Editor’s observe: We have up to date this publish with new data. TPG founder Brian Kelly is a Bilt advisor and investor.

Regardless of being shorter than some home routes, flights to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America will be costly. Along with the additional taxes and costs, many airways cost greater award charges for these routes.

However you possibly can generally ebook low-cost flights to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America with American Airways. Following the steps beneath, you would possibly discover awards to those areas for comparatively few American Airways miles.

Why it’s particular

American Airways AAdvantage will quickly provide absolutely dynamic mileage awards and introduce a simplified award chart for journey on its flights. However, for now, you possibly can nonetheless ebook MileSAAver off-peak awards to pick out areas. These awards allow you to save on economic system awards between sure areas throughout choose journey intervals.

MileSAAver awards to the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America sometimes value 15,000 AAdvantage miles every manner in economic system however can be found for simply 12,500 miles on off-peak dates.

The low cost is utilized routinely, so you possibly can ebook these awards even if you happen to don’t have sufficient miles at the usual charges.

There are some terrific locations you possibly can ebook at these discounted charges, together with San Jose, Costa Rica (SJO), Panama Metropolis (PTY), Aruba (AUA), Barbados (BGI), Bermuda (BDA), Mexico Metropolis (MEX) and Cancun (CUN).

The best way to ebook this award

Reserving an off-peak MileSAAver award isn’t any completely different than every other AAdvantage redemption. Nonetheless, you could familiarize your self with the off-peak dates to know when to ebook.

The present off-peak dates for the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America are April 21 to Might 20 and Sept. 9 to Nov. 18. Remember that the autumn dates are throughout peak hurricane season for among the locations, so that you’ll wish to pay the taxes and costs with a bank card that comes with journey protections.

When you’ve picked your dates, search as you usually would on the American Airways web site. Enter your route, choose your dates and test off the “Redeem miles” field.

If there’s MileSAAver availability, you’ll routinely see the decrease charges — no promo code wanted. Simply keep in mind that the low cost is just obtainable for economic system class, not enterprise or first.

If there’s no MileSAAver availability, I like to recommend you utilize the calendar search software to test alternate dates. Sadly, MileSAAver off-peak awards do require you to fly American Airways. So, you received’t be capable of get these charges if you happen to join by a associate airline like Alaska.

As American Airways costs awards dynamically, we discovered some dates priced even decrease than the anticipated off-peak MilesSAAver charge. If you’re versatile, you might be able to ebook these awards for less than 10,000 miles (plus taxes and costs) every manner.

The draw back of dynamic pricing is that for peak intervals, American expenses way over these costs. For instance, we discovered some one-way economic system awards to Costa Rica pricing as excessive as 65,000 miles plus $28.28 in taxes and costs.

After you’ve chosen a flight, you’ll have to log in to your AAdvantage account to finish the reserving. A few of the finest playing cards for paying taxes and costs on award tickets embody The Platinum Card® from American Categorical and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. Not solely do they earn bonus factors on airfare, however they arrive with journey delay reimbursement — which is very vital if you happen to’re touring throughout hurricane season.

Associated: Maximizing redemptions with American Airways AAdvantage

The best way to earn miles for this award

You would possibly marvel the right way to earn sufficient miles for this award if you happen to’re not a frequent American Airways flyer. At first, this may appear difficult since American isn’t a switch associate of American Categorical Membership Rewards, Capital One, Chase Final Rewards or Citi ThankYou. Nonetheless, there are many different methods to earn AAdvantage miles.

Incomes American miles with playing cards

Two main transferable currencies associate with American Airways: Bilt Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy. Bilt Rewards switch to Marriott at a 1:1 ratio, whilst you can switch Marriott factors to American Airways AAdvantage at a 3:1 switch ratio. To earn Marriott factors, take into account including the Bilt Mastercard® (see charges and costs) or a Marriott Bonvoy bank card to your pockets.

A probably less complicated manner of racking up AAdvantage miles could be by selecting up and spending on an American cobranded bank card. Along with giving your AAdvantage account a pleasant increase, some American Airways cobranded playing cards present helpful “elite-lite” perks starting from free checked luggage on home itineraries to lounge entry.

Different strategies for incomes American miles

You don’t essentially should get a brand new bank card to earn the miles you want. Whereas sometimes at suboptimal charges, you may additionally switch World of Hyatt factors, IHG One Rewards factors and Alternative Privileges factors to American AAdvantage.

Alternatively, you may store on-line by the AAdvantage eShopping portal or dine by AAdvantage Eating. You may additionally purchase American Airways miles, however this might generally be extra pricey than shopping for the flight outright.

For extra choices, learn our full information on incomes American Airways miles.

Associated: What’s American Airways elite standing price?

Backside line

American Airways AAdvantage will quickly remove its MileSAAver and AAnytime awards, going all-in on dynamically priced flight redemptions. However as of publishing, you possibly can nonetheless ebook off-peak MileSAAver awards. And as we famous on this story, you may discover even cheaper pricing on some dates on account of dynamic pricing.

For charges and costs of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.
For rewards and advantages of the Bilt Mastercard, click on right here.

Further reporting by Ben Smithson.