AAdvantage Rewards Program
Friday, July 7th, 2006The options for rewards programs are endless it seems. Cash back, frequent flyer miles, hotel points… pick your reward.
Some rewards programs are better than others, as I found out on a recent trip to Europe. I am a member of American Airlines AAdvantage program, which I earn a mile for every dollar I spend on my AAdvantage Citi card. I also earn up to 10 miles per dollar depending on where I eat under the dinning program.
Sounds pretty nice, right? Who would turn down a free ticket on your next vacation?
That’s the catch with the AAdvantage program. Chances are, program seats aren’t available on the flight you want to take, or on the day you want to take your trip. In addition, you might end up with a long layover (overnight) at an intermediate location somewhere between your home and destination.
In preparing for our trip to Greece, I inquired about using miles to get from the States to Europe. We needed to leave on a Wednesday due to vacation days off from work and the time constraints of a wedding we were attending. Unfortunately, the rewards program could only get one of us there, and we’d have to stop overnight in London. Then, we’d have to buy another ticket on the same flights, which would cost more than a ticket straight through to Athens… In addition, if we did buy the individual ticket, there is no guarantee of sitting next to each other.
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