3 Ways to Save $80 or More on American Airlines

Traveling is fun, but airfare costs can add up quickly if you're visiting a destination that requires you to fly. Before booking airfare, see if you can make strategic moves to keep more money in the bank. When flying with American Airlines, there are many opportunities to save on airfare costs. I'll share a few ways to save $100 or more when buying American Airlines airfare. 

Save $80 with a basic economy ticket 

Booking a basic economy seat is one way to save money when flying with American Airlines. This is the most affordable fare type that the airline offers. But keep in mind that this ticket type has restrictions. For example, you can't make changes to your flight. 

You will also be unable to select your seat for free when booking your ticket; instead, you will be assigned a ticket after check-in or will have to pay to pre-select a seat unless you have elite status. But if you have a limited vacation budget and don't mind the above restrictions, you can score a good deal on tickets for your next trip. 

We reviewed prices for flights from Atlanta to Denver in October 2024, to get a feel for how much money one could save by choosing basic economy over American's regular economy fare, main cabin. Based on our research, we could save $80 on a round-trip ticket flying basic economy. We'd pay $353.70 for basic economy or $433.70 for the main cabin. 

That's a significant price difference, so before booking tickets for your next trip, review prices for basic economy tickets to see if you can save money on flight costs. But keep in mind that the exact savings may vary by route and travel date. 

Use miles to save $400 or more when booking award flights

Another way to save money is to use your earned miles. You can redeem your American Airlines AAdvantage miles for award flights. If you have enough miles for a redemption, you'll only be responsible for paying taxes and fees, which could make your next trip very affordable. 

You can earn miles through the American Airlines AAdvantage frequent flyer program, which is free to join. You can also earn miles with an American Airlines credit card. You'll accumulate miles when you swipe your credit card for eligible purchases. 

We took the same round-trip flights mentioned above and checked to see how many miles you would need to book a main-cabin ticket using cash vs. miles. When making an award flight redemption, you'd need 39,500 miles and $11.20 to cover the taxes and fees. Otherwise, you'd pay $433.70 for tickets without miles. That's a savings of $422.50 when booking with miles. 

Fly on more affordable dates to save $125

Another way to save money on American Airlines flights is to fly on a more affordable date. Some dates and times are less pricey due to lack of demand. This tip works best for travelers with flexible schedules. 

An easy way to find the best travel dates is to use a free tool like Google Flights. You can search for your preferred airline and use the price and date graphs to find the cheapest dates. We looked at flight options for alternate October dates using the same departure and arrival cities as above. The savings were substantial.

Google Flights helped us find round-trip basic-economy tickets for $228.70. Another option was to book a cheaper main-cabin round-trip ticket for $308.70. That's a savings of $125 for either ticket type when choosing tickets that depart and arrive on different dates. As you can see, it pays to be flexible. If you can change up your travel dates, it may save you money. 

Look for ways to save when booking airfare

Don't assume that the price you see for airfare is the most affordable option. Researching whether you can get a better deal is worth your time. Choosing a cheaper fare type, redeeming miles, or booking flights on more affordable dates are a few ways to save when flying with American Airlines. Every dollar you save adds up and impacts your personal finances.