Miles & More Overview

The frequent flyer program is mainly used by Lufthansa Group passengers as it offers the most benefits when flying on these airlines, especially when you have frequent flyer status. Even the entry-level Frequent Traveller (Star Alliance Silver) status allows you to access Lufthansa Business Lounges when flying in Economy Class. While most benefits to status members apply on Lufthansa Group flights, there are the usual Star Alliance Silver and Gold benefits that are available on all Star Alliance flights (like Priority Check-in and Boarding, for example).

Miles & More miles are harder to earn than most miles – the main reason is that there is no way to transfer in miles into Miles & More from any transferable bank points program or even Marriott Bonvoy. Transfers from Marriott were possible way back in the day, but have since been suspended.

The best way to earn miles is by flying in Premium Economy Class, Business Class, and First Class on Star Alliance airlines. The cheapest Economy tickets earn between 0% – 25% of the miles flown and First Class tickets can earn up to 300% + your elite status bonus. You can also earn miles through hotel stays, car rentals, and a variety of other partners.

The quickest way to receive a significant amount of miles is through the Barclays US Lufthansa Miles & More World Elite Mastercard – which frequently offers a sign-up bonus of around 50,000 – 60,000 miles upon qualifying activities.

SWISS International Air Lines, a Miles & More airline

Award Redemptions

Miles & More does still publish an official award chart, unlike some other airlines, so you’re able to see how much a flight costs in miles based on availability. The rates are quite reasonable and in some cases offer a better value than other Star Alliance programs (for example, Business Class to/from North America to/from Europe is less expensive in miles when booking through Miles & More when compared to most Star Alliance programs). The major disadvantage is that the program does charge fuel surcharges when flying airlines within the Lufthansa Group and a few others, these can be significant – especially when departing from North America.

Miles & More allows award ticket cancellations on regular tickets for a fee of EUR50 and some award tickets can be changed for free while others for the same EUR50 fee. Promotional and discounted award tickets usually cannot be cancelled. In addition to all of that, the program does have great routing rules which allow stopovers and open-jaws on round-trip tickets. Basic one-way and round-trip tickets can be booked online, but more complex tickets must be booked over the phone.

Miles & More Mileage Bargains

The highlight of the program are the Mileage Bargains – a list which is updated monthly and features discounted award tickets by half. The origins and destinations of the promotional tickets change frequently and not surprisingly, these tickets come with a lot of restrictions:

• no cancellations
• changes generally not allowed (but in some cases could be depending on the situation)
• all taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges are the same as on a regular ticket; only the mileage requirement is discounted
• the offer has limited availability (just because there will be an award seat doesn’t mean it will be available as a mileage bargain)
• round-trip booking is required
• mileage bargains can only be booked online
• minimum stay requirements apply
• booking period applies
• travel period applies

Let’s take a look at a specific offer right now:

• departing select cities in the USA on Lufthansa
• arriving select cities in Europe on Lufthansa
• Business Class for 55,000 miles round-trip (instead of 112,000 miles)
• booking period: 01 December 2022 – 31 December 2022
• travel period: 15 March 2023 – 30 April 2023

Mileage bargains are offered on major, fully-integrated M&M airlines (Lufthansa, Austrian, SWISS, etc.), and based on the offer above it would be valid as follows:

• you must depart a city under the promotion in the USA on Lufthansa
• you must arrive in a city under the promotion in Europe on Lufthansa (so you could connect in Frankfurt or Munich)
• the mileage requirement is half of the normal award
• you must book in a certain period
• you must travel in a certain period

Every mileage bargain offer has different destinations, operating airlines, booking classes, booking periods, and travel periods. First Class is not offered as a mileage bargain.

Mileage Bargain Examples

The list of Mileage Bargains frequently changes and currently some of the offers available right now include:

• DEN/DTW/LAX/SFO/SEA/STL to Paris in Economy Class for 30k miles round-trip
• ATL/DTW/LAX/SEA to Paris in Premium Economy Class for 40k miles round-trip
• ATL/ORD/DTW to Paris in Business Class for 55k miles round-trip

As you can see, the list of the departure airports is quite limited and doesn’t include all of the airports Lufthansa operates flights to in the USA.

This month, other cities in Europe that are also available for a mileage bargain award include places like Athens, Barcelona, Geneva, Helsinki, London, Oslo, and many more. Each city pair (origin and destination) has different offers – for example, you might be able to fly from New York to Athens only in Premium Economy under a mileage bargain while another bargain could be available out of Boston to Athens, but only in Business Class.

Miles & More is Lufthansa’s program

All in All

Mileage Bargain award tickets are promotional, discounted award tickets which are offered by Lufthansa’s frequent flyer program and frequently change based on a variety of factors. You can book round-trip award tickets at half of the cost in miles, but the full cost in taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges. While surcharges can be expensive in some cases, there are good deals to be found – taxes and fees on an award ticket always depend on where you’re flying from, to, and where you are transiting.

Miles are a bit harder to acquire than other miles, but in some cases they are more valuable for awards like Mileage Bargains or even booking Lufthansa First Class in advance (while other Star Alliance frequent flyer programs can only book it a maximum of two weeks before a flight). There are other gems to be found as well, especially when you’re a member and fly with the Lufthansa Group.

The post Miles & More Mileage Bargains (Business Class to Europe 55k Miles) appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

While Lufthansa First Class may not be the world’s best flying experience, it is one that is easily attainable using miles and points – that is, if you are booking close to departure as Lufthansa only releases award seats to partner airlines in First Class max two weeks prior to departure. Should you wish to redeem in advance, you can do so using Lufthansa’s Miles & More frequent flyer program, pending availability.

