AAdvantage members can now bid miles on a Boeing 787 flight simulator experience

Many major airlines have realistic flight simulators on their campuses that they use to train pilots. These simulators are usually fully booked around the clock for training, but American Airlines has carved out a four-hour block in one of its Boeing 787 simulators this summer for a special experience bookable through the Mastercard Priceless platform.

Until May 18 at 11:59 p.m. CDT, American AAdvantage Mastercard holders in the U.S. can bid miles on a private four-hour session in a Boeing 787 flight simulator at the Robert L. Crandall Skyview campus in Dallas.

You can see the full details and bid here. If you have the winning bid, you and a guest will enjoy:

• A two-night stay at the Thompson Dallas, by Hyatt, in a King Premier room with skyline views July 10-12
• A $100 food and beverage credit to use at the Thompson Dallas during your stay
• Transportation from the Thompson Dallas to the Skyview campus and back on July 11
• A private four-hour session in a Boeing 787 flight simulator on July 11 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. CDT

The winner and their guest will depart the Thompson Dallas around 11:30 a.m. CDT on July 11 for the experience. Once at Skyview, they’ll enjoy a preflight briefing before stepping into the simulator and taking the controls with an experienced pilot. Once in the simulator, they can take off, make flight decisions, choose their route and make a landing. After the flight simulator experience, they’ll arrive back at the Thompson Dallas around 6 p.m.

When I wrote this article, bidding had already reached 650,000 miles, but I expect the winning bid will be much higher. After all, this is a truly special experience that isn’t otherwise for sale. The winner must be 18 or older and have a valid World of Hyatt membership by June 26, while the guest must be at least 12.

If you don’t currently have an AAdvantage Mastercard, you may be able to sign up for the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees), Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) or another cobranded AAdvantage Mastercard in enough time to bid on this experience before it closes on May 18 at 11:59 p.m. CDT.

Related: How to earn miles in the American Airlines AAdvantage program

Bottom line

I was lucky enough to get 15 minutes with a pilot in an American Airlines flight simulator last year, and I had so much fun. The simulators — the same ones American Airlines pilots use in their training — are incredibly realistic.

The winning bid for this priceless experience is likely to be extremely high. But this might be the perfect redemption if you have more AAdvantage miles than you know how to use and you are an AvGeek.