The 5 Best Ways To Book American Airlines Awards Using Partner Miles The 5 Best Ways To Book American Airlines Awards Using Partner Miles

The 5 Best Ways To Book American Airlines Awards Using Partner Miles

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Travelers can use American Airlines AAdvantage® miles to book a wide variety of airline partners. The reverse is also true — plenty of partner airlines let travelers book American Airlines awards.

However, not all partner programs provide the same redemption opportunities or value. As such, knowing which program to use and when to use them lets travelers maximize their points and miles. Here's a recap of the best ways to book American Airlines flights with partner airlines' points and miles.

What American Airlines Awards Can Be Booked Through Partner Programs?

While American Airlines no longer follows a set award chart for their own flights, partner programs typically do. As long as American offers award seats on a particular flight and cabin to partners, all American Airlines partners (in theory) should have access to those seats.

Oftentimes, flights with lower-priced award prices through the AAdvantage program are an indication that a flight may be bookable through partners. However, always be sure to verify with partners that such award space exists before transferring points into that program to book an award.

American Airlines 787 parked at a gate in ICN.
Credit: Takashi Miyazaki/Unsplash

Related: American Airlines Award Chart: How Many AAdvantage Miles Do AA and Partner Award Flights Cost?

Book American Awards From 4,500 Alaska Mileage Plan Miles

Alaska Airlines offers an incredible way to book American Airlines awards thanks to its membership in the Oneworld alliance. In particular, short-haul flights within the Americas stand out as excellent Mileage Plan redemption opportunities. Travelers may think, “I don't live near Alaska, why should I care about the Mileage Plan program?”

But the west coast juggernaut has relevancy to all, and booking American Airlines is Exhibit A.

Alaska Airlines partner award chart within the Americas
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan award chart for partner flights within North America. Credit: Alaska Airlines

The two shortest distance bands from the chart above stand out. Economy class flights under 700 miles cost just 4,500 miles! Flights up to twice as far (1,400 miles) require just 7,500 miles for economy class as well. Domestic first class for these same flights requires twice as many miles, which can still represent excellent value.

To highlight the value such redemptions provide, examine the following seasonal flight between Phoenix (PHX) and Eagle/Vail, Colorado (EGE). For the January 2026 date in this example, American charges $476 in economy class, or $592 for business class.

American Airlines ticket from PHX to EGE
Credit: American Airlines

Instead, using 4,500 or 9,000 Alaska Mileage Plan miles for your preferred cabin delivers a value of over 10 cents per mile in economy — or 6.3 cents per mile in domestic first class. And if your plans change, you can cancel an award flight and only forfeit the $12.50 partner booking fee.

Alaska Award -- AA flight from PHX to EGE
Credit: Alaska Airlines

Alaska miles come in handy for other American Airlines flights, too. Consider flights to and from Europe, which use a different award chart:

Alaska Airlines partner Europe, Middle East, and Africa award chart
Credit: Alaska Airlines

Award flights from New York (JFK) to London (LHR) just barely fall under the 3,500-mile distance band threshold for lower award costs. For all cabins, prices are attractive, though the 45,000-mile business class award stands out among other booking options.

American Airlines flight from JFK to LHR bookable via Alaska Airlines
Credit: Alaska Airlines

And recently, Alaska rolled out the ability to book partner awards on two (non-Alaska) Oneworld partners. This means, you can book an American flight from Philadelphia (PHL) to Dublin (DUB) and then connect on Finnair to Helsinki (HEL) for 27,500 in economy and 55,000 in business, as it falls in the 3,501-5,000 mile band.

PHL-DUB-HEL flying American and Finnair.
Credit: Alaska Airlines

How to earn Alaska MileagePlus miles

Bilt Rewards Points is the only flexible rewards currency that transfers 1:1 to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan. That means that — in addition to signing up for the Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card or the Alaska Airlines Visa® Business cardThe Bilt Mastercard® makes for a great way to build up a large Mileage Plan balance quickly.

Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
Alaska Airlines Visa Signature® credit card
Limited Time Online Offer: Earn 60,000 bonus miles plus Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) with this offer. To qualify, make $3,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account. Additionally, receive a 30% flight discount code for a qualifying future flight after opening your new account.
Annual Fee$95
Credit ScoreExcellent/Good
  • Earn unlimited 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
  • Earn unlimited 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging stations, cable, streaming services and local transit (including ride share) purchases
  • Earn unlimited 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card
Alaska Airlines Visa® Business card
Welcome Bonus Get 60,000 bonus miles and Alaska's Famous Companion Fare™ ($99 fare plus taxes and fees from $23) after you make $4,000 or more in purchases within the first 90 days of opening your account.
Annual Fee$70 for the company and $25 per card
Credit ScoreExcellent
  • Earn 3 miles for every $1 spent on eligible Alaska Airlines purchases
  • Earn 2 miles for every $1 spent on eligible gas, EV charging station, shipping and local transit (including rideshare) purchases
  • Earn 1 mile for every $1 spent on all other eligible purchases
The Bilt Mastercard®
The Bilt Mastercard®
Welcome Bonus N/A
Annual Fee$0Rates & Fees
  • 3x points on dining
  • 2x points on travel
  • 1x points on rent payments without the transaction fee (up to 100,000 points each calendar year)
  • 1x points on other purchases
*Must use the card 5 times each statement period to earn points—see Rewards & Benefits.

If you have a balance of Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles, you can transfer HawaiianMiles 1:1 to Mileage Plan as well, courtesy of the Alaska-Hawaiian merger. This makes the Hawaiian Airlines® World Elite Mastercard® a backdoor for earning Alaska miles.

Likewise, transferring Amex Membership Rewards to Hawaiian and then to Alaska is another current option, but not one expected to last.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Hawaiian Airlines (HawaiianMiles)
1,000:1,000
-
Immediate
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
3:1
3,000
1 day
Hawaiian Airlines (HawaiianMiles)
3:1
3,000
1 day - 2 days
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
Hawaiian Airlines (HawaiianMiles)
-
Unknown
Best Western (Rewards)
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
5,000:1,000
-
Unknown
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
2,000
9 hours
Hawaiian Airlines (HawaiianMiles)
-
Unknown
Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges)
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
1,000:200
5,000
17 hours
Hawaiian Airlines (HawaiianMiles)
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
-
Immediate
Hyatt (World of Hyatt)
Hawaiian Airlines (HawaiianMiles)
1,250:500
5,000
Unknown
IHG Hotels & Resorts (One Rewards)
Alaska Airlines (Mileage Plan)
10,000:2,000
-
Unknown

Book American Awards From 9,500 Avios

Notice that no particular airline proceeds with “Avios” in the section title above. That is because many airline programs use Avios as their points currency: Iberia, Finnair, Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Qatar Airways all participate in the Avios ecosystem. However, not all Avios are created equally — especially when it comes to redemptions on American Airlines.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club

While the Qatar Airways partner award chart looks very similar to other Avios programs, one key distinction stands out. Other Avios programs use a special, unpublished award chart for awards on American Airlines (and Alaska Airlines) flights within North America.

Even after Qatar Airways devalued awards on American and Alaska, Qatar Airways offers competitive Avios pricing for each of the distance bands in question.

Flight DistanceEconomyBusiness Class
1-650 miles9,500 Avios20,000 Avios
651-1,151 miles13,000 Avios27,000 Avios
1,152-2,000 miles14,500 Avios34,000 Avios
2,001-3,000 miles16,000 Avios43,000 Avios
3,001-4,000 miles20,750 Avios62,000 Avios
4,001-5,500 miles25,750 Avios77,250 Avios
5,501-6,500 miles31,000 Avios92,750 Avios
6,501-7,000 miles36,250 Avios108,250 Avios
7,001+ miles51,000 Avios154,500 Avios

For example, flights from Chicago (ORD) to Greensboro (GSO) span 589 miles, under the 650-mile threshold. This flight costs just 9,500 Qatar Airways Avios in economy. And there are hundreds of examples of flights that you can book for this rate.

Qatar award -- AA flight from ORD to GSO
Credit: Qatar Airways

Be advised that Qatar Airways only allows access to flights operated by American Airlines, and not ones operated by any regional subsidiary. If you think you should be able to fly a particular route via Qatar Airways, but can’t find award space, check the operating airline for the flight.

Additionally, Qatar falls short from the standpoint of needing to cancel or make changes. Qatar Airways charges $25 for changes or cancellations made up to 24 hours before departure on partner award tickets. That skyrockets to $100 for changes or cancellations between 3 and 24 hours. Once inside 3 hours of departure, no changes or cancellations can be made, either.

Related: Airline Award Ticket Change and Cancellation Policies

British Airways Club

Other Avios programs, like British Airways Club, have more generous terms and conditions for partner awards. U.S.-based British Airways accounts must pay the lesser of the ticket’s total taxes and fees ($5.60 in the case below) or $55 to make changes or cancellations.