There are other First Class flights to/from Europe such as those on Air France, British Airways, SWISS International Air Lines, etc., however either there’s no good way to book it using miles (AF or LX) or the First Class product is not of amazing quality (BA).

fly Lufthansa First Class using miles

Lufthansa First Class using Miles & Points

• seats are released to partner airlines max two weeks prior to departure
• east coast and Mexico City have the most First Class availability
• depending on the frequent flyer program you are using, you may have to pay fuel surcharges
• you can redeem Miles & More miles without the two-weeks-before-departure restriction if there is award availability (and there is often more for Lufthansa’s own members)
• you can add on connections in Europe and the U.S. if there is award availability, subject to the rules of the program you are using to book the ticket
• award tickets don’t change the experience in any way (still the same First Class lounge access, ground benefits, and in-flight experience)

Lufthansa First Class Routes

Lufthansa frequently changes where they fly aircraft with First Class to, and there is often more First Class service to the U.S. in the summer months rather than the winter months. Lufthansa’s only aircraft featuring a First Class cabin currently include:

• Airbus A340-600 (A346)
• Airbus A380-800 (A388)
• Boeing 747-8i (B748)

Lufthansa has several Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s on order and some might feature a First Class cabin in the future. The Boeing 777-9 will eventually be Lufthansa’s flagship aircraft and should also feature First Class.

Lufthansa First Class is currently available on the following North American routes:

• Frankfurt <-> Chicago (ORD)
• Frankfurt <-> Los Angeles (LAX)
• Frankfurt <-> Mexico City (MEX)
• Frankfurt <-> Miami (MIA)
• Frankfurt <-> San Francisco (SFO)
• Frankfurt <-> Washington D.C. (IAD)
• Munich <-> Boston (BOS)
• Munich <-> Miami (MIA)
• Munich <-> New York (JFK)

Redeeming Miles for Lufthansa First Class

Lufthansa is a Star Alliance member airline, which means you can redeem any Star Alliance miles for a First Class flight on Lufthansa, if there is award availability, at the following rates to/from Frankfurt/Munich (one-way):

• Air Canada Aeroplan: between 90k – 100k+ points (depends on the distance flown)
• Asiana Airlines Asiana Club: 50k miles
• Avianca LifeMiles: 87k miles
• Lufthansa Group Miles & More: 91k miles
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer: 121k miles
• United Airlines MileagePlus: around 120k miles (could vary since United’s pricing is dynamic)

Note that this isn’t the full list of programs/airlines which you can use to redeem miles from – just the best programs to use. As you can see above, redeeming Asiana Airlines miles for a one-way flight at just 50k miles is a phenomenal value; the catch is that you can only transfer from Marriott Bonvoy to Asiana Club and the transfers take up to a week, and sometimes even longer.

fly Lufthansa First Class using miles

All in All

Lufthansa First Class is an excellent way to fly to/from Europe – from the First Class Terminal in Frankfurt and First Class Lounges in Frankfurt and Munich, the private tarmac car transfer to your aircraft, to the incredible in-flight experience featuring world-class dining and a comfortable seat which turns into a fully flat bed, this is one of the greatest ways to fly.

Redeeming miles for Lufthansa First Class can be difficult, but not impossible. Usually Lufthansa will release award seats just a few days before departure, depending on how full the cabin is – if there are a few unsold seats left, the airline will probably release at least one as an award; if the cabin is almost full, chances are the given flight won’t open up for mileage redemption. If you need to fly somewhere and don’t want to risk First Class not opening up, you could always book another flight itinerary and then later last minute change to Lufthansa First Class, should it open up.

The post Redeeming Miles for Lufthansa First Class appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a very interesting frequent flyer program in that it won’t solve all of your award travel needs, but it does nicely complement other programs. And where other frequent flyer programs may not provide the best value, that’s where you might be able to use Virgin Atlantic points at an exceptional value – let’s cover some of the best Flying Club Sweet Spots in the program.

You can easily gain more points by transferring in from:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Capital One Rewards
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Points
• Marriott Bonvoy

Flying Club Sweet Spots Notes

The sweet spots listed below are valid for one-way travel during the regular/low/standard season. Virgin Atlantic does also publish peak season award charts – the season is determined by the date you fly and can be viewed directly on Virgin’s website. Standard and Peak Season award rates may or may not apply to partner airlines; if a connecting flight is required, you may be charged for each flight separately on some partner airlines (though some partner airlines also allow “free” connecting flights within the same region).

This post will cover Flying Club sweet spots on AF/KL, NH, HA, SA. Read about other sweet spots here.

In addition to the mandatory airline taxes and fees that must be paid on an award ticket, some airlines also charge fuel surcharges – which can be hundreds of dollars in some cases. Sadly, Virgin Atlantic does charge fuel surcharges on some award tickets – in some cases these can be very high (especially on their own flights). The good news is that for travel on some of their airline partners, fuel surcharges can be relatively low – this depends on the airline you are flying, the route, class of service, and more. Expect to pay more in taxes/fees and fuel surcharges if redeeming points for Business Class flights.

fly KLM using Flying Club Sweet Spots

Sweet Spots: Air France/KLM Royal Dutch Airlines

search for award space: directly on Virgin Atlantic’s website or using Delta Air Lines SkyMiles

Short-Medium Haul flights:

• flights 600 miles or less: Economy Class: 4k, Business Class: 8k
• flights in distance of 601 – 1,249 miles: Economy Class: 7.5k
• flights in distance of 1,250 – 1,749 miles: Economy Class: 9k

Long Haul flights:

