If you’re thinking about using some of your AAdvantage miles for a late Spring or early Summer break, and you’re a Citi AAdvantage cardholder, then you might be interested in the just released list of destinations on Citi’s second quarter 2013 reduced mileage awards chart:

Second quarter awards are valid for eligible round trip travel originating in the 48 contiguous United States. Booking is valid March 1, 2013 through June 30, 2013 for travel from April 1, 2013, through June 30, 2013.

Depending upon which Citi AAdvantage card you have, you can save 5,000 to 7,500 AAdvantage miles on a round-trip MileSAAver award ticket.

Even better, Citi AAdvantage Reduced Mileage awards qualify for the 10% mileage rebate (up to 10,000 miles annually) benefit that comes with the Citi AAdvantage credit card.  So rather than spending 25,000 AAdvantage Miles on a round-trip ticket, it’s possible for you to end up using just 15,750 miles.

There are many great destinations listed, here are some of the highlights:

Museums, Food, Nightlife

New York LaGuardia, NY

Montreal Trudeau, Canada

Toronto, Canada

Washington Reagan Nat’l, DC

Beach

Fort Walton Beach, FL

Miami, FL

Pensacola, FL

Brownsville, TX (Padre Island)

Mountains

Aspen, CO

Colorado Springs, CO

Grand Junction , CO

Gunnison/Crested Butte, CO

Montrose, CO

Steamboat Springs, CO

Vail/Eagle, CO

Art Galleries and Culture

Santa Barbara, CA

Monterey, CA

Santa Fe, NM

Tornado Chasing

Oklahoma City, OK (shameless plug for the mother country)

A few things to keep in mind:

• You have to call AAdvantage reservations to book an award, it can’t be done online.

• Unless you have AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, there’s a $25 processing fee for booking the award over the phone.

• Requires a round-trip award. Not good for one-way travel.

• Travel must be completed by June 30, 2013.

Go here for the complete list or for more information.

Win 2,500 AAdvantage Miles

Don’t forget that The Frugal Travel Guy’s Monday Deal of the Day is sponsored by AAdvantage.   Visit his site to find out how you can win 2,500 AAdvantage Miles by sharing your best AAdvantage or American Airlines related travel tip!

Photo: Reduced 1970
Credit: Jacky Tranter on Flickr

If you’re thinking about using some of your AAdvantage Miles on a post-holiday winter break you might want to take a look at the just released Citi AAdvantage Reduced Mileage Awards chart for the first quarter of 2013.

Here are a few of the destinations that you might find appealing.

If you like to ski:

Gunnison, CO
Hayden, CO
Jackson Hole, WY
Colorado Springs, CO
Eagle, CO

If you’re looking to escape the cold, you might have some luck here:

West Palm Beach, FL
Pensacola, FL
Fort Walton Beach, FL
Orange County, CA

These destinations are on the list and all of them offer great food, culture, art, or music options:

Santa Fe, NM
Montreal, Canada
Vancouver, Canada
Toronto, Ontario
NY LaGuardia, NYC
Reagan National, Washington D.C.
Monterey, CA
Santa Barbara, CA

Reduced Mileage Awards are a great way to save money on airfare and make the most of your miles. You can save 5,000 to 7,500 AAdvantage Miles on a round-trip MileSAAver award ticket depending on wich Citi AAdvantage credit card you have in your wallet.

Even better, Citi AAdvantage Reduced Mileage awards qualify for the 10% mileage rebate (up to 10,000 miles annually) benefit that comes with the Citi AAdvantage credit card.  So rather than spending 25,000 AAdvantage Miles on a round-trip ticket, it’s possible for you to end up using just 15,750 miles.

Something to think about:  Ben over at One Mile at a Time made a great point the other day with a reminder about maximizing your 2012 Citi AAdvantage mileage rebate even if it’s for travel next year.

A few things to keep in mind

• You have to call AAdvantage reservations to book an award, it can’t be done online.

