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MG asks:

I’m not too well-versed with AA miles, but I have about 100k. I really want to use them for off-peak to either Chile or Argentina and somehow use them to get down to either country’s Patagonia region. Where do you recommend searching for LAN and TAM to get to Patagonia… the airport codes don’t seem to show up on BA.com???

 

If you search ba.com for award space, which you should do a lot when trying to redeem American Airlines miles, you will notice some missing airports. A lot of the airports that LAN serves in Patagonia for instance don’t seem to be on the site.

Or if you type in Buenos Aires, you are directed toward EZE, the mostly international airport far out of town.

Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 11.20.14 PM

If you try to type in AEP, the mostly domestic airport closer to town, no prompt comes up, as if the airport isn’t searchable on ba.com.

Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 11.20.20 PM

But ba.com can search AEP. It can even understand BUE, which searches both Buenos Aires airports at once.

Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 11.20.57 PM Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 11.21.09 PM Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 11.22.18 PM Similarly FTE doesn’t prompt you to El Calafate, Argentina, but it is searchable.Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 11.22.23 PM Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 11.22.29 PMAnd PUQ doesn’t prompt Punta Arenas, Chile, but it is also searchable.Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 11.27.27 PM Screen Shot 2016-01-11 at 11.27.46 PM

Bottom Line

Just because ba.com doesn’t appear to recognize an airport code doesn’t mean you can’t search that airport on ba.com. Hit “Find flights” any way and enjoy the results.

If you find award space on ba.com, you can book it with Avios or with American Airlines miles.

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