• Zone 1: UK, Germany, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Malta, Norway, Sweden
• Zone 2: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, Canary Islands (Spain), Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Libya, Lithuania, Latvia, Macedonia, Madeira (Portugal), Moldavia, Morocco, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Tunisia, Ukraine, Montenegro, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan
• Zone 3: Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Egypt, UAE, Georgia, Iraq, Iran, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Syria, Qatar, Uzbekistan, Djibouti
• Zone 4: Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Congo, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Chad, Zambia, Sierra Leone
• Zone 5: Angola, South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Reunion Island (France), Seychelles, Mayotte (France), Comoros, Madagascar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka
• Zone 6: USA (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Washington D.C., West Virginia, Virginia, Michigan, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida), Canada (Ontario, Quebec, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island), Antigua, Barbados, Bahamas, Cuba, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, French Guyana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos, Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Martinique, Haiti, Puerto Rico (USA), Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Marteen
• Zone 7: USA (Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado, New Mexico, Idaho, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, California, Hawaii, Alaska), Canada (Nunavut, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, Northwest Territories, British Colombia, Yukon), Mexico, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, Nicaragua
• Zone 8: Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay
• Zone 9: China, South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Myanmar, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
• Zone 10: Australia, Fiji, Guam, Mariana Islands, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Zealand, Palau, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, New Caledonia, French Polynesia

The cost of a flight in miles is determined based on the zones you are traveling between. Zone 1 and Zone 2 covers Europe and since that’s where Air France/KLM flights originate, here are the sweet spots:

• Zone 1 <-> Zone 2: Economy Class: 9k
• Zone 1 <-> Zone 3: Economy Class: 12k, Premium Economy Class: 24k
• Zone 1 <-> Zone 4: Economy Class: 12k, Premium Economy Class: 24k, Business Class: 48.5k
• Zone 1 <-> Zone 5: Economy Class: 15k, Premium Economy Class: 30k, Business Class: 61k
• Zone 1 <-> Zone 6: Economy Class: 12k, Premium Economy Class: 24k, Business Class: 48.5k
• Zone 1 <-> Zone 7: Economy Class: 15k
• Zone 1 <-> Zone 8: Economy Class: 17k, Premium Economy Class: 34k
• Zone 1 <-> Zone 9: Economy Class: 21k
• Zone 1 <-> Zone 10: Economy Class: 31k
• Zone 2 <-> Zone 3: Economy Class: 20k
• Zone 2 <-> Zone 4: Economy Class: 20k, Business Class: 65k
• Zone 2 <-> Zone 5: Economy Class: 23k
• Zone 2 <-> Zone 6: Economy Class: 20k
• Zone 2 <-> Zone 7: Economy Class: 23k
• Zone 2 <-> Zone 8: Economy Class: 26.5k
• Zone 2 <-> Zone 9: Economy Class: 30k
• Zone 2 <-> Zone 10: Economy Class: 39.5k

Sweet Spots: ANA All Nippon Airways

search for award space: using Air Canada Aeroplan or United Airlines MileagePlus

• Japan <-> Japan: Economy Class: 7.5k
• Japan <-> South Korea: Economy Class: 9k
• Japan <-> China/Guam/Hong Kong/Taiwan/Philippines: Economy Class: 11.5k, Business Class: 22.5k, First Class: 30k
• Japan <-> Malaysia/Myanmar/Singapore/Thailand/Vietnam: Business Class: 32.5k, First Class: 40k
• Japan <-> Hawaii/India/Indonesia: Economy Class: 22.5k, Business Class: 35k, First Class: 45k
• Japan <-> Australia/Canada/West Coast USA: Business Class: 45k, First Class: 55k
• Japan <-> Europe/Mexico/Rest of USA: Business Class: 47.5k, First Class: 60k

Sweet Spots: Hawaiian Airlines

search for award space: using Hawaiian Airlines Hawaiian Miles at the low/saver award levels or for international Hawaiian Airlines flights, using American Airlines AAdvantage

• Hawaii <-> Hawaii: Economy Class: 7.5k
• Hawaii <-> West Coast USA: First Class: 40k
• Hawaii <-> South Pacific: Economy Class: 27.5k, Business Class: 47.5k

There’s a few other routes you can redeem on, but the value isn’t that great so they aren’t considered sweet spots.

Sweet Spots: South African Airways

search for award space: using Air Canada Aeroplan or United Airlines MileagePlus

• Domestic South Africa <-> Domestic South Africa: Economy Class: 10k, Business Class: 15k
• South Africa <-> Botswana/Lesotho/Madagascar/Malawi/Mozambique/Namibia/Swaziland/Zambia/Zimbabwe: Economy Class: 10k, Business Class: 15k
• South Africa <-> Angola/Benin/Cameroon/Côte d’Ivoire/DR Congo/Republic of Congo/Gabon/Ghana/Kenya/Nigeria/Senegal/Tanzania/Uganda: Business Class: 25k
• South Africa <-> Indian Ocean: Economy Class: 20k, Business Class: 25k

There are a few other sweet spots for travel on South African Airways, however given the airline’s recent financial trouble, they aren’t operating many flights at the moment and aren’t flying to the USA/Europe/South America/Australia – so booking those other sweet spots is not possible right now.

visit Japan with Flying Club Sweet Spots

Flying Club Sweet Spots: All in All

As you can see by the various sweet spots above, Virgin Atlantic’s program can truly be powerful when redeeming points on different airlines in several regions. Remember that fuel surcharges do vary based on your airline, route, class, etc. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points are relatively easy to earn as you can transfer in from a bunch of transferable bank points programs and from Marriott Bonvoy.

Remember that not all redemptions can be done directly on Virgin’s website and some do require you calling in; changes and cancellations are also simple with Flying Club for a small fee of GBP30 or USD50. Redeeming miles for award tickets through Flying Club can be an incredible deal in many cases – just make sure the surcharges on your itinerary aren’t too expensive.

The post Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Sweet Spots (AF/KL, NH, HA, SA) appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a very interesting frequent flyer program in that it won’t solve all of your award travel needs, but it does nicely complement other programs. And where other frequent flyer programs may not provide the best value, that’s where you might be able to use Virgin Atlantic points at an exceptional value – let’s cover some of the best Sweet Spots in the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club program.

