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American Airlines Plans Its Largest Admirals Club Yet in Charlotte

American Airlines is planning a massive new Admirals Club at Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT). And once it opens, it’ll be the largest Admirals Club in the airline’s network.

The new lounge will span more than 40,000 square feet. Construction is expected to begin later this year, although American hasn’t announced an opening date.

The Oct. 6 announcement follows plans unveiled last August to expand American’s lounge footprint at Charlotte, including opening the airport’s first Flagship lounge.

A Massive New Admirals Club in Charlotte

The new Admirals Club will occupy the mezzanine level overlooking Charlotte’s central atrium.

American says the lounge will have separate areas for dining, working, and relaxing, along with bars, food service areas, and spa-style shower suites. The design will also incorporate elements inspired by Charlotte’s tree canopy and textile heritage.

Charlotte is American’s second-largest hub, where the airline operates more than 650 flights on peak days to over 180 destinations across 27 countries. Given the number of passengers connecting through the airport, the additional space should be a massive improvement and help ease crowding at American’s existing lounges.

What Happens to Charlotte’s Existing Lounges?

American currently operates Admirals Clubs in Concourses B and C/D, along with its newer Provisions by Admirals Club location near Gate A1.

All three locations will remain open during construction. However, American hasn’t said what will happen to them once the new lounge opens.

There’s also the matter of Charlotte’s first Flagship lounge, which will offer a more premium experience for eligible international premium cabin passengers and certain elite members. American hasn’t announced where that lounge will be located or when it might open.

October 6, 2026
Fly Air France or KLM to Europe From 15,000 Points and Under $6 in Fees
Booking Air France or KLM flights to Europe through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club can come with some hefty taxes and fees. For example, a one-way Air France economy flight from Los Angeles to Paris currently carries more than $293 in taxes and fees on top of the points required.

But there’s an interesting exception for flights departing Minneapolis.

We’re finding nonstop flights to Paris and Amsterdam for as little as 15,000 Virgin points plus just $5.60 in taxes and fees. That’s a pretty unusual price for a transatlantic flight on either airline.

Flights From Minneapolis to Europe With Just $5.60 in Fees

Here are two examples we found when searching Virgin Atlantic Flying Club:
- Minneapolis (MSP) to Amsterdam (AMS): 15,000 points plus $5.60 on KLM, departing Oct. 19, 2026.
- Minneapolis (MSP) to Paris (CDG): 25,000 points plus $5.60 on Air France, departing Jul. 25, 2027.
VIRGIN ATLANTIC

VIRGIN ATLANTIC

For comparison, the Los Angeles-to-Paris example carries over $287 more in taxes and fees.

The low fees appear to apply specifically to nonstop economy flights departing Minneapolis. Connecting beyond Paris or Amsterdam can increase the taxes and fees, and mileage prices vary by date.

How to Find These Flights

Search for flights from Minneapolis to Paris or Amsterdam on Virgin Atlantic’s website and select the option to book with points or via PointsYeah.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a transfer partner of several major credit card rewards programs, so there’s no need to earn the points by flying Virgin Atlantic.

Minneapolis won’t be a convenient departure point for everyone. But for anyone who can get there inexpensively, these flights are worth a look, particularly with taxes and fees this low.

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October 6, 2026
4 Marriott Hotels Worth Planning a Fall Trip Around

It’s not exactly necessary to save your Marriott Bonvoy points for one big trip. Sometimes a particular hotel you saw on social media, an event, or an experience is reason enough to plan a weekend getaway.

That’s especially true in the fall. We went looking for Marriott properties where there’s something interesting happening this season and found four with nights bookable with points.

Some of the experiences Marriott is offering this fall cost extra or require a separate package. But Bonvoy points can take care of the room, whether the trip involves fall foliage in Shenandoah, Halloween in San Francisco, wine and live music in Tucson, or a Patriots game outside Boston.

Here are four that caught our attention.

Postcard Cabins Shenandoah, Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy

Postcard Cabins Shenandoah puts a Bonvoy redemption just outside one of the country’s best-known places for fall foliage.

The private cabins sit near Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive, with hiking trails and rivers nearby. Back at the cabin, there’s a private campfire area, and s’mores are included.

There’s still decent availability heading into late fall. When we checked on Oct. 6, November nights started at 32,000 Marriott Bonvoy points, although many dates were priced at 48,000 points.

Award stays are subject to an additional $40 daily destination fee.

