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MG asks:
I’m not too well-versed with AA miles, but I have about 100k. I really want to use them for off-peak to either Chile or Argentina and somehow use them to get down to either country’s Patagonia region. Where do you recommend searching for LAN and TAM to get to Patagonia… the airport codes don’t seem to show up on BA.com???
If you search ba.com for award space, which you should do a lot when trying to redeem American Airlines miles, you will notice some missing airports. A lot of the airports that LAN serves in Patagonia for instance don’t seem to be on the site.
Or if you type in Buenos Aires, you are directed toward EZE, the mostly international airport far out of town.
If you try to type in AEP, the mostly domestic airport closer to town, no prompt comes up, as if the airport isn’t searchable on ba.com.
But ba.com can search AEP. It can even understand BUE, which searches both Buenos Aires airports at once.
Similarly FTE doesn’t prompt you to El Calafate, Argentina, but it is searchable.
And PUQ doesn’t prompt Punta Arenas, Chile, but it is also searchable.
Bottom Line
Just because ba.com doesn’t appear to recognize an airport code doesn’t mean you can’t search that airport on ba.com. Hit “Find flights” any way and enjoy the results.
If you find award space on ba.com, you can book it with Avios or with American Airlines miles.
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I FEEL SO HONORED.
Hey! This was a very very useful post! I thought I was losing my mind 🙂
Thank you!
[…] Searching for oneworld award space from less common airports on the British Airways website. Mile Value […]
Can not seem to make BAdotcom show any flights using $ or miles or avios for CMB-SEZ. Just says BA doesn’t go there. What am I doing wrong? UL does fly the route and they are OW aren’t they?
Yep. Can’t bring it up on qantas.com either. Maybe call AA/BA to book.
Unfortunately this is not the case for avianca lifemiles
Any updates on this in light of the new BA interface? I’m trying to check AEP-FTE and AEP/EZE-MDZ space and even if I just type in the airport codes and hit search, the BA website gives me an error and says it doesn’t recognize any of the airports other than EZE. Is there a work around? I know you’re very well versed in award travel around South America so I figured you’re the man to ask!