The Guide to American Airlines Vacation Packages

Some travelers book their airline tickets separately, and then plan out the rest of their trip details and reservations later. But booking a vacation package is an easy way to get all the planning done early on. For American Airlines fans, booking American Airlines vacation packages is a good way to bundle their trip needs.

Doing this can also make it possible to book a more affordable vacation. Here’s what you need to know about American Airlines vacation packages.

American Airlines vacation packages include two or more components, such as flights, hotel stays and car rentals.

Travelers can piece together a vacation based on their trip needs. Vacation package reservations can be made at AAVacations.com.

Yes, you’ll earn AAdvantage miles when booking American Airlines vacation packages. You’ll earn 1,000 AAdvantage miles for every vacation package booking that is made online, as long as you provide your AAdvantage number at the time of booking. You have a chance to earn additional bonus miles by booking featured hotels.

If you book a featured hotel, you’ll earn an extra 30,000 AAdvantage miles. You’ll also earn additional AAdvantage miles for the flights that are booked within your package. American Airlines also advertises bonus miles deals where you can earn extra bonus miles when booking a qualifying vacation package. These deals change over time.

While you can choose to book vacation packages through another airline or a travel booking website, booking with American Airlines comes with benefits.

For instance, American Airlines gives travelers access to private, unpublished rates on flights and hotels that are not available when booked separately. Additionally, travelers will earn 1,000 bonus AAdvantage miles for every vacation on top of flight miles.

» Learn more: Which American Airlines credit card should you choose?

Yes, you can save money by booking American Airlines vacation packages. For starters, access to unpublished rates could result in a better deal than if you were to book a flight or hotel separately. If you’re not sure if you’re getting a good deal, you can always compare the reservation prices individually to the total price that the American Airlines vacation package is offering.

Example trip: An American Airlines vacation package to Florida from Las Vegas

A five-night trip for two from Las Vegas to Florida with a stay at AC Hotel By Marriott Miami Dadeland in October 2022 costs $1,265 when booked through AAVacations.com and $1,955 when booked separately — a meaningful difference of $690.

Now, we look at the individual trip component costs. The same nonstop flights for two to Miami cost $674.

The cost for a five-night stay at AC Hotel Miami Dadeland for the same dates and room type is $1,281.

If you add up the flight and hotel individually, you’d spend $1,955, which is $690 more expensive than the package price of $1,265. That's a pretty big savings, and you’d earn AAdvantage miles on top of it.

When you compare pricing, be sure to look at all booking terms and conditions and make sure that you’re comparing the same offerings.

Yes. You can pay for your trip with AAdvantage miles, so long as the miles come from a single AAdvantage account. A minimum of 1,000 miles is required to apply miles to the purchase of a vacation package.

It’s important to note that when using miles as a form of payment, AAdvantage members will not be eligible to accrue mileage credit in the same reservation.

» Learn more: The best airline and hotel rewards loyalty programs this year

In many cases, American Airlines vacations are not refundable for the full amount. There are cancellation penalties in place depending on when you cancel and whether you paid for pre-departure protection, which is offered when you book a vacation package. Take a look to understand what to expect.

For all vacation packages without pre-departure protection:

For vacation packages with pre-departure protection for non-holiday travel periods:

For vacation packages with pre-departure protection for holiday travel periods:

American Airlines’ holiday travel periods include the Monday before through the Monday after Thanksgiving Day, plus Dec. 20 through Jan. 3.

Note: Cancellations for hotel packages with no air component must be requested by 10:29 PM (CST) the day before check-in for pre-departure protection to be valid. After 10:29 PM the day before check-in, the full package becomes nonrefundable.

If you want to have more flexibility in case you need to cancel your trip, it’s a smart idea to invest in pre-departure protection via travel insurance. This extra protection can give you more confidence when booking American Airlines vacation packages.

» Learn more: The best travel insurance companies

American Airlines Vacations packages simplify the trip booking process. Before finalizing your booking:

• Compare the price of a potential vacation package to that of each trip element’s cost to make sure you’re getting a good deal.

• Be sure to enter your AAdvantage membership details so you can maximize your miles earning potential.

• Check out current bonus miles deals to earn more miles on your booking.

Consider investing in pre-departure protection for added flexibility.