Postcard Cabins Shenandoah, Outdoor Collection by Marriott Bonvoy. MARRIOTT

The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square

Things get considerably spookier at the historic Westin St. Francis this October.

The hotel’s seasonal Haunted Suite turns the space into a haunted manor, complete with a fireplace, tombstones, cobwebs, and other Halloween decor. The experience also draws on some of the property’s more macabre history.

The Haunted Suite requires a special paid package, so Bonvoy points won’t get you into the themed room. But regular rooms are still an option for spending Halloween at the property.

When we checked on Oct. 6, nights were available for 52,000 Bonvoy points on both Oct. 30 and Oct. 31. Other available October dates climbed as high as 81,000 points.

There’s also a $38 daily destination fee.

The Westin St. Francis San Francisco on Union Square. MARRIOTT

The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa

The Westin La Paloma in Tucson is hosting Moonlight Vines this fall, an outdoor event with live jazz, wine, and food beneath the Santa Catalina Mountains.

It’s also the cheapest of the four properties we searched. When we checked on Oct. 6, November nights started at 35,000 Bonvoy points, with many dates ranging from 35,000 to 55,000 points.

Award stays carry an additional $45 daily resort fee.

The Westin La Paloma Resort & Spa. MARRIOTT

Renaissance Boston Patriot Place Hotel

In New England, fall is synonymous with football.

The Renaissance Boston Patriot Place is only a short walk from Gillette Stadium. So it’s an unusually convenient place to stay for a Patriots game.

Marriott also sells a Touchdown Package that bundles a stay with two lower-level tickets to a home game, breakfast for two, and valet parking.

That package requires a paid booking. But anyone putting the trip together separately can use Bonvoy points for a regular room and buy game tickets separately.

When we searched on Oct. 6, November nights started at 67,000 Bonvoy points, with most available dates between 67,000 and 82,000 points. There’s an additional $25 daily destination fee.

Renaissance Boston Patriot Place Hotel. MARRIOTT

Search for More Fall Trips With PointsYeah

These are only four pieces of inspiration for your fall travels, and Marriott Bonvoy pricing changes regularly.

It’s also worth keeping in mind that PointsYeah can search Marriott alongside other hotel programs. This makes it easier to see where points can cover a fall stay and view all of what’s available.

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October 6, 2026
4 United Credit Card Offers Worth Up to 100,000 Bonus Miles

United credit cards are useful for several reasons beyond their welcome bonuses.

For anyone who flies United, carrying one can unlock lower mileage prices, help with earning Premier status, and provide benefits ranging from free checked bags to United Club access.

There are several United cards to choose from, and the differences become more meaningful depending on how often someone flies the airline and which benefits they’ll use. Eligible United cardholders can also save 10% or more when booking eligible flights with miles, or 15% or more for Premier members.

One thing worth noting about the current offers: Each includes an opportunity to earn another 10,000 miles after adding an authorized user within the first three months.

Here are four United cards that make sense to consider.

United Explorer Card

The United Explorer Card is the most approachable of the personal cards here. It’s a great option for someone who flies United a few times a year.

Its benefits include a free first checked bag, priority boarding, two United Club one-time passes each year, and savings of 10% or more when booking eligible flights with miles.

Click “Learn More” below for the current offer, full benefits, and application details.

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United Quest Card

The United Quest Card makes more sense for someone spending more time onboard United and looking for benefits beyond a checked bag.

It comes with an annual United travel credit and flight discount, two free checked bags, and an annual allotment of Premier qualifying points (PQP). That makes the card particularly relevant for someone working toward United Premier status. Cardholders can also save 10% or more when booking eligible flights with miles.

Click “Learn More” below for the current offer, full benefits, and application details.

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United Club Card

The United Club Card is the premium personal option. The headline benefit is a United Club membership.

It also offers two free checked bags, Premier Access benefits, savings of 10% or more when booking eligible flights with miles, and opportunities to earn PQP toward Premier status. For frequent United flyers who would otherwise pay for lounge access, the Club membership is likely to be the biggest reason to carry it.

Click “Learn More” below for the current offer, full benefits, and application details.

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United Business Card

The United Business Card offers many of the benefits found on the personal cards, including a free first checked bag, priority boarding, two United Club one-time passes, and savings of 10% or more when booking eligible flights with miles.

There’s also a reason to pair it with a personal United card: Cardholders with both receive a 5,000-mile bonus each account anniversary.

