Oh, hello there, fellow travel enthusiast! Are you dreaming of soaring through the skies with American Airlines, all while making your hard-earned Chase Ultimate Rewards points do the heavy lifting? You've come to the right place! This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step of booking American Airlines flights using your valuable Chase points. Get ready to turn those points into unforgettable journeys!
The Grand Journey: Booking American Airlines with Chase Points
While American Airlines isn't a direct transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards, there are two primary avenues to make this happen, and understanding both is key to maximizing your points. We'll explore each in detail, providing you with a clear, step-by-step roadmap.
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| How To Book American Airlines With Chase Points |
Method 1: Transferring to a Oneworld Partner (Recommended for Value)
This is often the most lucrative way to use your Chase points for American Airlines flights, especially for certain routes. American Airlines is a part of the Oneworld alliance, which means you can often book American Airlines flights using the miles of other Oneworld airline partners. British Airways Executive Club and Iberia Plus are excellent Chase transfer partners that are also part of Oneworld.
Step 1: Discover Your Chase Ultimate Rewards Power
Before you do anything else, let's confirm you have the right Chase card and enough points!
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Sub-heading: Do You Have an Eligible Chase Card?
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To transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to airline partners, you typically need one of the premium Chase credit cards:
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card
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Chase Sapphire Reserve®
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Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card
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If you have a Chase Freedom Flex, Chase Freedom Unlimited, or Chase Ink Business Unlimited/Cash, you can still earn Ultimate Rewards points, but you'll need to pool them with one of the above premium cards to enable transfers to travel partners. This is a crucial step!
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Sub-heading: Check Your Point Balance
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Log into your Chase online account.
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Navigate to the "Ultimate Rewards" portal.
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Here, you'll see your total Ultimate Rewards point balance. Make a note of it!
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Tip: Consider your desired destination and cabin class. Researching typical award costs for American Airlines flights (even if through a partner) will give you a ballpark idea of how many points you'll need.
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Step 2: Choose Your Oneworld Transfer Partner
This is where strategy comes into play. British Airways Executive Club (Avios) and Iberia Plus (Avios) are the most common and often best choices for booking American Airlines flights.
Tip: Reread slowly for better memory.
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Sub-heading: British Airways Executive Club (Avios)
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Why it's great: British Airways uses a distance-based award chart, which can be fantastic for short-haul, non-stop American Airlines flights, especially within the U.S. and for flights to Hawaii. You can find surprisingly good deals on these routes.
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Things to consider: For longer flights, especially those with connections, British Airways Avios can sometimes incur higher fuel surcharges, though this is less common on American Airlines-operated flights booked with Avios. It's always best to check the total cost (points + taxes/fees) before transferring.
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Sub-heading: Iberia Plus (Avios)
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Why it's great: Iberia also uses Avios (though they are a separate program from British Airways). Sometimes, Iberia's award chart can offer better value for certain American Airlines routes, particularly transatlantic flights to Europe.
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Things to consider: Like British Airways, it's essential to compare redemption rates and any associated fees.
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Sub-heading: Create a Loyalty Account
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If you don't already have an account with British Airways Executive Club or Iberia Plus, create one. This is free and only takes a few minutes. You'll need your loyalty program number for the next step.
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Step 3: Transfer Your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points
Now for the actual transfer! Remember, all transfers are final and irreversible, so be absolutely sure of your chosen partner and the number of points.
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Sub-heading: Log in to Chase Ultimate Rewards
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Go to the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal (as you did in Step 1).
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Sub-heading: Initiate the Transfer
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Look for an option like "Transfer to Travel Partners" or "Redeem for Travel."
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Select your chosen airline partner (British Airways Executive Club or Iberia Plus).
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You'll be prompted to link your loyalty account if you haven't already. Enter your loyalty program number accurately.
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Enter the amount of Chase points you wish to transfer. Points typically transfer in increments of 1,000.
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Review all details carefully before confirming.
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Sub-heading: Transfer Time
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Most Chase Ultimate Rewards transfers to British Airways and Iberia are almost instant or take just a few minutes. However, it's always wise to allow a few hours, just in case, especially if you're trying to book a popular award seat.
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Step 4: Search and Book Your American Airlines Flight with Partner Miles
Once your points have landed in your chosen Oneworld partner account, you're ready to search for American Airlines award flights.
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Sub-heading: Log in to Your Partner Airline Account
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Log in to your British Airways Executive Club or Iberia Plus account.
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Sub-heading: Search for Award Flights
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On their respective websites, look for an option to "Book with Avios" or "Spend Avios."
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Enter your desired departure and arrival cities, dates, and number of passengers.
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Crucially, you need to search for flights operated by American Airlines. The system should display American Airlines flights as options if award space is available.
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Sub-heading: Understand Award Availability
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Award space for partner airlines can be limited. Be flexible with your travel dates if possible.
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Not every American Airlines flight will have "saver" award availability that can be booked by partners.
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If you don't see the flight you want, try adjusting your dates or consider different departure/arrival times.
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Sub-heading: Complete the Booking
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Once you find a suitable American Airlines flight, proceed with the booking using your Avios.
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You will still be responsible for paying any taxes and fees associated with the award ticket. These are paid with a credit card.
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Important: Note down your American Airlines confirmation code (PNR) once your booking is complete. You can often use this on the American Airlines website (aa.com) to manage your reservation, select seats, or add your AAdvantage number.
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Method 2: Booking Through the Chase Travel Portal
This method offers simplicity and flexibility, especially if you can't find ideal award space through transfer partners or if the cash price of a ticket is low.
Step 1: Access the Chase Travel Portal
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Sub-heading: Log in to Your Chase Account
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As before, log into your Chase online account and navigate to the "Ultimate Rewards" portal.
