Travel Blog + Dining Blog + Frequent Flyer Tips Blog

Should I Change my Round-The-World Award Ticket?

Last month I described how I am flying around the world with the caveat, “for now!” I tell you, having Executive Platinum status with American Airlines is a curse…free award ticket changes have me constantly checking for different award tickets for my trip.

A new option for the third portion of the trip, from Budapest to Austin, has recently become available. Currently, I’m booked to fly from Budapest to Helsinki in Business Class on a Finnair A320. I’ll have a night in Helsinki, then I’m booked on Finnair’s new Chicago non-stop flight on their A330 in business class. I’ll have a night in Chicago before I board an American Airlines Super80 to Austin in First Class. I spent $65.30 in taxes and burned 50,000 American Airlines AAdvantage Miles for the Budapest to Helsinki to Chicago to Austin one-way portion of the trip.

Yesterday I was looking at award ticket availability to see what other options I may have and was surprised to find an AAdvantage Business Class MileSAAver Award from Budapest to London to Austin on British Airways (with the LHR-AUS segment on the 787 Dreamliner!):

AAdvantage First/Business sAAver availability BUD-LHR-AUS

50K AAdvantage miles, ~$315 in taxes, and I get to fly on the Dreamliner to Austin!


This would be a more efficient routing as it would only take two flights on one travel day as opposed to my current three-day, three-flight routing requiring two nights in a hotel (albeit, I would have one full day in Helsinki). The downside of the new routing is that British Airways imposes fuel surcharges, so in addition to the 50K miles, I would also have to pay ~$315 in taxes/fees. Decisions, decisions!

What do y’all think? Should I change my tickets to the British Airways flights or keep my original itinerary on Finnair?

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