using aa miles for a latam jfk to ecuador flight
Nov 27, 2018, 11:37 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: New York
Posts: 799
using aa miles for a latam jfk to ecuador flight
hello everyone
i want to start building my AA miles, and maybe sign up for a AA credit card, for me and my wife, and we want to use those bonus miles to fly from jfk to gye ecuador, using the AA miles up card. I heard that its a bad card because you have to pay like a few weeks in advance or something. if i get the bonus miles, and then buy miles to get a business class ticket to ecuador, do we have to call to get this award travel? i have read a few articles, and i dont see that I can do this online only.
thank you
i want to start building my AA miles, and maybe sign up for a AA credit card, for me and my wife, and we want to use those bonus miles to fly from jfk to gye ecuador, using the AA miles up card. I heard that its a bad card because you have to pay like a few weeks in advance or something. if i get the bonus miles, and then buy miles to get a business class ticket to ecuador, do we have to call to get this award travel? i have read a few articles, and i dont see that I can do this online only.
thank you
Nov 27, 2018, 12:24 pm
#2
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Hilton, IHG
Posts: 35
You must call AA to book. It is possible to search for availability using the British Airways website.
Be aware that LATAM has very limited availability for its partners. I have been trying to book a trip to Argentina and I have never seen a single award seat available. You may be more successful to Ecuador, but availability will be spotty for one, let alone two. You may want to focus on flying American to Ecuador. That availability will be OK, especially midweek.
Be aware that LATAM has very limited availability for its partners. I have been trying to book a trip to Argentina and I have never seen a single award seat available. You may be more successful to Ecuador, but availability will be spotty for one, let alone two. You may want to focus on flying American to Ecuador. That availability will be OK, especially midweek.
Nov 27, 2018, 12:33 pm
#3
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Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: New York
Posts: 799
yeah, we went last june to ecuador via american with a stop in miami. its a long day of travel. we were trying to get some AA credit cards, the mile up card, to get the bonus and try to book a flight. maybe for latam its better to use the latam credit card and book through that?
Nov 27, 2018, 1:50 pm
#4
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yeah, we went last june to ecuador via american with a stop in miami. its a long day of travel. we were trying to get some AA credit cards, the mile up card, to get the bonus and try to book a flight. maybe for latam its better to use the latam credit card and book through that?
Nov 27, 2018, 2:35 pm
#5
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Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: New York
Posts: 799
If you do not have elite status in the AAdvantage program, you will be charged a $75 close-in award-booking fee if you book your award travel less than 21 days in advance. There is no close-in award-booking fee if you redeem BA Avios for travel on any BA partner, including AA and LA. There are several Chase and Amex credit cards that can be used to acquire BA Avios. Just 12,500 BA Avios for JFK-GYE nonstop or through-flight (if there is one); 17,500 Avios if you connect or stop over in MIA.
Nov 27, 2018, 2:39 pm
#6
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Nov 27, 2018, 2:46 pm
#7
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Nov 27, 2018, 2:51 pm
#8
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Nov 27, 2018, 5:55 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2002
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hello everyone
i want to start building my AA miles, and maybe sign up for a AA credit card, for me and my wife, and we want to use those bonus miles to fly from jfk to gye ecuador, using the AA miles up card. I heard that its a bad card because you have to pay like a few weeks in advance or something. if i get the bonus miles, and then buy miles to get a business class ticket to ecuador, do we have to call to get this award travel? i have read a few articles, and i dont see that I can do this online only.
thank you
i want to start building my AA miles, and maybe sign up for a AA credit card, for me and my wife, and we want to use those bonus miles to fly from jfk to gye ecuador, using the AA miles up card. I heard that its a bad card because you have to pay like a few weeks in advance or something. if i get the bonus miles, and then buy miles to get a business class ticket to ecuador, do we have to call to get this award travel? i have read a few articles, and i dont see that I can do this online only.
thank you
No need to the BA site to look for awards (not required) and probably no help talking to him about BA Avios (not accruing). He wants an AA card to get AA points and redeem on AA. LAN flies non stop from JFK. We all know when the dust settles they are not going to be giving away business awards for a fraction of AA awards. But worth looking at their program and if they offer a USA credit card. For that matter look at United and redeem on Copa or Avianca. Though at the end of the day will one airline program be 1/2 the miles than another? No. 75% doubtful. LAN seems to be worth a look if only for non stop JFK flights.
