American Suddenly Releasing Flat Bed Business and First Class Award Space West Coast to Europe

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American Airlines has released a ton of Business and First Class award space on its 777-300ER from Los Angeles to London this summer, fall, and winter.

This is fantastic and surprising news because American Airlines 777-300ER has world-class Business and First Class flat beds, American hadn’t been releasing any space at all on its flagship plane, and American Airlines offers the cheapest Business and First Class awards to Europe.

Maybe with the 787 being loaded onto American Airlines’ schedule, American Airlines feels less need to protect the 777-300ER’s premium cabins. Whatever the reason for the award space appearing suddenly, I love the fact that there are some days with five Business Class seats from the West Coast to Europe for 50,000 miles each.

Right now, earning American Airlines miles is super easy.

Some credit card offers in this post have expired, but they might come back. If they do they will appear –> Click here for the top current credit card sign up bonuses.

• The personal American Airlines credit card is offering 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months.
• The business American Airlines credit card is offering another 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months.

Getting both would be enough miles for a roundtrip in Business Class to Europe.

• How nice are the premium cabins on the American Airlines 777-300ER?
• What is the award space picture from Los Angeles to London and London to Los Angeles?
• How can you get the miles?

The Product

Take the virtual tour of the AA 777-300ER.

American’s 777-300ER has eight First Class beds laid out in two rows of 1-2-1.

The bed’s are 6’6″ long and look to be very comfortable.

Business Class 52 fully flat beds also in a 1-2-1 configuration. That means all the 6’3″ Business Class beds have direct aisle access, which is a nice plus in Business Class.

How to Search for the 777-300ER Award Space

Go to the American Airlines award search page. Search for a direct flight on a route served by the 777-300ER. Here’s a map of all such routes put up a few days ago with commentary from Great Circle Mapper.

When performing the search, if the destination is London, make sure to also choose “American Airlines and American Eagle” at the bottom before searching. That will exclude British Airways flights from the results.

Now on the first search calendar, one the left side, select “Non-stop only” from the dropdown menu next to “Number of Stops.” Congrats, you’ve isolated American Airlines 777-300ER award space!

Award Space Picture

Both First Class and Business Class award space are available from Los Angeles to London and vice versa. I only saw one First Class MileSAAver award seat per flight, but there were up to five Business Class seats at the MileSAAver level. Remember the MileSAAver award prices that American Airlines charges:

• 50,000 miles one way in Business Class between North America and Europe
• 62,500 miles one way in First Class between North America and Europe

The first First Class award space I see is June 7 from Los Angeles to London.

This space is on the earlier departure. Note that the 777-300ER’s code is 77W.

In mid-August, First Class award space starts to pick up to two days a week, and stays like this through September.

In late October, First Class award space is predictably available every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. This pattern continues through the end of the schedule (mid-January) including around Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year.

Business Class award space from Los Angeles to London doesn’t appear until late September.

It quickly picks up and is widely available on Mondays, Tuesday, and Wendesdays also from late October on.

So far all the calendars have been for one passenger in each cabin. There is only one First Class seat available on these days, but on most days with Business Class award space, there are 2+ seats available. Here is a calendar for five Business Class award seats.

There is a lot of overlap on days with Business Class and First Class seats. Why not treat your honey and put her in First Class while you slum it in Business Class?
From London to Los Angeles, the award space pattern is highly similar except that there is even more award space.

The First Class award space from London to Los Angeles begins May 19. There is some award space in May, June, July, and August.

By mid-October, the First Class award space begins to pick up to nearly every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday through the end of the schedule.

Business Class award space begins August 26.

Business Class award space in widely available Monday through Friday in the fall and winter.

You Don’t Live in LA or Want to Visit London

It is zero extra miles to add domestic First Class on American, Alaska, or US Airways flights to Los Angeles to the beginning and end of this award. It is zero extra miles to add Business Class on British Airways or any other oneworld partner from London to somewhere else in Europe.

Connecting on a oneworld partner–including British Airways–will actually make the award cheaper because you’ll avoid the approximately $300 in tax on a premium cabin award that originates in the UK and flies to the US.

Getting the Miles

American Airlines miles are super easy to get.

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Right now the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard® comes with 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months. The card also comes with other awesome benefits like a 10% rebate on miles used for award bookings.

The business version, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World MasterCard®, also comes with 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months. This card comes with 2x miles on select business purchases and a 5% miles bonus on renewal. One person can have both cards.

We also know that The US Airways® Premier World MasterCard® will no longer be offered to new applicants as soon as the US Airways and American Airlines frequent flyer programs integrate, some time by June 2015. That means that the chance to earn 50,000 bonus miles after first purchase on this card will disappear soon. Check out all the places you can go with just the sign up bonus.

All US Airways miles not redeemed on the US Airways chart by the time of integration will become American Airlines miles, and American Airlines has committed to not devaluing its award chart at the time of combination. The two types of miles are roughly equal in value. Getting all three cards now and meeting their spending requirements means you will have at least 156,000 American Airlines miles by June.