Sure, the Avios cost for awards like the Chicago to Greensboro one discussed above might be higher. However, for travel plans that might change on a dime, the expanded flexibility of booking via British Airways might be worth the extra Avios.

Award from Chicago- Greensboro using BA Avios.
Credit: British Airways

Note that the Avios cost via British Airways above does not exactly follow the Avios chart shown earlier. Instead, British Airways uses a separate set of slightly higher award costs for short-haul American Airlines flights:

Distance/ZoneEconomyBusiness/Domestic First
Up to 650 miles (Zone 1)12,00024,000
651 to 1,151 miles (Zone 2)16,00032,000
1,152 to 2,000 miles (Zone 3)18,00040,000
2,001 to 3,000 miles (Zone 4)20,00050,000

Iberia Plus

Iberia effectively uses the same modified award chart that British Airways uses for domestic flights on American Airlines. However, Iberia's change and cancellation policies are incredibly punitive. American flights booked through Iberia are non-refundable at booking. Considering the redemption rates should be the same via either program, stick with Qatar or British Airways for any American Airlines flight redemptions within North America.

Finnair Plus

The most recent airline to adopt Avios as its frequent flier program, Finnair, offers an intriguing way to redeem points for travel on American Airlines. Rather than a distance-based chart priced per segment, Finnair employs a region-based chart based on origin and destination. In late 2024, Finnair devalued that chart, requiring more Avios to book. The current chart is below:

Finnair award chart for American flights.
Credit: Finnair

Travelers can redeem just 16,500 Finnair Plus Avios to travel from coast to coast in the continental U.S. and Canada in economy. Other standout options include 15,000 Avios to Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as 15,000 Avios to Hawaii. Be advised that Finnair bookings for American Airlines flights cannot be made online. Instead, Finnair members must call in to book these awards.

Related: Finnair Plus Avios Sweet Spots

How to earn Avios

All major transferable points currencies transfer at a 1:1 rate to at least one of the various airlines that use Avios. Even better, accountholders can transfer Avios between participating programs as needed. That means even if you don’t have points that transfer directly to, for instance, Finnair, you can still indirectly transfer your points to them via another Avios program.

Transfers among Avios program come in handy in particular when transfer bonuses come up. Members can effectively turn a transfer bonus to, say, British Airways, into a transfer bonus for any of the other Avios programs.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Aer Lingus (AerClub)
-
Immediate
Iberia Plus
-
1 day
Qatar Airways (Privilege Club)
1,000:1,000
-
15 hours
100:100
1,000
Immediate
Finnair Plus
100:100
1,000
Immediate
Aer Lingus (AerClub)
1,000:1,000
-
Immediate
1,000:1,000
-
Immediate
Iberia Plus
1,000:1,000
-
Immediate
Qatar Airways (Privilege Club)
1,000:1,000
-
1 day
Aer Lingus (AerClub)
3:1
3,000
Unknown
3:1
3,000
10 hours
Iberia Plus
3:1
3,000
1 day - 2 days
Qatar Airways (Privilege Club)
3:1
3,000
3 days - 4 days
Aer Lingus (AerClub)
1,000:1,000
2,000
Unknown
1,000:1,000
2,000
Unknown
Iberia Plus
1,000:1,000
2,000
Unknown
Qatar Airways (Privilege Club)
2,000
Unknown
Diners Club (Club Rewards)
11,000:10,000
-
Unknown
HSBC Rewards
United States
Aer Lingus (AerClub)
1,250:1,000
-
Unknown
HSBC Rewards
United States
1,250:1,000
-
2 days
HSBC Rewards
United States
Iberia Plus
1,250:1,000
-
Unknown
HSBC Rewards
United States
Qatar Airways (Privilege Club)
1,250:1,000
-
Unknown
Livelo (Clube Livelo)
1,750:500
35,000
2 days
Livelo (Clube Livelo)
Iberia Plus
1,750:500
3,500
Unknown
RBC Royal Bank Visa
-
1 day
Santander (Esfera)
Iberia Plus
-
1 day
Aer Lingus (AerClub)
1:1
-
Unknown
Iberia Plus
1:1
-
Unknown

Book American Awards From 8,000 Qantas Frequent Flyer Points

Qantas offers travelers a fantastic way to book American Airlines awards — particularly connecting itineraries covering shorter distances. Bookings can be made entirely online, too.

