Lufthansa First Class is becoming increasingly harder to book if you aren’t using their own Miles & More frequent flyer program (which often has more award availability). Thankfully, there’s still a few good ways to book this wonderful First Class experience.

fly Lufthansa First Class for 50k miles

Book Lufthansa First Class for 50k Miles

Asiana Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance network which means you can redeem Asiana Club miles for travel on Lufthansa. Asiana Club only requires 50k miles for a one-way First Class ticket between Europe and North America. Some things to note:

• fuel surcharges must be paid
• you can have 3 segments on a one-way booking
• Lufthansa only releases First Class award seats to partner airlines at most two weeks prior to departure
• you must call Asiana and make the booking over the phone (sometimes they allow holds for a few days)
• you can mix other Star Alliance airlines on the same ticket and have connections of up to 23h59m for no additional miles

Booking Lufthansa First Class with Asiana Club

You’ll need to find Lufthansa First Class award availability before calling Asiana Club. You’ll want to search close to departure and usually you’ll find the award space on Aeroplan, United, or other Star Alliance partners – make a note of the flight details.

You can add on connecting flights before and after your First Class flight – as long as there’s only 3 flights and the connections are under 23h59m, it should price properly. This means that you could fly something like Athens – Frankfurt – San Francisco – Seattle, with the long-haul in First Class, for just 50k miles.

You’ll need to find availability on all of your flights and then call Asiana Club to book, by providing each flight separately.

How to Earn Asiana Club Miles

You can earn Asiana Airlines Asiana Club miles through the typical activities – like flying Star Alliance, etc.

The only transfer partner to Asiana Club is Marriott Bonvoy: 3 Marriott points equal 1 Asiana Club mile, with a 25% transfer bonus for every 60k Marriott points transferred. Therefore:

• 60k Marriott Bonvoy points = 25k Asiana Club miles

Sadly there’s no other good way to transfer in miles into Asiana Club. Marriott transfers aren’t instant, and in my experience take around a week to transfer to Asiana Airlines. The good news is that Asiana will sometimes let you hold a booking for a few days, but the bad news is that Lufthansa only releases First Class awards really close to departure. Your best bet is to pre-transfer points and hope award space opens up – you’ll want to have lots of backup options if it doesn’t.

enjoy the Lufthansa First Class experience

All in All

Flying First to Europe is very limited because the number of airlines offering First Class keeps declining – and on top of that, the airlines that are offering First Class frequently change up routes and aircraft, so it can be hard to keep track and book a First Class ticket.

If you’re flexible, you can definitely book a First Class ticket to Europe – but this is the key, flexibility. You have to constantly check award availability and you’ll likely need to book close to departure as that’s when seats are usually released. Keep in mind the First Class cabin is relatively small so lots of award seats aren’t going to be released – and if the cabin is close to full, award space might not become available.

Booking a First Class ticket for 50k miles to Europe is an incredible deal – just keep in mind the rules of Asiana Club mentioned above and that you’ll likely need to have miles well prior to departure in your Asiana Club account. The good news is that Asiana agents are quite competent so there should be no issues booking your desired flights over the phone as long as you’re within the rules of the program.

The post Flying Lufthansa First Class for 50k Miles appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

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.

Redeem Hawaiian Airlines HawaiianMiles

HawaiianMiles is the frequent flyer program of Hawaiian Airlines and you’re able to both earn and redeem miles on all eligible Hawaiian Airlines flights. If you don’t have any HawaiianMiles you can transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards (1:1 ratio and instant transfer) or Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 ratio and average transfer time is 1-2 days).

The award chart can be viewed here. You will notice there are a few award charts – depending on the regions you are traveling from and to. Flights within Hawaii are usually inexpensive and therefore it may not make sense to redeem miles for those (unless traveling during a peak period where the revenue cost is high but there is award availability).

The best redemptions include:

• Hawaii to/from North America in First Class for 40,000 miles one-way
• Hawaii to/from Japan, Korea, Australia, and New Zealand in Business Class for 65,000 miles one-way
• Hawaii to/from Pago Pago and Papeete in Business Class for 47,500 miles one-way
• Hawaii to/from Pago Pago and Papeete in Economy Class for 27,500 miles one-way

All prices mentioned above are for the lowest (saver) level award availability. Redeeming 40,000 miles for a one-way First Class lie-flat seat on a nonstop flight from New York to Honolulu is a fantastic redemption and something you’re unlikely to find on other U.S. airlines.

redeem miles for flights on Hawaiian Airlines

Redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles

You can redeem American Airlines AAdvantage miles on select Hawaiian Airlines flights – but not all flights. Furthermore, any flight within Hawaii on Hawaiian Airlines requires a separate award and cannot be combined with other Hawaiian Airlines flights (for example, Kauai – Honolulu – Tokyo cannot be booked on one award). You can redeem AA miles for Hawaiian Airlines flights within Hawaii and their international flights from Honolulu.

