Back in January, American and Iberia announced new routes and expanded service between Europe and Miami, and yesterday American launched their new non-stop service between MIA and Barcelona.  To promote the new route, they’re offering 5,000 to 20,000 bonus AAdvantage miles:

Airline: American Airlines

Award: Bonus Miles

Bonus Code: AABCN

Dates: Travel between April 3, 2012 and May 31, 2012.

Offer: Earn up to 20,000 AAdvantage bonus miles for every eligible round-trip (or half the bonus for one-way travel) you fly on our new nonstop service between Miami and Barcelona, Spain from April 3, 2012 through May 31, 2012. See the chart below for details:

Bonus Miles for Round-Trip Travel between Miami and Barcelona

Business Class – 20,000 Miles
(fares booked in J, D, I, or R)

Full-Fare Economy – 10,000 Miles
(fares booked in Y, B or H)

Discount Economy – 5,000 Miles
(fares booked in K, L, M, N, O, Q, S or V)

Note: Service operates five times a week until June 14 when it will operate daily.

Registration is required befor you travel.  Go here for complete details.

Reader Giveaway

Friday, I announced a reader giveaway with the winner receiving a pair of the slippers that American Airlines offers in international First and Business class. I had planned to share the results Monday, but completely forgot.

Anyway, congratulations to Mary Beth!

Photo: Bonus Time
Credit: Henry Faber on Flickr

Congratulations to , Ralph with comment number 64, the winner of the final oneworld MegaDo Giveaway!   Friday, I asked readers whether or not they would wear the PJs that American offers to their First Class customers. Ralph said, “Of course I’d wear them…thats why they give them to you!”. Most of you felt the same way: 62% voted in favor of pajamas. We did have one exception, from Brian #28, “I’ll just wear what I usually wear when I sleep. Just my undies.”

We had a total of five random drawings last week and as soon as I hear back from Ralph, I’ll be headed to the Post Office (if they still exist) to mail off some prizes.

Thanks to everyone for participating!

Last week was an exciting week. We had the oneworld MegaDo going on, Lego Man slipped the surly bonds of Earth to become the eleventh Canadian in space, and American offered a preview of the interior of the new 777-300ER that they’ll be receiving later this year.

After all that, you’re probably wondering what could be more exciting. How about this: Double AAdvantage Miles between Chicago and Waterloo, Iowa!

Airline: American Eagle

Award: Bonus Miles

Bonus Code: ALO2X

Dates: Travel between April 3, 2012, and June 30, 2012

Offer: Starting April 3, 2012, American Eagle will offer daily nonstop flights between Chicago O’Hare and Waterloo, IA. To celebrate, you can earn double miles every time you fly our new route through June 30, 2012.

Registration is required before you travel using bonus code ALO2X (that’s the letter “o” rather than a zero). Go here for complete details.

Photo: Two!
Credit: Nicolas Vigier on Flickr

GoPro HD: Avalanche Cliff Jump with Matthias Giraud

The first big snowstorm of the year has arrived.  The snow has been so heavy, that in Chicago, airlines cancelled more than 460 flights because of the weather.  

 American posted a Midwest Travel Policy to offer travelers affected by the snowstorm the option to change their travel plans without incurring a change fee (by the way, it may not be new, but I just noticed that the Travel Alerts section at AA.com  has been updated).

The storm comes at a bad time.  For many it’s a three day weekend so it’s also one of the busiest ski weekends of the year.  If you’re in Chicago and you’re ski weekend has been cancelled, it’s still possible to take to the slopes.  Here’s how one man built a solution: how to make a ski resort in your own backyard!

On the subject of skiing: American Airlines just announced a new AAdvantage Auction benefiting Cystic Fibrosis:

Ski with Celebrities!

For 25 years the American Airlines Celebrity Ski Weekend has been raising money for cystic fibrosis research and development. So far we’ve raised nearly $23 million dollars. Due to recent advances in gene and drug therapy, we are closer than ever to developing a viable treatment—but we need to continue important research and fund-raising to reach our goal of making CF a disease of the past.

Come join us March 1-4, 2012 for world-class skiing on the slopes of Vail, meet and compete with celebrities, and enjoy a weekend filled with skiing, entertainment, fine dining and fun. Your package for two will include:

Round-trip airfare to Vail, CO
Lodging at Vail Cascade Hotel and Club for 3 nights (double occupancy)
World-class skiing
Entertainment including a repeat performance of the always popular American Airlines All-Star Band and on Friday night, Sony Music presents Human Nature.
Fine Dining
Silent and live auctions providing a chance to raise funds in an informal, entertaining and very social setting
An incredible array of gifts – including ski equipment, apparel and accessories, and a whole lot more.
We’ll even arrange your ground transportation for you as part of your package.

