American is introducing a checkout slider that lets you combine AAdvantage miles with cash when you book. Push the slider toward more miles and the cash price drops accordingly.
This is handy if you are short of the miles needed for a full award ticket but still want to trim what you pay out of pocket. American says customers will see the feature appear in the coming days.
United and Delta already mix miles with cash. For a real world snapshot, a one way United flight from its Newark Liberty International Airport hub in New Jersey to Paris in the first week of November recently priced three ways: 40,000 United MileagePlus miles with an additional $5.60 in tax, $428.50 all cash, or $369 paired with 6,000 miles.
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Airlines are adding perks and flexible payment tools to woo higher spending travelers, which could change how you use miles to cut ticket costs. Watch how the new slider affects your personal mix of miles and cash, especially when you are close to an award but not quite there.
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