Last week I answered a reader question about collecting miles for a trip between the US and Southeast Asia. As part of that I included a chart giving a general “range” of the miles required by different mileage programs, and there were several requests for charts for other regions as well.
So I thought I’d go through how many miles you need for first class or business class, the flexible points transfer partners, and will try to highlight some of the best redemptions as well.
Probably the most common request for award help I receive is from people wanting to travel to Europe or Asia who have miles spread across multiple programs. Fortunately, many of the airline programs offer one-way awards, so if you can get by without a stopover, booking your trip as two one-ways can open up availability in different alliances, and make awards more approachable given you don’t have to accrue quite as much of a particular currency.
So all of the rates listed are for one-way awards, unless a program doesn’t allow one-ways, or charges the same price for a round trip, and I’ve designated those with an “*” to make it simpler. You can click on the program names below to access the award charts as well.
Europe
There are hundreds of flights a day between North America and Europe, so if you’re flexible with your routing or schedule it’s typically not too tough to find award availability, particularly if you’re booking well in advance.
Business Class to Europe
Airline Program | Miles Required – Business | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|
Air Canada Aeroplan | Europe 1: 45,000 Europe 2: 52,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Air France/KLM FlyingBlue | 62,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | Air France: 62,500 American: 50,000 British Airways: 60,000 Delta: 125,000* Emirates: 105,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alitalia MilleMiglia | Alitalia: 100,000†SkyTeam Partners: 80,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
American Airlines AAdvantage | 57,500 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Avianca Lifemiles | 75,000 | |
British Airways Executive Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Delta SkyMiles | ~62,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Korean Air SkyPass | 80,000* | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Miles & More | 52,500 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Singapore: 48,875 (includes 15% online booking discount) Partners: 65,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
United MileagePlus | United: 57,500 Partners: 70,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
Airline Program | Miles Required - Business | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|
Europe 1: 45,000 Europe 2: 52,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest | |
62,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest Citi ThankYou Points | |
Air France: 62,500 American: 50,000 British Airways: 60,000 Delta: 125,000* Emirates: 105,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest
| |
Alitalia: 100,000†SkyTeam Partners: 80,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest | |
57,500
| Starwood Preferred Guest
| |
75,000 | ||
Distance Based 37,500-75,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards | |
Delta SkyMiles No longer publishes award charts | ~62,500
| American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
80,000*
| Chase Ultimate Rewards
| |
52,500 | Starwood Preferred Guest | |
Singapore Only: 48,875 (includes 15% online booking discount) Partners: 65,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest | |
United: 57,500 Partners: 70,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards
| |
Distance Based 40,000-50,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
Singapore Airlines business class A380
† One note on Alitalia. They changed their award chart for their own flights back in 2012, but have been offering a “promotional” chart that matches their SkyTeam chart since then. That has technically expired, but whether you pay the promo rates or the “correct” rates really depends on the agent you get.
First Class to Europe
Airline Program | Miles Required – First | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|
Air Canada Aeroplan | Europe 1: 62,500 Europe 2: 72,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | American: 62,500 British Airways: 70,000 Emirates: 180,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
American Airlines AAdvantage | 85,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
ANA Mileage Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Avianca Lifemiles | 87,000 | |
British Airways Executive Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Miles & More | 85,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Singapore Only: 57,375 (includes 15% online booking discount) | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
United MileagePlus | United: 80,000 Partners: 110,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Aeroplan has hands-down the best value for business class travel, particularly if you can redeem miles on carriers that don’t levy fuel surcharges. Even with the fuel surcharges Aeroplan is still my favorite way to redeem for Lufthansa First Class nowadays, given they allow either two stopovers or a stopover and open-jaw on a round trip, and you can always get reimbursed for the fuel surcharges.
Singapore KrisFlyer also has fantastic rates for awards on their own metal. You receive a 15% discount by booking online, which lowers the price of those awards dramatically.