You can easily gain more points by transferring in from:

• American Express Membership Rewards
• Capital One Rewards
• Chase Ultimate Rewards
• Citi ThankYou Points
• Marriott Bonvoy

Flying Club Sweet Spots Notes

The sweet spots listed below are valid for one-way travel during the regular/low/standard season. Virgin Atlantic does also publish peak season award charts – the season is determined by the date you fly and can be viewed directly on Virgin’s website. Standard and Peak Season award rates may or may not apply to partner airlines; if a connecting flight is required, you may be charged for each flight separately on some partner airlines (though some partner airlines also allow “free” connecting flights within the same region).

This post will cover sweet spots on (next post will cover other airline partners):

• Virgin Atlantic
• Air New Zealand
• Delta Air Lines
• Singapore Airlines
• Virgin Australia

In addition to the mandatory airline taxes and fees that must be paid on an award ticket, some airlines also charge fuel surcharges – which can be hundreds of dollars in some cases. Sadly, Virgin Atlantic does charge fuel surcharges on some award tickets – in some cases these can be very high (especially on their own flights). The good news is that for travel on some of their airline partners, fuel surcharges can be relatively low – this depends on the airline you are flying, the route, class of service, and more. Expect to pay more in taxes/fees and fuel surcharges if redeeming points for Business Class flights.

redeem Flying Club miles for Virgin Atlantic flights

Sweet Spots: Virgin Atlantic

search for award space: directly on Virgin Atlantic’s website

• UK <-> Israel: Economy Class: 9k, Premium Economy: 16k, Upper Class: 28k
• UK <-> India/Pakistan: Economy Class: 10k, Premium Economy: 17.5k, Upper Class: 37.5k
• UK <-> US (BOS, EWR, JFK, IAD): Economy Class: 10k, Premium Economy: 17.5k, Upper Class: 47.5k
• UK <-> US (ATL, MIA, MCO, TPA): Economy Class: 12.5k, Premium Economy: 22.5k, Upper Class: 47.5k
• UK <-> US (AUS, LAS, LAX, SFO, SEA): Economy Class: 15k, Premium Economy: 27.5k
• UK <-> Caribbean: Economy Class: 10k, Premium Economy: 17.5k, Upper Class: 57.5k
• UK <-> Nigeria/China/Hong Kong: Economy Class: 12.5k, Premium Economy: 22.5k, Upper Class: 57.5k
• UK <-> South Africa: Economy Class: 12.5k, Premium Economy: 25k, Upper Class: 57.5k

Sweet Spots: Air New Zealand

search for award space: using Air Canada Aeroplan or United Airlines MileagePlus

• New Zealand <-> New Zealand: Economy Class: 7.5k
• New Zealand <-> Australia: Economy Class: 10k, Business Class: 15k
• New Zealand <-> Pacific Islands: Economy Class: 10k, Business Class: 15k
• New Zealand <-> Asia: Business Class: 40k
• New Zealand <-> Hawaii: Business Class: 45k
• New Zealand <-> North America: Business Class: 62.5k

Air New Zealand award availability in Business Class is hard to find – so if you see something, book it right away!

Sweet Spots: Delta Air Lines

search for award space: directly on Virgin Atlantic’s website or using Air France/KLM Flying Blue

• UK <-> US (BOS, JFK): Economy Class: 15k, Delta One: 47.5k
• UK <-> US (ATL, DTW, MSP): Economy Class: 17.5k, Delta One: 47.5k
• UK <-> US (SLC): Economy Class: 20k
• Europe (excluding the UK) <-> US: Delta One: 50k
• all other flights with range of 0 – 500 miles flown: Economy Class: 7.5k
• all other flights with range of 501 – 1,000 miles flown: Economy Class: 8.5k
• all other flights with range of 1,001 – 1,500 miles flown: Economy Class: 11.5k
• all other flights with range of 1,501 – 2,000 miles flown: Economy Class: 12.5k
• all other flights with range of 2,001 – 3,000 miles flown: Economy Class: 15k
• all other flights with range of 3,001 – 4,000 miles flown: Economy Class: 22.5k

Sweet Spots: Singapore Airlines

search for award space: using Air Canada Aeroplan or United Airlines MileagePlus

• Singapore <-> Brunei/Indonesia/Malaysia: Economy Class: 7.5k
• Singapore <-> Japan/South Korea: Business Class: 35k, First Class: 50k
• Singapore <-> China (PEK, PVG): Business Class: 35k, First Class: 50k
• Singapore <-> Turkey/UAE: Business Class: 40k, First Class: 60k
• Singapore <-> South Africa: Business Class: 50k, First Class: 70k

Note that Singapore Airlines releases more award space to their own members, especially in the premium cabins.

Sweet Spots: Virgin Australia

search for award space: using Air Canada Aeroplan

• flights less than 400 miles: Economy Class: 8k
• flights in distance of 600 – 1,199 miles: Economy Class: 15k

redeem Flying Club miles and travel the world

All in All

As you can see by the various sweet spots above, Virgin Atlantic’s program can truly be powerful when redeeming points on different airlines in several regions. Remember that fuel surcharges do vary based on your airline, route, class, etc. Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points are relatively easy to earn as you can transfer in from a bunch of transferable bank points programs and from Marriott Bonvoy.

Remember that not all redemptions can be done directly on Virgin’s website and some do require you calling in; changes and cancellations are also simple with Flying Club for a small fee of GBP30 or USD50. Redeeming miles for award tickets through Flying Club can be an incredible deal in many cases – just make sure the surcharges on your itinerary aren’t too expensive.

The post Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Sweet Spots (VS, NZ, DL, SQ, VA) appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Sadly the same can’t be said for Business Class or First Class bookings through MileagePlus. United does charge ridiculous amounts of miles for some regions where other frequent flyer programs charge much less.

