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Below is a list of all possible North American international gateway cities when using American Airlines AAdvantage miles. Why are these important? As we’ll learn in my series on the value of AAdvantage miles, when traveling on an AAdvantage award from North America to any other region, a free stopover is allowed at the North American gateway city. And for awards on which free stopovers are allowed, North America is defined as the USA (including Alaska and Hawaii), Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

Understanding the free stopover is crucial to exploiting the AAdvantage program.  We’ll be using this “stopover” for free oneway trips to Hawaii, the Caribbean, or virtually anywhere in the continental United States!

If your home airport is on the list, you’ll be able to take advantage of the free oneways. If not, you can have a free stopover at one of the airports on this list on your way to another continent. The list is ordered from most partners that use the airport as an international gateway to least. In case of ties, it is ordered alphabetically by airport code.

A List of All Possible International Gateway Cities When Using AAdvantage Miles:

New York (JFK) American, airberlin, British, Cathay, Finnair, Iberia, JAL, LAN, Qantas, Royal Jordanian, El Al, Etihad, Jet Airways

Los Angeles (LAX) American, airberlin, British, Cathay, Iberia, JAL, LAN, Qantas, Air Pacific, Air Tahiti Nui, El Al

Chicago (ORD) American, British, Cathay, Iberia, JAL, Royal Jordanian, Etihad

Toronto (YYZ) British, Cathay, Finnair, El Al, Etihad, Jet Airways

San Francisco (SFO) airberlin, British, Cathay, JAL, LAN

Boston (BOS) American, British, Iberia, JAL

Honolulu (HNL) JAL, Qantas, Air Pacific, Hawaiian Airlines

Miami (MIA) airberlin, British, Iberia, LAN

Vancouver (YVR) airberlin, British, Cathay, JAL

Cancun (CUN) airberlin, British, LAN

Dallas (DFW) American, British, Qantas

Newark (EWR) British, El Al, Jet Airways

Mexico City (MEX) British, Iberia, LAN

Punta Cana (PUJ) airberlin, British, LAN

Washington DC (IAD) British, Etihad

Las Vegas (LAS) airberlin, British

Orlando (MCO) British, LAN

San Diego (SAN) British, JAL

Montreal (YUL) British, Royal Jordanian

Antigua (ANU) British

Atlanta (ATL) British

Barbados (BGI) British

Baltimore (BWI) British

Denver (DEN) British

Detroit (DTW) Royal Jordanian

Houston (IAH) British

Kingston (KIN) British

Nassau (NAS) British

Philadelphia (PHL) British

Phoenix (PHX) British

Puerto Plata (POP) airberlin

Raleigh-Durham (RDU) American

Fort Myers (RSW) airberlin

Santo Domingo (SDQ) Iberia

Seattle (SEA) British

San Juan (SJU) Iberia

Tampa (TPA) British

Saint Lucia (UVF) British

Calgary (YYC) British

 

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