I’ve never redeemed miles for an AAnytime award, but American did have the best value AAnytime award chart, charging only double miles to book an award without capacity controls. Personally I don’t care too much about the AAnytime award chart so I’m not too worked up over changes to it.
Here is the old award chart which remains in effect for travel through 05/31.
Effective for travel starting 06/01 this new award chart will go into place. The cheaper MileSAAver award rates remain unchanged but AAnytime award are split into at least 2 levels.
On some routes the AAnytime changes are minor. For example coach AAnytime within the US48 goes from being 25K each way to being either 20K or 30K each way. Business AAnytime within the US48 goes from being 50K each way to being either 45K or 55K each way. However First AAnytime within the US48 is hit hard, going from being 65K each way to being either 85K or 95K each way. First AAnytime is only for airplanes with 3 cabins like JFK to LAX and SFO, most domestic first class is sold as business.
For flights to Europe coach AAnytime goes from being 60K each way to being either 45K or 65K each way. The premium cabins are harder hit. Business AAnytime goes from being 100K each way to being either 110K or 135K each way. First AAnytime goes from being 125K each way to being either 140K or 175K each way.
Of course partner awards aren’t effected as those only have the MileSAAver level anyway, which remains unchanged.
Again, for anyone that normally redeems at the lowest levels, nothing will change here. I don’t think it’s fair to compare this change to Delta’s upcoming 5 tier award system. Delta rarely has availability in the lower tiers and I don’t trust that they ever will. American will continue to have peak and off-peak MileSAAver awards as they always have and I fully expect that American will continue to offer the same about of MileSAAver availability that they have in the past.
Leave a Reply
16 Comments On "American Modifying AAnytime Award Chart Rates"
All opinions expressed below are user generated and the opinions aren’t provided, reviewed or endorsed by any advertiser or DansDeals.
Is this the devaluation or the appetizer?
Dan, what are your thoughts on the change?
Is this in anyway due to the many 100k bonuses redeemed? I just got the card and am currently heading toward the threshold. Does this mean my aa miles redeemed through citi card will be worth less than before after the change?
@Question:
Appetizer.
I imagine that when the AA and USAir mileage programs are merged that we’ll see the real pain. Until then, milk it for what it’s worth.
@EJB:
It doesn’t really bother me as I don’t redeem for AAnytime awards.
This is a devaluation I can handle.
@Citi bonus:
No, the regular MileSAAver chart is unchanged.
Saw it a little earlier on FT, then again under Lucky. Posted on DansDeals FB forum. As long as it doesn’t affect AA Saver awards, not a big deal to me, but bad news does keep on coming.
Thanks. And what are the methods to earn aanytime awards and are they more or less desireable than milesaaver?
Speculation on FT about international gateway city stopovers being gone, and possibility of AA Saver awards going up as well. Only time will tell.
better to book now any date and then change date at no cost, so booked on lower miles?>
when is it effective?
how does one book one way with aa miles 30,000 us air tlv-nyc one way? need to call in? would aa agent know how to do it? is there a change fee for date only?
Also in their press release, a new tier of 50K (!) economy one-way for the ‘busiest travel dates of the year’.
So now it’s 20K/30K/50K tiers for AAnytime
dan i hing that now aa will release less seats for the MileSAAver and give more seats for the AAnytime wich means that less availability on british airways avios site,
also one good thing in the new chart…….
this new term.
Anytime Awards: No blackout dates, you can use your miles for any seat on any American Airlines flight, for as low as 20,000 miles each way.
I looked at booking a flight the weekend after Xmas from ORD – SAN. They wanted 75,000 miles for coach one way. Must be one of the tier 3 exceptions?
@Jeff:
I’m seeing 50K. Date?
Here’s a question. If you book a RT ticket a lower miles before 6/1, and then change the ticket, will you be able to rebook after 6/1 without extra miles being charged?
@Dan: just looked again. They changed it. It was showing 75K for economy anytime on 12/27 and 12/28 Ord-San and the same for the return on 1/3 and 1/4
Earlier today it was showing 75,000 miles each way for ORD-SAN (Dec 27 and 28), SAN-ORD (Jan 3 and 4) for anytime coach awards. I just checked again and it now shows 50K. Still a ridiculous sum for a coach flight
I wasn’t too worked up about it either–but now the other shoe has dropped: Anytime awards in business or first on popular international routes have completely disappeared. So it’s a boatload of miles–or nothing.