Central and South America
For some reason, every airline seems to divide this region up differently, so there’s not really a way to make a clean and easy chart here. This should give you a general idea, but if you’re planning award travel to South America you probably want to look at the specific award chart for the program you’re interested in so you know which zone your destination country is in.
Business Class to Central and South America
Airline Program | Miles Required – Business | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|
Air Canada Aeroplan | Central America: 30,000 Northern South America: 37,500 Southern South America: 47,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Air France/KLM FlyingBlue | Central America: 30,000 Northern South America: 43,750 Southern South America: 62,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | Aeromexico: 35,000 – 45,000 American: 30,000 – 50,000 Delta: 60,000 – 125,000* LAN: 45,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alitalia MilleMiglia | Central America: 60,000* Northern South America: 60,000 Southern South America: 75,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
American Airlines AAdvantage | Central America & South America 1: 27,500 – 30,000 South America 2: 57,500 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Avianca Lifemiles | North of Central America: 36,000 South of Central America: 36,000 North of South America: 40,000 South of South America: 60,000 | |
British Airways Executive Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Delta SkyMiles | Central America: ~30,000 Northern South America: ~45,000 Southern South America: ~62,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Korean Air SkyPass | Korean Only: 52,500 Latin America 1 SkyTeam Partners: 75,000* Latin America 2 SkyTeam Partners: 110,000* | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Miles & More | Central America: 30,000 South America: 52,500 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Central America: 30,000 South America: 50,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
United MileagePlus | Central America: 30,000 Northern South America: 35,000 Southern South America: 55,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
First Class to Central and South America
Airline Program | Miles Required – First | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|
Air Canada Aeroplan | Central America: 42,500 Northern South America: 52,500 Southern South America: 67,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | American: 80,000 – 125,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
American Airlines AAdvantage | Central America and South America 1: 52,500 – 55,000 South America 2: 85,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
ANA Mileage Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Avianca Lifemiles | North of Central America: 46,000 South of Central America: 46,000 North of South America: 50,000 South of South America: 70,000 | |
British Airways Executive Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Korean Air SkyPass | Korean Only: 70,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Miles & More | Central America: 42,500 South America: 85,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Central America: 40,000 South America: 70,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
United MileagePlus | Central America: 40,000 Northern South America: 45,000 Southern South America: 70,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
American first class 777-300ER
In general, unless you’re redeeming Korean Air SkyPass miles for travel in Korean First, I’d probably stick to business class here.
I’m typically a huge advocate for first over business given the low mileage premium for the upgraded product, but the vast majority of the aircraft flying to South America don’t offer a first class to begin with. So it’s probably not worth dealing with the reduced availability and frequencies in this case.
The Middle East, Africa, and Indian Subcontinent
This is another region where there is a wide range of geographical definitions, particularly as many mileage programs seem to have rather arbitrary ways of dividing Africa.
In general, when redeeming miles for travel to India or Africa I like to look at routing through Europe or the Middle East whenever possible. You’ll make some additional connections, but will generally get a better product in exchange.
