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Every October 15 to May 15, you can fly to Europe for 20,000 American Airlines miles each way in economy. This off peak pricing extends to American Airlines and its partners. The off peak award season starts in just 55 days, so book your trip to Europe this Fall right now for only 40,000 American Airlines miles roundtrip.

While I wouldn’t want to be in Europe for most of the off peak season, the end of October and beginning of May should still have pretty good weather, far smaller crowds, and much lower prices.

For a limited time, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ MasterCard® offers 75,000 bonus American Airlines miles after spending $7,500 in the first three months. That means you’ll have 82,500 American Airlines miles after meeting the spending requirement. That’s enough miles for two roundtrips to Europe.

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Here are the American Airlines partners with direct flights from North America to Europe:

  • American/US Airways
  • British Airways
  • Iberia
  • airberlin
  • Finnair

Award space on all the partners except Iberia is searchable on aa.com. Here’s how to search aa.com. Award space on Iberia is searchable on ba.com. Here’s how to search ba.com.

 

Award space at the moment is excellent on all the routes I’ve searched. There’s just one thing to keep in mind:

Avoid transatlantic British Airways award space. The fuel surcharges are in the hundreds of dollars. (Connecting on British Airways in Europe has fuel surcharges in the tens of dollars.)

With that in mind, let’s look at the award space on some selected routes.

Los Angeles to London

There is award space at the Saver level every day on the route. Note the 10,000 mile drop in price on October 15.

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A lot of the award space uses British Airways flights, so you have to hunt for the space on American Airlines flights.
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The American Airlines flights, whether direct or connecting, cost 20,000 miles + $6.
Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 2.30.04 AM Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 2.30.09 AM

The British Airways flights cost 20,000 miles + $257.Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 2.30.56 AM Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 2.31.01 AM

Miami to Paris

Again we see space every day in October at the economy Saver level from Miami to Paris.
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Look for space on American Airlines direct or connecting flights. You can isolate direct flights on the calendar by changing “Number of Stops” just to the left of the calendar.

Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 2.32.23 AM

Chicago to Madrid

This route also has economy Saver award space every day.
Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 2.33.19 AM Here’s an airberlin routing for 20,000 miles + $24.Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 2.34.30 AM Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 2.34.36 AM

You might also want to search ba.com for Iberia flights if you are heading to Spain.

Dallas to Italy Open Jaw Roundtrip

Finally I pieced together Dallas to Milan, returning Rome to Dallas.

In one direction, I relied on a British Airways intra-Europe flight.

Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 2.41.05 AM

This award is a great time to visit Italy when the crowds are diminished but the weather is still good, and yet it costs only 40,000 miles + $181, of which $32 is fuel surcharges on the British Airways flight.

Screen Shot 2015-08-21 at 2.41.10 AMBottom Line

The 2015/2016 off peak season to Europe begins for American Airlines miles in less than eight weeks. Book the beginning of that season now for only 20,000 miles one way to enjoy smaller crowds and still good weather (at least in Southern Europe.)

Award space is excellent on almost every route, just avoid British Airways transatlantic flights.

Right now, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ MasterCard® offers 75,000 bonus American Airlines miles after spending $7,500 in the first three months. The 82,500 American Airlines miles you’d have from completing the minimum spending requirement is more than enough for two roundtrips to Europe at off peak prices.

 

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