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Sub-heading: Enter the Travel Portal
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Look for an option like "Book Travel" or "Redeem for Travel" within the Ultimate Rewards dashboard. This will take you to Chase's own online travel agency.
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Note: Skipping ahead? Don’t miss the middle sections.
Step 2: Search for American Airlines Flights
The Chase Travel Portal functions much like any other online travel agency (like Expedia or Orbitz), but allows you to pay with points.
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Sub-heading: Input Your Travel Details
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Select "Flights" and enter your departure and arrival cities, dates, and number of passengers.
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The portal will display a variety of flights, including those operated by American Airlines.
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Sub-heading: Understand Point Valuation
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The value of your Chase points when redeemed through the Chase Travel Portal depends on which Chase card you have:
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Chase Sapphire Reserve®: Points are worth 1.5 cents each (e.g., 50,000 points = $750 in travel).
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Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card / Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card: Points are worth 1.25 cents each (e.g., 50,000 points = $625 in travel).
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Other Chase cards (Freedom, Ink Cash/Unlimited): Points are typically worth 1 cent each (e.g., 50,000 points = $500 in travel). This is why pooling points to a premium card is often beneficial.
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Step 3: Redeem Your Points and Book
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Sub-heading: Select Your Flight
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Choose your desired American Airlines flight. The portal will show you the cash price and the corresponding point price.
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Sub-heading: Complete the Purchase
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At checkout, you'll have the option to pay with points, a credit card, or a combination of both.
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Confirm your details and complete the booking.
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Sub-heading: What to Expect
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When booking through the Chase Travel Portal, your flight is treated as a cash ticket by American Airlines. This means:
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You will earn AAdvantage miles on the flight.
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You will typically be eligible for elite status benefits (if you have them) and earn elite qualifying miles/dollars.
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You can often manage your booking directly on aa.com using the confirmation code.
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Maximizing Your Redemption Value
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Compare! Always compare the cost of booking through a Oneworld partner (British Airways/Iberia) versus the Chase Travel Portal. Sometimes one offers a significantly better value than the other, depending on the route and current cash prices.
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Be Flexible: Flexibility with your travel dates and times can unlock greater award availability and better point redemption rates.
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Look for Transfer Bonuses: Occasionally, Chase offers transfer bonuses to its airline partners (e.g., 20% more Avios when you transfer). These can significantly increase the value of your points. Keep an eye out for these promotions!
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Short-Haul Sweet Spots: Remember that British Airways Avios can be incredibly valuable for short, direct flights on American Airlines due to their distance-based award chart.
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Pool Your Points: If you have multiple Chase cards, combine your Ultimate Rewards points onto your Chase Sapphire Preferred, Chase Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred card to unlock the ability to transfer to airline partners and get higher redemption values in the travel portal.
10 Related FAQ Questions
How to check my Chase Ultimate Rewards point balance?
You can easily check your Chase Ultimate Rewards point balance by logging into your Chase online account and navigating to the "Ultimate Rewards" section, usually found under your credit card details.
Tip: Read at your own pace, not too fast.
How to transfer Chase points to an airline partner?
To transfer Chase points, log into the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal, select "Transfer to Travel Partners," choose your desired airline, link your loyalty account, and enter the amount of points to transfer (usually in increments of 1,000).
How to find out if American Airlines has award availability?
You can find American Airlines award availability by searching on the websites of Oneworld partners like British Airways Executive Club or Iberia Plus, or directly on aa.com if you were using AAdvantage miles (which you'd have after transferring Chase points to a Oneworld partner).
How to determine the best Oneworld partner for American Airlines flights?
The best Oneworld partner (like British Airways or Iberia) for American Airlines flights depends on the specific route. British Airways often excels for short, direct flights, while Iberia might offer better value for certain transatlantic routes. Always compare redemption rates.
How to use the Chase Travel Portal for American Airlines flights?
To use the Chase Travel Portal, log into Ultimate Rewards, go to "Book Travel," select "Flights," search for American Airlines flights, and choose to pay with your points at checkout.
Tip: Share one insight from this post with a friend.
How to combine Chase points from multiple cards?
You can combine Chase points from different eligible cards (e.g., Freedom and Sapphire) by logging into your Ultimate Rewards account, selecting the option to "Combine Points," and transferring them to your premium card (Sapphire Preferred, Sapphire Reserve, or Ink Business Preferred).
How to find out if there are transfer bonuses for Chase points?
Chase occasionally announces transfer bonuses to its airline and hotel partners directly within the Ultimate Rewards portal or through email notifications. Keep an eye on the "Earn/Use" or "Transfer to Travel Partners" sections for current offers.
How to change or cancel an American Airlines flight booked with Chase points?
If you booked via a Oneworld partner, you'll need to contact that partner's customer service (e.g., British Airways). If you booked via the Chase Travel Portal, contact Chase Travel, but also be aware that the booking is treated as a cash ticket by American, so their standard change/cancellation policies (and any associated fees) will apply.
How to earn AAdvantage miles on flights booked with Chase points?
You will earn American Airlines AAdvantage miles if you book your American Airlines flight through the Chase Travel Portal because these bookings are treated as cash tickets. However, if you transfer Chase points to a Oneworld partner (like British Airways) and book an American Airlines flight, you will not earn AAdvantage miles on that flight as it's an award redemption.
How to get the most value from my Chase points for American Airlines travel?
To get the most value, compare the cost of transferring to a Oneworld partner (like British Airways or Iberia) versus booking through the Chase Travel Portal. Generally, transferring to partners for award flights (especially short-haul or specific long-haul routes) can yield higher value per point, but the Chase Travel Portal offers flexibility and the ability to earn airline miles.
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