Business Class to the Middle East, Africa, and Indian Subcontinent
Airline Program | Miles Required – Business | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|
Air Canada Aeroplan | Middle East & North Africa: 82,500 East, West, and South Africa: 75,000 India: 75,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Air France/KLM FlyingBlue | 100,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | Air France: 70,000 British Airways: 70,000 Cathay Pacific: 62,500 Delta: 140,000 Delta (South Africa): 160,000* Emirates (India/Middle East): 82,500 Emirates (Africa): 120,000 Korean (India/Middle East): 140,000* | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alitalia MilleMiglia | India/Middle East: 120,000* North Africa: 80,000* Central and Southern Africa: 120,000* | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
American Airlines AAdvantage | Africa: 75,000 India/Middle East: 70,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Avianca Lifemiles | North Africa/Middle East/India: 78,000 South Africa: 78,000 | |
British Airways Executive Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Delta SkyMiles | Africa/India/Middle East: ~70,000 South Africa: ~80,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Korean Air SkyPass | Partners: 120,000* | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Miles & More | Middle East/North Africa/Central Africa: 67,500 Southern Africa/India: 92,500 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Africa/Middle East on Singapore: 80,750 West Coast to India on Singapore: 76,500 East Coast to India on Singapore: 87,125 Middle East/North Africa on Singapore: 57,500 Central/South Africa on Partners: India on Partners: 97,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
United MileagePlus | United: 70,000 Partners: 80,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | Middle East/North Africa: 80,000 India/South Africa: 90,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
Etihad business class A330-300
First Class to the Middle East, Africa, and Indian Subcontinent
Airline Program | Miles Required – First | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|
Air Canada Aeroplan | Middle East & North Africa: 115,000 East, West, and South Africa: 105,000 India: 105,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | British Airways: 80,000 Cathay Pacific: 70,000 Emirates (India/Middle East): 150,000 Emirates (Africa): 200,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
American Airlines AAdvantage | Africa: 120,000 India/Middle East: 115,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
ANA Mileage Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Avianca Lifemiles | North Africa/Middle East/India: 105,000 South Africa: 111,000 | |
British Airways Executive Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Korean Air SkyPass | Partners: 120,000* | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Miles & More | Middle East/North Africa/Central Africa: 105,000 Southern Africa/India: 145,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | Africa/Middle East on Singapore: 110,500 West Coast to India on Singapore: 106,250 East Coast to India on Singapore: 112,625 Middle East/North Africa on Singapore: 75,000 Central/South Africa on Partners: 110,000 India on Partners: 132,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
United MileagePlus | Africa on United: 85,000 Middle East/India on United: 90,000 Africa on Partners: 130,000 Middle East/India on Partners: 140,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
For business class, United offers a great value to these regions. You won’t pay any fuel surcharges, and can have open-jaws and a stopover on a round-trip itinerary. Combined with the sheer numbers of Star Alliance partners, there are possibilities for great redemptions. US Airways is another good option, but watch out for transatlantic flights on British Airways, as the fuel surcharges can add up quickly.
First class is a bit trickier, as there really aren’t many “sweet spots” on the award charts for this region. I do like redeeming American AAdvantage miles here, given they partner with Etihad, Qatar, and Jet Airways. Alaska is also a good choice for awards on Emirates or Cathay Pacific.
Asia
I love traveling to Asia, and have probably redeemed more of my own miles to various places in Asia than to anywhere else. Keep in mind many programs will allow you to route from the US to Asia via Europe as well, which can be a great way to maximize your miles.
Business Class to Asia
Airline Program | Miles Required – Business | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|
Air Canada Aeroplan | Asia 1: 75,000 Asia 2: 77,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Air France/KLM FlyingBlue | 100,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | American (Japan/Korea): 50,000 American (China): 55,000 Cathay Pacific: 50,000 Delta: 140,000* Emirates: 105,000 Korean (North Asia): 105,000* Korean (Southeast Asia): 120,000* | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alitalia MilleMiglia | Northern Asia: 90,000* Southern Asia: 95,000* | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