• Unless you have AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, there’s a $25 processing fee for booking the award over the phone.

• Requires a round-trip award. Not good for one-way travel.

• Travel must be completed by March 31, 2013.

Go here for the First Quarter 2013 Citi AAdvantage Reduced Mileage Awards chart .

The only thing better than saving miles is winning miles! Don’t forget that The Frugal Travel Guy’s Monday Deal of the Day is Sponsored by AAdvantage. Share your best American Airlines or AAdvantage related tip for a chance to win 2,500 AAdvantage Miles!

Photo: Reduced 1970
Credit: Jacky Tranter on Flickr

Between now and December 21, some of American’s Admirals Club lounges will be hosting Member Appreciation events:

Ready For a Little Pre-Holiday Cheer?

Please join us for the fun and festivities! Admirals Club celebrates you with Member Appreciation Days sponsored by Citi Executive / AAdvantage World Elite MasterCard.

Special events will be held in the Admirals Club lounges in Los Angeles, New York Kennedy (JFK) – C, Chicago O’Hare H/K, Dallas/Fort Worth C and D, and Miami D-30 from November 15 through December 21, 2012.

According to the Member Appreciation Days page on AA.com, there will be a Citi Executive / Advantage kiosk set up at each of these clubs and:

Special gifts will be available for all visitors to the kiosk.

Admirals Club members and Citi Executive / AAdvantage cardmembers will receive special premium gifts – just show your membership card or Citi Executive / AAdvantage card.

Some of the planned events include  wine tastings, omelette stations, and pasta stations. They’re all complimentary and sponsored by Citibank.

I’m going to be at one of the Admirals Clubs later today, so I’ll let you know if I see anything interesting.

Let’s just hope that it turns out to be more than just a shameless credit card promotion like this one from Points, Miles, & Martinis! <tongue-in-cheek>

My Citi AAdvantage card doesn’t expire until February so it’s a little early for me to start thinking about a retention bonus. But, I read a post the other day over at Michael W Travels about a couple of retention bonus offers he received when he called to talk about his renewal options, and thought others might find it helpful.

If you have any Citi AAdvantage cards that are coming up for renewal, you might want to check it out.

While you’re there you should also take a moment to enter his reader giveaway for a 1 year membership tech based lost-and-found service for your luggage.

And just in case you missed my earlier post, here’s how you can win a seat next to Randy Petersen at the StarMegaDO 4.

Photo: Bonus time.
Credit: Henry Faber on Flickr

The fourth quarter Citi reduced AAdvantage Award chart has been published and there are a number of great destinations listed.  Here’s a look at a few of them:

Montreal, QC
Santa Barbara, CA
Monterey, CA
Sante Fe, NM,
Grand Junction, CO
Colorado Springs, CO
Charleston, SC
Reagan Airport, Washington D.C.
Walton Beach, FL

Depending upon which Citi AAdvantage card you have, you can save 5,000 to 7,500 AAdvantage miles on a round-trip MileSAAver award ticket.

Even better, Citi AAdvantage Reduced Mileage awards qualify for the 10% mileage rebate that you get when you use your Citi AAdvantage card to pay for the fees and taxes.  So rather than spending 25,000 AAdvantage Miles you’ll end up using just 15,750.

A few things to keep in mind:

• You have to call AAdvantage reservations to book an award, it can’t be done online.

• Unless you have AAdvantage Executive Platinum status, there’s a $25 processing fee for booking the award over the phone.

• Requires a round-trip award. Not good for one-way travel.

• Travel must be completed by December 31, 2012 (keep this in mind if you’re making holiday travel plans).

I counted 111 destinations, go here to see the full list.

A few months ago Citi started offering card holders a 10% mileage rebate of redeemed miles.  For example, if you redeem 25,000 AAdvantage Miles for a MileSAAver award, you’ll get 2,500 miles credited back to your account.

This new benefit lead to a discussion with a reader about whether or not this rebate included miles that were redeemed with a Citi AAdvantage Reduced Mileage Award.

