# Buying Points from American Airlines



## Blackwolf (May 17, 2014)

Alright, I know this is _an Amtrak forum_ first and foremost, but!

I don't have interest right now in creating a FlyerTalk account and learning the ins-and-outs of a new forum, so I'm going to shoot in the dark here and see what my fellow AU'ers have to say. A good number here are downright experts when it comes to travel of all modes!

American Airlines is holding a points sale right now, in that you can gain up to 18,000 bonus points if you purchase 60,000 or more AAdvantage points (up to the 80,000 maximum offered for sale.) The price for the full 80,000 points is $2,200, which is pretty steep in some ways, but combined with the 18,000 bonus points places 98,000 new points in my account for a total of over 100,000.

That's enough to treat me and Mrs. Blackwolf with a trip back home to Halifax and back on American Airlines' Domestic 1st class.

Typical coach fares for the same route run around $800 per person, RT. The going rate for full-fare 1st class is about $3,500 per person, RT.

I've never redeemed airline miles before for an award. And neither of us have traveled in 1st class on a plane before. I know Domestic 1st has few perks when compared to International 1st, but it has to be better than Coach/Sardine class for what is a cumulative 12-hour trip each direction. The numbers seem to look right for a side-by-side cost comparison, but I'd love input from others before making a $2,200 leap!

Good news is, the sale continues until June 13th. So there is time to debate and consider.


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## railiner (May 17, 2014)

American Airlines is, I believe, the only airline offering three-class service on some of its transcontinental flights (JFK-LAX or JFK-SFO). They formerly used primarily B-767-200's, but now have brand-new A-321T's on that route. The premium first class service offered on those is just like what you would get on a transatlantic flight. Very nice, if that is important to you....


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## the_traveler (May 17, 2014)

However, most airline awards specifically specify "1st Class on a 2 cabin aircraft or Business Class on a 3 cabin aircraft". In the example above, if it were a 3 cabin plane, you'd get BC.

If that were the case, it would be worth it. However if just a regular old 1st Class, besides a better meal and a little more leg room (yes the seats are wider too), I personally don't think domestic 1st Class is worth it (for the extra money or points)!


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## Ispolkom (May 17, 2014)

I won't spend the money for the miles because:

1) like *the_traveler* I don't think domestic first is worth it

2) you're buying a pig in a poke -- are you sure that seats will be available on the days you want to travel?

3) I find it easy to collect American Airlines miles through getting their many credit cards (seriously, does any other airline have four branded credit cards, plus the US Airways card?)

Of course, my situation is different. Living in fly-over country, I'm never on a plane more than four hours unless I'm going overseas, and then I very much prefer business or first class.


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## xyzzy (May 17, 2014)

I've been Executive Platinum on AA for ages. Look, the A321T's are nice if JFK-LAX is a route you fly and if your employer will pay for you to sit in the front -- or you're rich enough to afford it. Not once in over 30 years of professional travel have I had to fly JFK-LAX, and my employer won't pay for business class transatlantic much less first class transcon. AA hypes the A321T, but the truth is that the back of the bus is nothing special.

If you buy miles on any airline, in most cases you are buying an expensive ticket. The airlines aren't stupid, although there is occasionally a peculiar situation where you can take advantage of them. For the most part they turn quite a profit from selling miles -- perhaps more profit than they derive from actually operating the flights.


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## Blackwolf (May 17, 2014)

Unfortunately, I neither have the time or the career to ever amass status on an airline. Heck, dealing with the multiple trips in one years time to help with Mrs. Blackwolf's immigration into the US was not enough to gain status, and that will likely be the high point in airline travel for me until retirement in 30 years... if ever. And being a career firefighter means we don't do the kind of business trips most others perform (typically our business trips are instantly booked by way of blaring alarms and cranky dispatchers, come with uncomfortable jars and turns, have non-PC "in-flight entertainment" full of curse words and blaring sirens, and end with a whole new adventure as we enter a person's worst day of their life.) I digress. ^_^

Amtrak is a different animal, but getting to Halifax via the train (been there, done that several times now) is not something we can accomplish this winter with tight work schedules.

So, if we go back it will be on the plane. American does have fights available for First Class on all legs for dates we are interested in redeeming, right now. I looked into United, and they have Coach redemptions available but not First. I don't have Delta Skymiles because their points are too insular and not connected with anyone else. And when it comes to flying into YHZ from the USA, we only have three choices for airlines: American (in the form of ex-US Airways) United (in the form of Air Canada) and Delta.

I'm leaning toward the "Yes" on buying the points because it is a $500 cost to upgrade to First over the lowest Coach fare. I can live without the inclusive lounge access for Domestic, because I have a (free) Priority Pass membership through one of my credit cards that gets me in anyhow.


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## Bob Dylan (May 17, 2014)

That's Lots of Money to ride in the front of the plane! Its Not that much Better than Coach for what they charge! Id say ride in Coach and y'all have a first rate meal (or several) with drinks in Nice Resturants with the money! You could also buy lots of stuff for yourselves, your home etc. The way that Airlines are Constantly Changing the Rules etc. makes this a shakey proposition! Buyer Beware!

BTW- I was a Firefighter while in College. "Americas heroes" as Ben Franklin, Americas First Fire Chief,
said! Thanks for what y'all do!


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## Devil's Advocate (May 18, 2014)

AA has flown me all over the country and across oceans for "free" but I've also lost plenty of real money due to unanticipated rule changes and counterintuitive interpretations. If you don't have the time and inclination to educate yourself on AA's rules then maybe you shouldn't be buying their points.

This isn't a situation where both parties have equal power. Never forget that AA essentially creates these points out of thin air. AA also creates the terms and conditions that control the use of these points. And AA controls the supply that these points can be redeemed toward.

You can pay for your seats with time spent deciphering the points angle or you can pay for them with money. I've redeemed several hundred thousand points over the years but those redemptions came with a high opportunity cost that chewed up time I could be doing something else.

Since you don't fly much and thus don't have much interest in learning on your own I'd probably try *asking here* and letting an expert give your idea a bit of a sanity check. Although this forum has many frequent travelers what you need is someone who lives and breaths the points game.


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