Nevertheless, United’s MileagePlus is still a fantastic Star Alliance frequent flyer program with some interesting sweetspots. While MileagePlus is a region-based program, it does feature distance-based redemptions… to some extent. These are short, usually nonstop flights within a single region. The beauty is that these awards do not cost a ton of miles whereas they might cost a lot of cash if buying last minute.

Travel the World

5k: Flights in Japan

United has interesting pricing for flights inside of Japan. They cost just 5,000 miles one-way in Economy Class – that applies to all trips inside of Japan, not just nonstop flights. For example, a flight from Sapporo to Osaka via Tokyo will cost just 5k miles one-way on Star Alliance partner ANA – that’s an incredible deal.

If you do not have United Airlines miles, you could also use British Airways’ distance-based program and redeem Avios on Japan Airlines. The redemptions in Japan are quite interesting because United allows you connecting flights for no additional cost. With United’s 8k sweetspot (see below), the flights must be nonstop.

7k: Flights in Hawaii

United Airlines partners with Hawaiian Airlines (not a Star Alliance member) for flights in Hawaii, which means you can redeem your MileagePlus miles for these flights. Flights in Hawaii cost 7,000 miles in Economy Class one-way, even if you have connecting flights. You can fly, for example, from Lihue to Kona via Honolulu in Economy for 7k miles.

Flights in Hawaii can be expensive, usually around holidays or last-minute flights, so redeeming United miles is a great deal. Hawaiian Airlines has a ton of flights between the islands, so finding an award seat isn’t hard.

8k: Flights under 800 Miles

You can book any Star Alliance flight outside of the United States and Canada for 8,000 United Airlines MileagePlus miles as long as the flight is under 800 miles in distance and it is a nonstop flight, of course in Economy Class.

This is great for intra-Europe travel on airlines like Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, etc. that charge a fortune for last minute one-way flights. A simple Frankfurt – Munich flight can go for over $500 last minute… or just 8k United miles (transfer Chase points).

Never Stop Exploring

10k: Short U.S. Flights

The standard price for a one-way Economy Class flight in North America is 12,500 miles in Economy Class. However, for shorter trips, United will price certain flights for less than 12.5k. For example, Seattle – San Francisco is generally 10,000 miles one-way in Economy Class… even if the flight isn’t nonstop. Even with a connection through Los Angeles, it will generally still cost 10k. This applies to other shorter trips as well, such as Newark – Boston, which will also 10k miles.

The 10k and 12.5k price for a one-way trip will be booked into Economy (X) class and therefore X class must be available. If you see a trip costing more than 12.5k, then it likely isn’t a Saver Award but rather a more expensive non-Saver Award and won’t book into “X” Class.

12.5k: The “Standard” Price – Maximize It!

A one-way Economy Class trip in North America will cost you the standard price of 12,500 miles. However, did you know you can truly maximize that price when traveling to Canada? Star Alliance partner Air Canada operates flights to numerous Canadian destinations on which you can redeem your MileagePlus miles. The continental U.S. and Canada are considered the same zone, so Saver Awards will cost 12.5k miles one-way in Economy Class.

You could literally fly across the continent from Whitehorse to Miami via Vancouver and Montreal for just 12.5k miles one-way in Economy Class. This trip can cost more than $600 USD, so it is a fantastic use of miles. You will pay more in taxes and fees on the award ticket as there are Canadian fees added, but it still will be worth it compared to the expensive cash ticket.

In Conclusion

United’s MileagePlus frequent flyer program has a few distance-based sweetspots which I consider to be fantastic and use them on a daily-basis when booking flights for clients. Most people have Chase Ultimate Rewards and therefore they easily have United miles.

Remember to check all of your options before booking, as the same flight might cost much less when booking through another program. Remember that if you have AMEX, Chase, Citi, or Marriott points, you can transfer them to a variety of programs, so be sure to check which redemption is the best!

The post United Airlines MileagePlus Distance-Based Sweetspots appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

While American Airlines miles are a bit harder to collect than United Airlines or Delta Air Lines miles, for example, AA miles still are worth having for unique redemptions. You can’t transfer from AMEX, Chase, or Citi to AA. However, you can transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to American Airlines miles.

There are many aspects I love about AA’s frequent flyer program and many things I don’t. My favourite redemption is 100k miles for First Class between the Middle East and the South Pacific. Some of the biggest downsides to AA is that they don’t allow you to transit via a third region in many cases, limit you to only 4 segments on one-way bookings, have high redemption rates for certain regions, and more.

American Airlines

Country-Based Sweetspots

American Airlines AAdvantage offers cheap redemption options for both Economy Class and Business Class if flying within one country. The key is that you have to fly domestically only within that country and of course, there must be award availability. You can book most of these country-based sweetspots online, but not all of them.

Finland

• Finnair
• 10k miles Economy one-way

Spain

• Iberia
• 10k miles Economy one-way
• 15k miles Business one-way

United Kingdom

• British Airways
• 10k miles Economy one-way
• 15k miles Business one-way

Jordan

• Royal Jordanian
• 7.5k miles Economy one-way
• 10k miles Business one-way

Low Miles = Great Value Last Minute

My favourite “part” of mileage redemption is when you can redeem very few miles for a last minute ticket that would usually cost a lot of money if booked last minute. Many frequent flyer programs feature a discounted mileage price when redeeming miles only within one region or only within one country.

In the case of American Airlines, we can see above. With United Airlines, for example, most flights outside of North America that are under 800 miles in distance cost just 8k miles one-way in Economy Class. British Airways has a distance-based frequent flyer program, so the more you fly, the more you pay.

Explore the World

In Conclusion

American Airlines AAdvantage offers some incredible redemption rates when flying within one country. It is usually a great use of miles when booking travel last minute on short flights at a low redemption rate where cash tickets can be expensive.