Click “Learn More” below for the current offer, full benefits, and application details.

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United Credit Card Application Rules

The Explorer and Quest cards aren’t available to current cardholders of the respective card or previous cardholders who received a new-cardmember bonus on that card within the past 24 months.

The Club Card has broader restrictions. It’s unavailable to current cardholders of any United Club credit card or previous United Club cardholders who received a new-cardmember bonus for the current Club Card within the past 24 months.

The United Business Card doesn’t list a similar 24-month restriction, although applicants need an eligible business.

Offer terms and eligibility can change, so check the current terms before applying.

October 6, 2026
Amazon Is Offering Up to 50% Off When Using Amex Points
Amazon is offering a targeted discount for American Express cardholders with a Membership Rewards-earning card, and some versions can take as much as $50 off a purchase.

Eligible cardholders can save as much as 50% on eligible Amazon purchases after activating the offer and using a small number of Membership Rewards points at checkout.

Offers vary by account.

The best version we’ve seen offers 50% off when using at least 429 Membership Rewards points. Other cardholders are seeing 40% off after using at least 1,429 points, while another version offers 15% off with the same 1,429-point requirement.

So it’s worth checking which version Amazon has targeted to an account before placing an order.

How the Amex Amazon Discount Works

First, an eligible American Express card needs to be enrolled in Amazon’s Shop with Points program.

From there, check the promotion page and activate the offer. If eligible, Amazon will show the specific discount and minimum number of points required.

For the 40% offer we’re seeing, at least 1,429 Membership Rewards points need to be used toward the purchase. The rest can be paid normally.

There’s no reason to pay for the entire purchase with Membership Rewards points just to trigger the discount.

The offer applies to eligible products that can be purchased through Shop with Points, and the discount is applied before shipping, taxes, and fees. Amazon gift cards aren’t eligible.

And for anyone who shops Amazon regularly, Amazon Prime also comes with free shipping on eligible purchases and other benefits.

Check Your Offer

Not everyone will be targeted with an offer. Even among eligible cardholders on the PointsYeah team, the discount and required number of points differ.

We’ve seen three versions so far:
- 50% off, up to $50, using at least 429 points
- 40% off, up to $35, using at least 1,429 points
- 15% off, up to $10, using at least 1,429 points
Check your offer on Amazon’s website

The promotion is scheduled to run through 5 p.m. PT on December 31, 2026, although offers can end sooner if their redemption limits are reached. The terms on the 40% version, for example, limit it to the first 57,142 customers who redeem it.
October 5, 2026
7 Flights You Can Book for 4,500 Atmos Rewards Points or Less

A few thousand airline points might not seem particularly useful. But with Atmos Rewards, they can get you farther than you might expect.

Short flights are one of the more interesting parts of the Atmos Rewards redemption charts. Partner flights within the Americas covering less than 600 miles start at just 4,500 points each way in economy.

Flights operated by Alaska or Hawaiian Airlines work a little differently. Routes covering less than 700 miles can also be particularly cheap, and we’ve found some starting below 4,500 points.

Here are seven examples we’ve found on PointsYeah, from the Bahamas and Canada to Hawaii and Alaska.

Miami to Nassau on American Airlines

One of the more fun uses of 4,500 points doesn’t even keep you in the U.S.

American Airlines flies from Miami (MIA) to Nassau (NAS). That flight covers less than 200 miles. And when the lowest partner price is available, it costs just 4,500 Atmos Rewards points in economy.

That’s not bad for a flight to the Bahamas.

POINTSYEAH

Phoenix to Salt Lake City on American Airlines

The same pricing works for more ordinary domestic travel.

American’s flight from Phoenix (PHX) to Salt Lake City (SLC) falls within the lowest distance band, and we’ve found seats for 4,500 points.

It’s a good example of how a small balance can cover a practical trip, too.

POINTSYEAH

Boston to Toronto on Porter Airlines

Porter Airlines opens up another set of possibilities. The Canadian carrier joined Alaska’s partner network in 2023, and it gives Atmos Rewards members access to its growing network in Canada and the U.S.

Its flight from Boston (BOS) to Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport (YTZ) is available for 4,500 Atmos Rewards points.

Billy Bishop sits just outside downtown Toronto. It’s also a much smaller (and more convenient) airport than Toronto Pearson (YYZ).

POINTSYEAH

New York to Toronto on Porter Airlines

Porter also flies from New York-LaGuardia (LGA) to Toronto Pearson (YYZ).