Award pricing is based on AA’s flight award chart for oneworld and partner airlines. You’re able to mix and match airlines, for example, you could fly Honolulu to Tokyo on Hawaiian Airlines and then Tokyo to Osaka on Japan Airlines all on one award. You can fly to the Asia 2 region via the Asia 1 region (Japan and Korea), so an award like Honolulu – Tokyo – Kuala Lumpur on Hawaiian Airlines and Malaysia Airlines is totally fine as long as the connection in Tokyo is under 24 hours.

Highlights of AA’s award chart include:

• Hawaii to Asia Region 1 in Business Class for 52,500 miles one-way
• Hawaii to Asia Region 2 in Business Class for 55,000 miles one-way
• Hawaii to the South Pacific in Business Class for 65,000 miles one-way

If there’s award space you could potentially fly something like Honolulu – Auckland – Sydney – Perth for 65,000 miles one-way in Business Class on Hawaiian Airlines and Qantas which would be a great use of AAdvantage miles.

If you don’t have any AAdvantage miles you can transfer points from Marriot Bonvoy (3:1 ratio and average transfer time is 2 days), Citi sometimes allows transfers from ThankYou points to AAdvantage but this isn’t permanent and rather an “offer” that has appeared before.

Redeem United Airlines MileagePlus miles

United Airlines no longer publishes an award chart so award redemption levels will vary but expect to redeem around 7,700 miles for a one-way flight within Hawaii in Economy. You can also add on a flight within Hawaii as part of your larger itinerary from the mainland U.S. For example, you can redeem United miles for a United flight from San Francisco to Honolulu and then Honolulu to Maui on Hawaiian Airlines all on the same award.

If you don’t have any MileagePlus miles you can transfer points from Chase Ultimate Rewards (1:1 ratio and instant transfer) or Marriott Bonvoy (3:1.1 ratio and average transfer time is 1-2 days).

Redeem Delta Air Lines SkyMiles

Delta Air Lines no longer publishes an award chart so award redemption levels will vary but expect to redeem around 7,500 miles for a one-way flight within Hawaii in Economy. You can also add on a flight within Hawaii as part of your larger itinerary from the mainland U.S. For example, you can redeem Delta miles for a Delta flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu and then Honolulu to Maui on Hawaiian Airlines all on the same award.

If you don’t have any SkyMiles you can transfer points from American Express Membership Rewards (1:1 ratio and instant transfer) or Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 ratio and average transfer time is 1 day).

Redeem Virgin Atlantic Flying Club points

Virgin Atlantic has some unique airline partners and one of them is Hawaiian Airlines. You can view the award chart for Hawaiian Airlines here. Virgin Atlantic miles are relatively easy to earn since you can transfer them from American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou points (1:1 ratio and instant transfer) or Marriott Bonvoy (3:1 ratio and average transfer time is 1-2 days).

Highlights of the award chart for Hawaiian Airlines include:

• Hawaii – West Coast Mainland USA in Business Class for 40,000 points one-way
• Hawaii – South Pacific in Business Class for 47,500 points one-way
• Hawaii – South Pacific in Economy Class for 27,500 points one-way
• Hawaii – Asia/Australia/New Zealand/East Coast Mainland USA in Business Class for 65,000 points one-way

fly to Hawaii using miles

Other Hawaiian Airlines Partners

Hawaiian Airlines is also partners with China Airlines, Japan Airlines, jetBlue Airways, Korean Air, and Virgin Australia. You may be able to also earn/redeem these points for travel on Hawaiian Airlines flights, but it is either hard to earn some of these miles/points or the value isn’t so great.

All in All

Hawaiian Airlines has some unique and cool flights that are outside of Hawaii for which you can redeem miles. Award availability in Economy is generally okay on their Asia flights, but harder to find on their South Pacific flights; First/Business Class is harder to book using miles, but not impossible.

Sometimes the best way to get to Asia or the South Pacific is via a stop in Hawaii. The U.S. state is conveniently positioned along the path of flights to the South Pacific and since those can generally be long from the U.S. mainland, a stop in Hawaii to stretch your legs (or even explore the islands for a few days), could be just what you need on your next trip.