American Airlines miles are worth having as AA does offer some unique redemption opportunities – especially on their partner airlines. Remember that you will have to search for award availability through other airline websites if you cannot see it on AA.com – or you can just call AA directly. You can also place award flights on hold while you transfer in miles or think about your travel plans.

The post American Airlines AAdvantage Country-Based Sweetspots appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

British Airways

The British Airways Executive Club is one of my favourite loyalty programs when it comes to redeeming miles for short-haul travel. British Airways uses a distance-based award chart, meaning that the shorter the flight, the less miles you will pay (or the longer the flight, the more miles you will pay).

The best values of Avios points (British Airways miles) are for travel on nonstop short-medium haul flights. The reason why flights should be nonstop is because British Airways not only charges based on distance, but they also charge per flight.

British Airways Award Chart

The Executive Club features a distance-based award chart, meaning that the number of Avios points required will be determined based on:

• the distance of each flight in your itinerary
• the number of flights in your itinerary

If there is more than one flight in your booking, each flight is calculated separately and then the cost of each flight is added up. This is why you should almost always book short-medium haul nonstop flights to get the most value out of your Avios.

For example, a flight from London to Barcelona is 713 miles, meaning it will cost:

• 6,500 Avios in Economy off-peak
• 7,500 Avios in Economy peak
• 12,750 Avios in Business off-peak
• 15,000 Avios in Business peak

Peak and off-peak dates are determined by British Airways each year.

British Airways Award Routing Rules

There are none. Really. Because British Airways uses a distance-based award chart and adds up the cost of each flight separately, they have no real routing rules. You can book any routing you want, but the cost in Avios for your entire booking will be determined by the cost of each flight in your booking.

You will need to call the Executive Club over the phone to put together more advanced routings. The British Airways website usually won’t show you more than two flights together.

Search Award Travel: Searching oneworld Award Space using British Airways

Fly British Airways to Europe

Best Ways To Redeem British Airways Avios

My favourite use of British Airways Avios points is for short-medium haul nonstop flights in Economy Class.

Here is a list of my favourite ways to redeem Avios (all flights should be nonstop for the best price in Avios):

• Flights around Europe
  • flights to/from London on British Airways
  • flights to/from Madrid/Barcelona on Iberia
  • flights to/from Helsinki on Finnair
  • flights to/from Dublin on Aer Lingus
• Flights around North America and Caribbean
  • flights on American Airlines
  • flights on Alaska Airlines (especially around the West Coast)
• Flights from West Coast USA to Hawaii
  • only 13k Avios one-way in Economy on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines
• Flights around Asia
  • flights to/from Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific
  • flights to/from Japan on Japan Airlines
  • flights to/from Kuala Lumpur on Malaysia Airlines
  • flights to/from Sri Lanka on SriLankan Airlines
• Flights around Australia
  • flights on Qantas Airways
• Flights around the Middle East
  • flights to/from Doha on Qatar Airways
  • flights to/from Amman on Royal Jordanian
• Flights from East Coast USA to Europe
  • on Aer Lingus to Dublin
  • on American Airlines

This is definitely a long list, but it isn’t 100% of the ways you can redeem Avios. Like I mentioned, you should generally aim for short-medium haul nonstop flights in Economy to get the most value from your Avios.

Here is a list of specific ways I generally redeem Avios:

• Seattle/San Francisco/Los Angeles to Hawaii
  • for just 13k Avios and $5.60
  • cash prices can be $350+ one way!
• London to Paris/Amsterdam/Brussels/Frankfurt/Berlin/Copenhagen/etc.
  • for just 4,000 Avios off peak and minimal taxes
  • cash prices can be over $250 last minute
• Boston or New York to Dublin on Aer Lingus
  • short Economy flight, can be usually overpriced
• Sydney to Melbourne/Brisbane on Qantas
  • or any short-medium haul Australian flight
• Hong Kong to any Asian destination on Cathay Pacific
• Tokyo to North Asian destinations on Japan Airlines

There are an infinite number of ways to redeem Avios, but those are my favourites as I often fly those routes and cash prices can be insanely high… especially last minute.

Collecting British Airways Avios

Collecting Avios is incredibly easy, there are a number of ways including:

• Flying with British Airways
• Flying with oneworld or other airline partners
• Spending money on the British Airways credit card
• Transfer points from AMEX
• Transfer points from Chase
• British Airways Shopping Portal
• Car Rental

The beauty of Avios points is that you just need as little as 4,000 to redeem for a flight – just 4,000 points can save you hundreds of dollars!

In Conclusion

Avios are one of my favourite points as they can significantly save money on short-haul travel, especially during peak times and on short flights that can cost a fortune (especially if booking last minute). All of my Avios points redemptions have been under 12,500 points and therefore I believe I am truly maximising the value of Avios.

One really important thing to note is that you should never redeem Avios for long-haul flights as the cost is not worth it – not to mention travel on long flights should never be on British Airways as they impose massive fuel surcharges on award tickets.

British Airways Executive Club Avios points are an incredibly useful points currency for short-medium haul nonstop flights on oneworld and other airline partners. You can easily search and book all oneworld flights directly on the website, while you will have to call over the phone to book non-oneworld partner airlines.

Happy Booking!

The post Best Ways To Redeem British Airways Avios appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Redeem American Airlines Miles

American Airlines AAdvantage Miles aren’t as valuable as they once were a few years ago – mainly due to the fact that there was a massive award chart devaluation a few years ago. AMEX, Chase, and Citi do NOT partner with American Airlines so you can’t transfer your bank points to AA from those programs.

AAdvantage miles are insanely useful for redeeming on American Airlines’ oneworld and non-oneworld partners. Note: while you can redeem on all oneworld airlines, you can’t redeem on all AA non-oneworld partner airlines (some of those partners are available for earning miles only).

Here are my favourite ways to redeem American Airlines miles.

