1. Let’s make it really simple. Go here and apply for this Citibank American Airlines card. Don’t worry if it doesn’t show the bonus. You will get it! However, if you’re not convinced, do go to this Flyertalk thread and see what other folks are saying about it. You will need to spend $2,500 within months. Spend it only on something you will buy anyway.
Citibank AAdvantage Business Card: $150 statement credit for the first eligible AA purchase, 50,000 miles after $3,000 spend in 4 months, 2 Admiral Club passes.
2. Go here and apply for one Chase British Airways card. You will pay $95 annual fee.
Chase British Airways 50,000 Miles Offer (you can also grab up to 50,000 more miles if you spend up to $20,000 within the first year)
3. Co here to American site and check your OffPeak MileSaver availability from your city to either Madrid or Barcelona. Since I don’t know where you live I’ll show flights from NYC. You have reduced 40,000-mile round trip redemption award if you fly before May, 50,000 after. I picked a week in May. Availability is excellent. Tweak with your dates if you want a direct flight.
4. Go here to British and register for Avios account. You will not be able to search award flights without registering first. My Fly Me to Atlantis book gives you a screen-by-screen description on how to do award searches on British.
5. Search for flights. The route between Madrid and Barcelona has great availability in March.
6. That’s it, you’re done! You will have only spend 40,000 AA miles and 9,000 British miles for the whole trip. You will still hold on to 41,000 British Avios for fabulous trips to Mexico or Caribbean or to Hawaii if you live on the West Coast. Ask me how.
But if you want to fly before May you can make it even easier and work it out with one AA card. Instead of a round trip itinerary, you will take a multicity itinerary as shown here. For example you could go JFK-Mad-BCN-JFK. You’ll only need 50,000 American miles if you choose this route. However, it won’t work for you if you want to go in summer: you’ll need 60,000 miles, hence you won’t be able to do it without British Avios.
Boy, that was easy.:)
Thanks for the info. I will flying out of Washington DC. Any suggestions on where to stay using points?
There are a lot of options, Gretchen. Pretty much every hotel chain is there. I haven’t been to either city, but Barcelona has two good Sheratons, one for very few points. I think it’s Cat 3 and you can stay 5 nights for 28,000 points if I’m not mistaken. That’s the price of one credit card application: Amex SPG. Find it in my Free Stays section on the top of the page. Also go here.
Sounds great! Thanks again.
Thanks for the info!
How would you use BA Avios to go to Mexico, Caribbean or Hawaii from the west coast? I live in Seattle.
Thanks
Sam, one thing to remember about Avios is that it’s a distance-based program, so whenever you can find a short, direct route from your city, you’re likely to fare better with Avios on a partner airline than using that airline directly. In case of Seattle departure, the only viable redemptions I see (but I might be wrong) are to Hawaii or whatever direct flights you can find to Western Mexico on Alaska Airlines. It’ll cost you 25,000 miles for RT or 10K miles less than if you use American AAdvantage miles for those flights. You’ll have to call BA and… Read more »
Thank you!
You’re welcome, Sam