American Airlines AAdvantage | Asia 1: 60,000 Asia 2: 70,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Avianca Lifemiles | North Asia: 75,000 South/Central Asia: 78,000 | |
British Airways Executive Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Delta SkyMiles | ~70,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | North Asia: 87,500 South/Central Asia: 97,500 | Citi ThankYou Points |
Korean Air SkyPass | Korean (Korea/China/Japan): 62,500 Korean (Southeast Asia): 75,000 Korean (Southwest Asia): 85,000 Partners (Northeast Asia): 140,000* Partners (Southeast Asia): 155,000* Partners (Southwest Asia): 170,000* | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Miles & More | 67,500 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | West Coast to Southeast Asia on Singapore: 68,000 East Coast to Southeast Asia on Singapore: 72,250 West Coast to South China on Singapore: 63,750 East Coast to South China on Singapore: 78,625 East Coast to North China on Singapore: 87,125 West Coast to Japan/Korea on Singapore: 65,875 East Coast to Japan/Korea on Singapore: 89,250 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
United MileagePlus | United (Japan): 65,000 United (Central/South/North Asia): 70,000 Partners (Japan): 75,000 Partners (Central/South/North Asia): 80,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club | 90,000-110,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
EVA Air business class 777-300ER
First Class to Asia
Airline Program | Miles Required – First | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|
Air Canada Aeroplan | Asia 1: 105,000 Asia 2: 107,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | American (Japan/Korea): 62,500 American (China): 67,500 Cathay Pacific: 70,000 Emirates: 180,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
American Airlines AAdvantage | Asia 1: 80,000 Asia 2: 110,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
ANA Mileage Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Avianca Lifemiles | North Asia: 90,000 South Asia: 99,000 Central Asia: 111,000 | |
British Airways Executive Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards |
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | North Asia: 105,000 South East Asia: 112,500 Central/South Asia: 145,000 | Citi ThankYou Points |
Korean Air SkyPass | Korean (Korea/China/Japan): 80,000 Korean (Southeast Asia): 95,000 Korean (Southwest Asia): 105,000 Partners (Northeast Asia): 180,000* Partners (Southeast Asia): 200,000* Partners (Southwest Asia): 230,000* | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Miles & More | 105,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | West Coast to Southeast Asia on Singapore: 91,375 East Coast to Southeast Asia on Singapore: 93,500 West Coast to South China on Singapore: 70,125 East Coast to South China on Singapore: 104,125 East Coast to North China on Singapore: 112,625 West Coast to Japan/Korea on Singapore: 74,375 East Coast to Japan/Korea on Singapore: 116,875 Southeast Asia on Partners: 225,000* | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
United MileagePlus | United (Japan/North Asia/South Asia): 80,000 United (Central Asia): 90,000 Partners (Japan): 110,000 Partners (North Asia): 120,000 Partners (South Asia): 130,000 Partners (Central Asia): 140,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
There are so many good business class redemption opportunities here it’s hard to pick a favorite. There is a bit of a balance between things like stopovers and fuel surcharges, but for the most part I think most of the business class prices are pretty reasonable, so it’s hard to go wrong here.
For first class, however, there are some standouts. Korean Air and Singapore Airlines offer fantastic value when booking through their respective programs, particularly as the only way to redeem for first class is through their native mileage programs.
Alaska, American, and US Airways have great rates for first class travel on Cathay Pacific, which is one of my favorite products, and there are pros and cons to each program. American, for example, doesn’t allow stopovers, while domestic connections on an Alaska award can be tricky — particularly if you don’t live in a city served by Alaska. And US Airways is US Airways. ;p
Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania
Award travel to the South Pacific is complicated — there isn’t a ton of capacity compared to other regions, and availability is generally poor on the few direct routes between North America and Australia. Given that, my favorite programs are the ones that allow you to route via Asia, as that expands options dramatically and gives you access to better products as well.
