Unlock the Secrets of Booking AA Flights with Avios

Want to stretch your travel rewards further? Learning how to book American Airlines with Avios can unlock significant savings with access to much of the same award availability.

Booking short American Airlines flights with British Airways Avios used to be an incredible sweet spot. Due to program changes over the last several years, it’s no longer the sweet spot it once was, but British Airways Avios still offers a powerful way to book American Airlines flights.

The partnership among Oneworld alliance members creates many opportunities to maximize your points. Whether you’re earning Avios through credit cards or transferring from Avios transfer partners, you can access American Airlines’ extensive route network across the Americas and beyond.

Let’s explore how to leverage this partnership for your next trip.

Understanding the Basics of Booking AA Flights with Avios

British Airways Avios is the loyalty currency of British Airways Executive Club. You can use these points to book flights on partner airlines, including American Airlines.

The partnership works seamlessly, because both airlines belong to the Oneworld alliance. This means you can search for and book American Airlines award seats directly through the British Airways website using your Avios balance.

Here’s why this matters: British Airways uses a distance-based award chart, while American Airlines uses dynamic pricing that’s somewhat region-based. Depending on your route, one program may offer significantly better value than the other.

For short-haul flights, Avios can be incredibly efficient. A short domestic hop might cost just 13,500 Avios each way in economy.

American Airlines Flights with Avios: Maximize Your Travel Rewards on AA

Booking American Airlines with Avios offers several advantages:

Cost Savings on Short Flights
The distance-based pricing means you can save miles for shorter flights, especially those under 650 miles. Routes like Los Angeles (LAX) to San Francisco (SFO) could be less expensive to book through British Airways than American Airlines.

Different Award Availability
Occasionally, you may find award seats available through British Airways that don’t appear when searching directly on American Airlines’ website, though this will generally not be the case. It’s more likely to find additional award availability directly through AA.com, as they offer web specials that are typically not available to partners.

Flexibility with Points Sources
You can transfer points to British Airways from multiple Avios transfer partners, including Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards, Citi Thank You Points, Capital One and Bilt Rewards points. This flexibility helps you accumulate Avios faster.

Lower Taxes and Fees
When booking American Airlines flights originating in the U.S., you’ll typically pay minimal fees—often just $5.60 each way. This is considerably less than booking British Airways’ own flights, which carry hefty fuel surcharges.

Insider Tips to Stretch Your Avios Points Further on American Airlines

Want to maximize every Avios point? Follow these strategies:

Book Short-Haul Flights
The sweet spot for Avios redemptions is flights under 650 miles. At 13,500 Avios each way in economy, you’re getting great value. Think Boston to Washington or Dallas to Houston.

Avoid Long-Haul International Routes
Conversely, long-haul flights often require more Avios than equivalent AAdvantage awards. For transcontinental or international flights over 2,000 miles, you’ll typically be better off booking with American Airlines. Regardless, it’s a good idea to compare both programs before booking if you have access to both types of miles.

Search Strategically
American Airlines starts to release its award space about 331 days in advance. Check availability right when the schedule opens for the best selection.

Consider Off-Peak Travel
British Airways offers reduced Avios rates for off-peak travel on select routes on its own flights, but not necessarily on partner flights. While American Airlines flights don’t always have off-peak pricing when booked through British Airways, checking can occasionally reveal savings.

Leverage Stopovers and Open Jaws
While not as generous as some programs, you can sometimes structure routings creatively to visit multiple cities. Just remember each segment prices separately with Avios.

Expert Answers to Your Questions about Using Avios for AA Flights

Can I transfer British Airways Avios to American Airlines?
No, you cannot transfer British Airways Avios to American Airlines. However, you can book American Airlines flights using your Avios through the British Airways website. The points will be redeemed through your British Airways account.

How do I transfer Avios to American Airlines for booking?
You don’t transfer Avios to American Airlines. Instead, you search for American Airlines award flights on britishairways.com and book them using your Avios balance. The booking happens through British Airways, but you’ll fly on American Airlines.

Are fees lower when booking American Airlines with Avios?
It depends. Domestic American Airlines flights booked with Avios or with American Airlines AAdvantage miles typically have fees around $5.60 each way. This is significantly lower than booking British Airways’ own flights or other partner flights, which can add hundreds in fuel surcharges.

What if I can’t find availability?
If you can’t find availability, try searching individual segments rather than your entire journey. Sometimes breaking up the itinerary reveals more award space. Also, be flexible with dates—availability can vary significantly day to day.

Step-by-Step: Booking American Airlines Flights with Avios

Ready to book an American Airlines flight with Avios? Here’s exactly how to do it.

Step 1: Log into British Airways Executive Club

Visit britishairways.com and sign into your Executive Club account. If you don’t have one, creating an account is free and takes just a few minutes.

