When utilizing your American Airways miles to e book business-class flights to and from Europe, you’re typically caught with two less-than-ideal decisions:
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Reserving on American’s personal flights for an exorbitant variety of miles.
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Flying with American’s Oneworld accomplice British Airways and paying many tons of of {dollars} in surcharges.
However don’t fret. Higher choices exist amongst American’s different accomplice airways if you realize the place to search out them. Listed here are 4 candy spots which you can e book with American Airways miles.
In sure instances, you might save miles by reserving with different reward currencies which can be transferable from applications reminiscent of Chase Final Rewards®.
1. For good availability: Mexico Metropolis to Madrid (and past) on Iberia Airways
It is a hidden gem for anybody who has easy accessibility to Mexico Metropolis. For instance: SoCal residents, who can fly domestically inside Mexico from Tijuana’s airport through San Diego’s Cross Border Categorical, or these in Texas or elsewhere who can seize a sub-3-hour connecting flight on a Mexican low-cost service.
American’s Oneworld accomplice Iberia runs nonstop service a number of occasions per day between Mexico Metropolis and the Spanish service’s hub in Madrid, with good availability for a solo traveler for a lot of the 12 months.
Whereas it’s very tough to search out awards to and from the U.S., once we final searched we discovered loads of availability between Mexico’s capital and Madrid in August, in addition to September.
You’ll pay 62,500 American miles every approach — commonplace American accomplice award pricing from Mexico to Europe — plus round $160 in surcharges. Not low-cost, however given how simple it may be to discover a flight that works together with your journey plans, that’s an honest worth.
As a bonus, you’ll get round 11 hours of eastbound flying time and greater than 12 hours westbound, loads of time to get pleasure from two meals and a full night time’s relaxation.
2. For low surcharges: U.S. to Helsinki (and past) on Finnair
If even Iberia’s comparatively cheap surcharges sound like an excessive amount of, how does $5.60 sound? That’s what you’ll pay in money to fly to Europe on Oneworld accomplice Finnair from its U.S. gateways in:
These business-class flights are all accessible for 57,500 American miles, which is commonplace American accomplice award pricing from the U.S. to Europe.
Finnair availability is tighter basically than the Iberia candy spots, however flying from New York-JFK yielded respectable availability for a solo traveler towards the tail finish of summer season once we lately checked:

Be aware that for those who’re flying the opposite approach, from Helsinki to the U.S., surcharges will probably be barely increased, however nonetheless cheap.
3. A unicorn for East Coasters: To Europe through Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc
American accomplice Royal Air Maroc affords U.S. nonstop service solely from Miami, New York-JFK and Washington-Dulles to its hub in Casablanca, Morocco. However the North African service options the identical strong 57,500-mile pricing as its European companions. Once more taking August for example, availability from Washington-Dulles to Casablanca was extensive open ultimately examine:

4. For last-minute West Coast flights: LAX to Paris on Air Tahiti Nui
Air Tahiti Nui, an American accomplice exterior the Oneworld alliance, runs a lesser recognized flight between Paris and Los Angeles, connecting onward to Tahiti. That may be booked for a similar 57,500 miles because the flight above, with the identical surcharges ($5.60 to Europe, round $130 coming from Paris.)
Availability is available in waves, and proper now it’s nonexistent — except you’re flying final minute, through which case you’ll be able to convey the entire household. We lately noticed this close-in availability for 4 vacationers leaving L.A.:

In contrast to the above choices, you gained’t be capable of join throughout Europe, since Air Tahiti Nui doesn’t fly onward inside the continent. But when Paris isn’t your cup of tea (sacre bleu!), Europe’s bevy of low-cost-carriers can get you the remainder of the way in which to wherever you’re going.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Air Tahiti Nui launched a seasonal nonstop flight between Seattle and Paris final 12 months, however we haven’t noticed any award availability on that route.
Largely not value it: American flights by itself metallic
American has turned to dynamic pricing for its personal flights, which mainly means it’s unimaginable to foretell precisely what number of miles you’ll pay. Distinction that to the accomplice airline awards above, which persist with a set award chart, no less than for now. Whereas a U.S. to Europe flight on a Oneworld accomplice airline will set you again 57,500 American miles, the identical flight on American’s personal metallic may price you upward of 279,000 miles:

Often it’s doable to luck out and discover offers on American flights as nicely. However on this period of supercharged journey and overfull planes, anticipate American to command a mileage premium for seats in its personal cabins.
Why British Airways is the other of a candy spot
When looking for awards to Europe utilizing American miles, British Airways typically pops up as the one choice. The service serves a number of U.S. cities the place American itself doesn’t supply nonstop Europe service, together with:
Though British Airways does launch a good quantity of award area, there’s another excuse their awards are plentiful: Flights in premium cabins typically command a number of tons of of {dollars} in surcharges – as an example, over $700 for those who’re flying in enterprise out of the New York space:

Find out how to make these surcharges a bit extra palatable
If the pull for a flat mattress throughout the Atlantic is powerful however you’re confronted with British Airways as your solely accessible award choice, this trick may aid you save tons of of {dollars}: Strive flying by way of, moderately than from, London, in case you have the flexibleness to take action. A business-class flight from Lisbon, Portugal to Dallas that transits by way of London instructions $313 in charges ultimately examine:

However reserving the leg from London to Dallas by itself price greater than double that, over $630:

The underside line
When flying between the U.S. and Europe utilizing American miles, it’s onerous to keep away from British Airways’ hefty money surcharges or American’s inflated mileage prices. However the 4 candy spots above all characterize decent-to-excellent worth.
Your finest wager for locating these flights is to make use of American’s award calendar and search nonstop availability between the accomplice airline’s European base and any of its gateways on this aspect of the Atlantic, then construct out the remainder of your journey from there.
Find out how to maximize your rewards
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