Buy AA miles for 120,000 bonus?
Dec 17, 2018, 9:02 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2017
Location: Reno, NV
Programs: AAdvantage
Posts: 44
Buy AA miles for 120,000 bonus?
Until Jan 6 AA is offering 150,000 + 120,000 miles for $4366. That's the best deal we've seen in a long time. Good idea to buy miles? I could really use some.
Dec 17, 2018, 9:12 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: Bay Area
Programs: WN A-List, AA good-riddance, Safeway Club Card Extraordinaire
Posts: 3,851
If you have a specific use for them in the near future, on flight(s) where you know there's availability, sure. I wouldn't buy them just to bank them, though, since the award charts can be inflated at any time.
Dec 17, 2018, 9:17 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, Owner of 2,000 TWA shares
Posts: 812
I pondered the 150k+100k this summer. It easily buys two J class tickets anywhere (I priced out JNB and MLE on QR, each coming out around 280k. It'd be more twice the price if paying cash. So yeah, if you have the money I think it's a good deal.
Dec 17, 2018, 9:20 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: JFK/LGA
Programs: AA EXP/5 MM, BA Blue Bayou, HH LT Diamond
Posts: 5,827
Dec 17, 2018, 10:38 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, HHonors Diamond
Posts: 68
It really depends on what you plan to use the miles for. From my home base (DFW) Business SAAver awards to Europe do not exist on AA metal, and while there is availability on BA, those awards have substantial surcharges. If you can find SAAver availability for the destination(s) you want in your desired class of service, it could be a good deal. It would also be a good idea to look at he routing. Some SAAver awards route me through two airports to get from DFW to anywhere on the East Coast.
Dec 18, 2018, 7:29 am
#8
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
Speculatively purchasing AA miles is generally not a good deal.
The real exception is when you find availability for the routes/dates you need as they post very quickly.
The real exception is when you find availability for the routes/dates you need as they post very quickly.
Dec 18, 2018, 8:44 am
#9
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,311
I find it hard to find saver awards in J without ridiculous layovers on AA metal. I am deciding between spending $599 for lax-jfk one way in J or 55k Miles one way so domesticacly barely more than a penny a mile.
if you see a fight available that you want to book right away, then yes. Otherwise, your valuation seems high.
if you see a fight available that you want to book right away, then yes. Otherwise, your valuation seems high.
Dec 18, 2018, 9:27 am
#10
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Austin
Programs: AA EXP +2MM- LT PLT! HH Diamond
Posts: 6,086
I'm pretty sure this would be a very popular purchase if it counted against the annual EQD requirement. From a twisted logic perspective, the purchased miles are most likely going to be used for flights eventually..
Dec 18, 2018, 9:57 am
#11
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA EXP, AA LT Gold, SPG Plat 75
Posts: 889
I find it hard to find saver awards in J without ridiculous layovers on AA metal. I am deciding between spending $599 for lax-jfk one way in J or 55k Miles one way so domesticacly barely more than a penny a mile.
if you see a fight available that you want to book right away, then yes. Otherwise, your valuation seems high.
if you see a fight available that you want to book right away, then yes. Otherwise, your valuation seems high.
Dec 18, 2018, 9:59 am
#12
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: PHX, SEA
Programs: Avis President's Club, Global Entry, Hilton/Marriott Gold. No more DL/AA status.
Posts: 4,422
You say you could really use them -- for what? And do you have any Advantage Elite status? For example some of the better value for mileage redemption is last minute booking, but if I wasn't Gold it would have cost me a $75 booking fee which offsets that value.
Dec 18, 2018, 10:05 am
#13
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: AA EXP, AA LT Gold, SPG Plat 75
Posts: 889
There is no booking fee if booking flights more than 3 weeks in advance, if looking at international J, that's about the only time you will find availability on partners.
Dec 18, 2018, 10:12 am
#14
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,311
Dec 18, 2018, 10:25 am
#15
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: SAN
Programs: AA CK, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 839
The only time I buy AA miles is if I’ve found space in international business class at SAAver level and have those flights on hold and need to top off. I don’t place much value in domestic award travel but YMMV.