Here's the bottom line - for AA redemptions in business class from the USA/Canada to Central America there will be either limited or zero cheap (SAAver) awards let alone two of them. And SAAver awards often have multiple connections if they exist at all. Even in coach the selection is lamentable. The elephant burial ground of unwanted flights at unwanted times.
So flying on AA the OP can expect to use 100,000 - 120,000 miles per ticket (50 or 60,000 miles each way) for AAnytime awards almost assuredly if he wants two at once. I fly a lot from North to Central America. Every SAAver award offered is three legs and most of the time, overnight connections. Miraculously AAnytime awards have same day single connections and unless the flight has no J at all, they are always available. I don't even do more than glance at the SAAver list.
The Miles Up card is just a fee free AA card. The bonus is 10,000 miles. Earning at AA and "soon" grocery stores, 2 miles per $1. Everything else $1=1 mile. So earning the 190,000+++ miles will take a lot of spending - like $190,000 to $230,000.
Last edited by ricktoronto; Nov 27, 2018 at 6:15 pm
Nov 27, 2018, 6:06 pm
#10
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Location: New York
Posts: 799
You get the card and spend and get bonuses to earn AA miles. You can book online for an AA award and can find the awards on AA.com easily (well it is easy to look for them, whether they have any is another question.) You do not have to call anyone and you pay when you buy the ticket, the longer from travel the more likely you may actually find a ticket. Booking online miles takes a few minutes and is free (other than within 21 days of travel).
No need to the BA site to look for awards (not required) and probably no help talking to him about BA Avios (not accruing). He wants an AA card to get AA points and redeem on AA. LAN flies non stop from JFK. We all know when the dust settles they are not going to be giving away business awards for a fraction of AA awards. But worth looking at their program and a USA credit card. For that matter look at United and redeem on Copa or Avianca. Though at the end of the day will one airline program be 1/2 the miles than another? No. 75% doubtful. LAN seems to be worth a look if only for non stop JFK flights. AA has a codeshare JFK GYE on the LAN flight as well.
Here's the bottom line - for AA redemptions in business class from the USA/Canada to Central America there will be either limited or zero cheap (SAAver) awards let alone two of them. And SAAver awards often have multiple connections if they exist at all. Even in coach the selection is lamentable.
So the OP can expect to use 100,000 - 120,000 miles per ticket (50 or 60,000 miles each way) for AAnytime awards almost assuredly if he wants two at once. I fly a lot from North to Central America. Every SAAver award offered is three legs and often, overnight connections. Miraculously AAnytime awards have same day single connections and unless the flight has no J at all, they are always available. I don't even do more than glance at the SAAver list.
The Miles Up card is just a fee free AA card. The bonus is 10,000 miles. Earning at AA and "soon" grocery stores, 2 miles per $1. Everything else $1=1 mile. So earning the 190,000+++ miles will take a lot of spending - like $190,000 to $230,000.
No need to the BA site to look for awards (not required) and probably no help talking to him about BA Avios (not accruing). He wants an AA card to get AA points and redeem on AA. LAN flies non stop from JFK. We all know when the dust settles they are not going to be giving away business awards for a fraction of AA awards. But worth looking at their program and a USA credit card. For that matter look at United and redeem on Copa or Avianca. Though at the end of the day will one airline program be 1/2 the miles than another? No. 75% doubtful. LAN seems to be worth a look if only for non stop JFK flights. AA has a codeshare JFK GYE on the LAN flight as well.
Here's the bottom line - for AA redemptions in business class from the USA/Canada to Central America there will be either limited or zero cheap (SAAver) awards let alone two of them. And SAAver awards often have multiple connections if they exist at all. Even in coach the selection is lamentable.
So the OP can expect to use 100,000 - 120,000 miles per ticket (50 or 60,000 miles each way) for AAnytime awards almost assuredly if he wants two at once. I fly a lot from North to Central America. Every SAAver award offered is three legs and often, overnight connections. Miraculously AAnytime awards have same day single connections and unless the flight has no J at all, they are always available. I don't even do more than glance at the SAAver list.
The Miles Up card is just a fee free AA card. The bonus is 10,000 miles. Earning at AA and "soon" grocery stores, 2 miles per $1. Everything else $1=1 mile. So earning the 190,000+++ miles will take a lot of spending - like $190,000 to $230,000.