We’ve found the route starting at the same 4,500-point price, giving Boston another inexpensive way to get to Toronto with Atmos Rewards points.

POINTSYEAH

Honolulu to Lihue on Hawaiian Airlines

Atmos Rewards can also be useful for getting between the Hawaiian Islands.

Hawaiian Airlines flights from Honolulu (HNL) to Lihue (LIH) is available for 4,500 points. Similar pricing can show up on other Neighbor Island routes as well.

POINTSYEAH

Seattle to Ketchikan on Alaska Airlines

Here’s where the pricing gets a little more interesting.

Alaska-operated flights use a different chart, and some short flights actually dip below 4,500 points.

We’ve found Seattle (SEA) to Ketchikan (KTN) for as few as 4,000 Atmos Rewards points, getting you from the Lower 48 to Southeast Alaska.

POINTSYEAH

Anchorage to Kodiak on Alaska Airlines

We’ve also found Anchorage (ANC) to Kodiak (ADQ) starting at 4,000 points.

That’s below the 4,500-point starting price for short partner flights within the Americas.

POINTSYEAH

Search Beyond These 7 Routes

These are just a few examples. It’s nowhere near a definitive list. American and Porter alone operate plenty of other routes short enough to fall within the lowest partner distance band, while Alaska and Hawaiian have their own short-haul possibilities.

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Availability and pricing vary by date. But a balance of 4,000 or 5,000 Atmos Rewards points can be more useful than it may seem at a glance.

October 5, 2026
Hilton’s New Kauai Resort Is a Great Deal With Points

Hilton has a new resort on Kauai, and there’s a pretty good reason to consider using points to stay there.

Hale Hōkūala Kauaʻi, Curio Collection by Hilton opened October 2. It’s the Curio Collection brand’s first property in Hawaii.

The newly built resort has 210 rooms overlooking Nāwiliwili Bay near Kalapakī Beach and Līhuʻe Airport (LIH). There are 23 suites, a pool, access to a full-service spa, tennis and pickleball courts, more than five miles of trails, and preferred tee times at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Ocean Course at Hōkūala.

There’s also a cultural program developed with local organizations and practitioners, two restaurants, and plenty of outdoor space across the wider Hōkūala resort community.

Standard Rooms Are Wide Open With Points

Hale Hōkūala currently has standard rooms available for 120,000 Hilton Honors points across a wide range of dates. Really, as far as the eye can see.

That’s a lot of points for one night. But then again, this isn’t a cheap resort.

Around the Christmas holiday, for example, we found a Resort View room with one king bed for an Honors Discount rate of $689.08. Add $48 in fees and $137.91 in taxes and government charges, and the total comes to $874.99 for one night.

Or you can snag the same room for 120,000 points.

HILTON

There’s an important Hilton Honors benefit working in favor of the points rate, too. At participating hotels with resort fees, Hilton waives those fees on stays booked entirely with points or using an eligible free night reward.

The “entirely” part matters a lot. A Points & Money booking doesn’t get the same treatment.

And skipping the resort fee doesn’t mean skipping what comes with it. Hale Hōkūala’s $48 daily resort charge includes internet access, cultural activities, bicycle rentals, beach gear, an hour of tennis or pickleball court time with equipment, lawn games, refillable water bottles, and reef-safe sunscreen. Those benefits are still included on an eligible points or free-night stay.

Free night rewards play here as well. Some Hilton credit cards offer them as an ongoing benefit or, at times, as part of a welcome offer. Since eligible rewards can be used when a standard room is available, all of this availability makes Hale Hōkūala a potentially useful place to redeem one.

More on This: How to Search for Hotels with PointsYeah

Buying Hilton Points Can Work, Too

If you don’t have Hilton points, you’re not out of luck.

Hilton regularly sells Honors points with a bonus. During its better promotions, the price can drop to 0.5 cents per point. At that price, buying 120,000 points would cost $600.

Against the $874.99 Christmas-period rate we found, that’s a difference of nearly $275 for one night.

That doesn’t mean buying Hilton points is always worth it. Points sales come and go, cash rates change, and there’s no guarantee all of this (consistent) 120,000-point availability will stick around.

The better method is to find the room first and do the math from there. Anyone who already has some Hilton points would need to buy fewer, while still booking the stay entirely with points to get the resort fee waived.

