Why I Always Redeem Avios for Flights to the Caribbean

I’m based in sunny South Florida and frequently fly out of Miami, which serves as American Airlines’ primary gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean.

Several airlines, including JetBlue, Delta, Southwest, and Spirit, offer flights to the Caribbean from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Miami International Airport (MIA). However, American dominates the number and frequency of routes throughout the Caribbean.

Using the American Airlines AAdvantage program to book these flights may seem like the ideal way to book award tickets, but that’s not always the case. Today, I’ll explain why I nearly always use British Airways Avios instead of American Airlines AAdvantage miles to book flights to the Caribbean.

Why Avios Are So Valuable

British Airways utilizes a distance-based award chart, so flights of shorter distances will require fewer miles compared to longer flights. This is where the British Airways Executive Club loyalty program really shines.

Here is a chart from British Airways showing how many Avios are needed for travel on partner airlines based on the distance in miles between the origin and destination:

British Airways Avios Partner Award Chart

Since I live in South Florida and am in close proximity to the Caribbean, I have the luxury of redeeming Avios at favorable rates for short-haul award tickets with American Airlines and other Oneworld alliance partners to fly to the Caribbean with points and miles.

While I could book directly through the American Airlines AAdvantage program, I’d probably end up paying more than I would by using Avios — and for the same exact flight.

Even if I weren’t based in South Florida, there are plenty of affordable routes available using Avios from other cities along the East Coast, as I’ll demonstrate in the following section.

Maximizing Avios for Flights to The Caribbean

Let’s explore some award redemption options from the U.S. to the Caribbean, comparing the rates using Avios to booking with the American Airlines AAdvantage program.

1. Miami (MIA) to Montego Bay (MBJ)

Let’s say I wanted to go to Montego Bay, Jamaica. First, I’d search Google Flights to see what the cash fares are like from my home airport, Miami International Airport (MIA), to Montego Bay (MBJ).

As you can see, I can get a one-way ticket on American Airlines from Miami to Montego Bay for $200 on my selected day over Labor Day weekend.

Now that I’ve determined the cash cost, I’ll go to the British Airways Executive Club and American Airlines websites to price out award tickets.

First, I’ll go to the British Airways website and check for award availability. Once I know award tickets are available, I select the cabin type and wait for the award rate to appear. The same $200 one-way trip I found on Google Flights costs 8,250 Avios and $49.60 in taxes and fees with Avios.

To ensure I have my bases covered, I go to the American’s website, enter the same city pair, and check for award rates. For the same flight, American charges 11,500 miles for the one-way journey.

By using Avios instead of AAdvantage miles, I can save approximately 3,000 miles on this American Airlines flight to Jamaica.

This will allow me to maximize my travel rewards, especially as I book for multiple travelers, while keeping my expenses in check.

2. Charlotte (CLT) to Aruba (AUA)

Now, let’s explore some additional real-life examples of how you can make the most of Avios to obtain superb value.

Interested in visiting Aruba? Booking a trip from Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) to Aruba’s Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) is possible for just 14,500 Avios and $15.60.

Booking this exact flight through American Airlines would mean spending an extra 2,500 miles, which would cost you 17,000 miles for a one-way trip.

By checking Avios rates before booking, I saved 10,000 miles on 4 tickets to Aruba.

3. Washington D.C. (DCA) to Nassau, Bahamas (NAS)

For the nearly 3-hour flight, a one-way ticket on American from the Washington, D.C. area to the Bahamas can be pretty expensive. In the height of summer, you could pay 25,000 AA miles for a one-way ticket from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas.

However, you should always compare rates before purchasing an award ticket. By heading to the British Airways Executive Club website, you’ll see that the identical flight to Nassau on American Airlines can be booked for just 11,000 Avios.

In other words, you’re saving more than half of what you would have if you had used American miles to purchase this flight.

4. Miami (MIA) to Providenciales, Turks and Caicos (PLS)

I absolutely love visiting the islands of Turks and Caicos in the Caribbean. The destination offers magical turquoise waters, delicious food, and a luxe vibe, but the cost of getting there can be prohibitive.

Booking AA flights through British Airways instead of American Airlines for your trip to Turks and Caicos can sometimes help you save some miles. However, for those seeking to fly in business class and indulge in a more comfortable experience, there may be even more significant savings to be found.

A one-way business-class ticket from Miami to Providenciales, Turks & Caicos in late August costs 70,500 American miles.

You can get the same business class ticket for just 16,500 Avios when booking with British Airways. That is a significant disparity in award cost.

Final Thoughts

I’m a big fan of the airline currency and absolutely love using British Airways Avios to book American Airlines flights for short-haul routes to the Caribbean.

Over the years, the airline currency has proven to be quite valuable for me. I’ve saved a substantial amount of cash (and miles!) by using British Airways Avios to book numerous trips to destinations like Aruba, St. Kitts and Nevis, the Dominican Republic, and several others.

And because there are so many ways to earn British Airways Avios, it’s quite easy to build up a large balance and use this valuable rewards currency to book expensive flights to the Caribbean.