The post Redeeming Miles for Hawaiian Airlines Flights appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Aeroplan Airline Partners

Air Canada is a member of the Star Alliance, which means you can earn and redeem Aeroplan points on any Star Alliance member airline. In addition, Aeroplan has continuously been adding new and unique airline partners since their re-launch; some of these new partners are incredible and allow you to redeem your Aeroplan points for some fantastic flying experiences all around the world.

currently, Aeroplan has a partnership with:

• Aegean Airlines*
• Aeromar
• Air China*
• Air Creebec
• Air Dolomiti
• Air India*
• Air Mauritius
• Air New Zealand*
• Air Serbia
• ANA*
• Asiana Airlines*
• Austrian Airlines*
• Avianca*
• Azul Brazilian Airlines
• Brussels Airlines*
• Calm Air
• Canadian North
• Cathay Pacific
• Copa Airlines*
• Croatia Airlines*
• Egyptair*
• Ethiopian Airlines*
• Etihad Airways
• Eurowings
• Eurowings Discover
• EVA Air*
• GOL
• Gulf Air
• Juneyao Airlines
• LOT Polish Airlines*
• Lufthansa*
• Olympic Air
• Oman Air
• SAS Scandinavian Airlines*
• Shenzhen Airlines*
• Singapore Airlines*
• South African Airways*
• SWISS International Air Lines*
• TAP Air Portugal*
• THAI Airways*
• Turkish Airlines*
• United Airlines*
• Virgin Australia
• Vistara

* = a Star Alliance member

When redeeming points, you can mix and match airlines – flying a combination of Air Canada, Star Alliance, and other airline partners. There are no restrictions as far as mixing airlines on an award ticket. You can also redeem your points for travel on all airline partners directly on Air Canada’s website – no need to call for relatively simple bookings as most can be done online. There is also no longer a separate website for the frequent flyer program and instead it has been integrated into Air Canada’s main site.

United Airlines, an Air Canada Aeroplan partner

The Aeroplan Award Charts

Naturally with the re-launch of the Aeroplan program, Air Canada has published a new award chart. Airlines like United and Delta no longer publish award charts, therefore it is nice to see Air Canada continuing the “traditional” frequent flyer model where we can easily check how much a flight should cost in points if there is saver-level award availability.

You can redeem Aeroplan points on all partner airlines as long as there is saver-level award availability (when airlines release award seats to their partners). You can redeem points for travel on Air Canada at all kinds of points prices as those redemptions are controlled dynamically based on demand (however, there are still saver-level seats on Air Canada). The best way to search for award space is to simply use Air Canada’s website and search each flight you would like to book individually, one-by-one.

Aeroplan’s Award Chart has been simplified – there are only four “Travel Zones“:

• North America (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Central America, Caribbean)
• South America
• Atlantic (Europe, Africa, Middle East, Indian subcontinent)
• Pacific (Asia, South Pacific)

In the old Aeroplan program, the world was divided into zones like Europe 1, Europe 2, Asia 1, Asia 2, South Pacific, etc.

Aeroplan has published ten Award Charts, these include award redemption levels for travel:

• within North America
• within Atlantic
• within Pacific
• within South America
• between North America and Atlantic
• between North America and Pacific
• between North America and South America
• between Atlantic and Pacific
• between Atlantic and South America
• between Pacific and South America

Aeroplan Award Redemption Levels

Each of Aeroplan’s ten award charts feature a redemption level for travel in Economy Class, Premium Economy Class, Business Class, and First Class (note that not all cabins may be available within/between all regions) and also the total distance flown in miles (each flight on your itinerary is added up separately to make up your total travel distance).

Aeroplan’s award chart is a mix of region/zone-based and distance-based. The old Aeroplan program was region/zone-based, meaning previously a flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt cost the same as a flight from New York to Frankfurt if there was award availability. Now, the flight from New York to Frankfurt would be cheaper as it is shorter in distance. Aeroplan has taken the best of a region/zone-based award chart and a distance-based award chart and mixed them together.

For travel on Air Canada, separate award levels apply; you can still mix Air Canada and partners on one itinerary, though.

Lufthansa, an Air Canada Aeroplan partner

Aeroplan Award Ticket Rules

The Aeroplan program is different from the old program – there are no longer restrictive routing rules or maximum permitted mileage (MPM) on award tickets. Because the program is region/zone-based and distance-based, you can potentially construct creative itineraries that would have not been possible under the old program.