I took a look at the rates and a package for two is about $12,500.  The auction ends January 17 and the current bid is 294,000 AAdvantage Miles.  Go here for more info or to place your bid.

Not sure which celebrities are attending, but it’s an easy guess which celebrity won’t be there.

If you’d rather not ski with celebrities, American is offering their biggest ski sale of the season:

Forget the hustle and bustle of the big city and head for the slopes. American Airlines has great deals on flights to ski destinations. These fares won’t last long! Purchase your tickets by January 23, 2012, for travel between January 16, 2012, and April 2, 2012.

Fares range from $115 to $239 each way.  Go here for the full list of fares and destinations.

Last month American started non-stop service to Aspen from Dallas and Los Angeles and they’re offering Double AAdvantage Miles:

Airline: American Eagle

Award: Bonus Miles

Bonus Code: ASE2X

Dates: Travel between December 15, 2011, and March 15, 2012

Offer: Starting December 15, 2011, American Eagle will offer daily nonstop flights between Los Angeles or Dallas/Fort Worth and Aspen, CO. To celebrate, you can earn double miles every time you fly our new route through March 15, 2012.

Register using promo code ASE2X before you travel.  You can go here to sign up or to read the complete terms and conditions.

I’ve been on the road but finally got back home and that’s where I plan to spend my weekend.  Whether you do the same, or instead go skiing, or head out on a mileage run to take advantage of the three day weekend and the Double Elite Qualifying Miles offer before it’s expires January 31, have a good weekend.

Here’s a new double miles offer for travel between New York JFK and a few Caribbean destinations:

Award: Double Miles
Bonus Code: NYCRD
Dates: Travel between September 29, 2011 and November 15, 2011.

Offer: Earn double AAdvantage miles every time you fly our nonstop service between New York (JFK) and Santiago or Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic; Port-au-Prince, Haiti or San Juan, Puerto Rico between September 29, 2011, and November 15, 2011.

Registration required before you travel using bonus code NYCRD. Go here to register and here for terms and conditions.

“Held Over” Photo credit: Thomas Hawk on Flickr

Back in February, American introduced a big bonus offer to promote their new Los Angeles to Shanghai, China service with Triple AAdvantage Miles for First and Business class travel and Double AAdvantage Miles in coach. This offer originally expired June 30, but has now been extended through July and August. Here are the details:

Bonus Code: LAPVG

Dates: April 5, 2011, through August 31, 2011

Offer: American Airlines now offers nonstop service between Los Angeles and Shanghai, China. AAdvantage members can boost their mileage balance each time they fly our new route. Earn triple AAdvantage miles when you fly on a purchased First Class or Business Class fare — that’s a total of more than 20,000 miles for a one-way trip. Or, fly on a purchased Economy Class fare and earn double AAdvantage miles. And, best of all, you can earn this bonus an unlimited number of times.

In addition to increasing your mileage balance, you will enjoy your flight onboard our Boeing 777 aircraft, the largest and most comfortable aircraft in the American Airlines fleet. The 777 features lie-flat sleeper seats in First Class and a professional atmosphere for working or resting in Business Class.

A round trip coach ticket normally earns 12,970 AAdvantage Miles, with this bonus you’ll earn 25,940 miles, which is enough for a round trip domestic Economy MileSAAver award. First or Business Class will earn a total 38,910 AAdvantage Miles. This doesn’t include the Class of Service bonus miles you earn for various First and Business class fare. After you add those miles, you’ll have enough for a round trip MileSAAver award to Europe.

To earn this bonus, you’ll need to register first using Bonus Code LAPVG. Go here to sign up or to read the terms and conditions.

Traveling this week, so that why so few updates.  Hard to keep up this week.

American is still competing with Virgin American on two routes from DFW, so they’re bringing back the big Double Miles and Double Elite Qualifying Miles promotion that they introduced last year.

American Airlines

Award:

Double Elite-Status Qualifying Miles

Double Flight Miles

Bonus Code: DEQSL

Dates: Book your ticket and fly between April 7, 2011, and August 31, 2011

Offer: Your miles will add up quickly with this great promotion! Not only that, but you can also qualify or re-qualify for

AAdvantage Gold, AAdvantage Platinum or AAdvantage Executive Platinum status faster than ever with this offer.

Just book a round-trip ticket and fly on American Airlines on our nonstop flights between DFW and Los Angeles or between DFW and San Francisco from April 7, 2011 through August 31, 2011. You’ll earn double flight miles AND double elite-qualifying miles, the miles that bring you closer to AAdvantage elite status membership – at an accelerated rate. With 16 flights each business day between Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles, and 10 flights each business day between Dallas/Fort Worth and San Francisco, we can take you where you need to be, when you need to be there.

If you’re thinking about a mileage run, be aware of this restriction listed in the terms and conditions:

Note: This offer is valid only for AAdvantage members with an address on file with AAdvantage Marketing programs in California or Texas.

