Update 8/2/13: TACA still charges only 1.5 cents per mile during frequent 2 x 1 sales (like the current one in August 2013).

I've had a lot of new readers joining the site lately, so I wanted to let them know of some of my best posts that they should read right away to get a feeling for what they can expect from milevalue.com.

Free Oneways on United Awards

Free Oneways on United Awards is my most viewed post of all time.

Update: You can no longer book stopovers on American Airlines awards.

The card offers listed at the conclusion of this post have expired. Click here for the top current credit card sign up bonuses.

American, Delta, United, and US Airways all offer some version of a free stopover on award itineraries booked with their miles. Free stopovers are a great way to add tremendous value to your awards, but free stopovers can add complication to the booking process.

A natural instinct might be to call up the airline to book whenever your dream award includes a free stopover.

Below is a list of all possible North American international gateway cities when using American Airlines AAdvantage miles. Why are these important? As we'll learn in my series on the value of AAdvantage miles, when traveling on an AAdvantage award from North America to any other region, a free stopover is allowed at the North American gateway city.