Both British Airways and American Airlines are members of the Oneworld alliance. Much like we previously discussed redeeming Turkish miles for United flights, there is a cheap way to book American Airlines flights using British Airways Avios.
Flying to Florida for $5
Today I’m flying non-stop from Dallas, Texas (DFW) to Fort Myers, Florida (RSW) on American Airlines for only $5.60 in fees after redeeming 7,500 British Airways Avios.
When I first started researching, I needed a one way flight and the revenue price was $422 to fly non-stop.
Not interested in paying that, I quickly checked how many American Airlines miles I could use. AA wanted 12,500 miles which is the minimum cost for a standard one-way domestic SAAver award. Although if you are an AAdvantage credit card holder then you get access to Reduced Mileage Awards. Those routes are typically to smaller, regional airports and certainly not available around Labor Day Weekend or between two major cities.
Once I saw the SAAver award availability, I knew that British Airways would have access to the same award space–but cheaper. So I quickly logged into my British Airways Executive Club account to book a ticket.
There I found the exact same flight listed for 30% less miles. The British Airways award chart for flights within North America is distance based which makes centrally located DFW such a great airport to use this strategy. As long as the distance is 1,151 miles or less, then the flight will cost 7,500 Avios. This isn’t a rare or exceptional redemption, but it’s incredibly convenient. Especially considering there are easy ways to collect British Airways Avios.
How do you earn Avios without actually flying on British Airways?
- Transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards or American Express Membership Rewards points at 1:1
- Learn more about the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card here
- Earn through the British Airways online shopping portal
- I once earned 7,686 Avios by purchasing drapes from Pottery Barn online
- Credit miles from Oneworld flights to your British Airways Executive Club Account
- Create an account. It’s free!
- Open a British Airways credit card
Example Itineraries
Here are a few short-haul routes that you can redeem for 7,500 Avios one way or 15,000 roundtrip:
- Chicago to Atlanta, Newark, or Orlando
- Dallas to Cabo, Chicago, Las Vegas, or Phoenix
- Los Angeles to Portland, Salt Lake City, or San Francisco
- New York to Montreal, Nashville, or Savannah
Interested in another route? Use the British Airways Reward Flight Calculator.
Final Thoughts on British Airways Avios
Aside from the reduced cost, I love redeeming Avios because of the flexibility to cancel. I can book a speculative flight and if I change my mind then I only lose $5.60, but get all the Avios credited back to my account. This is a great program to use for short-haul flights, but not necessarily for long distance international travel. So save American Airlines miles for long distance international flights on Oneworld carriers and use British Airways Avios for US domestic flights. It may seem backwards, but it’s the best way to maximize your miles!
Featured Image courtesy of British Airways Media Centre