Business Class to Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania
Airline Program | Miles Required – Business | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|
Air Canada Aeroplan | 80,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Air France/KLM FlyingBlue | 120,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | Air France (Tahiti): 60,000 Cathay Pacific: 60,000 Delta: 160,000* Fiji Airways: 55,000 Korean Air: 125,000* Qantas: 55,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alitalia MilleMiglia | 150,000* | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
American Airlines AAdvantage | 80,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Avianca Lifemiles | 80,000 | |
British Airways Executive Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Delta SkyMiles | ~80,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 97,500 | Citi ThankYou Points |
Korean Air SkyPass | Korean: 97,500 Partners: 185,000* | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Miles & More | 92,500 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | West Coast to West Australia on Singapore: 80,750 East Coast to West Australia on Singapore: 87,125 West Coast to East Australia/New Zealand on Singapore: 85,000 East Coast to East Australia/New Zealand on Singapore: 91,375 Partners: 97,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
United MileagePlus | United: 70,000 Partners: 80,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Virgin Australia business class 777-300ER
First Class to Asia Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania
Airline Program | Miles Required – First | Transfer Partners |
|---|---|---|
Air Canada Aeroplan | 110,000 | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan | Cathay Pacific: 80,000 Qantas:70,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
American Airlines AAdvantage | 110,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
ANA Mileage Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Starwood Preferred Guest |
Avianca Lifemiles | 92,500 | |
British Airways Executive Club | Distance Based | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards |
EVA Air Infinity MileageLands | 145,000 | Citi ThankYou Points |
Korean Air SkyPass | Korean: 120,000 Partners: 260,000* | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
Miles & More | 145,000 | Starwood Preferred Guest |
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer | West Coast to West Australia on Singapore: 114,750 East Coast to West Australia on Singapore: 112,625 West Coast to East Australia/New Zealand on Singapore: 119,000 East Coast to East Australia/New Zealand on Singapore: 116,875 Partners: 127,500 | American Express Membership Rewards Chase Ultimate Rewards Citi ThankYou Points Starwood Preferred Guest |
United MileagePlus | United: 80,000 Partners: 130,000 | Chase Ultimate Rewards |
For business class, Delta, US Airways and United offer some of the best values, in my opinion. Both US Airways and United will allow you to route via Asia, and don’t levy fuel surcharges. Delta will allow routing via Asia as well, but more importantly they partner with Virgin Australia, which actually releases award space on routes to the US.
For first class, Alaska and US Airways have great charts for travel on Cathay Pacific. Singapore and Korean have good rates for travel on their own metal as well, so that’s another good option.
Bottom Line
Obviously award availability is going to be the determining factor in many cases, but hopefully this gives you a general idea of how many miles you’ll need as you’re building up your balances.
@ Lucky - super useful chart, thank you! Quick idea -- what about an FAQ-type of section to ease amount of type you have to respond to emails/Ask Lucky? I am sure you could hire someone to go through Ask Lucky section (perhaps last year or so), come up with frequent Q&As and then the only thing left for you would be to review it.
Ben, I never got a response for my earlier question. If you just either don't know or don't have the time to research it, that's ok, but I'd love to know how to use the Korean 120K round trip in first to India award. even without a solid answer, this is a great piece of work. Thanks again.
@ Christian -- That's the one-way cost, not the roundtrip (though you have to book a roundtrip if flying partners, so it's 240K roundtrip). You could fly Saudia.
Hi Lucky,
Just wanted to add a note to say Thank you for compiling this list. I'm sure it took you a gazillion hours to put it together and I appreciate the work. Even though it may be tough for the rest of us to actually book the seats due to availability (as some have noted but expressed in a less complimentary way), nonetheless it serves as a starting point in our journey (of discovery!)....
Hi Lucky,
Just wanted to add a note to say Thank you for compiling this list. I'm sure it took you a gazillion hours to put it together and I appreciate the work. Even though it may be tough for the rest of us to actually book the seats due to availability (as some have noted but expressed in a less complimentary way), nonetheless it serves as a starting point in our journey (of discovery!). If nothing else, it lets us dream a little. :)
Once again, your efforts are deeply appreciated and please keep up the good work!
@ Lucky : THANKS!!! Sure, when you get a chance! Understand that it took a lot of effort and time...we always really appreciate your hard work and posts, they are super helpful and we can bookmark it for reference!! This is why I love your blog and it's a must on my daily reading!
Minor note--BA is also an SPG partner in addition to MR and UR
Agreed that as helpful as the list is, the availability is what needs to be kept in mind. Can you make a post on which routes actually have the best availability?
@ Lucky, did you get my previous message? I didn't see any response. Thanks a lot!
@ Amanda -- I'll see what I can do. Compiling these lists is really time consuming and don't have time for it this weekend, but will try to when I have a chance. Thanks for the feedback!
Great work! Thanks so much!
Ben, let's say you have Chase Ultimate Rewards - would you rather convert your points to Singapore or United? I have been collecting miles/points mainly through United for the past few years. My destinations are mostly SE Asia or Europe. I like United miles due to me living in the Midwest close to United hub in Chicago and can fly pretty much anywhere from here. However, you can't really get award seats from better Staralliance...