Hale Hokuala Kauai. HILTON

And there’s one more opportunity for longer stays. Hilton Honors elite members (of any tier, so Silver and above) get the fifth night free on qualifying stays booked entirely with points.

Five nights at the 120,000-point standard rate would therefore cost 480,000 points instead of 600,000.

For a new Kauai resort where cash rates can climb toward $900 per night, there’s a pretty good case for checking the points price before paying cash.

October 5, 2026
Southwest Is Planning Its Biggest Summer Schedule Ever

Southwest Airlines is planning its busiest summer yet.

The airline opened its summer 2027 schedule for booking on October 3, with as many as 4,498 flights scheduled on peak days between June 3 and August 2. That’s a lot of flying.

It’s also the most Southwest has ever scheduled for a summer. And most of that growth is centered around Austin, Nashville, and San Diego.

There are plenty of new routes mixed in, too, including more international flights from Austin and Nashville.

Southwest Is Adding 7 Seasonal Routes From Austin

Austin is getting one of the biggest expansions.

Southwest plans to operate as many as 143 departures from AUS, including seven seasonal routes. Five of those haven’t previously been offered by the airline.

The biggest additions take Austin outside the U.S. Southwest will add weekend flights to Liberia, Costa Rica; Nassau, Bahamas; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, during June and July.

Those join existing Southwest flights from Austin to Cancun, Los Cabos, Puerto Vallarta, and San José, Costa Rica.

Domestically, Southwest is bringing back daily summer service to Portland, Oregon, and Saturday flights to Sarasota. Savannah gets weekend service, while Bozeman is also getting Saturday-only flights.

It’s a fairly substantial summer expansion for an airport where Southwest already has a big presence. And there’s more investment coming.

Austin is one of the first four airports where Southwest plans to open its own airport lounges.

Nashville Keeps Growing

Southwest is going even bigger in Nashville, where it plans to operate as many as 220 flights during summer 2027.

That’s up to 20 more daily departures than summer 2026 and the airline’s largest summer schedule yet in Nashville.

Three new seasonal routes are coming with it. Southwest will add flights from Nashville to Boise, Nassau, and Providenciales in Turks and Caicos. Seasonal service to Bozeman and Portland will return as well.

Worth noting: Nashville is also getting one of the airline’s first lounges, which is already under construction.

More on This: Southwest Airlines Shares Updates on Lounges, Premium Card, and Long-Haul Flying

More Flights Are Coming Elsewhere, Too

San Diego will have as many as 150 Southwest flights during the summer.

That includes up to six daily flights to Austin on peak days and three weekday flights to Seattle. Southwest is also adding Sunday-only seasonal service between San Diego and Oklahoma City, alongside returning summer routes to Bozeman, Columbus, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh.

Las Vegas and Orlando are growing, too.

Southwest plans as many as 278 flights from Las Vegas, 12 more than the previous summer, while Orlando will reach as many as 173, an increase of 17.

Seasonal daily service between Las Vegas and Anchorage will also return in June. Bozeman gets returning seasonal flights to Chicago Midway and Dallas.

Altogether, Southwest says its summer schedule will reach 4,498 flights on peak days. That amounts to its largest ever.

The new schedule covers travel from June 3 through August 2, 2027, and flights are already available to book.

October 3, 2026
Alaska Airlines Is Selling Atmos Rewards Points With up to a 120% Bonus
Buying airline points might sound like an unnecessary extra step. After all, if a flight is available, why not just pay for it?

Sometimes there’s a good reason. Buying the points needed to book a flight can cost less than paying for airfare directly.

Alaska Airlines sells Atmos Rewards points throughout the year and periodically runs promotions that lower their cost. There’s little reason to buy just because a sale is happening. But with a trip already in mind, it takes only a few minutes to see whether buying points could save money.

Current Atmos Rewards Buy Points Offer

Alaska Airlines is currently offering up to a 120% bonus when buying Atmos Rewards points through October 19.

There’s a catch with that “up to” language. The offer appears to vary by member, and it’s not clear what determines who gets the full 120% bonus. A 100% bonus appears to be more widely available.

