do you qualify for any U.S.-issued credit cards from either Chase or Citi? If so, you could get a boost on your Avios (or on your AA miles).