• you can add a stopover (a “break” between flights for longer than 24h) for just 5,000 points – even on one-way bookings (not possible for flights in U.S. or Canada)
• layovers (less than 24h) can be added for no additional miles (if you stay within the same total distance flown)

Aeroplan Redemption Examples

Let’s take a look at some examples based on the award chart on the following flights:

• San Francisco to Frankfurt (nonstop distance 5,699 miles)
  • Economy Class: 40,000 points
  • Business Class: 70,000 points
  • First Class: 100,000 points
• San Francisco to Frankfurt to London (total distance flown 6,107 miles; SFO-FRA is 5,699 miles and FRA-LHR is 408 miles, FRA layover less than 24h)
  • Economy Class: 55,000 points
  • Business Class: 90,000 points
  • First Class: 130,000 points

As you can see, by flying onward to London, we are bumped into a higher total distance flown, which makes our award more expensive. If we wanted to stopover in Frankfurt for longer than 24 hours, we would add on 5,000 miles for the stopover (so SFO-FRA-LHR with a stopover in Frankfurt would cost 60,000 miles in Economy Class).

As far as taxes and fees on an award ticket go, there are no fuel surcharges on award tickets (save hundreds to thousands of $), however there is a new CAD$39 partner airline booking fee (applies to all tickets involving flights not fully on Air Canada).

Singapore Airlines, an Air Canada Aeroplan partner

All in All

The Aeroplan program is more powerful than before as you are able to create custom itineraries combining unique airlines – something that wasn’t possible before. The obvious negative change is that several awards have gone up in price. Previously a one-way Business Class ticket from the U.S. to Europe cost 55,000 – 57,500 miles and now the same flight can cost 60,000 – 90,000 points, this can be a huge increase in the miles required.

The biggest positive development is that there are no longer fuel surcharges which means you can save hundreds to thousands of dollars on each ticket – especially when originating in North America on airlines like Air Canada, Austrian Airlines, and Lufthansa. The unique mix of a region/zone-based award chart with a distance-based award chart creates various opportunities to lock in flights at a favorable redemption level, depending on your travels.

The transformed Aeroplan program is powerful and seems to be getting better – especially with the continuous addition of airline partners. You can transfer points to Air Canada Aeroplan from American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or Marriott Bonvoy.

The post The Transformed Air Canada Aeroplan Program appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Use Miles & Points to travel here!

Airlines and their Partners

Today, we are going to look at a bigger picture in the miles & points hobby – airlines and their partners. The number one question that was asked was “how can I use my miles/points from airline X to travel on airline X’s partners?” While this may seem easy, in some cases it requires searching several websites and maybe even calling the airline over the phone to book.

I’d love to learn how to use airline points to be used on an airline partner! I get so confused when someone say you need to go to this site and search for this, then do this and you need to call this airline.

Like many others I’m most curious about the affiliate partners of airlines.

Explaining the value and optimization of transferring points to partners and booking through partners to find sweetspots for airfare. I’m understanding optimizing earning points and bonus categories, but spending points efficiently is a mystery.

When airlines are partners (or in the same alliance), you can generally earn and redeem miles across all of these airlines. For example, you can fly Lufthansa and credit miles to United Airlines (or the opposite) – this is because the two are in the same alliance. You can also use United Airlines miles to fly Lufthansa (and the opposite). If an airline is a member of an alliance, you can redeem your miles from any airline in that alliance for travel on other airlines in that same alliance.

Airline Alliances and non-alliance Partnerships

There are currently three major airline alliances – Star Alliance, oneworld, and SkyTeam. You can view the airlines that belong to each alliance here:

• Star Alliance member airlines
• oneworld member airlines
• SkyTeam member airlines

Airlines that are members of a specific alliance can also have partnerships outside of their alliances. For example, United Airlines is a member of Star Alliance, but also partners with Aer Lingus (an airline with no alliance membership). American Airlines is a member of oneworld, but also partners with Etihad Airways (an airline with no alliance membership).

Use Singapore Airlines Miles to fly on ALL Star Alliance airlines

In addition to airline alliances, some non-alliance airlines also partner with lots of other airlines and allow you to earn and redeem miles on all of the airlines in the partnership.

The important thing to note here is that while Alaska Airlines is partners with airline X and Y, it may not be true that airlines X and Y are partners on their own (if they aren’t in the same alliance, for example). Alaska is partners with both Singapore Airlines and Finnair and you can earn Alaska miles for travel on these two partners, however, Singapore Airlines and Finnair are not partners between themselves as they are in different alliances (Singapore Airlines is in Star Alliance and Finnair is in oneworld) – so while you can earn Alaska miles for travel on both airlines, you cannot earn Finnair miles for travel on Singapore Airlines since they aren’t partners (and not in the same alliance).