Fly Etihad Airways First Class

Etihad partners with American Airlines, meaning you can earn and redeem AA miles for travel on Etihad Airways. It will cost you 100k American Airlines miles for First Class between the Middle East and Australia, or just 62.5k miles for First Class between Europe and Abu Dhabi.

Fly Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines to Asia

You can fly incredible airlines – Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines in First or Business Class to/within Asia. Cathay Pacific First Class to Asia Region 2 will cost 110k miles one-way or you could fly Business Class for 70k miles. If you want to visit Asia Region 1, you could fly Japan Airlines First Class for 80k miles one-way or Business Class for 60k miles. If travelling to Asia Region 2, you can transfer via Asia Region 1 (so you could fly to Singapore via Tokyo).

Fly Cathay Pacific using AA Miles

You can also use AA miles to fly partner airlines within Asia for just 20k-30k miles in Business Class one-way. That means you could fly from Tokyo to Beijing to Hong Kong to Bali all for 30k miles in Business Class – and you could even have layovers in each of those cities for up to 23 hours and 59 minutes if you wanted to.

Flying Within One Country

American Airlines offers cheap redemption options for both Economy and Business Class if flying within one country (where available):

• within 48 United States: 12.5k Economy or 25k First/Business one-way
• within Finland: 10k Economy one-way
• within Spain: 10k Economy or 15k Business one-way
• within the United Kingdom: 10k Economy or 15k Business one-way
• within Jordan: 7.5k Economy or 10k Business one-way

Fly to Fiji or French Polynesia

American Airlines partners with both Fiji Airways and Air Tahiti Nui, meaning you can redeem miles for travel to very exotic destinations where a normal cash ticket could cost thousands. You can fly from Asia or North America to Fiji or French Polynesia. Fiji Airways offers flights from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Nadi and Air Tahiti Nui offers flights from Los Angeles to Papeete.

It will cost you 40k miles one-way in Economy or 80k miles one-way in Business Class to the South Pacific region (Australia is also part of the South Pacific region). However, if you’re in Asia, you could fly for just 30k miles in Economy or 40k miles in Business one-way to the South Pacific – and you could even stop in Australia for a night if you wanted to (23h59m layover).

Fly American Airlines Off-Peak Economy to Europe

American Airlines offers flights in Economy to Europe for 30k miles one-way all year. However, there is a time during the year which is considered “off-peak” and flights during this time will cost just 22.5k miles one-way to Europe in Economy. This includes flights from any city in the 48 U.S. states. So you can fly Seattle to Los Angeles to London for 22.5k miles one-way in Economy off-peak.

Flying within the South Pacific

American Airlines defines the South Pacific as: Australia, Easter Island, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, Kiribati, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Palau, New Caledonia, Republic of Tonga, Republic of Vanuatu, American Samoa and Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.

You can fly between any of these countries for 15k miles in Economy or 30k in Business one-way. However, you can also fly within Fiji for just 5k miles in Economy Class or 10k in Business Class one-way, within Australia for 10k miles in Economy or 20k miles in Business Class one-way. These flights will be on Fiji Airways or Qantas Airways.

You can also fly between Australia and New Zealand for 15k miles one-way in Economy or 25k in Business Class.

In Conclusion

There are an infinite number of ways to redeem American Airlines miles – and there are a TON of great ways to use them. For short-haul travel, they might even be similar to British Airways Avios in that you can redeem just a few miles for a short non-stop flight (in the case of AA, it doesn’t even have to be non-stop).

Happy Booking!

The post Best Ways to Redeem American Airlines Miles appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

United Airlines

United Airlines isn’t exactly known for a providing a wonderful service in First and Business Class. United has been struggling to shine and while their new Polaris Business Class product has been revolutionary for the airline, major cuts to the experience have left many passengers disappointed.

However, United’s frequent flyer program, MileagePlus, is actually fantastic – it is one of the best Star Alliance frequent flyer programs. You can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio to United.

United shines in that their Star Alliance award flight search function and calendar is amazing. Whenever searching for Star Alliance award space, everyone should use United.com and then call their desired frequent flyer program to book. United’s website will display endless options for award travel – so you’ll easily be able to find your desired flight combination.

United’s MileagePlus frequent flyer program offers some excellent award redemption rates. Here are my favourite ways to redeem United Airlines miles.

Short, Non-Stop Flights Under 800 Miles

Non-stop flights with a flight distance of under 800 miles cost just 8k United miles in Economy. The flights must be outside of North America (so flights on Air Canada and United Airlines are excluded).

Here are a few examples of flights that price for 8k miles in Economy Class:

• Frankfurt – Munich on Lufthansa
• Zurich – Paris on SWISS
• Lima – Cusco on Avianca
• Athens – Islands in Greece on Aegean
• Flights around New Zealand with Air New Zealand
• Flights around Japan with ANA

Fly Lima – Cusco for 8k Miles!

There are an infinite number of 800-mile flights which can be booked for just 8k miles. The beauty of this award is that sometimes last minute, short flights cost a fortune – so it is great to be able to redeem just 8k miles.

Flying Lufthansa First Class

As far as I am concerned, the best Star Alliance First Class is Lufthansa’s. There’s no better way to fly. Booking Lufthansa First Class can be a challenge as Lufthansa only releases First Class award seats to partner airlines at most 14 days prior to departure – so last minute booking is required.

While no fuel surcharges are imposed on Lufthansa, United Airlines does charge a fortune for partner airline First Class awards.

Fly Lufthansa with no Fuel Surcharges!

Lufthansa First Class is worth every mile to me, and therefore I don’t mind paying such high costs – it is an amazing product and everyone should fly it at least once in their life.

