American Airlines Launches Economy Web Specials – Discounted Award Flights [New Routes Added]

Update 7/30/19: Discounted awards to Asia available until August 12th, 2019 for travel through December 2019. Prices & routes as follows (all one way):

• US to Japan/South Korean: 47,500 for Economy, 57,500 for premium economy and 82,500 for business
• US to China/Hong Kong: 47,500 for Economy, 67,500 for premium economy and 87,500 for business

Hat tip to TPG

Update 6/28/19: Looks like more routes have been added, including:

• DFW-SEA from 5,000 miles
• AUS-LAX from 5,000 miles
• CLT-SFO from 9,500 miles
• SEA-CLT from 9,500 miles

Hat tip to /r/churning

Update 4/10/19: More routes added, this reddit comment has a link to a handy spreadsheet with options. Keep in mind this is likely just testing for American moving to dynamic award pricing.

Update 2/19/19: More routes added. This time more routes to Europe for 8,000-12,500 one way. Available in February & March. Please American Airlines, I’m begging you to make a dedicated landing page so we know all of the routes and eligible dates. Hat tip to atonkscat

• Raleigh (RDU) to London (LHR)
• Los Angeles (LAX) to Barcelona (BCN)
• St. Louis (STL) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) (sold out)
• Miami (MIA) to Madrid (MAD)

Update 12/11/18: New routes have again been added. Of particular interest, new Europe routes:

• Los Angeles (LAX) to Barcelona (BCN)
• Raleigh/Durham (RDU) to London Heathrow (LHR)
• St. Louis (STL) to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)
• Miami (MIA) to Madrid (MAD)

A full list of routes is as follows: ABQ-SAT, BOS-GSO, CLE-MSP, CLT-MLB, DFW-BRO, DFW-CRP, DFW-FLL, DFW-ICT, DFW-LIT, DFW-MAF, DFW-MFE, DFW-MSY, DFW-YYZ, IAH-ABQ, IAH-SNA, IND-AUS, LAX-AUS, LAX-LAS, LAX-PDX, LGA-ORF, LGA-RIC, MCO-BWI, OKC-SNA, ORD-ROA, PHL-GSO, PHX-LAS, PHX-LGB, PIT-MCO, RDU-DAY

American Airlines, it’s time to add a landing page for these offers. Hat tip to TPG

Update 11/12/18: New routes have been added. Travel is still valid from January 8th, 2019 onwards. New routes:

• Austin <-> Los Angeles
• Portland <-> Los Angeles
• Honolulu <-> Los Angeles
• Honolulu <-> Phoenix
• Dallas Fort-Worth <-> Ft. Lauderdale
• Orlando <-> Pittsburgh
• Las Vegas <-> Los Angeles
• Dallas Fort-Worth <-> New Orleans
• Las Vegas <-> Phoenix
• Boston <-> Greensboro
• Orlando <-> Baltimore

If American Airlines wants these to be a success they desperately need to create a landing page advertising these specials and the routes they are on. For example some of the above routes are 5,000 miles whereas others are 12,500. Hat tip to View From The Wing.

American Airlines has launched economy web specials, in an apparent attempt to compete with Delta’s increasingly common Delta Flash Sales. American Airlines already offers reduced mileage awards and that program offers a discount of 1,000-7,000 miles but requires holding an American Airlines co-branded credit card. American Airlines has confirmed that program will be remaining and economy web specials will be in addition to this program.

To begin with economy web specials have launched on the following six routes:

• Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) — Wichita (ICT)
• Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) — Corpus Christi (CRP)
• Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) — Brownsville South Padre Island (BRO)
• Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW) — McAllen (MFE)
• Phoenix (PHX) — Long Beach (LGB)
• Charlotte (CLT) — Orlando-Melbourne (MLB)

Normally these routes would cost 7,500 miles and under this new program they will cost as little as 5,000 miles one way. You can book these routes now, but they aren’t available for flights before January 8th, 2019.  Economy web specials are more limited than regular award bookings as you cannot make any changes to the booking (cancellation is still available but at $150 for the first passenger and then an additional $25 per passenger in most cases losing the miles is the better option). At this stage it isn’t clear how often these web specials will be refreshed. I also don’t see a dedicated landing page explaining the new program, but it’s possible I just missed that.

Hat tip to TPG