AA increase redemption rates

[aus_flyer]

AA have announced that the required number of points will be increasing for some awards.

https://www.aa.com/aa/i18nForward.do?p=/urls/awardChanges.jsp&anchorLocation=Homepage_Top

Thankfully, Australian AAdvantage members will generally be unaffected.

 

[Keith009]

Yeah wouldn't affect Australian members much, if at all. Phew. For once I'm glad things are North American-centric. (apologies in advanced to US-based AFFers)

Ouch for almost everyone else though.

 

[futaris]

The major changes are business from 90k to 100k, for North America-Europe/Asia Zone 1/South America.

Big change for India-North America Economy too (75k to 90k)...

And the standard AA awards to Japan/China are now the same as the all partner awards.

Thankfully they really haven't touched anything to/from South Pacific

 

[serfty]

... Thankfully they really haven't touched anything to/from South Pacific

Probably not enough to make a significant difference worry about.

I reckon the FT AA forum and the (new-ish) Travelling Better Site will be abuzz soon enough.

Also being introduced from July 21 is a $5 award processing fee for awards booked on aa.com (free for EXP or where a fee is already payable such as the $20 'phone booking fee):

• AAdvantage Award Processing Fee

 

[Keith009]

Just noticed that Australia-China award redemption levels will actually be decreased.

Effective 1st Oct China will be moved from Asia 1 to Asia 2. Thus an Australia-China All Partner award will now cost less as it'd be South Pacific to Asia 2 rather than to Asia 1 - a saving of 10k/20k/30k miles in whY/J/F respectively.

An actual enhancement! I think the changes were rather North American-centric and perhaps the number of AAdvantage members based in Oz are too insignificant for them to care - so in this case in the process of making NA to China awards more expensive they overlooked the fact that it's been made cheaper for pax from downunder. Or am I missing something really obvious?

 

[futaris]

Just noticed that Australia-China award redemption levels will actually be decreased.

Just noticed this too. Could be useful if you wanted to visit the Indian Subcontinent or Japan/Korea, as China is pretty big...

Shame that Oneworld don't fly to the western parts of China, though.