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If you’ve been dreaming of surfing in Sydney or hiking around fjords in New Zealand but have yet to book a flight, there’s a new points deal that may make your decision a lot easier.
For a limited time, members of American Airlines’ AAdvantage program can earn up to 25,000 bonus miles on eligible flights to Australia and New Zealand operated by American or its partner Qantas.
You’ll earn 1 bonus mile for every base mile flown on eligible fares, with a cap of 25,000 miles. So, for example, if you earned 2,500 miles on a $500 base fare, you would then earn another 2,500 bonus miles through the promotion and walk away with a total of 5,000 AAdvantage miles.
To get a real-life example of what this could actually mean to your miles balance, we looked at the flights Lyndsey Matthews, TPG’s managing editor of points and loyalty, took to New Zealand recently.
For her flight from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Auckland Airport (AKL) on American Airlines, she earned 13,075 base miles and another 10,720 base miles for her return flight from AKL to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Qantas. So, if she were to book these flights again during this promotion, she would earn 23,795 bonus miles for a total of 47,590 AAdvantage miles for the round-trip journey from the U.S. to New Zealand.
Related: Airline award unicorn: How I booked Qantas first class (and what it was like)
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How to book
It couldn’t be easier to take advantage of this deal. First, make sure you’re an AAdvantage member, and log into your account. You’ll see the offer under the “Promotions” tab, along with a button to register. Click to register and book flights by May 31. You must travel by March 31, 2027, to score the bonus miles.
Note: This offer only applies to nonstop flights between the contiguous United States and Australia or New Zealand marketed by American Airlines, so the flight you book must have an AA flight number — even if Qantas operates it. Also, basic economy tickets and tickets booked via award redemptions are excluded from this promotion.
Related: Las Vegas lands first-ever nonstop flight to Australia
Potential routes
There are plenty of eligible nonstop flights to the region from major U.S. hubs. Here are some nonstop options that will qualify for this promotion:
- Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to Sydney Airport (SYD), Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Auckland Airport (AKL)
- Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to SYD, MEL, AKL and Brisbane Airport (BNE)
- John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to AKL
- San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to SYD
If you don’t live near one of these hubs but still want to jump on this deal, consider buying a cheap positioning flight to a departure airport.
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