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How Can I Use My AAdvantage Miles to Book Affordable American Airlines Vacations Packages?
Posted: Feb 08, 2024
Booking a vacation can be expensive, but American Airlines makes it possible to book amazing vacation packages at affordable prices using your AAdvantage miles. American Airlines vacations packages allow you to bundle your flight and hotel together to save money compared to booking separately. You can also earn bonus miles and use pay monthly options. Read on to learn how to maximize your American Airlines miles to book the best vacation package deals.
Why Book With American Airlines?
American Airlines vacations packages come with some great benefits you won't find when booking independently. Here are some of the key reasons to book your next vacation through American Airlines.
Book Together and Save
The main benefit of booking an American Airlines vacation package is the cost savings. When you bundle your flight and hotel together, you'll save an average of $525 per package compared to booking separately. This discounted pricing allows you to afford a much nicer hotel than you may be able to book independently.
Bundling also saves you time and hassle since you only have to make one booking. American Airlines will handle coordinating all parts of your vacation package behind the scenes.
Earn Bonus AA Miles
On top of saving money, American Airlines vacation packages allow you to earn bonus AAdvantage miles with every booking. You'll earn at least 1,000 bonus miles per person, with opportunities to earn even more miles depending on the package.
The bonus miles are in addition to the miles you'll earn from the flights themselves. This makes vacation packages one of the fastest ways to rack up your AA mile balance.
Book Now, Pay Monthly
Paying for your entire vacation package upfront can be difficult. American Airlines offers the option to book now and pay monthly with Affirm.
You can secure your American Airlines vacation packages immediately and then make low monthly payments over 3, 6, or 12 months. This makes vacations more affordable by spreading out the costs interest-free over time.
Use Miles to Book
One of the best perks of being an AAdvantage member is the ability to use your miles towards vacation packages. You can redeem miles for the entire package or just for portions like flights and hotel.
Using miles for vacations is one of the highest value ways to redeem AAdvantage miles. You can potentially get over 2 cents per mile in value compared to using miles for flights alone.
American Airlines Vacations Customer Service
Booking with American Airlines comes with access to 24/7 customer support for your vacation packages. You can call or chat online anytime you need help before, during, or after your vacation.
Their vacation package experts can help customize all aspects of your trip. They can also assist with rebooking if any portion of your package gets cancelled or delayed.
American Airlines Vacations
Now that you know the benefits, here is what you need to know about actually booking an American Airlines vacation package.
How to Search for a Vacation Package
You can browse and book American Airlines vacation packages on their website or mobile app. Simply enter your departure city and destination along with your travel dates. Use the filters to narrow down packages based on budget, airline, number of nights, and more.
Once you find a package you like, you can view details on the flights, hotel, and other inclusions. See the total package price with all components bundled together.
Activities
American Airlines gives you the option to add activities and tours to your vacation package. You can browse popular excursions at your destination and add them to your booking.
Activities include attractions, day trips, transfers, and more. Adding activities ahead of time ensures they are reserved so you don't miss out on popular tours that sell out quickly.
Payment
As mentioned above, American Airlines offers flexible payment options for vacation packages. You can pay in full upfront with a credit card to earn rewards and benefits. Or pay monthly over 3, 6, or 12 months interest-free with Affirm.
They also allow you to use a combination of cash, miles, and Affirm payments. For example, you may pay for the hotel portion with miles and the flights with Affirm. This flexibility makes it easy to afford the perfect vacation.
Destinations
American Airlines Vacations offers packages to hundreds of destinations, offering you plenty of options for your next trip. Here are some of their most popular vacation package destinations:
Caribbean - Relax on breathtaking beaches in spots like Cancun, Punta Cana, Montego Bay, and many more Caribbean locales. Choose from all-inclusive resorts or traditional hotel packages.
Hawaii - Island hop across the Hawaiian islands or focus your stay on one like Oahu, Maui, Kauai, or the Big Island. Luxurious beachfront resorts make Hawaii one of the top vacation spots.
