Using American Airline Miles

I'm trying to book a flight for my mom to Shanghai by using my AA miles but I'm not sure if I should use Anytime Miles or MileSAver Miles. If I booked her Anytime miles would the possibility of getting her upgraded to business class be higher? She will be traveling with my son who is not yet two so he will be sitting with her. I just want to make sure she's as comfortable as possible on this flight. Please advise. I've only used my miles once to book a flight for my mother in law to fly from Florida to Ohio and she didn't have any issues. In fact, she said they put her up front in the business class and gave her a glass of wine. Thanks for any suggestions.

Best Answer

Upgrades on long hauls are usually only offered when economy is oversold and there are no re-routing options for passengers they have to bump. They are not common and the chances of your mother reaching the top of an upgrade que is next to zero.

When choosing who gets upgraded, elite frequent flyers get the highest priority, ordered by their elite level and the ticket they are flying on, followed by full fare paying non-elite passengers and then down through the fares from there.

While having a FF ticket paid for at AAnytime levels puts her ahead of a person holding a ticket paid for at MileSAAver levels, that distinction likely would not come into play.

You don't really specify it, but it sounds like you plan for your son to travel as a lap child. Going from the states to Shanghai is a long time for a child almost two to sit in a lap in an economy seat. Your mom is a saint to volunteer. Have you looked at using MileSAAvers to get her a business class seat from the get go?

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How many miles do you need for a free trip on American Airlines?

You need at least 7,500 miles for a free flight on American Airlines. You can redeem 7,500 AAdvantage miles for a free one-way domestic MileSAAver award flight of up to 500 miles in distance. For a domestic flight longer than 500 miles, you'll need 20,000-30,000 award miles.

How much is 50000 AAdvantage miles worth?

According to NerdWallet's analysis, 50,000 American miles are worth about $600.

How much is 10000 miles Worth on American Airlines?

The value of American Airlines miles is 1.34 cents per mile, on average. That means 10,000 American Airlines miles have a value of roughly $134. American Airlines miles have about the same value as the average airline miles, which are worth 1.36 cents each, as a result.

How much is 40 000 American Airlines miles worth?

You should expect 40,000 miles to be worth about $457....Airline miles to dollars: An overview.AirlineEstimated value of 40,000 milesAmerican Airlines$480.Delta Air Lines$520.Frontier Airlines$280.6 more rows

Best Ways to Earn and Burn Miles on American Airlines | To The Point | Ep 23

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