There are many other airlines that aren’t members of an alliance and partner with other airlines:

• Emirates partner airlines
• Etihad Airways partner airlines

You can redeem miles on all airlines within an alliance if an airline is a member of that alliance. With partnerships, you should check the website of the airline which you have miles with if you can use these miles on their partners outside of an alliance. For example, if you have American Airlines miles, it is automatic that you can redeem them on any oneworld airline (as AA is a member of oneworld), but you should check AA’s website for earning and redeeming specifics on their non-oneworld partner airlines (such as Etihad Airways, for example).

Searching for Alliance Award Space (flights using Miles)

Searching for award space within the three alliances is very easy. As a reminder, you can redeem miles on any airline within the same alliance from any other airline also in the same alliance, for example, you can use Turkish Airlines miles to fly Singapore Airlines as both airlines are in the Star Alliance.

Star Alliance

To search for Star Alliance award space, use United Airlines’ website. The website is fantastic and will show you ALL Star Alliance award space that is available. You do not need to have a United account to search for award space.

Use United.com to search ALL Star Alliance Award Space

The second website I use to find Star Alliance award space is Aeroplan, Air Canada’s frequent flyer program. Also, Aeroplan does NOT display ALL possible connections and therefore it is best to search each flight separately. For example, if you search for Seattle to London, you may get no results while if you search for Seattle to New York and New York to London, you may find available flights.

oneworld

Searching for oneworld award space is easy because you can use the American Airlines website to find award space on all of their oneworld partners.

Use AA.com to search for oneworld Award Space

To search oneworld award space, also use the British Airways website:

Use BA.com to search for oneworld Award Space

SkyTeam

The two best airlines to search for award space on SkyTeam are the Air France website and the Delta website. While you will need an account to use the award search function on Air France’s website, you don’t need an account on Delta’s website to search for award space.

Use Delta.com to search for SkyTeam Award Space

Delta’s website often does show a bunch of flight combinations, however it is terrible to use and you will often find errors after errors. Also, keep in mind that Delta only allows their SkyTeam partners to book award space at Delta Saver Level 1 – which is the lowest cost of a flight in Delta miles. However, Delta doesn’t publish award charts, so we can’t be 100% sure what is Saver Level 1. If you need to book Delta flights using SkyTeam partners, use the Air France or Korean Air website and if they show Delta award space, you can usually book it through other SkyTeam partners.

Searching for Award Space outside of Airline Alliances

Searching for award space outside of airline alliances is a bit tricky because sometimes airlines limit the number of award seats that are available to their non-alliance partners.

To search for award space on non-alliance partners, you should generally use the website of the airline you want to fly on. For example, if you want to fly Etihad Airways using American Airlines miles, you should use Etihad’s website to find awards space at the lowest saver level – which is the same award space American Airlines will see.

Use Etihad’s website to find award space on Etihad

In Conclusion

I hope this article clarified as to how you can use your miles from airline X on airline X’s partners. The general rules are:

• you can earn/redeem miles on ALL airlines within the same alliance
  • example: use United miles to fly Lufthansa
• you can earn/redeem miles on other partners of a specific airline
  • example: fly Etihad Airways using American Airlines miles (the two airlines are non-alliance partners)

Now that you understand you can use miles from airline X on airline X’s partners, my next articles will be a more detailed overview on how to find/book award space within each airline alliance and also on non-alliance partners.

If you have any questions at all or if something needs clarification, please post them below or tag and ask me in the TM101 Facebook group.

Happy Booking!

The post Redeeming Miles from Airline X on Airline X’s Partners 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!

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SWISS International Air Lines, a Star Alliance member

The world’s “big” three, most important airline alliances include Star Alliance, oneworld, and SkyTeam. Star Alliance is the world’s largest airline alliance with 27 member airlines and the strongest route network. Star Alliance was founded on 14 May 1997 by five airlines – Air Canada, Lufthansa, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, THAI Airways, and United Airlines. These airlines had a vision: passengers should travel smoothly throughout the world; even if flying on different airlines.

The Star Alliance network features over 18,500 daily departures, more than 4,657 aircraft, 1,330 destination airports in 192 countries, and two elite tiers – Silver and Gold. Many airports featuring multiple member airlines are constructed so that all arrivals and departures take place in the same terminal. Star Alliance is “The Way the Earth Connects“.

