3 European Getaways using American Airlines miles
Why we love American Airlines points
If you live on the East Coast of the U.S. and near an American Airlines hub like we do, then you will want to make sure that you are stocking up on points that will help you get across the country or across the Atlantic. American has great deals where you can fly from the East Coast to Europe for 30,000 points or fewer. You just have to plan in advance (or hope for a last minute deal).
Using our American Airlines points, we have been able (and will be able) to fly to:
The following airports are American Airline hubs on the East Coast
Charlotte
Miami
New York–JFK
New York–LaGuardia
Philadelphia
Summer in Edinburgh, Scotland
Winter in Finland
How many American Airlines Points does it cost to get to Europe?
One of the best things about American points is that the cost to go to Europe can be the same if you are traveling to and from different locations. So, the cost to go to Scotland, can be 26k points. The cost to go to Paris or Rome can be the same.
While other points and miles programs will increase prices significantly, we have found that American often stays more manageable. We’ve been able to book flights within 60-90 days for reasonable rates.
Conversely, our other favorite program (Flying Blue) to get to Europe, sometimes has flights for 300,000 points- which no one has stashed away.
To fly from Philadelphia to Helsinki, which is over 4000 miles by plane, is offered at a standard 30k points per person. We found this rate works for both winter and summer travel to Finland.
Some examples of how you can traveling in summer of 2026 on points and miles.
Timing
We try to open a new card and earn our points at least 18 months in advance so that we have the flexibility to go where we want.
We book our flights 10-12 months in advance. We plan around the school year calendar, and by booking far in advance, we can afford to travel during peak holiday seasons (winter, spring break, and summer).
Credit Cards
We have opened the following cards in pursuit of American Airlines points.
Barclays Aviator card (which is no longer available)
Citi AAdvantage Card
Citi Strata Premier Card
There is also a great offer on the Citi Strate Elite Card right now.
Read more about our magical winter trip to Finland and our spontaneous long weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland. All of these trips are possible because we pay for our flights with airline miles.
