AAdvantage is one of the world’s largest, most reputable frequent flyer programs. In April 2023, the AAdvantage Award Chart was simplified, reducing the number of award zones from 10 to just 4.

In addition, the new award chart is dynamic, making it harder to find good award redemptions and low-cost AA saver awards, but hey, we are here to help. In this post, we’ll show you how to find AAdvantage award flights in no time using AwardFares, the world’s fastest award flight search engine.

Let’s get started!

Key Takeaways

  • Dynamic Award Chart: As of 2023, AAdvantage uses a dynamic award chart. The lowest “saver award” prices are called Web Specials, but costs can vary.
  • Two Award Charts: American uses one chart for its own flights and a separate, more complex chart for partner airlines like Qatar Airways and British Airways.
  • Use the Right Tool: AwardFares is essential for navigating the dynamic American Airlines Award Calendar, letting you see a full month of prices and filter for the cheapest flights.
  • Partner Awards Offer Value: Often, booking flights on partner airlines offers better value, especially for premium cabins to Europe or the Middle East.
  • Know the Rules: You can hold award tickets for a limited time, and all award travel is subject to taxes and fees, which can be high on certain partners.

In This Guide

What’s New With AAdvantage in 2025?

American Airlines is constantly evolving its AAdvantage program. Here are some of the most significant recent updates that affect members:

Understanding the AAdvantage Award Charts

To master the American Airlines miles calendar, you first need to understand that there isn’t just one award chart. The system is split into three core concepts:

1. Flights on American Airlines vs. Partner Airlines

American maintains two separate sets of award charts: one for flights operated by American Airlines and another for flights operated by its oneworld and other partner airlines (like British Airways, Japan Airlines, or Etihad). This is crucial because the pricing and availability can be drastically different. Often, partner awards offer better value, especially for international business and first-class flights.

2. Dynamic Pricing and “Web Specials”

For flights on its own planes, American uses a dynamic pricing model. While they publish a chart with “starting from” prices, the actual cost fluctuates based on demand, time of booking, and other factors. The lowest-priced awards, often referred to as AA Saver Awards, are now officially called Web Specials. These can sometimes be priced even lower than the official chart but come with more restrictions (e.g., they might be non-changeable).

3. Published Partner Award Chart

For partner awards, pricing is more predictable and follows a more traditional, region-based award chart. This chart has different pricing tiers and more defined regions than the one for AA-operated flights. This is where you can find excellent “sweet spots,” like Business Class to Europe for 57,500 miles.

The Partner Award Advantage

Pro Tip: The real value in the AAdvantage program is often found by redeeming miles on partner airlines, which have fixed, predictable award pricing. Use tools like AwardFares to easily find these seats, which can be hard to spot on AA.com.

AAdvantage Award Cost Calculator

Use our interactive calculator to quickly estimate the starting mileage cost for a one-way award flight. Select your origin and destination region to see the prices for flights on American Airlines and its partners.

The Full American Airlines Award Charts (2025)

Below are the comprehensive award charts for redeeming AAdvantage miles. Note that for flights on American Airlines, these are starting prices. For partner flights, the prices are fixed.

Dynamic Pricing Alert

Remember: The prices below for “Flights on American Airlines” are the absolute floor. Due to dynamic pricing, the actual cost you see when booking will almost always be higher, especially for popular routes and dates.

1. Flights on American Airlines

These are the starting prices for one-way awards on flights operated by American Airlines, originating from the contiguous 48 U.S. states and Canada.

Destination Main Cabin Premium Economy Business First
Contiguous U.S. & Canada 7,500+ – 15,000+ 35,000+
Alaska & Hawaii 20,000+ 40,000+ 60,000+ 85,000+
Mexico, Caribbean, Central America 10,000+ – 20,000+ –
South America (Short-Haul) 15,000+ – 30,000+ –
South America (Long-Haul) 30,000+ 60,000+ 90,000+ –
Europe 25,000+ 50,000+ 75,000+ –
Asia, Middle East, South Pacific 35,000+ 60,000+ 95,000+ –
  • Region Definitions:
    • Caribbean: Includes Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.
    • South America (Short-Haul): Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru.
    • South America (Long-Haul): Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay.

2. Flights on Partner Airlines

This chart shows fixed, one-way award prices for travel on oneworld and other partner airlines, originating from the contiguous 48 U.S. states and Canada.

Destination Economy Premium Economy Business First
Contiguous U.S. & Canada 12,500 – 25,000 35,000
Alaska 15,000 – 30,000 45,000
Hawaii 22,500 – 55,000 85,000
Caribbean 12,500 – 27,500 –
Mexico 12,500 – 27,500 –
Central America 12,500 – 27,500 –
South America Region 1 20,000 – 30,000 50,000
South America Region 2 30,000 – 57,500 87,500
Europe 30,000 40,000 57,500 85,000
Middle East / Indian Subcontinent 40,000 – 70,000 115,000
Africa 40,000 – 75,000 120,000
Asia Region 1 (Japan, Korea) 35,000 – 60,000 80,000
Asia Region 2 37,500 50,000 70,000 110,000
South Pacific 40,000 65,000 80,000 110,000
  • Partner Region Definitions:
    • South America Region 1: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Manaus (Brazil).
    • South America Region 2: Argentina, Brazil (excl. Manaus), Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela.
    • Asia Region 2: Brunei, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam.
    • See the American Airlines website for a full list of countries in each region.