Traveller Benefits

Passengers flying on Star Alliance member airlines are entitled to a variety of benefits, even without frequent flyer status. These include:

• earning and redeeming miles on every airline
• check-in for all flight segments on every airline
• checking baggage all the way to the final destination on every airline
• all flights are monitored to ensure each traveller has a smooth journey
• automatic protection and re-booking in the event of irregular operations (flight delays, cancellations, etc.)

The key benefits above apply to itineraries with different airlines. For example, let’s say I’m flying from Seattle to San Francisco on United Airlines and from San Francisco to Frankfurt on Lufthansa. In Seattle, United Airlines will be able to check me in all the way to Frankfurt and tag my luggage all the way to Frankfurt so that I do not have to claim it and re-check it in San Francisco.

Business Class on Turkish Airlines

Star Alliance Status Benefits

Once a traveller has collected enough status/elite miles with their Star Alliance frequent flyer program, they will be upgraded to the next Star Alliance Status tier. There are currently two tiers – Silver and Gold. They feature the following benefits:

Star Alliance Silver

• Priority Reservations Waitlist
• Priority Stand-By

Star Alliance Gold

• Priority Reservations Waitlist
• Priority Stand-By
• Priority Airport Check-in
• Gold Track (Priority Security and Immigration)
• Priority Baggage Handling
• Extra Baggage Allowance
• Airport Lounge Access
• Priority Boarding

All of these benefits are alliance-wide. That means if someone holds Star Alliance Gold from Lufthansa, all of the benefits will apply on every single Star Alliance airline (not just on Lufthansa). Star Alliance guarantees all of the above benefits on every member airline.

Some airlines also offer additional benefits to elite frequent flyers within their own airline groups. For example, United Airlines offers complimentary upgrades on a space-available basis to United Airlines elite members. However, if you hold United Airlines elite status, you would not receive complimentary upgrades on Lufthansa as this is a benefit granted by United Airlines to their elite members valid only when flying on United Airlines.

a Star Alliance destination

Earning and Redeeming Miles

You can earn and redeem miles with each airline and each frequent flyer program. This means that if a traveller is, for example, a Lufthansa Miles & More member, they are able to earn and redeem Miles & More miles for flights on all Star Alliance airlines.

The amount of miles earned is set by each frequent flyer program – each one has a criteria for awarding miles and it usually depends on the fare class purchased and/or the ticket price.

You are able to redeem any Star Alliance frequent flyer miles on any Star Alliance airline. This means you can redeem United Airlines miles for travel on Austrian Airlines, for example. All award flights are subject to award availability. The best way to search for Star Alliance Award Availability is on United.com.

In Conclusion

This has been a short overview of the Star Alliance network, member airlines, frequent flyer benefits, and more. It is important to understand that Star Alliance has the most daily departures and the most flight options worldwide. If you need to travel to somewhere, there is a 99% chance Star Alliance can take you there. The entire concept of an airline alliance is for airlines to work closely together in order to transport people and ideas around the world as smoothly as possible – and Star Alliance knows exactly they’re the best at it.

The post Star Alliance: An Overview appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

Fly LH with ANY Star Alliance miles

Star Alliance is the world’s largest (and best) airline alliance. You can virtually travel to every single destination in the world on a Star Alliance airline – the alliance serves the most destinations in the world. Many passengers fly with Star Alliance as the alliance offers a smooth transition between carriers, including baggage checking to your final destination, seat assignments on all carriers, creative flight routings, etc.

As mentioned in Redeeming Miles from Airline X on Airline X’s Partners, you can redeem ANY Star Alliance miles for travel on ANY Star Alliance airline as long as there is award availability. You can redeem United Airlines miles for travel on Lufthansa, you can redeem Turkish Airlines miles for travel on Singapore Airlines, etc. Redeem your miles from any airline in that alliance for travel on other airlines in that same alliance.

Star Alliance Member Airlines

• Aegean Airlines
• Air Canada
• Air China
• Air India
• Air New Zealand
• ANA
• Asiana Airlines
• Austrian Airlines
• Avianca
• Brussels Airlines
• Copa Airlines
• Croatia Airlines
• Egyptair
• Ethiopian Airlines
• EVA Air
• LOT Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• SAS Scandinavian Airlines
• Shenzhen Airlines
• Singapore Airlines
• South African Airways
• SWISS International Air Lines
• TAP Air Portugal
• THAI Airways
• Turkish Airlines
• United Airlines

Any miles you may have with any of these airlines will allow you to book an award ticket on any of the airlines in Star Alliance, if there is award availability.