I sent the question to the always helpful Laurel over at the AAdvantage Team. Here’s her reply:

Yes, reduced mileage awards qualify for the rebate!

That’s great a perk. So a round-trip ticket from Dallas (average high temperature 97 degrees) to Montreal (average high of 77 degrees) in August can be had for as a few as 15,750 AAdvantage Miles!

Photo: Parc Lafontaine
Credit: montroyaler

Here’s you chance for YouTube fame and 100,000 AAdvantage Miles:

Love the Journey. Tell us your Story.

Submit your video for a chance to win 100,000 AAdvantage Miles!

Simply shoot, edit and upload a 30 to 60 second video telling us how being a Citi / AAdvantage cardmember has helped you love the journey. Share a story about how you redeemed American Airlines AAdvantage miles earned from purchases made with your Citi AAdvantage or CitiBusiness AAdvantage credit card for memorable experiences.

Our most passionate cardmember will have a chance to win 100,000 AAdvantage miles and a Samsung Galaxy Tab! It’s one of the many exciting ways we’re celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the Citi AAdvantage program.

Also, be sure to view the previously submitted videos in the gallery and vote for your favorites. Five of the ten videos with the most votes will each win 25,000 AAdvantage miles, a Samsung Galaxy Tab and a chance to be featured on the American Airlines Official YouTube channel!

To enter you have to submit your video by 11:59 p.m. ET on July 15, 2012.  Visit Facebook.com/AAdvantage for complete details.

Speaking of winning AAdvantage Miles, don’t forget that it’s Deal of the Day MondAAy over at The Frugal Travel Guy. You can win 2,500 AAdvantage Miles by sharing your favorite AAdvantage tip or American Airlines related deals!

Reader Giveaway

Last Friday I explained to readers that my 5 year old nephew and I were traveling together for the first time without one of his parents. I asked you to enter my random drawing for 1,000 AAdvantage Miles and an AAdvantage logo paper clip tin by sharing your best advice traveling with a child.

;

Congratulations Joseph F.!! You are the winner of the random drawing.

Thanks to everyone for participating and thanks for the helpful tips! After reading all the comments, I decided that my original plan, Angry Birds and an iPad, wasn’t going to be enough. It wouldn’t have been. I’m glad I asked! We ended up taking some books, juice and cheerios, a movie, and crayons.

Thanks to American and the AAdvantage Team for providing the miles and the paper clip tin. And again, I want to say thanks for all the good advice. I, and 48 other passengers, appreciate it!

More AAdvantage Miles Giveaways

Speaking of winning AAdvantage Miles, don’t forget that the Frugal Travel Guy’s Monday DeAAl of the Day is your chance to share your best AAdvantage related deals, offers, or redemptions and win 2,500 AAdvantage Miles. LINK

Just a few days left to enter MJ on Travel’s random drawing to win a $50 American AIrlines gift card. The deadline to enter is at 5:10PM EDT on Thursday, June 14, 2012. LINK

Good luck!

Citi Reduced Mileage Awards

It’s Monday, and for many that means it’s back to work. So, the mind quite naturally turns to thoughts of vacation.

As you work on your list of possible summer vacation destinations, take a look at the Citicard Third Quarter Reduced AAdvantage Mileage Award:

Third quarter awards are valid for eligible round trip travel originating in the 48 contiguous United States. Booking is valid June 1, 2012 – September 30, 2012 for travel from July 1, 2012 through September 30, 2012*. All travel must be completed by September 30, 2012.

I took a look at the full list and there are many attractive destinations including:

Southwest
Colorado Springs, CO
Eagle, CO
Grand Junction, CO

Southeast
Atlanta, GA
Charlotte, NC
West Palm Beach, FL
Mobile, AL
Gulfport Biloxi, MS
Key West, FL

Canada
Montreal
Calgary
Toronto

Midwest
Kalamazoo, MI
Sioux Falls, SD
La Crosse, WI
Minneapolis St Pl, MN
Rochester, MN

Go here to read the full list and complete details.