Go here to register using promotion code DEQSL.

“Helsinki Cathedral” Photo credit: Milton Correa on Flickr

This spring American Airlines will launch non-stop 767 service between Chicago and Helsinki, Finland and to mark the occasion they’re offering up to 15,000 AAdvantage Miles:

Bonus Code: CHHEL

Dates: Travel between May 1, 2011, through July 31, 2011.

Offer: Beginning May 1, 2011, American Airlines will offer daily nonstop seasonal service from Chicago O’Hare to Helsinki, Finland.

EARN UP TO 15,000 AADVANTAGE BONUS MILES. To celebrate the new flight, we are offering AAdvantage bonus miles. And, this bonus is unlimited, so you can earn it each time you travel during the promotional period. See the chart below for details:

Round-trip Travel Between Chicago O’Hare and Helsinki, Finland

Registration is required before travel. Go here and use bonus code CHHEL or to read terms and conditions.

“500″ photo credit: Powerhouse Museum on Flickr

Maybe it’s a little early to start thinking about spring break, but students can earn 500 bonus AAdvantage Miles by joining the program and using  the promotion code GO2AA when they sign up.

American Airlines is now offering college students an exclusive AAdvantage bonus mile offer just for signing up. By enrolling in the AAdvantage program today and registering for the offer using the promotion code: GO2AA, you will automatically earn 500 bonus miles.

American Airlines also offers student travel deals with discounts on air fares and American Airlines Vacation packages, scholarships and study abroad opportunities, and group discounts. Go here to find out more about American Student Travel offers.

Go here to enroll in AAdvantage using GO2AA promotion code and claim your 500 bonus miles and go here for more details.

“250 Tesserae” Photo credit: Dauvit Alexander on Flickr

Wow, this is a pretty cool offer.  Best Western is offering new members of their Rewards program 250 AAdvantage Miles just for joining.

They’re also offering new members and current members bonus AAdvantage miles with each stay. Typically when you stay at Best Western you’ll earn 250 AAdvantage Miles, but from February 6 through April 11, 2011, you’ll be able to earn as much as 1,000 AAdvantage Miles with each stay.

From their promotion page:

Join Best Western Rewards, our FREE rewards program, and set your earning preference to American Airlines AAdvantage miles by Apr. 11, 2011 – new members will earn 250 AAdvantage bonus miles just for joining!

Be sure to provide your Best Western Rewards number at check-in and earn 250 AAdvantage miles on every stay.

Between February 6 and April 11, 2011, REGISTER for the spring promotion prior to your first stay and earn 500 AAdvantage bonus miles on your first stay, 750 AAdvantage bonus miles on your second stay, and 1,000 AAdvantage bonus miles for each stay thereafter.

Keep staying and keep earning: There is no limit on the number of bonus miles that can be earned during the Promotion Period.

Go here to sign up for the offer and to earn your 250 AAdvantage Miles.

Terms and conditions here (apologies, but this links to a PDF rather than a web page).

“Ski Lift Self Portrait” Vail, Colorado. Photo credit: Todd Lappin on Flickr

I was traveling Monday, and earning double AAdvantage Miles and Double Elite Qualifying Miles on a return flight from San Francisco to Dallas.

My in-flight experience on American is generally very good, but once in a while I’ll have one of those flights where the flight attendants deliver and exceptional customer experience and this was one of those flights.

For example, one of the passengers was late in boarding, he was making a connection from an international flight, and was seated in the first row of first class.  When he boarded the flight, all the overhead luggage space was taken, so the flight attendeant found a spot for him just behind the first class cabin.

Just before we landed, she found him a seat in coach close to his bag and moved him back there so he could grab his luggage and exit without having to wait for everyone else to get off the flight to retrieve his bag. It’s a small thing, but it’s one of those customer service details that only a polished professional would think of and that’s what made the crew so remarkable, because it was the whole flight crew that was like that throughout the flight and not just this one flight attendant. So to the the crew of American Airlines flight 1528, nice job and thank you!

Anyway, back to today’s episode.

If you in live in Los Angeles and you’re tired of the 75 degree winter weather you can take a break from the warmth and head to Vail or Beaver Creek and get Double AAdvantage Miles from now through February 22, 2011. Here are the details of the promotion:

Dates: Travel between February 22, 2011 and April 4, 2011
Book your reservation between January 21, 2011 and February 22, 2011

Offer: Looking for a winter getaway? Vail and Beaver Creek are calling. With daily nonstop flights on American Airlines between Los Angeles and Vail (Eagle airport), it’s easy to get there and you can earn AAdvantage bonus miles along the way!

To qualify, book a round-trip between January 21 and February 22, 2011 and complete your travel between February 22 and April 4, 2011 to earn double AAdvantage miles.

You have to register before you travel using promotion code LAEGE – go here to register or to read the terms and conditions.