Unlike many other airlines mentioned, Qantas considers only the total distance flown, as opposed to the distance of each segment, to determine award cost. In the below award chart, notice that award prices start out fairly modest at just 8,000 points. Even itineraries as long as 2,400 miles cost just 18,000 miles in economy, which may still represent great value.

Qantas award chart for flights on American Airways
Credit: Qantas

As mentioned, Qantas points become a particularly useful way to book American Airlines flights to and from smaller, regional airports. These airports are often served by just one or two American Airlines hub airports. Since programs like British Airways Club charge by the segment, there may be itineraries where booking through Qantas is advantageous.

In this example, Albany (ALB) to Peoria, Illinois (PIA), through Chicago on American is 11,800 miles.

AA award (via Qantas) from ALB to PIA via ORD
Credit: Qantas

Booked through Alaska Mileage Plan, this award flight will cost you 12,500 miles.

AA award (via Alaska) from ALB to PIA via ORD.
Credit: Alaska Airlines

The same flight is 28,000 Avios through British Airways and unavailable through Qatar or Cathay Pacific. Qantas is worth looking at in your search comparisons for shorter distance domestic American flights, especially if you do not have means to transfer miles to Alaska.

Importantly, Qantas announced that starting August 5, 2025, Classic Flight rewards will increase up to 20%. Take advantage of the current chart while you can, as Qantas may not be as competitive an option for booking American come August.

How to earn Qantas points

Qantas enjoys 1:1 points transfers from American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou® Points. Those with stashes of all three points currencies should consider if any transfer bonuses exist at the time to help determine which points to transfer. Be sure to check transfer times for all three programs before acting to book flights through the program, too.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
500:500
-
Immediate
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
100:100
1,000
1 day
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
1,000:1,000
-
1 day
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
3:1
3,000
2 days
Accor Group (ALL - Accor Live Limitless)
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
2,000:2,500
-
Unknown
Barclaycard
Arrival Plus cardholders
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
7,000:5,000
-
Unknown
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
3:2
500
Immediate
Choice Hotels (Choice Privileges)
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
1,000:400
2,000
5 hours
Hilton (Honors)
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
10,000:1,500
-
Unknown
HSBC Rewards
United States
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
1,250:1,200
20% bonus on transfers through June 30, 2025
-
Unknown
Hyatt (World of Hyatt)
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
1,250:600
Bonus for transferring 50,000+ points
5,000
Unknown
IHG Hotels & Resorts (One Rewards)
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
10,000:2,000
-
Unknown
Ramp (Ramp Rewards)
Qantas (Frequent Flyer)
150:100
-
Unknown

Book American Awards From 10,000 Cathay Miles

The Cathay “Asia Miles” program often goes overlooked, perhaps because Cathay doesn't publish single airline partner award charts. Fortunately, we are able to piece together such a chart for American Airlines flights:

Distance (Miles)EconomyPremium EconomyBusinessFirst
0 - 75010,00014,00020,00030,000
751 - 2,75015,00025,00033,00053,000
2,751 - 5,00027,00043,00063,000100,000
5,001 - 7,50040,00055,00089,000135,000
7,501+47,00080,000115,000170,000

Just like Qantas, Cathay Pacific determines award costs based on the total distance flown, rather than pricing each leg separately. And again, compared to Qantas, Cathay Pacific offers better award pricing near the top end of its already wide distance bands. Journeys between 1,201 and 2,750 miles stand out, in particular those between 2,401 and 2,750 miles long.

For example, Boston (BOS) to Los Angeles (LAX) spans 2,611 miles, firmly in the standout zone mentioned above. Booking via Asia Miles requires 15,000 miles in economy, 33,000 miles in business, or 53,000 miles in first class.

AA award (via Asia Miles) -- First Class from BOS to LAX.
Credit: Cathay Pacific

For the exact same flight, Qantas charges more points for business class than even the first class price via Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

AA award (First Class from BOS to LAX) via Qantas.
Credit: Qantas

But if you remember from Finnair's chart above, this award would cost just 40,000 miles if you call and book through Finnair Plus.