Searching Star Alliance Award Space

Searching for award space on Star Alliance is incredibly easy due to United Airlines’ website – United.com which displays ALL Star Alliance airlines and their available award flights. If you see an available flight on United’s website, you can generally book that flight with any Star Alliance miles – you would just have to call your frequent flyer program and simply provide them the available flights you found on United’s website.

When searching for award flights, always search one-way at a time. There is often more availability shown when searching just one direction instead of round-trip.

Search Star Alliance Award Space on United.com

To begin the search, make sure you select “one-way” and proceed to fill out the form with your desired routes, dates, number of passengers, etc. Make sure you check the box marked “search for award travel“.

The next page will display flight results with many combinations, including a calendar which will show you the lowest price in miles. You can easily switch between dates on the calendar to find the best available flights for the lowest price.

Award Availability Results

Above the calendar, you have a few options including the ability to switch between results for Economy/Business/First Class, the ability to show only nonstop flights, and also an option to open a 30 day calendar which shows award availability for the whole month.

Below the calendar, you will find flight results for your desired date (selected in green on the calendar):

Award Availability Results

United’s website will display many flight options that are available using miles. Once you have found your desired flight with your desired cabin of service, you can expand the flight details:

Award Availability Results

The details section of a certain flight combination is incredibly useful as you can check the exact flight times, connection times, operating airlines, aircraft types, etc.

Award Types

United Airlines offers two award flight “types” – Saver Awards and Everyday Awards. You will notice (above in the image, for example), that there are two options for this flight – a Saver Award in Economy Class and Business Class, and an Everyday Award in Business Class.

Saver Awards

Saver Awards are the award flight types you should be booking – they are the lowest cost available in miles, however have fewer seats available. You can only book Saver Awards using other Star Alliance miles. Therefore if you are planning to use other miles but would like to use United.com to find flights, make sure you find Saver Awards as only those will be bookable using other Star Alliance miles.

You will notice that Saver Awards have different booking classes than Everyday Awards. Throughout Star Alliance, every airline has the same booking classes for Saver Awards:

• Economy Class = “X”
• Business Class = “I”
• First Class = “O”

If there is space in either X, I, or O classes (as designated on the award availability), you can book these flights using any Star Alliance miles.

Everyday Awards

Everyday Awards are only available if you are using United miles. There will always be more Everyday Awards flights as those are significantly more expensive and therefore there will be more seats available using miles. You should never be booking Everyday Awards as they are a terrible use of miles. Furthermore, Everyday Awards are only available on United Airlines flights – not on Star Alliance flights.

Booking Award Flights

If you are using United miles to book your desired flights, you can simply “select” your desired flight and proceed with the booking process. One you have found flights, you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards, for example, and continue with the booking process.

If you are using United.com only to locate award availability, once you have found your desired flights, you will want to call your Star Alliance frequent flyer program to book the flights you found, at the Saver Award level. You may not necessarily have to call – you might even be able to book online with your desired Star Alliance frequent flyer program.

In Conclusion

United’s website is the best way to find Star Alliance award availability. However, it is important to remember that while the same flights should be available to other Star Alliance airlines (Saver Awards), the cost will be different and the rules of the ticket will apply from whichever frequent flyer program you are using.

Furthermore, it is important to note that all airlines have different routing rules – for example, United may show you a certain flight combination and while United will let you book this combination using their miles, Lufthansa, for example may have different rules and may not let you book the same routing. It is important to check the award rules with your desired frequent flyer program.

As always, if you have any questions, please post them below!

The post Searching Star Alliance Award Space using United.com appeared first on Travel Miles 101.

It is always important to double or triple check if the availability you found is actually there – because if you decide to transfer points from a bank to an airline to book the flight, the transfers are nonreversible, so you will be stuck with those points in a specific program if you cannot book your desired flight because of a website glitch. Usually the best way to verify if an award flight is available is by calling the airline or the frequent flyer program that you want to book through – for example, if I want to book a Lufthansa flight through United’s program, I would call United and double check over the phone if the agents can also see that award space.

Star Alliance Award Availability

Star Alliance features the world’s most amazing carriers… and it also features United’s website which is hands-down by far the best way to search for award availability on any Star Alliance airline or connecting partner. In addition, United also partners with a bunch of other airlines which you can search on their website directly. As with any airline website, they sometimes aren’t good at everything, so you always want to double check to make sure the award space you find is bookable (either with another airline or over the phone).