Europe - Take in the history and architecture of cities like London, Paris, Rome, and Barcelona. Or escape to the beaches of Greece, Spain, or Portugal for a Mediterranean getaway.
Mexico - Beyond the beaches of Cancun and Riviera Maya, explore colonial cities and towns throughout Mexico like Playa del Carmen, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and more.
U.S National Parks - Take an unforgettable journey through America's scenic parks like Yellowstone, Yosemite, and the Grand Canyon by booking an outdoorsy vacation package.
Las Vegas/Orlando - Plan a vacation centered around world-class theme parks, entertainment, restaurants, and attractions in these premier destinations. Fun for families or couples alike.
The possibilities are endless with hundreds of vacation package options with American Airlines. You can easily search and filter packages based on your ideal destination.
American Airlines Vacations Deals and Promo Codes
American Airlines offers regular deals and promo codes to save even more on vacation packages. Here are some ways to save:
- Sign up for email offers - Be the first to hear about limited time sales, seasonal specials, and last minute packages deals by subscribing to their emails
- Limited time sales - Look for 72 hour, 48 hour, and flash sales advertised on their website and emails
- Seasonal specials - Expect deals around peak seasons like spring break and summer vacations
- Shoulder season travel - Look for lower prices on packages during shoulder seasons like fall and early winter
- Last minute deals - Score major discounts on unsold vacation packages by booking close to departure
- Promo codes - Find promo codes offering $50 to $100+ off packages on their website
- Partner discounts - Take advantage of savings through travel affiliate programs you may be a member of
Taking advantage of these promotions can lead to huge savings, letting you book a much nicer vacation package for the same budget.
Bonus Miles
As mentioned earlier, American Airlines vacation packages come with bonus miles on every booking. Here are some tips to maximize your miles earnings:
- Book packages with higher bonus miles – Some packages include up to 30,000 bonus miles per booking
- Add more passengers in your reservation – Earn bonus miles for each passenger that is booked
- Purchase add-ons – Boost your miles by adding activities, rental cars, etc
- Use an AA credit card – Miles from packages count towards card welcome bonuses and spending mile earnings
- Take advantage of promotions – Look for seasonal 2x or 3x miles promotions to earn even more
- Redeem miles for a portion of your package – Offset costs while still earning bonus miles on the paid portions
- Enroll in promotions – Join programs like Miles for Missions to earn additional miles
With a little planning, you can maximize your American Airlines mile earnings through vacation packages.
Vacation Types
American Airlines offers a wide variety of vacation packages customizable to your ideal trip. Here are some popular package types to consider:
All-Inclusive Packages
All-inclusive packages include your hotel, meals, drinks, activities, tips, and more for one bundled price. This option is excellent for keeping costs down and knowing expenses are covered upfront. Many are also located on stunning beaches perfect for relaxation.
Flight + Hotel Packages
The traditional package option bundles discounted hotel rates with flights on American Airlines. This allows you to customize other parts of your trip like activities and dining. It's a flexible and affordable way to book a vacation.
Flight + Car Rental Packages
For road trips or exploring at your own pace, book a package with flights and car rental included. Save money compared to separately booking and enjoy the freedom of having your own wheels.
Theme Park Packages
If you're headed to a theme park hot spot like Disney World or Universal Studios, American offers packages with park tickets included. Avoid ticket lines and get special amenities like early park access.
Cruise Packages
Combine your flights with a cruise departure, getting you to the port city before setting sail. Cruise packages simplify booking and may come with shore excursion credits or beverage packages.
Tours and Activities
Explore a new destination stress-free by booking a package with guided day tours, skip the line tickets to top
attractions, transfers, and more. Let the vacation planning experts handle building your itinerary.
Group Travel Packages
Book bundled travel for family reunions, friend trips, weddings, company retreats, and more. Group travel packages simplify coordinating trips with larger parties.
Special Event Packages
Attend can't miss events around the world by booking event packages. Packages include flights, hotels, and often tickets or special event access for things like concerts, festivals, and sporting events.