Step 2: Search for Flights

Use the “Book a flight with Avios” search tool. Enter your departure city, destination and travel dates. Click “Get flights” to search.

Step 3: Review Results

The search results will show available flights from British Airways and partner airlines, including American Airlines. Look for flights with the AA code.

Step 4: Check the Price

Click on your preferred flight to see the total Avios required plus any taxes and fees. The distance-based chart applies automatically.

Step 5: Input Passenger Details and Complete Payment
Input the passenger details and pay the taxes and fees with a credit card. Your Avios will be deducted immediately upon booking confirmation.

Step 6: Receive Confirmation
You’ll get a confirmation email from British Airways with your booking reference. You can also add this to your American Airlines account using the confirmation number. You can select your seat through American Airlines if your fare class permits.

Step 7: Manage Your Booking
For most changes, you’ll need to contact British Airways directly. However, you can often select or change seats through the American Airlines website using your confirmation code.

Real-World Examples: Saving Money on AA Flights with Avios

Let’s look at actual redemptions that demonstrate the value of booking American Airlines flights with Avios:

Example 1: No Access to American Airlines Miles
Regardless of where you’re trying to fly, it’s easier to earn British Airways Avios than American Airlines miles. That’s because British Airways is a transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, Capital One Miles and Bilt Rewards, while American Airlines is only a partner of Citi ThankYou Points and Bilt Rewards. If you don’t have American Airlines miles, you may be able to access the same flights through British Airways.

Example 2: (Almost) Equal Price
You may not always be able to save miles through British Airways Avios, but you may have the opportunity to redeem at the same price. Considering they’re much easier to earn compared to American Airlines miles, this will give you the option to save your AA miles for a redemption that wouldn’t be possible with British Airways.

For example, this flight from Miami (MIA) to Tampa (TPA) costs 11,500 AAdvantage miles, or 13,500 British Airways Avios and $5.60 in taxes either way.

Avios vs. Other Loyalty Programs for Booking American Airlines Flights

How does booking American Airlines with Avios compare to other options?

British Airways Avios vs. AAdvantage

• Winner for short-haul: Toss up
• Winner for long-haul: AAdvantage (flights over 2,000 miles)
• Fees: Similar on American Airlines flights
• Availability: Generally identical, occasionally different

British Airways Avios vs. Credit Card Points
Chase Ultimate Rewards, Amex Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou Points, Capital One Miles and Bilt Rewards can all transfer to both British Airways and other programs. The flexibility means you can:

• Transfer to Avios for short American Airlines flights
• Transfer to AAdvantage or other partners for longer routes
• Keep points flexible until you’re ready to book American

Only Citi ThankYou Points and Bilt Rewards can transfer to American Airlines AAdvantage.

Additionally, credit card rewards programs give you the option to book tickets with your points through their portals. These tickets operate like normal cash tickets and don’t have blackout dates or availability to worry about.

British Airways Avios vs. Hotel Loyalty Programs
Hotel points like Marriott Bonvoy, IHG One Rewards and Hilton Honors can transfer to airline partners, but the conversion rates are typically poor. You’ll almost always get better value keeping hotel points for hotels and using dedicated airline miles for flights. Marriott Bonvoy is typically the only program that can make sense to convert to airline miles.

Advanced Strategies for Maximizing Avios on American Airlines Flights

Take your Avios game to the next level with these expert tactics:

Strategy 1: Book One-Ways Instead of Round-Trips and Plan Stopovers
Since Avios prices each flight segment separately, you have complete flexibility. Book your outbound with Avios and return with cash or different points if that saves money overall.

Similarly, if you need to connect somewhere anyway, you can stop in that destination for as long as you’d like (availability permitting). Use this as an opportunity to explore an additional city.

Strategy 2: Mix Programs on Multi-City Trips
Planning a trip to multiple cities? Use Avios for the short-haul segments and AAdvantage or another program for longer flights. A Tampa-Miami-Los Angeles-New York trip could look like:

• Tampa-Miami: Avios
• Miami-LA: AAdvantage miles
• LA-Tampa: AAdvantage miles

Strategy 3: Leverage Household Accounts
British Airways allows household accounts where family members living at the same address can combine Avios. This helps you reach redemption thresholds faster.

Strategy 4: Transfer Points Strategically
Don’t transfer points until you’ve confirmed award availability. Most transfers complete instantly or within hours, but you can’t reverse them. Search first, then transfer only what you need.

Strategy 5: Book Close-In for Better Value
At the last minute, cash prices tend to be high, but the airlines are also typically releasing any un-filled seats for award availability. Last-minute bookings are one of the ways to get great value for your miles.