Just a quick post to let you know about some new benefits for Citi Platinum Select AAdvantage card holders including free first checked bags, priority boarding, 10 percent miles back on American Airlines AAdvantage miles redeemed.

From the press release:

The ability to earn more AAdvantage miles faster.

• Ten percent miles back on AAdvantage miles redeemed by cardmembers, up to 10,000 miles per calendar year. For example, if the cardmember uses AAdvantage miles to book a 50,000 mile roundtrip flight, they will receive 5,000 AAdvantage miles back in their AAdvantage account approximately 6-8 weeks after booking.
• Double miles on eligible American Airlines purchases.
• No annual limit or cap on how many AAdvantage miles cardmembers can earn with card purchases.

More ways to save time and money when booking, boarding and beyond.

• First checked bag free for cardmembers and up to four companions traveling on the same reservation for travel booked and ticketed on or after April 2, 2012. For example, a family traveling in the main cabin from JFK to LAX roundtrip with four checked bags could save $200.
• Priority boarding for cardmembers and up to four companions traveling on the same reservation for travel booked and ticketed on or after April 2, 2012.
• Cardmembers earn a $100 American Airlines Flight Discount that can be used to book any available qualifying flight on AA.com for each year following which they spend $30,000 in purchases and renew their Citi Platinum Select / AAdvantage card.
• 25 percent savings on in-flight purchases of food, beverages and headsets when purchases are made with the Citi Platinum Select / AAdvantage card or any other Citi / AAdvantage card.

The card comes with a $95 annual fee, which isn’t much when you consider the money you can save on bag fees.

Full details at www.aa.com/citi.

If you’re thinking about using some of your AAdvantage miles for a late Spring or early Summer break, and you’re Citi AAdvantage cardholder, you might be interested in the just released list of destinations on Citi’s second quarter reduced mileage awards chart:

Redeem American Airlines AAdvantage Miles for Travel

Second quarter awards are valid for round trip travel originating in the 48 contiguous United States.

Booking is valid March, 2012 – June 30, 2012 for travel from April 1, 2012 through June 30, 2012. All travel must be completed by June 30, 2012.

Note:  Halifax is listed as one of the destinations in Canada.  American will be ending service to there on April 3.

This might be a great opportunity for you to save some miles and take that dream vacation to Oklahoma City. It’s the best time of year for storm chasing and tornado tours! (Shameless plug for my home state)

If traveling to Oklahoma doesn’t appeal to you, then go here to read the list of less glamorous destinations.

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Reader Contest: Discount Codes

The only thing better than saving miles is saving money. And I have a 10% discount code to give away.

To enter, all you have to do is take look a the cities on the reduced mileage chart and share your favorite destination on the list in the comments section.

On Monday morning, I’ll have a random drawing to pick a winner will announce the results later in the day. One entry per person. The deadline to enter is Sunday night, March 11, at 11:59PM Pacific.

If you win the code, you’re free to use it anywhere in the lower 48 states and Canada. You’re destination doesn’t have to be listed on the reduced mileage charts.

These are the terms and conditions associated with this discount code:

This exclusive AA.com Promotion Code may be used only once by May 15, 2012, for travel beginning February 21, 2012 through May 21, 2012.

Offer details:

Purchase period- February 15, 2012 – May 15, 2012
Travel period – February 21, 2012 – May 21, 2012
Discount may be used for six passengers on a single purchase
Travel is valid to/from any American Airlines destination worldwide
Travel must be booked and purchased on AA.com
Eligible travel applies to new reservations on one-way or roundtrip on American Airlines excluding code share.

Travel not valid on following dates: March 9-12, 16-18, 23-25 and April 6-9, 2012.

Good luck, have a great weekend, and tell me which city you’d select!!

Photo: Parker Tornado
Credit: Ryan-o on Flickr