No matter your vacation style, American likely has a package to match. Browse their website by type of trip to narrow options to your preferences.
How to Change or Cancel an American Airlines Vacation
American Airlines offers options if you need to make changes or cancel your vacation package after booking. Here is what you need to know:
Purchase a Waiver
At the time of booking, you can choose to add an American Airlines Vacations Waiver for a fee. This waiver allows you to cancel your package for any reason up to 24 hours before departure and receive a full refund as a travel credit. Waivers provide protection in case anything comes up before your trip.
Cancellation and Change Waiver
This is the standard waiver included with all American Airlines vacation packages. It allows you to make minor date or destination changes to your package outside of 60 days from departure.
You can also receive a full refund as a travel credit up to 60 days out. Closer than 60 days, cancellation fees apply unless you purchased an enhanced waiver.
Pre-Departure Protection Waiver
This upgraded waiver option gives you the most flexibility to cancel with no time restrictions. You can receive a full refund in original form of payment up to 24 hours before departure, outside of the package cost.
Adding one of the waivers helps avoid cancellation penalties if plans change. Read all policies carefully when booking packages.
Price Comparisons
Booking vacation packages with American Airlines comes with major savings, but it still helps to compare some pricing:
Booking Directly with Hotel - Hotels offer discounted rates when booking directly online, but American packages with the same hotels are usually still less expensive since they bundle discounted unpublished rates.
Third Party Sites - Sites like Expedia also offer flight and hotel bundles. American's packages price out very competitively though may offer more amenities.
Mixed Booking - Booking flights and hotels separately almost always ends up being most expensive with no bundling discount. American's packages offer clear savings.
Using Miles - With American you can use miles towards vacation packages at excellent redemptions rates that maximize your miles value.
While price shopping is advised, American Airlines Vacations consistently offer very competitive pricing on bundled travel. The convenience, bonus miles, and perks make their packages worthwhile.
Final Thoughts
Booking an American Airlines vacation package allows you to save money and maximize your AAdvantage miles. Use their website to easily search for packages worldwide, customize details, and book using various payment options.
Take advantage of money-saving promotions and boost your miles earnings through packages. Read policies closely and consider travel protection if you may need to make changes after booking.
With some flexibility and planning, American Airlines vacation packages make it possible to book your dream trip at an affordable price. Escape to an exciting destination knowing everything is taken care of in one simple booking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Still have questions? Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about American Airlines vacation packages.
What kinds of packages does American Airlines Vacations offer?
American offers just about any type of package imaginable - flight + hotel, all-inclusive resorts, vacation rentals, cruises, tours, theme parks, special events, group travel and more. Packages are completely customizable to your ideal vacation.
Where can I find American Airlines Vacations promo codes or special deals?
Check their website and subscribe to emails for the latest promotions. Look for limited time sales around 72 hours as well as seasonal specials and shoulder season deals. Last minute unsold packages also offer huge savings.
What is the American Airlines Vacations phone number?
You can call 1-800-321-2121 to speak with a vacation package expert 24/7. They can provide recommendations, help customize packages, and assist with bookings or changes.
Can I use American Airlines miles to purchase a vacation package?
Yes, AAdvantage miles can be redeemed towards all or a portion of vacation packages, including flights, hotels, cars, activities, and more. Using miles provides excellent value.
Do I need a travel agent to book an American Airlines Vacation package?
No, you can easily search and book vacation packages directly through their website without a travel agent. However, you can call to speak with a package expert for assistance or customizations.
Booking an American Airlines vacation package is the perfect way to affordably experience your dream destination. Take advantage of bundled pricing, flexible payments, bonus miles, and money-saving promotions to get the most from your next vacation.
About the Author
I am Rafael Jordan, a passionate travel content writer and an intrepid explorer at heart. With a notebook in one hand and a camera in the other, I traverse the globe to uncover stories hidden in the nooks and crannies of our diverse planet.
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