With a 100% bonus, Atmos Rewards points cost about 1.88 cents each after the 7.5% federal excise tax. Members targeted for the 120% bonus can buy them for about 1.71 cents each.
- Current promotion: Up to 120% bonus
- Price per point: About 1.71 cents with a 120% bonus; about 1.88 cents with a 100% bonus
- Offer ends: October 19, 2026
- Purchase limit: Up to 100,000 points per transaction before the bonus
- Annual limit: 150,000 points purchased or received as gifts; no annual purchase limit for Atmos Rewards elite members
Buy Atmos Rewards points directly from Alaska Airlines

Alaska runs points sales periodically, so there’s rarely a reason to buy solely because a promotion is ending. The history below shows how the current offer compares with previous ones. Click the arrow to see past offers.

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More on This: Current Buy Points and Miles Offers

When Buying Atmos Rewards Points Makes Sense

The easiest way to decide whether buying points makes sense is to compare what the flight costs in cash with what it would cost to buy the points needed to book it.

The math is simple:

Points needed × current price per point = cost to buy the points

Say a flight is available for 20,000 Atmos Rewards points. At roughly 1.88 cents each with a 100% bonus, buying those points would cost about $376.

If the same flight costs $500 in cash, buying the points could come out ahead. If it costs $300, paying cash is the easy choice.

Members targeted for the 120% bonus have slightly better math. Those same 20,000 points would cost about $342 at roughly 1.71 cents each.

That’s why the percentage bonus isn’t especially useful on its own. What matters is the price of the flight, how many points it requires, and what those points cost to buy.

MAK STUDIO / ISTOCK

More on This: How to Search for Flights with PointsYeah

Don’t Buy Points Just Because They’re on Sale

There’s little reason to stock up on Atmos Rewards points without a trip in mind. Alaska sells points regularly and runs purchase promotions periodically.

Instead, start with the flight. Check the cash price, search how many Atmos Rewards points it requires, and calculate what those points would cost to buy.

Sometimes cash wins. Sometimes points do.

And when buying the points costs less, it can be a straightforward way to save on a flight that was already in the plans.
October 2, 2026
American Airlines Is Adding Cash and Miles Bookings

In the near future, American Airlines will introduce another payment method for booking flights: cash and miles.

American announced on October 2 that “in the coming weeks eligible AAdvantage members will be able to combine cash and miles when booking flights on aa.com and American’s digital app.”

Even though this feature isn’t live yet, American has already published enough details to give us a pretty good idea of how it’ll work.

Cash and Miles Will Show Up During Checkout

There won’t be a separate cash and miles search.

Instead, members will log in to an AAdvantage account and search for flights using cash as usual. After selecting a flight and getting through the trip insurance prompt, American will display any available cash and miles options.

A slider will let members choose from the available combinations. Move the slider, the price updates, and whatever is left gets paid in cash.

But American’s cash and miles terms reveal that there won’t necessarily be a single exchange rate between AAdvantage miles and dollars.

The airline says the rate can vary depending on the destination, itinerary, flight, or service. American will also decide which combinations of cash and miles are offered, and those choices can vary based on how many miles are in an account.

So, 10,000 miles could theoretically knock a different amount off one ticket than another. We won’t know what those numbers actually look like until cash and miles bookings go live.

It’s also not yet clear whether the option will be limited to flights operated by American and American Eagle or extend to eligible partner-operated flights booked through American.

TYLER GLATT / POINTS INSIDER

You’ll Still Earn Miles and Loyalty Points

Using miles to cover part of a ticket won’t stop the remaining cash portion from earning AAdvantage miles.

American says members will earn base miles (and therefore Loyalty Points) on the part paid in cash. That includes the base fare and carrier-imposed fees, but not government taxes and fees.

There are a few other quirks buried in the terms. Taxes and fees always have to be paid in cash, and cash and miles won’t necessarily be available for every destination, fare, itinerary, flight, or seat.

Once one of these tickets is booked, it can’t be changed, either. If plans change, the reservation needs to be canceled and booked again.

If a ticket is eligible for a refund, the miles go back to the AAdvantage account. The cash portion follows the normal rules for the fare.

More on This: How to Change an American Airlines Award Flight Online

How Useful This Is Comes Down to the Math

For someone sitting on, say, 15,000 AAdvantage miles without enough to cover an entire flight, cash and miles gives that balance another potential use. Those miles could instead knock down the cash price of an eligible ticket.

Whether that’s worth doing is a question for a little bit later on.

American already made clear that the value of those miles can change from one booking to another. Until the feature goes live, we don’t know whether using 10,000 miles might save $100, $150, or something else entirely, for better or worse.

But once cash and miles starts appearing on aa.com and in the American app, we’ll check some actual flights and see what American is offering.

October 2, 2026