The best ways to search for Star Alliance award availability:

• United (Air China and Singapore Airlines award space is often phantom – always double check it)
• ANA (usually very accurate)
• Aeroplan
• Singapore Airlines (SQ mostly releases premium cabin award space on their flights to their members only – so don’t rely on SQ’s website for SQ availability that you want to book elsewhere)
• Miles & More (more availability on LH Group flights to M&M members – especially in premium cabins, double check other sources)

In general, I begin all of my Star Alliance searches on United and double check them on ANA or Aeroplan, and sometimes I will also call in to make sure that space is truly bookable, especially if it is something rare that might show up (like Singapore Airlines Business or First Class).

oneworld Award Availability

oneworld features many incredible airlines, especially when you travel on them in the premium cabin. The most popular way to book oneworld flights is through American Airlines or British Airways. BA’s website is the most popular way to search for oneworld availability and was usually the best way to do so – as AA’s website did not display all oneworld availability online. AA does now display most of their partner’s award flights online and therefore you should begin your searches there and then confirm with BA. The one important aspect to note about BA’s website is that it does frequently display phantom award space – therefore you should always double check with yet another airline like Qantas or by calling the program you want to book through.

The best ways to search for oneworld award availability:

• American Airlines
• British Airways (double check if you find availability here, sometimes shows phantom)
• Qantas Airways (usually most accurate)

One word of warning regarding American Airlines’ website – it will sometimes show you award space that is there but it will say it isn’t actually available when you go to book it. This is especially tricky because while it may seem like it is phantom space, sometimes that award space is actually there, but the U.S.-based website and agents cannot book it. In this case, you want to check as many ways as possible to see if that award space is there.

SkyTeam Award Availability

SkyTeam isn’t very popular with international award redemptions as there aren’t any incredible redemption opportunities since Delta has more or less destroyed their program and Air France-KLM followed their lead. The best way to search for award availability is on Delta’s website for non-Delta flights and for SkyTeam partners that appear online as the DL website does not show all partners. The other best way is to search on Air France’s website – this would be best for Delta availability and other SkyTeam availability, but not necessarily Air France-KLM flights as there may be more award space to their own members.

The best ways to search for SkyTeam award availability:

• Delta (for non-Delta flights, DL’s website does not show all SkyTeam airlines)
• Air France (for DL flights, not for AF/KL flights, for other SkyTeam airlines)
• Calling the Airline (best way for other SkyTeam airlines which might not show up online)

SkyTeam is very tricky – they do not allow International First Class redemptions across all airlines and they also have a bunch of other strange aspects to them – mainly because Delta mostly runs SkyTeam. You always should check with the program you want to use to book your flight if that award space is there (for example, using Delta miles on China Airlines – check with Delta over the phone to verify availability).

Other Airlines

Finding award space on airlines that do not belong to any major alliance is a bit tricky as you usually have to either search on their own website directly (and remember they sometimes give more seats to their own members) or you have to use their partner airlines to search – and some of them require you to call in and inquire over the phone.

The best ways to search for other airlines award availability (some examples):

• Aer Lingus = United Airlines or British Airways
• Air Tahiti Nui = American Airlines
• Alaska Airlines = American Airlines (for saver-level award space)
• Condor = Alaska Airlines (not all routes)
• Edelweiss Air = United Airlines or Miles & More (might be more availability)
• Eurowings = United Airlines or Miles & More (might be more availability)
• Etihad Airways = Etihad’s website (search for saver space) or American Airlines
• Fiji Airways = American Airlines or Alaska Airlines (not all routes)
• Hainan Airlines = Alaska Airlines (not all routes)
• Hawaiian Airlines = United Airlines
• Icelandair = Alaska Airlines

A word of caution: when airlines are not in an alliance together, they may not allow all earning and redeeming on their partners. For example, you cannot redeem Alaska Airlines miles on Fiji Airways for travel from/to Fiji from/to Asia (Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore)… but you should be able to redeem American Airlines miles for those routes. It is always important to check for situations like these.

In Conclusion

Searching for award availability can sometimes be tricky and it is important to know what the best way to go about searching is – whether that is through the airline directly, through a partner airline, over the phone, etc. Remember to always verify if the award space you find isn’t phantom by double checking with other airlines or over the phone before you complete any mileage transfers. Do note that when searching for partner award space outside of an alliance, there may be additional restrictions on mileage redemption and/or on which routes you can redeem, be sure to check all aspects of your desired booking and the rules of the frequent flyer program you want to use.

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