Strategy 6: Watch for Award Sales
British Airways occasionally offers reduced award pricing on specific routes or transfer bonuses from bank programs. This is a great way to stretch your points further.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Transferring Avios to American Airlines

DO: Earn Avios Through Multiple Channels
The British Airways Visa Signature® card offers a solid welcome bonus and ongoing earning opportunities. Plus, you can transfer from Chase, Amex, Citi, Capital One and Bilt to pad your British Airways Avios balance even more.

DON’T: Transfer Before Checking Availability
Always confirm the award flight exists before moving points. Transfers are typically instant but irreversible.

DO: Understand the Distance Bands
Familiarize yourself with British Airways’ distance-based award chart (subject to change; always double check British Airways’ website for current rates):

• 0–650 miles: 13,500 Avios (economy)
• 651–1,150 miles: 16,000 Avios (economy)
• 1,151–2,000 miles: 18,000 Avios (economy)
• 2,001–3,000 miles: 20,000 Avios (economy)

DON’T: Overlook Partner Earning Opportunities
You can earn Avios by flying American Airlines and crediting miles to British Airways. The earning rates differ from crediting to AAdvantage, so compare before each flight.

DO: Book Online When Possible
Phone bookings with British Airways often incur fees. The website handles most American Airlines bookings smoothly. If something isn’t working properly online and you do have to call, ask the phone agent to waive the phone booking fee.

DON’T: Expect Instant Changes
Unlike some programs, modifications to Avios bookings may require contacting British Airways. Build extra time for changes if your plans might shift.

DO: Check Both Programs for Each Trip
While learning how to book American Airlines with British Airways Avios, it’s important to familiarize yourself with checking your flight options across both programs. Sometimes AAdvantage is the better deal, especially on longer routes.

DON’T: Confuse Transfer with Booking
Remember, you cannot actually transfer British Airways Avios to American Airlines as a direct account-to-account transaction. The Avios stay in your British Airways account—you’re simply using them to book flights operated by American Airlines.

Troubleshooting Common Issues when Booking AA Flights with Avios

Running into problems? Here are solutions:

Issue: “No Award Availability Found”
Even when American Airlines shows availability, British Airways might not display it. It’s common for an airline to offer more seats through its own program than with partners. But before you give up, try these fixes:

• Search individual segments rather than the full journey.
• Call British Airways—agents can sometimes see inventory the website doesn’t show.
• Check if your dates fall during peak periods with limited award space.
• Try searching on American Airlines’ website first to confirm the seats still exist.

Issue: Higher-than-Expected Fees
Booking American Airlines flights from the U.S. should result in minimal fees around $5.60 each way. If you see high charges:

• Verify you’re booking an American Airlines flight, not British Airways.
• Check if your routing includes flights operated by other carriers with fuel surcharges.

Issue: Can’t add Booking to American Airlines Account
Sometimes British Airways-issued tickets don’t immediately sync:

• Use your British Airways confirmation number on aa.com’s “Find Your Trip” feature.
• Contact American Airlines with your confirmation code to add the booking manually.
• Wait 24-48 hours for the systems to sync automatically.

Issue: Unable to Select Seats
Seat selection policies vary:

• Many American Airlines award tickets allow free standard Main Cabin seat selection, Preferred/Main Cabin Extra typically require a fee unless you have status.
• Some fare classes restrict advance seat selection to elite members.
• Try selecting seats directly on aa.com using your confirmation number.
• Consider paying American Airlines’ seat selection fee if available.

Issue: Transfer Didn’t Complete
If your Avios transfer from a credit card program hasn’t arrived:

• Most transfers complete instantly, but some take up to 48 hours.
• Log out and back in to your British Airways account online.
• Verify you entered the correct British Airways Executive Club number.
• Contact the transferring bank’s rewards program if it’s been over 48 hours.

Book Your Next American Airlines Flight with Avios Today

Using British Airways Avios to book American Airlines flights can open up additional value and flexibility with your miles, particularly for short- and medium-haul routes within the U.S. The distance-based pricing structure rewards strategic planning, while the low fees on domestic American Airlines flights keep your out-of-pocket costs minimal.

Remember the key takeaways:

• Avios excel on shorter flights.
• Search on britishairways.com to book American Airlines flights.
• Transfer points from multiple programs to build your Avios balance.
• Compare pricing with AAdvantage before booking.
• Book early for best availability, especially during peak travel periods.

Ready to start? Head to britishairways.com and search for your next trip. With the strategies outlined here for how to book American Airlines with Avios, you’ll be maximizing your travel rewards and flying for less in no time.

Whether you’re earning through the British Airways Visa Signature® card, transferring Bilt Rewards points or leveraging Avios transfer partners, you now have the knowledge to unlock more value on American Airlines flights.