When Does AA Release Award Seats?

One of the most common questions is about the American Airlines award release schedule. Generally, American Airlines releases award seats 331 days in advance. This means you can book award tickets up to 331 days before your departure date.

However, this is not a hard-and-fast rule for all seats.

  • The initial release might only include a few seats, or only seats at higher, non-saver mileage levels.
  • Partner airlines have their own release schedules, which may or may not align with AA’s 331-day window.
  • More award seats, especially at the coveted “Web Special” or saver level, can be released closer to the departure date.

Master the Release Dates

Step-by-Step: How To Find AAdvantage Award Flights with AwardFares

1. Go to AwardFares

Creating an account is optional, but it’s also free, and it gives you access to more features. Make sure to sign up here.

2. Select Frequent Flyer Program

In the Frequent Flyer Program picker, select AAdvantage.

Select AAdvantage in AwardFares Frequent Flyer Program Picker.

3. Select the route(s)

In the From and To fields, enter your departure and arrival airports.

Optional: you can also perform broad searches from an entire area, region, or metropolitan area (like a city, NYC)

Select the origin and destination city in AwardFares.

4. Explore Travel Dates

If you have a particular date in mind, add it by tapping on the Calendar field.

Select the desired date in AwardFares.

Then, AwardFares will search for available flights on that day, showing the results in a list below.

Search results for award flights on AwardFares (List View).

Alternatively, if you don’t have a set travel date, you can select the Timeline View to explore the availability for multiple days simultaneously. The bars show different classes in different colors.

Search results for award flights on AwardFares (Timeline View).

5. Sort by Price

A great advantage of AwardFares is that it lets you easily sort and filter results intuitively and with just a few clicks. This way, you can explore the cheapest and most convenient options and find the best deals for your reward flights.

On the result list, tap on the different header columns to sort the results by price. Use the Eco, Prem, Biz, and First class tags to find cheap awards across multiple dates, itineraries, and airlines.

Sort AAdvantage Award flights by price.

Plus, use the Max Price pill to set a maximum number of miles for the reward flights you are searching.

Search results for AAdvantage award flights (Timeline View).

6. Add more filters (optional)

Try filtering out by cabin class (e.g. Business Class, First Class) or number of stops (e.g. nonstop)

Here’s an example of adding a cabin filter to only display Business Class flights:

Filtering results by cabin type in AwardFares.

And here’s another example of adding a filter by airline to only displays flights operated by American Airlines.

Select the origin and destination city in AwardFares.

Similarly, you can filter by number of stops, aircraft equipment, flight number, minimum number of passengers, and more!

6. Book with American Airlines

Once you find your desired flight, click the Book button.

AwardFares redirects you to American Airlines website to book AAdvantage award flights.

AwardFares will redirect you to American Airlines’s website to complete your booking without the need to re-enter your search criteria, as it will be pre-populated.

AwardFares redirects you to American Airlines website to book AAdvantage awards.

American Airlines Award Calendar

When it comes to finding American Airlines award availability, many travelers rely on the official American Airlines Award Calendar (also searched for as the AA Award Calendar or AA Miles Calendar). While the calendar is a useful tool, it comes with limitations. If you’re looking for a faster, easier, and more comprehensive way to search for award flights, AwardFares is the perfect alternative.

American Airlines Award Calendar in 2025.

Search Faster

Pro Tip: Use AwardFares’ Timeline View to see an entire month of availability at a glance. This is much faster than clicking day-by-day on the American Airlines points calendar.

Here’s why AwardFares is a more powerful solution:

  1. Search Multiple Airlines at Once. The American Airlines Award Calendar only displays availability for flights operated by American Airlines and some partner airlines. AwardFares, on the other hand, searches across all AAdvantage partner airlines, making it easier to find award availability with airlines like Qatar Airways, Cathay Pacific, and British Airways.
  2. Real-Time Availability. AwardFares updates its database frequently, ensuring that the results you see are accurate and reflect the latest award space availability. You won’t waste time chasing unavailable flights due to outdated data.
  3. Advanced Filters for Simpler Searches. AwardFares makes searching for flights more intuitive with advanced filters. You can narrow down results by airline, cabin class, number of stops, and even specific partners. No need to sift through irrelevant options—find what you need in seconds.
  4. Free to Use with Upgrade Options. Unlike American Airlines’ website, where you must log in to search, AwardFares is free to use without an account. Need more? Upgrade to unlock premium features like fare alerts, monitoring, and higher search limits for ultimate convenience.
  5. Time-Saving Interface. AwardFares’ sleek, user-friendly design is built to save you time. Instead of conducting multiple manual searches, you can see all available flights in one easy-to-read display.
  6. Award Calendar and Beyond. AwardFares doesn’t just replicate the American Airlines Award Calendar, it enhances it!. With AwardFares, you can view a broader selection of flights and get a clearer picture of your redemption options, maximizing the value of your AAdvantage miles.