Ben, let's say you have Chase Ultimate Rewards - would you rather convert your points to Singapore or United? I have been collecting miles/points mainly through United for the past few years. My destinations are mostly SE Asia or Europe. I like United miles due to me living in the Midwest close to United hub in Chicago and can fly pretty much anywhere from here. However, you can't really get award seats from better Staralliance partners such as Lufthansa, Swiss, Singapore through United anymore. Your chart also shows less miles needed for SG seats. What would you do?
@ TC -- It all depends what exactly you want to do, but in general I prefer Singapore KrisFlyer miles. You can easily redeem miles for Singapore premium cabins when booking through them, which isn't possible through United.
So super awesome! Thanks bunches.
BTW, does your travel service only help arrange trips when people know where they are going? I have some general ideas for my first aspirational trip, some places I'd like to see, planes I'd like to fly, etc., and I've accrued a fair number of miles and points. I'm looking for someone who can (for a fee, of course) help me come up with some ideas. No time-frame, but aiming for Fall, 2015.
Thanks so much Ben! I got it bookmarked.
So, in many ways Alaskan and AA miles are move valuable (low cost) than I realized (I have been a *A guy). How difficult is it to book a flight to say SE Asia, Oz or Tahiti last minute. Tahiti is definitely a destination that I really want to visit. My travel schedule is mostly booked in the under 3 month window. Cheers, again!
Thank you, Ben, this is invaluable. bookmarked. Quick question - I see offeres from LH for reduced miles flight to various places in EU but not yet from SFO. Ever noticed deals from there? Cheers.
@ Levy Flight -- It's one of their most profitable routes, so don't think I've ever seen it out of SFO.
Huge respect for spending the time to gather all this useful info in one place.
Really helpful post Lucky! Especially for helping beginners.
You did mention that many programs will allow you to route from the US to Asia through Europe - other than US Airways, which programs let you do that?
@ Ben -- Off the top of my head, Aeroplan and United, though there are others out there as well.
Excellent post - bookmarked.
What a great compilation! Thanks. One thing that struck me is the Korean 120k in both business and first to India. This offer seems too good to be true. Any details? I didn't even see India on the award chart, but have to admit to being intrigued.
Thanks for this Ben!! Super helpful!!
Lucky,
Just a bit of idea here.....can you please add additional column for additional info on stop over, open jaws, and fuel surcharges. So for example, in your chart you already have column for: Airline program, Miles Required, Transfer Partners......and then maybe add additional columns for "Stop Over" (can simply marked each airline by "yes/(qty of stop over allowed)" like "yes/2" , "Open Jaws" (same like the "stop over" section). And also "Fuel Surcharges" (high/low/no...
Lucky,
Just a bit of idea here.....can you please add additional column for additional info on stop over, open jaws, and fuel surcharges. So for example, in your chart you already have column for: Airline program, Miles Required, Transfer Partners......and then maybe add additional columns for "Stop Over" (can simply marked each airline by "yes/(qty of stop over allowed)" like "yes/2" , "Open Jaws" (same like the "stop over" section). And also "Fuel Surcharges" (high/low/no charges, etc.). This will be helpful for many to maximize and stretch the miles and points for travel and whenever someone ask you about this you can give the link to refer on it , and we can also bookmark this for our future reference.
Nice detailed information.
But in the real world, utterly useless. And - frankly - dishonest.
Redemption levels mean NOTHING. What matters is availability. Sure, in THEORY you can go from X to Y on airline Z for N miles. Whoopdie-fracking-doo. Go try and get seats for you and your family on that route, and you will usually find that the detailed info presented above is completely meaningless.
Of course, you can't tell the rubes that...
Nice detailed information.
But in the real world, utterly useless. And - frankly - dishonest.
Redemption levels mean NOTHING. What matters is availability. Sure, in THEORY you can go from X to Y on airline Z for N miles. Whoopdie-fracking-doo. Go try and get seats for you and your family on that route, and you will usually find that the detailed info presented above is completely meaningless.