Flights within the 48 States, Alaska, or Canada under 700 Miles

Sometimes last minute domestic flights can cost a fortune. Luckily, MileagePlus can save you a ton of money. United tens to release most domestic flight award availability closer to departure – so redeeming miles for a last minute flight can work in your favour. Normally one-way domestic flights cost 12.5k miles, however if the flight is under 700 miles, it will cost just 10k United miles. Examples include Seattle to San Francisco, San Francisco to Los Angeles, Newark to Boston, etc.

I recently needed to fly to San Francisco from Seattle last minute and most flights were pricing out for over $380 last minute. United’s flight cost me 10k miles + $5.60 (I didn’t pay the $75 close-in fee as I hold elite status so it was waived).

Fly THAI First Class to Thailand

SWISS features a great Business Class

United Airlines Partner Airlines

You can redeem United Airlines miles on all Star Alliance airlines and also on ALL United Airlines partner airlines, which include:

• Aer Lingus
• Aeromar
• Air Dolomiti
• Azul Brazilian Airlines
• Cape Air
• Edelweiss Air
• Eurowings
• Hawaiian Airlines
• Silver Airways

You can even mix some of these airlines with United or Star Alliance flights on the same ticket!

In Conclusion

United Airlines’ MileagePlus frequent flyer program features a great number of award redemptions. Those listed above are my favourite ways to redeem United miles. The best ways to earn United Airlines miles are through the Chase Sapphire credit card which can earn you up to 3 miles per dollar spent (on travel and dining).

MileagePlus is a powerful frequent flyer program as it features an amazing number of partner airlines, decent award rates, doesn’t impose fuel surcharges on all airlines, and the website shows tons of different flight options when searching – so you can really customise your routing as you would like.

Happy Booking!

The post Best Ways to Redeem United Airlines MileagePlus Miles appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

When you have access to transferrable points, you have access to most frequent flyer programs and therefore don’t need to focus on earning miles in one specific program. While most AMEX and Chase points transfers to miles are instant, the same can’t be said with Marriott – where the transfer can take months to some foreign airlines.

While there are millions of award ticket sweetspots out there, there are quite a few that I use on a daily basis when helping clients redeem their miles. It is important to note that you can always mix and match airlines and different tickets for different parts of the trip – your entire trip does not have to be all on one ticket!

See the World

United Airlines 8k Awards

You can book any Star Alliance flight outside of the United States and Canada for 8,000 United Airlines MileagePlus miles as long as the flight is under 800 miles in distance and it is a nonstop flight, of course in Economy Class.

This is great for intra-Europe travel on airlines like Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian, etc. that charge a fortune for last minute one-way flights. A simple Frankfurt – Munich flight can go for over $500 last minute… or just 8k United miles (transfer Chase points).

British Airways Distance-Based Award Chart

The British Airways Executive Club has a distance-based award chart, meaning that the shorter the flight, the less miles it will cost. Most nonstop Economy Class flights from London to European destinations cost between 4,500 and 7,500 Avios points… which is an incredible deal.

You can use the BA Executive Club to your advantage on any oneworld airline or on any of BA’s partner airlines, like Alaska Airlines. This means that you can fly from the West Coast of the U.S. to Hawaii for just 13k Avios + $5.60 one-way on American or Alaska Airlines.

Alaska Airlines Off-Peak Europe Travel

Alaska Airlines partners with American Airlines. You can book a one-way Economy Class ticket on American Airlines within the date range of October 15 to May 15 for just 22,500 Alaska Airlines miles… and you can have a stopover anywhere on your way to Europe. Isn’t that amazing?

But wait… there’s more. You know how most airlines categorise Hawaii as a different zone? Well in the case above, Alaska doesn’t! That means you can fly something like Honolulu – Seattle (stopover) – Los Angeles – London all for just 22,500 Alaska Airlines miles in Economy. Crazy, huh!?

Relax on the Beach

Delta Air Lines’ Ridiculous Sales

This isn’t really a sweetspot, but it still deserves to be mentioned. Delta doesn’t publish award charts, so they just make up the price as they want for each ticket. It isn’t strange to find a one-way Economy Class ticket from Seattle to San Francisco for 50k miles – that’s Delta…

However, Delta frequently has “flash mileage sales” whereby they significantly discount award tickets with some major restrictions. However, if you can work with the dates they provide, you can save big. For example, I was able to book a Seattle – Cancun – Seattle ticket for just 15k miles round-trip plus taxes. That’s amazing.

Lufthansa Miles & More Mileage Bargains

Miles & More, the frequent flyer program of many European airlines, often publishes mileage bargain deals on flights. A lot of restrictions come with the ticket such as limited availability, no rebooking, no cancelling, etc. If you are fine with locking in a round-trip itinerary that you can’t change or cancel, then this may be a fantastic option. However, Miles & More does impose fuel surcharges and therefore you will pay around $500 – $1300 in taxes and fees per person (maybe even more). The fuel surcharges on LOT Polish Airlines are minimal.

Deals include round-trip Business Class from select European countries to select American cities for just 55,000 miles, yes, round-trip! Economy is available for 30,000 miles. The deals are frequently changed and also change from country to country, therefore it is important to check your neighbouring countries!

Let Your Miles Take You Anywhere

In Conclusion

While this list of sweetspots is no where near complete, those are my favourite award redemptions with the various frequent flyer programs. There are millions of other award ticket sweetspots with various programs, but these are my favourites and the ones I use on a daily basis.

The beauty of miles is that they can take you anywhere around the world and save you a significant amount of money on your travels. Sweetspots also apply to destinations, for example, some countries (like Brazil) impose restrictions on fuel surcharges – so when flying from Brazil to Europe with Lufthansa First Class, you won’t pay any fuel surcharges (just the mandatory taxes and fees).

I hope you will be able to utilise some of these award ticket sweetspots in your upcoming trips, because all of them really do provide an outstanding value in terms of miles. If you have any favourite award ticket sweetspots that you use and would love to share, please let us know in the comments!

The post The Best Award Ticket Sweetspots appeared first on Travel Miles 101.