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Proper now, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Govt World Elite Mastercard® (see charges and charges) has a unbelievable welcome provide for brand spanking new candidates. New cardholders can earn 100,000 bonus miles after spending $10,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
Primarily based on TPG’s Could 2025 valuations, this bonus is price $1,650.
At a minimal, new cardholders may have 110,000 AAdvantage miles after assembly the minimal spending requirement and incomes the welcome bonus. You possibly can earn much more miles in the event you make purchases in your card’s bonus classes whereas working towards the minimal spending requirement.
That is fairly the beneficiant welcome provide and can be utilized for a number of financial system tickets, in the event you’re a thrifty traveler. Nevertheless, in the event you’re trying to redeem your miles for extra luxurious choices, this welcome bonus may assist with that.
Listed here are seven of the most effective methods you possibly can redeem your AAdvantage miles to get probably the most out of the 100,000-mile welcome bonus.
AAdvantage program fundamentals
The AAdvantage program has each an award chart and dynamic pricing for redemptions. In the event you’re trying to redeem miles for American Airways-operated flights or Fiji Airways-operated flights, you will encounter dynamic pricing. A lot of the pricing for these flights is absurdly costly.
As a substitute, you are higher off redeeming your hard-earned welcome bonus and AAdvantage miles with Oneworld airways or accomplice airways (some exceptions are famous under). Award flights on American Airways, Oneworld airways or accomplice airways can simply be booked by means of American’s web site or through its cell app. About 90% of the time, I verify for award availability by means of the cell app as it is easy to navigate and works easily.
AAdvantage additionally has off-peak pricing for financial system tickets for 2 areas: the contiguous 48 U.S. states and Canada, and Europe. Major Cabin off-peak dates for Europe are Jan. 10- March 14 and Nov. 1-Dec. 14. Redemptions throughout off-peak dates will run you 22,500 miles one-way.
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Fly financial system to Europe
Whether or not you are trying to discover Buckingham Palace or the historic streets of Rome, make the most of off-peak pricing for financial system award tickets to Europe.
You possibly can fly any Oneworld airline, like Finnair, British Airways or Iberia, to Europe throughout off-peak dates, and it will price 22,500 AAdvantage miles every manner or 45,000 miles round-trip.
The welcome bonus from the Citi / AAdvantage Govt card is sufficient for a round-trip trip for 2 individuals. For thrifty vacationers trying to preserve prices low, attempt to keep away from flying British Airways over the Atlantic because the provider passes on gas surcharges and charges.
Fly enterprise class to Tokyo on Japan Airways
- Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX)
- New York’s John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK)
- Dallas Fort Price Worldwide Airport (DFW)
- Seattle-Tacoma Worldwide Airport (SEA)
- San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO)
- San Diego Worldwide Airport (SAN)
- Chicago’s O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD)
Japan and Korea are a part of the AAdvantage program’s Asia Area 1. You possibly can fly from the U.S. to Tokyo or Osaka nonstop for under 60,000 AAdvantage miles (plus minimal taxes and charges). Japan Airways usually releases award seats sporadically all year long, so it is all the time price a shot to verify once in a while. I’ve had nice luck getting last-minute tickets just a few days earlier than departure.
In the event you plan your purchases and mix the miles you earn from them with the Citi / AAdvantage Govt card’s welcome bonus, you could possibly have a round-trip ticket to Tokyo for 120,000 miles.
As well as, Japan Airways is flying its new Airbus A350 with business-class suites to JFK and DFW year-round and to LAX from June 2025 to October 2025. In the event you earn the welcome bonus quickly, begin trying to find availability to expertise its newest business-class seat.
Having flown Japan Airways from the U.S. a number of instances, I do know that is the subsequent redemption I am eyeing with my AAdvantage miles.
Associated: New top quality, enterprise class and the remainder: Flying the Japan Airways A350-1000 in all 4 cabins
Fly Qsuite to Africa with Qatar Airways
Fingers down, my favourite redemption of AAdvantage miles is to make use of them for a Qsuite redemption. Qatar Airways’ Qsuite is an incredible product and a pioneer within the area: It was the primary business-class seat to supply doorways for privateness and the power to create a double mattress within the sky.
I’ve flown practically a dozen instances in Qsuite by redeeming my AAdvantage miles.
For simply 75,000 AAdvantage miles, you possibly can fly from Qatar’s U.S. gateways to varied African locations (excluding Egypt). All flights from the U.S. to Doha’s Hamad Worldwide Airport (DOH) are geared up with Qsuite.
