Vacationers typically find yourself partial to at least one airline or one other for quite a lot of causes: loyalty program perks, particular routes or locations, or the facilities supplied to vacationers. In case you’re an American Airways’ AAdvantage member or are enthusiastic about becoming a member of this system, you is likely to be questioning about its membership advantages.
Amongst others, one in every of American Airways’ candy spots is that you need to use your miles to e book flights to Australia on Qantas. Right here’s methods to nab your ticket for a visit Down Beneath on a budget.
Reserving low cost Qantas flights to Australia
There are a number of choices for vacationers desirous to fly to Australia, notably on the nation’s largest airline Qantas. Qantas is a member of Oneworld alliance, which implies that its flights will be booked utilizing miles from quite a lot of companion airways — together with American.
Reserving American Airways flights to Australia along with your AAdvantage miles can supply a superior worth in comparison with reserving straight with Qantas, although this may rely in your dates of journey.
When looking Qantas’ web site for a one-way nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Sydney in mid-August 2022, an economic system award ticket prices 41,900 factors. Utilizing that many factors for such a protracted flight isn’t dangerous, however American costs solely 40,000 miles for a similar flight.
Nevertheless, the worth proposition will get even higher when reserving enterprise class flights. American costs 80,000 miles for a enterprise class seat on Qantas’ 15-hour flight from the U.S. to Australia. Contemplating American costs the identical quantity of miles for an eight hour flight to Tahiti in enterprise class, you’re spending practically double the time on a aircraft for a similar quantity of miles.
Nerdy tip: In case you’re a member of Alaska Airways’ Mileage Plan, you’ll solely want 55,000 miles for Qantas’ flights to Australia in enterprise class.
Reserving low cost Qantas flights inside Australia
Australia is a large nation and infamous for its costly home flights. Relying in your remaining vacation spot, you might find yourself paying a whole lot of {dollars} for an intra-Australia flight.
That is the place American’s AAdvantage miles turn out to be much more priceless. Why? As a result of American solely costs 10,000 miles for an economic system class flight inside Australia — irrespective of the place you’re going. That is true whether or not you’re flying the brief distance from Sydney to Melbourne or throughout the continent to Darwin.
Right here’s an instance of a Qantas flight from Sydney to Alice Springs: the gateway to the Outback. The three hour, economic system class ticket prices $255.

Nevertheless, the identical flight on American requires solely 10,000 miles.

That is even a greater deal whenever you examine it to Qantas, which is able to cost you 18,000 miles in your flight — practically double what American costs.

At this charge, you’ll be redeeming your AAdvantage miles for two.55 cents every: greater than double NerdWallet’s valuation of 1.2 cents per level.
If that weren’t a adequate deal already, the worth proposition jumps drastically whenever you peek on the enterprise class pricing for this similar flight.

American costs a flat 20,000 miles for enterprise class flights inside Australia, which suggests you’ll be redeeming your miles for this flight at an astronomical 6.21 cents per level. Relating to award seat redemptions, that’s a reasonably good worth.
The right way to earn American Airways miles
American Airways miles aren’t as simple to earn as different airline miles as a result of American doesn’t companion with any of the main versatile level currencies. As an alternative, you’ll need to earn miles one other manner. Let’s check out a number of choices.
Co-branded bank cards
American has a handful of co-branded bank cards from which to decide on, together with choices from each Citibank and Barclays. These playing cards will normally include a lump-sum welcome supply of bonus miles along with the flexibility to earn miles with each buy.
The charges and advantages related to these bank cards range, however one choice particularly that you simply would possibly need to think about is the AAdvantage® Aviator® Crimson World Elite Mastercard®. Its present sign-up bonus is: Earn 60,000 AAdvantage® bonus miles after making your first buy and paying the $99 annual price in full, each inside the first 90 days.
Bask Financial institution
Bask Financial institution presents a singular choice for individuals who need to maintain a few of their cash in a financial savings account. Quite than incomes curiosity in your stability, you possibly can earn one American Airways mile per greenback saved yearly.
Bilt
Bilt is a reasonably new program designed primarily for renters, although others can profit from it as effectively. Along with permitting you to earn Bilt Rewards on lease, this system has a fee-free bank card that permits you to earn rewards. Bilt Rewards switch over to American Airways at a 1:1 ratio.
SimplyMiles
SimplyMiles is a buying program that permits you to earn American Airways miles in your purchases when utilizing a Mastercard. Not like a buying portal, you received’t want to purchase by way of the SimplyMiles web site with a purpose to get your miles.
As an alternative, you’ll add promotions to your linked bank card, which you’ll then use to pay in your buy. As soon as the transaction has been verified in your card, the AAdvantage miles shall be deposited to your account.

Incomes charges range fairly drastically on SimplyMiles, so that you’ll need to examine the particular presents to see what number of miles you’ll obtain. Some present a lump-sum bonus after spending a certain quantity, whereas others supply a sure variety of miles per greenback spent.
In case you’re on the lookout for low cost flights to and inside Australia
Though American Airways AAdvantage miles aren’t the best to earn, they’ll present some actually nice worth when touring. That is very true whenever you’re flights to Australia, the place simply 40,000 miles can get you an economic system class ticket. Moreover, navigating the huge panorama of Australia will be made considerably simpler (and cheaper) because of American’s flat-rate value of simply 10,000 miles for any in-country economic system class flight.
The data associated to CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Choose® Mastercard® has been collected by NerdWallet and has not been reviewed or offered by the issuer or supplier of this services or products.
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