Originally Posted by
rrapynot
I’m trying to burn some points this winter but finding it hard to find good value with economy redemptions. SFO-SYD averages around 250K, Argentina is similar. Europe has good value using points but I can only find itineraries on BA metal which adds on $500-$600 in fees which is absurd because I can just buy a revenue ticket for that amount. Does anyone have any suggestions?
AA metal awards are dynamically prices, as you have already noticed. Your best bet is to seek out international partners (besides BA) so you can price it according to the fixed award chart. Start by looking up the nonstop routes served by IB, AY, QR, RJ, JL, CX, etc and try to find availability on the long haul segment first. Economy bookings should be much easier than business/first but it's still pretty late in the game to be looking for this winter so you will need to be flexible. Consider a positioning flight if you need to fly from another US gateway. Good luck!