On Monday, I wrote about US Airways and TAM joining the oneworld alliance. That meant that US Airways and TAM flights were now bookable with British Airways Avios, a founding member of oneworld.

In the renewed interest in searching ba.com for award flights, there were some hiccups that people noted in the comments. Often the best way to plan an Avios award is to search aa.com, and then when you find the award space you want, go to ba.com to book it.

AA.com and ba.com didn't seem to be matching up in the availability that you could book.

My absolute favorite awards are the ones I've booked for family and friends. Helping them fly for (nearly) free is a great pleasure that can't be replicated. Recently, my sister came to me asking for advice on the cheapest ways to fly from Boston to Paris this summer. She has zero miles and a tight budget.

Here's the goal:

The goal is for a New Yorker to get a one way award to Europe in the height of summer for only 20k miles, which is a 10k mile discount plus a free oneway from Los Angeles to New York, a 12,500 mile value.

We want to pay 20,000 American Airlines miles for two flights that "should" cost 42,500 miles.

(This trick doesn't just work for New Yorkers. It works for people who live in every city that has an American Airlines flight to London.

Last month I booked myself an awesome award to the Maldives using AAdvantage miles and flying Etihad Airways Business Class.

I nabbed a scarce First Class award from Australia to Los Angeles on Qantas during peak travel season and added a first class segment on American's new Airbus A321T from Los Angeles to New York-JFK, both in fully flat beds.

I'm incredibly excited to try out another First Class product on the Airbus A380, especially after my great experience on a Thai flight from Paris to Bangkok.

Relative to other Anatomy of Award posts, this one was simple to construct and even easier to book online. However, Qantas premium cabin award space isn't widely available.

I noticed in August 2012 that on my Avios award flight from Honolulu to Los Angeles, my boarding pass printed with "Priority AAccess," granting me priority security and priority boarding.

This (unintended?) benefit of British Airways Avios awards on American Airlines flights is still alive.

American Airlines' AAdvantage eShopping mall just sent me the following:

If I spend $35 of more, I get 2,000 bonus AAdvantage miles on top of the normal mileage earning from the mall. Since I value 2,000 bonus AAdvantage miles at $35.40, it's like being rebated my $35 worth of shopping in miles.

Update: American Airlines got rid of its RTW awards, so the best way to book RTW awards now is elucidated here.

Key Links:

Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® MasterCard®
Starwood Preferred Guest® Credit Card from American Express
Starwood Preferred Guest® Business Credit Card from American Express
Explorer Award chart (eliminated April 2014)
Explorer Awards: The Rules (eliminated April 2014)

Combined, the cards offer enough American Airlines miles for a round-the-world business class award with up to 15 stopovers.

You could take this trip in business

American Airlines has a great promotional award price to Hawaii this fall of only 15,000 miles each way in economy if you book by September 13 and fly September 11 to December 17.

American has several services to Hawaii.

Honolulu <-> Dallas, Los Angeles, and Chicago
Kahului <-> Dallas and Los Angeles
Kona <-> Los Angeles
Lihue <-> Los Angeles

How good is this deal? Are there currently better deals to Hawaii?

Last week, I reviewed Qantas Business Class on the A380 and lamented not getting into First Class on my trip to Australia.

I'm not one for empty laments, so let me show you how to get into Qantas First Class on its A380--which is one of the coolest things you can do with your American Airlines miles.

I'll break down which routes have the best award space, and what your cheapest option is to test out the product.

Qantas First Class on the A380 between the US and Australia is extremely rare. It does exist.