Of course, you can't tell the rubes that - it would eat into your credit card referral fees.
@ Taylor -- Yup, taking hours on end to compile a dozen charts of redemption rates is both useless and dishonest. You got me!
Excellent, thanks! Can you put this in a spreadsheet?
@ LUCKY:
Very very great post and info! We can always refer to this and it's also very useful for people who always have questions pertaining to this in the Ask Lucky section.
Would you please compile a ultimate guide for tips/tricks on searching and booking award availability for each of the above? Since I notice that a lot of people ask about this too in Ask Lucky section, so it would be useful...
@ LUCKY:
Very very great post and info! We can always refer to this and it's also very useful for people who always have questions pertaining to this in the Ask Lucky section.
Would you please compile a ultimate guide for tips/tricks on searching and booking award availability for each of the above? Since I notice that a lot of people ask about this too in Ask Lucky section, so it would be useful and helpful for them and for you too, when there are new people asking about this question you can always give the link to this ultimate guide on how to search and book the award availability so they can read, learn and be informed about it (including me too!) :)
Nice list. Can't wait for economy list like others mentioned.
Thanks Ben :)
Hi Ben,
Your blog is absolutely fantastic. Keep up the good work!
If I want to fly SQ from JFK-FRA-SIN-BKK in 1st how do I book it on the Singapore Airlines website.?Since the segment from SIN-BKK is in business when I run the search it says the itinerary is only available in business. How did I get around this so the rest of the itinerary is is 1st and only the last segment is in business?
Thanks!
@ Joe -- You would unfortunately have to book by phone, though still may be able to convince them to give you the 15% discount:
https://onemileatatime.com/singapore-airlines-krisflyer-15-online-booking-discount-phone/
Ben, is LH first cheaper to India than business using LH miles? 82500--92500?
@ Apu -- Nope, it's 92,500 miles in business or 145,000 miles in first.
This is incredibly useful! Thank you Lucky!
A really great post with lots of nice charts. Thanks Lucky!
Wow! What a comprehensive list ... thanks for the great effort put forth here!
One more request for Economy chart as well please... Love you Lucky and the team !
It would be great to do this same comparison for economy travel as well. As much as I would love to fly business or first class, the allure of getting 2 trips for the same amount of miles is too great to turn down :)
This is really helpful but I can't imagine your patience at answering the 'how many mile from x to x'. It's called google. Look it up people.
@R B
https://www.google.com/search?q=aa+award+asia+to+europe&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en
Thank you for compiling this altogether in on place! If possible could you also add an economy section for us mileage newbie family guys trying to shuttle four people around?
@ Jason -- I'll see what I can do. :)
Fantastic reporting! These charts help me out great in planning where to go and deciding which miles to earn! Thanks!
Fantastic info - printing it out now. Thanks!
Now if you could post one on availability ... because if a flight costs 1000 miles, its no good if there's no space!
Great post and extremely useful for those living in/travelling to the US. I just wish we had a UK travel blog that's more than a 1/10th as useful as yours Lucky!
Good stuff. Nice post.
Can you add or do you have same list for USA->Hawaii, that would be interesting to compate. Also the Oceania routes show Alaska miles in Business on a bunch of carriers but not so much in First. Is that because of the aircraft, limits on awards or routes?
@ DaninMCI -- That's because Alaska has a lot of partners which either don't have a first class cabin, or on which you can't redeem Alaska miles for first class.
Great summary. Really appreciate this. Any chance you plan on keeping it updated as changes come and go? If so I can see myself referring to it quite often
@ Brian -- I sure will!
How many AA miles for BA or CX from Europe to HKG? Eco or Prem Eco?
@ R B -- Here's American's chart:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/aadvantageAllPartnerChart.jsp
You can't redeem American miles for premium economy, but economy is 35K one-way.
Isn't it 60k for BA first to europe?
@ anon -- Whoops, should be 60K-75K depending on where you're originating. Fixed.