How AwardFares Is Your Secret Weapon

With dynamic pricing and hard-to-find partner awards, searching on AA.com can feel like a lottery. This is where a powerful tool becomes a necessity, not a luxury. AwardFares was built to cut through the complexity and give you a clear advantage.

1

Stop Guessing, Start Seeing

Our Timeline View defeats the slow, one-day-at-a-time AA calendar. See an entire month of availability at once, instantly spotting the dates with open seats in Economy, Business, or First Class.

AwardFares Timeline View showing AAdvantage award seat availability across multiple dates.
2

Find the (Real) Cheapest Flight

Dynamic prices on AA metal can be sky-high. AwardFares lets you instantly sort all results by price in any cabin, so you can immediately pinpoint the lowest "Web Special" or partner award, saving you thousands of miles.

Sorting AAdvantage award flights by price in AwardFares to find the cheapest option.
3

Uncover Hidden Partner Awards

The best AAdvantage redemptions are often on partners like Qatar Airways, Japan Airlines, or Finnair. Our powerful filters let you search for availability on specific partner airlines that AA's website often makes difficult to find.

AwardFares showing a list of AAdvantage award flights, including partner airlines.
4

Never Miss a Seat Again

That perfect Business Class seat isn't available? Set an Alert on AwardFares. We'll monitor the flight 24/7 and email you the second it opens up, so you can grab it before anyone else does.

The booking button in AwardFares, representing the final step after finding an award seat.

AAdvantage Award Booking Rules & Policies

Understanding the rules can save you time and miles. Here are some key policies for AA award tickets:

Award Holds

Yes, you can hold an AAdvantage award reservation without paying the miles immediately. This is extremely useful for confirming other travel plans or transferring points from a partner program.

  • Hold Duration: Up to 24-hours for bookings made far in advance. The hold time was reduced on April 30th, 2025. For bookings made 1-6 days before departure, instant purchase is usually required.
  • Partner Limitations: Awards involving certain partner airlines may have shorter hold times or may not be holdable at all.

Taxes and Fees

All award travel is subject to taxes and fees.

  • Standard Taxes: You will always pay government-imposed taxes and fees (like the September 11th Security Fee), which are typically low for domestic flights ($5.60 one-way).
  • Carrier-Imposed Surcharges: Some partner airlines, most notably British Airways and Iberia, add significant carrier-imposed surcharges to their award tickets. These can run into hundreds of dollars, so always check the cash component before booking.

Cancellation and Reinstatement

You can cancel your award ticket and have your miles reinstated.

  • How to Cancel: You can cancel most award tickets on aa.com before the first flight departs.
  • Reinstatement: Your AAdvantage miles will be redeposited into your account. As of now, American Airlines has waived the fee for reinstating miles, but this policy is subject to change. This applies as long as you cancel before the first flight on the ticket.

Frequently Asked Questions

Your Questions Answered

Can I put an AAdvantage award ticket on hold?

Yes, American Airlines allows you to hold award tickets for up to 24 hours on many routes, which is a great perk. The hold duration may be shorter for bookings closer to the departure date or on certain partner airlines.

Are there taxes on AAdvantage award flights?

Yes. You are responsible for all government-imposed taxes and fees on award tickets. For some partner airlines like British Airways, you will also have to pay significant carrier-imposed surcharges, which can make an “award” ticket quite expensive.

How do I book an award ticket for someone else?

It’s easy! You can use your AAdvantage miles to book an award ticket for anyone. Simply enter their name and details in the passenger information section when booking on aa.com. You do not need to be traveling with them.

Can I book a trip for multiple people using miles from different accounts?

No, you cannot combine miles from multiple accounts for a single reservation. You must book a separate reservation for each AAdvantage account. A good strategy is to put the first reservation on hold, then book the second one to ensure availability for all passengers.

How far in advance can I book an AA award ticket?

You can book AAdvantage award travel up to 331 days before departure.

Can I get my miles back if I cancel an award ticket?

Yes. As long as you cancel your trip before the departure of the first flight, American will reinstate your miles. Currently, the redeposit fee is waived.

Can I use miles to pay for seats like Main Cabin Extra?

Yes, AAdvantage members can use miles to reserve Preferred and Main Cabin Extra seats after booking their flight. This can be done on aa.com under the “My Trips” section for flights marketed and operated by American.

Get The Most Of Your AAdvantage Miles

With AwardFares, finding Aadvantage award flights takes just seconds. Try it for free and see how easy it is! For access to even more powerful features like unlimited daily searches, alerts, seat maps, and flight schedules, explore our Gold and Diamond membership tiers.

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