Nov 27, 2018, 7:51 pm
#11
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What is your Plan B if you cannot find Business Class award seats on the LATAM nonstop with AA miles on your desired dates of travel? Will you have any other use for AA miles?
Nov 27, 2018, 8:05 pm
#12
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yeah, we went last June to Ecuador via American with a stop in Miami. its a long day of travel. we were trying to get some AA credit cards, the mile up card, to get the bonus and try to book a flight. Maybe for latam its better to use the latam credit card and book through that?
If only it was so easy
Nov 27, 2018, 10:31 pm
#13
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, Hilton, IHG
Posts: 35
Try Alaska
Alaska Airlines May be an option, since LATAM is a partner. Their card gives a healthy bonus of 30k miles and if you apply during a dummy booking you can get a statement credit that offsets thr $95 fee. Alaska’s award chart requires only 45k miles for a one way to South America on LATAM. Award availability through Alaska will be equally bad, if not worse than booking through American.
Last edited by BPCGuy; Nov 27, 2018 at 10:32 pm Reason: Clarify where booking should occur
Nov 28, 2018, 3:43 am
#14
Join Date: Jan 2012
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Programs: AA EXP, UA1K B6 Mosaic 1, Amtrak Select, Marriott Plat , AMEX Plat (noted for club access reference)
Posts: 785
Get an SPG card and transfer from SPG to LATAM
The most simple way to do it is to get an SPG card and transfer to Multiplus. Takes one week to clear.
AA - JFK-GYE via MIA is the worst both ways. Coming into Ecuador you land at 1130PM so if your going somewhere outside of GYE good luck... Leaving GYE you leave at 0000 so your landing in Miami at 0400-0500 with little to zero sleep.
Even COPA thru PTY is better or AVIANCA thru BOG.
Multiplus has awards in coach for as low as 15,000 (normally 22,000) but 15,000 can be found with flexibility and in business for 32,000 anytime but the holidays. $320 in points for a lie flat from JFK-GYE overnight non-stop (with Flagship access at JFK) is a no brainer.. Availability is pretty good, certainly better than AA and 1000X better than BA Avios. Avios availability is slim to none as is and in Business forget it won't happen period. And if you do find business it will be on a 737MAX vs. a 767 lie flat.. They seem to be phasing out the AA 767 on the Ecuador runs... less and less to GYE.
I've done this trek before and just recently did the LATAM route 3 weeks ago it was well worth it... The seat wasn't the best (I am tall) but the service was top notch..
Setting up the Multiplus account takes some work, however once you have everything in place the rest is easy...
AA - JFK-GYE via MIA is the worst both ways. Coming into Ecuador you land at 1130PM so if your going somewhere outside of GYE good luck... Leaving GYE you leave at 0000 so your landing in Miami at 0400-0500 with little to zero sleep.
Even COPA thru PTY is better or AVIANCA thru BOG.
Multiplus has awards in coach for as low as 15,000 (normally 22,000) but 15,000 can be found with flexibility and in business for 32,000 anytime but the holidays. $320 in points for a lie flat from JFK-GYE overnight non-stop (with Flagship access at JFK) is a no brainer.. Availability is pretty good, certainly better than AA and 1000X better than BA Avios. Avios availability is slim to none as is and in Business forget it won't happen period. And if you do find business it will be on a 737MAX vs. a 767 lie flat.. They seem to be phasing out the AA 767 on the Ecuador runs... less and less to GYE.
I've done this trek before and just recently did the LATAM route 3 weeks ago it was well worth it... The seat wasn't the best (I am tall) but the service was top notch..
Setting up the Multiplus account takes some work, however once you have everything in place the rest is easy...
Last edited by theboss7593; Nov 28, 2018 at 3:52 am
Nov 28, 2018, 7:08 am
#15
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^But OP will need 125,000 LATAM Multiplus points (31,250 per person, each way). That's 300,000 new-SPG/Marriott points, which isn't exactly easy to acquire.
The LATAM credit card offers 20,000 points as a signup bonus, but even if OP gets two of those (one each for him and his wife), OP will need to spend $85,000 across those two cards in order to have enough miles to redeem for these tickets.
The LATAM credit card offers 20,000 points as a signup bonus, but even if OP gets two of those (one each for him and his wife), OP will need to spend $85,000 across those two cards in order to have enough miles to redeem for these tickets.