I admit that when it comes to award travel, I’m still learning. I know some of the sweet spots and how to get the most out of our miles for trips we often take, like traveling domestically or flying to Europe. When it comes to other trips, I do research and look to the experience of others for guidance.
In addition, there are additional tips and tricks that people use to maximize the value of points. One of them is how to use American AAdvantage points to lock in the current price when there’s a risk of a devaluation. I read one post and thought I was clever when I booked a flight to Japan in 2022 that I didn’t intend to take so that I could rebook it for our trip in 2023. I was in “Book now, ask questions later” mode.
Soon after I published the post, I started receiving comments telling me that my plan wouldn’t work. Why not?
It’s right there on the AAdvantage Terms and Conditions page.
- Once ticketed, you’ll have one year from the date of ticketing to complete all travel unless otherwise noted.
You’re only able to push the reservation to one year from the date it was ticketed. The latest we could use the award ticket would be in October 2022.
One reader commented that if you try to rebook any further out, the award ticket is redeposited in your account, and a new ticket is issued at the current price.
And now I know. And knowing is half the battle.
The other half is using all of the hacks to your advantage but not abusing them and getting shut down by the banks or loyalty programs. Most people forget the second half. 🙂
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