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Typically, when award travelers redeem miles for flights, the reward is an almost-free flight. Award travelers don't earn any miles on the trip. However, American Airlines is shaking that up for flights this October with a unique promotion.
For award travel in October 2020, AAdvantage members can earn 250 bonus miles per flight on up to 8 flights. However, in order to earn these bonus miles, you'll have to register for this promotion.
Key Terms
- Only valid on award flights flown between October 1-31, 2020
- Members must register between September 16 and October 7, 2020
- Earn 250 miles per segment flown
- Maximum of 2,000 bonus miles for the promotion period
- Valid on all award types, including Web Special awards
Note that the member who travels on the flight will earn the bonus miles (if registered). That's regardless of which member's account the miles came from to make the booking. So, make sure to register your whole family for this promotion if you're planning a family trip.
How to Register
To earn bonus miles through this promotion, members will have to register before travel. To do so, log into your AAdvantage account and click on the promotions tab. There you should find the option to register for this promotion:
When you do, you'll see the full terms of the promotion. Click “Register” to enroll yourself in this promotion:
Our Take
Airlines are trying whatever they can to get travelers back in the skies. We've seen airlines offer bonus miles, give incredible rebooking options, and—most recently—eliminate change fees. However, this promotion is unique among these promotions as it's incentivizing non-revenue travel.
With airlines struggling to fill flights during the ongoing pandemic, it's not surprising to see dynamically-priced awards drop to just 5,000 miles each way. But, it's interesting to see American Airlines go even further by offering bonus miles on award flights.
Even if you might potentially fly in October, make sure to register for this promotion. There's no harm in doing so, and the registration window closes well before the end of the month. While 250 bonus miles per flight isn't game-changing, it's a nice little bonus.
Will this incentivize you to book award travel on AA in October?
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It is not clear in the terms and conditions if the bonus is per section flown, I mean flights with several stopovers or per ticket (full flight) which would be a big difference.
Per AA’s communication with AwardWallet, the bonus is awarded per segment. So, if you fly Atlanta to Los Angeles via Dallas, you’d earn 500 bonus miles.
Es una buena propuesta, de todos modos esperaba que a esta altura dado la parálisis que hay en el sector aeronáutico haya ofertas más agresivas en cuanto a precios y a canje/ acreditación de millas.
Allways AAdvantaje programe surprise with promotios. It’s a great company to fly and one of the most friendly millage programe to get a millage ticket, quick and easily.
Buenísimo! Creo que con todo esto son muy útiles las medidas tendientes a generar mayor flujo de pasajeros. Veremos como sigue, y lo que hacen las demás aerolíneas.
Es una buena propuesta para incentivar la vuelta de los viajantes a los vuelos. Y seria interesante que lo puedan programar para que continué en el futuro y a pesar de canjear vuelos con millas, seguir adquiriendo algunas al realizar el vuelo.
Gracias por la información!
Yea, this is a tough time for airlines. I’m not surprised to see offers like this. I doubt I’ll jump on this bandwagon this go around, but buying miles has been valuable to me in the past.
Thanks for sharing this information!
Yeah, good idea for them to offer these extra miles since they have too many free seats. I didn’t see if they had a bonus offer for purchases like the other airlines. That would be a good idea too.
AA really needs to step it up like its partner Hyatt
This could be a real game-changer, fingers crossed! But I think it actually makes a lot of sense in terms of driving loyalty.
This a great promotion for those travelling with an award in October. I always ask myself why they make these promotion only available if you sign up for them, why do we always have to be on top of things? They could make them automatic for everybody in the program
hmmm. very small bonus miles. Not worth to redeem a ticket to earn it. but if you are plan to go to anywhere with AA miles. You can be register this offer.
Thank you for this information…what an incentive to book my next flight on American! I hope these kinds of programs help the travel industry as I love to travel and look forward to getting back to it.
This is a great way to use those miles at a discount. So glad to see American offering a perk for those able to fly now.
Great incentive to book an award travel… sadly AA will come back to my country in November.
Easy way to earn an extra 250 miles- not a big thing but if you’re flying anyways you might as well signup
not booking at the moment but it’s a nice bonus!
Flying to canada in october hopefully. i will be signing up for this offer
I registered though I really doubt I will use this promotion. I still have to finish qualifying for Executive Platinum next year. Now if they had said that these flights would also qualify for EQD, EQM and EQS…that would be different. Instead, it’s just a rebate of some of the miles you have spent. Not in any way a bad thing, but not game changing.
Not planning on travel, due to NY still having issues with other states like AZ. But it doesn’t hurt to sign up!
What does “flight” mean? Segment, the segments between departure and destination, the whole booked record locator? The terms and conditions didn’t specify.
Each individual flight/segment/takeoff earns 250 bonus miles. So, if you fly TPA-DFW-LAX (2 flights), you’ll earn 500 bonus miles.
It’s offer is for the new redemptions or for all travel awards Previously changed
The T&C state: “Register by 11:59 p.m. CT on October 7, 2020, and before creating a flight reservation, redeeming miles and traveling in order for your award flights to count toward this promotion”. So, it seems that it’s only on newly-booked reservations. However, AA is waiving award cancellation fees. So, you could cancel and rebook.
Great news
And a great incentive for award flights .
Definitely this incentivize to book award travel on AA in October.