What was your last Pre-Devaluation AA Award Booking?

by Miguel R. Quinones

AA Repaint

Devaluation day is here, unfortunately. The new rates are already in place. Numerous AA awards are more expensive today than they were yesterday, in many cases significantly.

I was one of many trying to put an AA award booking together for myself prior to the devaluation. Minutes after midnight I completed a booking I had on hold. This award was a business class one-way from Buenos Aires for three passengers. By booking just prior to the devaluation I saved a total of 22,500 miles. I would have preferred to put something more aspiring together or at least complete a booking for a route whose rate increase was more significant, but it just was not the right time for me for such a trip.

With that in mind, I am interested in hearing about what types of awards you strategically completed prior to the devaluation and how much you saved by doing so. Thanks in advance for your comments!

The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

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28 comments

Uri Fintzy March 22, 2016 - 12:54 pm

Etihad First Apartment from AUH to JFK next January. Checking availability every hour for 2 weeks paid off 🙂

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Miguel R. Quinones March 22, 2016 - 12:57 pm

Nice Uri! That was personally the one I wanted to book the most myself.

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Kevin March 22, 2016 - 1:07 pm

Booked and flew CX F from JFK-YVR for 32,500 miles earlier in the month. Saved myself 22,500 miles off the new 55,000 price.

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Levi March 22, 2016 - 1:13 pm

Booked two biz class tickets on AA metal back to IAD from CDG via ORD after a long Labor Day weekend in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley. Also tried to get some points back on a recent biz booking (3 tickets) to Costa Rica. Was told I would have to pay a re deposit fee and rebook at the lower price. AA is glad to take more miles but not give back….. Understandably I guess

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Rick March 22, 2016 - 1:27 pm

Was in a rush but booked 3 First class flights JFK NRT unfortunately all on American #Firstworldproblems as I couldnt find space this year for JAL 🙁 anyone think I may be able to swap or am I “stuck” on American

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DJ March 22, 2016 - 2:42 pm

You’ll be able to swap if you added a partner leg onto the AA flights. Otherwise, you’re stuck on AA

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Rick March 22, 2016 - 3:00 pm

Urghhhhhh guess I shouldn’t have put it off till last minute.

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johnny March 22, 2016 - 1:29 pm

2 RT cathay pacific business class – nyc to manila for 220K . Got 10K back by using the AAdvantage CC…sweeeeet!!!

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mike murphy March 22, 2016 - 2:22 pm

Jal san/bkk/san july 12 to 28, business class still has the so called angles lie flat seats (yuk)

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ArlingtonTraveler March 22, 2016 - 2:36 pm

Mine was in November/December of 2015. I flew to KUL and back from SIN. My TPAC legs were in F on CX and in J to/from KUL AND HKG. My flight to KUL had the international business class cabin, whereas my flight back go HKG from SIN was in a 777-300 with the regional business class which is basically a step up seat wise from Domestic F.

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DJ March 22, 2016 - 2:44 pm

KC-DFW-NRT-Bangkok on AA/JAL in biz.
Saigon-HKG-ORD-KC on CX/AA in first
KC-LAX-Melbourne on AA/Qantas in first

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eponymous coward March 22, 2016 - 2:56 pm

Booked AA Y ZRH-JFK-SEA in Y for 20k for my daughter on a European trip… in 2013 for a 2014 trip.

What? :p

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BOS_Flyer March 22, 2016 - 3:10 pm

Booked BOS – MAD on IB in coach. 40k per person. Got 10k miles back for having Citi AA card. Taxes are a bit high – $181 for adults and $140 for lap infants.

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iv March 22, 2016 - 3:38 pm

Booked:

Etihad First Class A380 Apt. AUH-JFK then onward Cathay Pacific First Class JFK-YVR

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Bill n DC March 22, 2016 - 3:43 pm

1st Class. Cathey JFK-HKG-FRA. HOPE TO RETURN TO IAD via LH 1st on 747-8i
2 nights @Intercontinental HK using Ambassador 2 4 1 weekend cert.
Then return on my B-Day which will last 33 hours

1st Class Japan ORD-NRT HDN-LHR return to IAD on BA 1st
2 nights at Tokyo Conrad on free nights from CC.
2 nights at Intercontinental Park Lane on free nights from CC

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DaninMCI March 22, 2016 - 4:37 pm

I passed. I was close to booking a pair of business class tickets MCI-Europe but passed. We really wanted to book a trip to Israel but want to go next Summer’ish. After I learned that I most likely wouldn’t be able to move the dates past a year out 3-21-17 I passed. I figured that we’ll only lose 10k miles on a pair of tickets in business to TLV. I also hope that award availability opens up more for better routes than I was seeing in the last days.

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Mileage Man March 22, 2016 - 4:39 pm

2 Etihad First apt tickets on my 5th wedding anniversary in Nov JFK-AUH-BOM. Then another 2 JAL F Class tickets from CGK-NRT-JFK in December 😀

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Jack March 22, 2016 - 4:41 pm

I booked a Cathay Pacific JFK-HKG-MNL for February 2017. More than likely will use it much earlier this spring or fall on a last minute trip and figure out something with Lifemiles or Aeroplan on the way home.

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Markj March 22, 2016 - 5:02 pm

LHR-AUH in Apartment this May. AUH-JFK Apartment in October. Roundtrip LAX-HKG First on Cathay at year end. 2 Etihad Business class flights between AUH-BKK. My account is wiped out now.

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Jennifer March 22, 2016 - 5:28 pm

One way LAX-HKG-BKK for 2 of us. We’ll figure out the return later.

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Dennis Palmieri March 22, 2016 - 5:36 pm

AA HKG-DFW in First Class!!

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TJ March 22, 2016 - 6:56 pm

PHX to Barcelona for a cruise in June.

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Steve March 22, 2016 - 7:44 pm

CHM->HNL R/T, for 9 days over Thanksgiving. Peace out family drama!

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Jack March 22, 2016 - 8:28 pm

Booked LHR-SJC in BA 787-9 F!

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DEB K March 22, 2016 - 10:06 pm

CLT-JFK-ABU-MLE Etihad first class apartment on the jfk-abu segment. Business class on a380 for return. Traveling next Jan. Park Hyatt on points for stay. So excited.

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Charles March 22, 2016 - 11:37 pm

AUH-LHR-PRG in BA F/J
DXB-LHR-MXP BA F/J
CNS-MEL-DOH-DXB in QF &QR J
DXB-KUL R/T in RJ J
DXD-LHR-NCE in QF F & BA J
NCE-LHR-PVG in BA J/F

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David March 23, 2016 - 7:53 am

Booked business class from PIT to AKL! Woo!

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[…] I mentioned last week, my last AA pre-devaluation award booking happened to be a business class one-way from Argentina for my family and myself. The taxes and […]

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