Relying in your vacation spot in Africa, you could possibly additionally fly in Qsuite from Doha to locations like Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo Worldwide Airport (JNB) or Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Worldwide Airport (NBO).
Award availability for Qsuite by means of AAdvantage is inconsistent, so you’ll want to verify usually or arrange alerts by means of third-party web sites.
Associated: Qatar Airways Qsuite evaluate: Nonetheless setting the usual for enterprise class (and a mileage candy spot)
Go to Down Below in premium cabins
Australia is a superb place to go to. Nevertheless it’s an extended flight away for a lot of vacationers, so if you are going to guide an award ticket, it is best to guide a seat in enterprise or top quality. Fortunately, you’ve just a few choices in the event you’re trying to journey to Australia.
Your first possibility is to fly American Airways from the U.S. to Australia for anyplace between 65,000 and 80,000 AAdvantage miles. When flying American, you are topic to dynamic pricing, which suggests a nonstop flight from Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) to Sydney Airport (SYD) may very well be 65,000 miles, however a flight connecting domestically by means of LAX and onward to Sydney will probably be 80,000 miles.
This was my expertise in 2023, and all the pieces from the Qantas pajamas to the meal service and buyer care was on level and higher than on American Airways.
Associated: Qantas first-class flight evaluate: Essentially the most snug strategy to fly Down Below
Fly to Morocco
In the event you’ve dreamed of visiting the riads of Marrakech or the greenery of northern Morocco and the Tangier Kasbah, then the welcome bonus of the Citi / AAdvantage Govt card can assist you get there. Apparently, Morocco is classed as a part of Europe inside AAdvantage’s award charts.
You possibly can fly for 57,500 miles one-way from the U.S. to Morocco or 115,000 miles round-trip. In case your journey begins within the Midwest or the West Coast, this can be a nice deal, seeing how a lot distance you must cowl.
Your route choices embody flying straight from the East Coast to Casablanca’s Mohammed V Worldwide Airport (CMN) on Royal Air Maroc. Some one-stop choices embody flying on British Airways through London’s Heathrow Airport (LHR) or on American Airways and connecting in cities that each American and Royal Air Maroc service.
A household journey to Hawaii
Typically, if in case you have a big household, it may be difficult to trek midway throughout the globe. Fortunately, visiting Hawaii does not require a passport.
Flights from the contiguous 48 states to Hawaii solely price 22,500 miles per particular person in Major Cabin. The welcome bonus on the Citi / AAdvantage Govt card is sufficient for a household of 4 to fly one-way to locations like Honolulu or Maui.
Though the welcome bonus is just not sufficient to get a bigger household to and from Hawaii solely on miles, it ought to positively assist scale back journey prices, which may he fairly excessive throughout peak journey months.
Associated: TPG unique: A primary have a look at the freshly renovated Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa
Fly to South America in enterprise class
Dynamic pricing is just not all the time unhealthy information. Within the case of American Airways, it might provide an inexpensive strategy to go to the Southern Hemisphere.
The AAdvantage program splits South America into two areas.
- South America Area 1: Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Manaus (Brazil), Peru and Suriname.
- South America Area 2: Argentina, Brazil (excluding Manaus), Chile, Falkland Islands, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela
A one-way business-class ticket from the contiguous U.S. to South America Area 1 is 30,000 miles one-way or 60,000 miles round-trip.
In the meantime, a one-way business-class ticket from the contiguous U.S. to Argentina will run you 50,000 miles one-way or 100,000 miles round-trip.
You are restricted to flying American Airways or Gol Airways to South America, however do not forget that GOL doesn’t function any wide-body plane. So in the event you’re flying to South America, go for an American Airways flight because it flies a number of wide-body plane, permitting you to take pleasure in a lie-flat seat throughout your journey.
Associated: These are the most effective Latin American cities to make use of your factors and miles
Backside line
No matter your journey targets, the 100,000-mile welcome bonus from the Citi / AAdvantage Govt card is sufficient to get you there.
Relying in your journey preferences, you will get one superb redemption of a lifetime or a number of redemptions from only a single welcome bonus. For my part, AAdvantage has the most effective award charts on the planet of factors and miles, so new cardholders shouldn’t have a difficulty getting probably the most worth out of it.
To study extra, take a look at our full evaluate of the Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard.
Apply right here: Citi / AAdvantage Govt World Elite Mastercard
