Starting in the "second half of 2016," you will earn award miles on American Airlines tickets according to the cost of the ticket instead of the distance flown.

5 miles/U.S. dollar – AAdvantage member
7 miles/U.S. dollar – Gold
8 miles/U.S. dollar – Platinum
11 miles/U.S. dollar – Executive Platinum

Delta announced a nearly identical move in February 2014, and United copied Delta in June 2014. Both changes are already in effect, so American is just playing catch up (catch down?) here.

A few months ago I was lauding American Airlines award space to Asia because partners Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines were releasing tons of award space in Business and First Class at the last minute. Yesterday I checked in on Cathay Pacific award space and found it greatly diminished at the last minute (though not non-existent.)

Today let's check in on Japan Airlines premium award space at the last minute.
Award Prices
American Airlines awards to Asia are way under-priced compared to United and Delta awards.

Airberlin is adding three new routes to its Dusseldorf hub starting next Spring. All three routes currently have very good award space for two passengers during Summer 2016 in flat bed Business Class.

Airberlin is adding three new routes to its Dusseldorf hub starting next Spring. All three routes currently have very good award space for two passengers during Summer 2016 in flat bed Business Class.

Some credit card offers in this post have expired, but they might come back.

Cathay Pacific First Class is one of the nicest in the world.

The service is amazingly attentive, including a hand-written note to go with your meal.

The food is amazing and completely made to your specifications like when I asked for every breakfast side and nothing else on one plate.

The bed is my favorite in the air for how much longer and wider it is than most flying beds.

Not only is Cathay Pacific First Class great, but historically it has been very easy and cheap to book with American Airlines miles.

American Airlines charges only 67,500 miles

The personal and business American Airlines credit cards are each offering 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months. Getting both cards and meeting their combined minimum spending requirement of $6,000 will earn you 106,000+ American Airlines miles, which you can use for up to four international roundtrips.

How to Get the Cards (and Who Is Eligible)
Meeting the Minimum Spending Requirements
Redeeming the Miles for Family Vacations, Luxurious First Class, and More

How to Get the Cards
Some credit card offers in this post have expired, but they might come back.

The personal and business American Airlines credit cards are each offering 50,000 bonus miles after spending $3,000 in the first three months. Getting both cards and meeting their combined minimum spending requirement of $6,000 will earn you 106,000+ American Airlines miles, which you can use for up to four international roundtrips.

How to Get the Cards (and Who Is Eligible)
Meeting the Minimum Spending Requirements
Redeeming the Miles for Family Vacations, Luxurious First Class, and More

How to Get the Cards
Some credit card offers in this post have expired, but they might come back.

American Airlines miles are some of the most valuable miles in the world because Delta and United gutted their award charts in 2014, but American hasn't devalued for several years. The merger with US Airways further put on hold any negative changes to the award chart, but that merger is now complete. So I think we are in the stretch run for earning and redeeming American Airlines miles at the current favorable rates.

Last week, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite™ MasterCard® dropped its bonus from 75,000 to 50,000 American Airlines miles.