Best Way to Burn 100K AA miles?

 
Old Apr 13, 2010, 7:02 pm
  #1  
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Best Way to Burn 100K AA miles?

Hey all - I took Citi bank up on it's credit card promos and got all three Citi-AA cards and (with the help of the US Mint) achieved all my spend requrements. I now have a little over 100K AA miles and am looking for the best way to burn 'em before they expire.

The best thing I can find looking at the reward chart is Buenos Aires for two, straddling the off season.

Any insight?
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Old Apr 13, 2010, 7:04 pm
  #2  
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Originally Posted by ADAMESQ
Hey all - I took Citi bank up on it's credit card promos and got all three Citi-AA cards and (with the help of the US Mint) achieved all my spend requrements. I now have a little over 100K AA miles and am looking for the best way to burn 'em before they expire.

The best thing I can find looking at the reward chart is Buenos Aires for two, straddling the off season.

Any insight?
I have the best way: Make ME passenger TWO.

BA is one of the loveliest and classiest cities in the world. Good choice. Go in late September or October.
Better: Make 1 single purchase on that Citi/Aadvantage card and mile expiration date will be extended by 18 months
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Old Apr 13, 2010, 7:04 pm
  #3  
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What's wrong with Buenos Aires? That's a decent find.

Though some of us would say the best strategy is to amass and spend on F, and earn lifetime status.
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Old Apr 13, 2010, 7:17 pm
  #4  
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Originally Posted by ADAMESQ
Hey all - I took Citi bank up on it's credit card promos and got all three Citi-AA cards and (with the help of the US Mint) achieved all my spend requrements. I now have a little over 100K AA miles and am looking for the best way to burn 'em before they expire.

The best thing I can find looking at the reward chart is Buenos Aires for two, straddling the off season.

Any insight?
Well, if you just have some AAdvantage activity once every 18 months, they would never expire. This will give you time to decide where you want to go. There are many definitions of "best". To some, "best" would be to use them to fly someplace they want to go. To others, a donation to charity would be "best"
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Old Apr 13, 2010, 8:13 pm
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I would push your miles to 125k and get a first class ride to EZE.

BA is best in October/Early November.

If you have to take the other half i would do two 50k mileage + copay upgrades to EZE.
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Old Apr 14, 2010, 2:20 pm
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110k miles with partner award to Hong Kong on CX in Business Class. I don't like wine, so I don't see a "need" for international first class for myself. I really enjoyed myself on this week vacation.

Alternatively, if you have a lot of free time, a oneWorld business award to and around Europe. Read about a guy who flew himself to NYC and started the oneWorld award there so that the mileage cost actually came to 10k miles less than just a partner award RT!

Steve32
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Old Apr 14, 2010, 2:36 pm
  #7  
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Assuming this is a two-person trip and you don't have easy access to another 100k AA...

For me, as an AA Gold, I'd book two coach awards to EZE. I can live without lounge access in DFW - I doubt I'd even bother buying/acquiring a pass.

If I was no-status, I'd either try to acquire another 100k and book two biz awards or do the mileage + co-pay upgrade.

If I was AA Plat or higher, I'd probably lean a little more towards mileage + co-pay unless there are ever decent promotional-biz fares to EZE. (In which case one paid + one award might be cheaper.)

I'll echo the earlier post: you don't need to be in a hurry. You only need to redeem your miles prior to their expiration date - not complete the trip. And any activity at all extends the date - your miles need not ever expire.
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Old Apr 14, 2010, 5:19 pm
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Depends on your goals. Do you want to travel a long way in coach or a shorter distance in First? One or two passengers?
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Old Apr 14, 2010, 8:40 pm
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If you want premium cabin experience, then redeem them on non AA metal like CX, BA etc.

If you want to go to EZE, on the return flight, may I suggest a "free" stop over in DFW as a NA gateway and a free one way later to say, OGG/HNL.

You can use 17.5K miles in coach per person to get back to the mainland on the 2nd trip. Or pull 20K UA miles per person to get back.

Last edited by miles_navigator; Apr 14, 2010 at 8:44 pm Reason: typo
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Old Apr 15, 2010, 8:49 am
  #10  
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Originally Posted by miles_navigator
If you want premium cabin experience, then redeem them on non AA metal like CX, BA etc.

If you want to go to EZE, on the return flight, may I suggest a "free" stop over in DFW as a NA gateway and a free one way later to say, OGG/HNL.

You can use 17.5K miles in coach per person to get back to the mainland on the 2nd trip. Or pull 20K UA miles per person to get back.
@:-) Good thinking. I didn't realize the OP was (partly?) from IAH. Assuming there's an interest in the 2nd trip, that could a very efficient way to book it...knowing that a cheap Dallas-Houston segment should be easy to buy.
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Old Apr 15, 2010, 9:18 am
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I'd book a one-way to EZE and a return flight from Iguazu Falls (an amazing place that you *must* visit in your lifetime!)

Then, buy a one-way from AEP (Buenos Aires' domestic terminal) to Puerto Iguazu on LAN (unless you have a few more miles left over!)
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Old Apr 15, 2010, 10:12 am
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Originally Posted by grlmopz
I'd book a one-way to EZE and a return flight from Iguazu Falls (an amazing place that you *must* visit in your lifetime!)
They look amazing! I bet that's what Niagara looked like before all of the development....

Definitely going to hang on to this idea. Thanks!

Last edited by ADAMESQ; Apr 15, 2010 at 10:12 am Reason: typo
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Old Apr 15, 2010, 11:19 am
  #13  
 
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Originally Posted by ADAMESQ
Hey all - I took Citi bank up on it's credit card promos and got all three Citi-AA cards and (with the help of the US Mint) achieved all my spend requrements. I now have a little over 100K AA miles and am looking for the best way to burn 'em before they expire.

The best thing I can find looking at the reward chart is Buenos Aires for two, straddling the off season.

Any insight?

Why the rush? As long as you have activity on the account, the miles doesn't expire. 100K miles would get you to plenty of places so it is going to be whatever tickles your fancy.
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Old Apr 15, 2010, 11:34 am
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Originally Posted by RewAArdSeeker
Why the rush? As long as you have activity on the account, the miles doesn't expire. 100K miles would get you to plenty of places so it is going to be whatever tickles your fancy.
I suppose the really is no real rush - - but the old miles mantra of "earn 'em and burn 'em" seems to be on my mind. The NW/DL devaluation is still a fresh memory.
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Old Apr 30, 2010, 10:17 pm
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This is how this story ended: DFW-RDU-LHR/LGW-MLE and back.

Thanks for the advice!
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