Related: Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Sweet Spots

How to earn Asia Miles

Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Points, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Points all transfer 1:1 to Cathay Pacific Asia Miles. A wide array of partners means earning Asia Miles should be second nature for points and miles enthusiasts. Be sure to check transfer times from each of these programs, as not all will be immediate.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
1,000:1,000
-
6 hours
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
100:100
1,000
2 days
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
1,000:1,000
-
Immediate
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
3:1
3,000
1 day
Accor Group (ALL - Accor Live Limitless)
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
4,000:2,000
-
Unknown
Best Western (Rewards)
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
5,000:1,000
-
Unknown
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
1,000:1,000
2,000
Unknown
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
3:2
500
Immediate
Hilton (Honors)
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
10,000:1,000
-
Unknown
Hyatt (World of Hyatt)
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
1,250:500
Bonus for transferring 50,000+ points
5,000
Unknown
IHG Hotels & Resorts (One Rewards)
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
10,000:2,000
-
Unknown
Shangri-La (Circle)
Cathay Pacific (Cathay)
500:500
1,000
Unknown

Book American Awards From 6,000 Etihad Airways Guest Miles

Etihad Airways remains an oft-forgotten method of booking American Airlines flights, perhaps because the Abu Dhabi-based carrier remains outside of the Oneworld alliance. In general, Etihad's recent award program changes resulted in very punitive award cancellation fees, to the point where booking awards through the airline comes at one's own risk. And despite a reasonable-price partner award chart, other booking avenues remain better options.

One exception to this rule stands out: flights under 500 miles. Short-haul flights such as these cost as low as 6,000 miles booked through Etihad Airways:

  • Economy: 6,000 miles
  • Premium Economy: 7,500 miles
  • Business: 10,000 miles
  • First: 14,000 miles

Not only do these award prices beat out all other options barring Alaska Mileage Plan, but also, in the event travelers must cancel, the miles forfeited as a penalty are limited. Plus, Etihad Airways enjoys transfers from a few of the major transferrable points programs, which Alaska Mileage Plan does not. Ease of accumulating these miles could be a factor when deciding how to book short-haul awards.

The 500-mile upper bound on this sweet spot does cap its overall usefulness. However, travelers situated by American Airlines hubs, particularly Chicago and Miami, enjoy a plethora of appealing options. The following airport pairs are less than 500 miles apart:

  • Chicago to:
    • Pittsburgh (413 miles)
    • Minneapolis (334 miles)
    • Kansas City (403 miles)
    • Lincoln, NE (466 miles)
    • Toronto (436 miles)
  • Miami to:
    • Charleston (489 miles)
    • Savannah (440 miles)
    • Grand Cayman (453 miles)
    • Nassau (184 miles)
    • Havana (235 miles)
Use Etihad Guest to book AA awards from MIA to SAV.
Credit: Etihad Airways

How to earn Etihad Guest miles

Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, and Citi ThankYou Points all transfer 1:1 to Etihad's frequent flier program, Etihad Guest. As always, check transfer times from each of these programs while making plans with your points and miles.

From
To
Transfer Ratio
Min.Transfer
Average Time
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
1,000:1,000
-
Immediate
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
100:100
1,000
Immediate
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
1,000:1,000
-
1 hour
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
3:1
3,000
3 days - 5 days
Accor Group (ALL - Accor Live Limitless)
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
4,000:2,000
-
Unknown
Barclaycard
Arrival Plus cardholders
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
7,000:5,000
-
Unknown
Commonwealth Bank of Australia (Awards)
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
3:1
-
Unknown
Hilton (Honors)
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
10,000:1,000
-
Unknown
Hyatt (World of Hyatt)
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
1,250:500
5,000
Unknown
IHG Hotels & Resorts (One Rewards)
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
10,000:2,000
-
Unknown
Livelo (Clube Livelo)
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
1,750:500
35,000
Unknown
National Commercial Bank (Lak)
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
8,000:1,000
-
Unknown
Ramp (Ramp Rewards)
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
150:100
-
Unknown
Shangri-La (Circle)
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
500:500
1,000
Unknown
Standard Chartered (360° Rewards)
Etihad Airways (Etihad Guest)
-
Unknown

Final Thoughts

American Airlines might not be the most punctual or most luxurious airline, but it offers an extensive route network within and beyond the United States. Because no transferrable points convert 1:1 to AAdvantage miles, booking American Airlines flights via partner programs presents a super redemption opportunity. Easier access to American's partner miles makes booking in this fashion a real alternative to booking direct.

Many partner programs offer this capability, each with its own use cases. Some are certainly better than others. Knowing which program to use for your American Airlines itinerary of choice can save thousands of miles per ticket. Those savings can then go toward your next award redemption!

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