A new awards chart that went into effect Tuesday for the American Airlines AAdvantage program has made it cheaper to redeem miles for short domestic flights but more expensive for many international destinations.
Under the new chart, coach flyers can obtain one-way reward tickets on flights of 500 miles or less for as little as 7,500 miles. Previously, those flights cost the same minimum of 12,500 miles that other domestic flights cost.
Similarly, American has reduced the number of miles to obtain business class reward tickets on short flights. Instead of 25,000 miles one way, those tickets now cost 15,000 miles.
Redemption levels for domestic flights of more than 500 miles are unchanged under American’s new awards chart.
The airline offset the reduction in the mileage cost for short domestic flights with increases in redemption levels necessary to obtain free tickets to Hawaii as well as long-haul international destinations.
Coach seats to Europe, for example, now start at 22,500 miles one way instead of 20,000. Business-class Europe tickets start at 57,500, up from 50,000, and first-class Europe tickets now start at 85,000, up from 62,500.
American also increased redemption prices for tickets to portions of Asia and South America.
In contrast, prices dropped for Central America and the Caribbean.