Membership Rewards sweet spots are plentiful and strong. Indeed, Amex Membership Rewards is the strongest transferable points program in terms of the sheer number of Amex transfer partners. I’ve written about the Strengths of Membership Rewards over Ultimate Rewards and the bottom line is that Amex provides a host of options for getting great premium cabin awards using your points. With renewed interest in Hilton thanks to its partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World and some other niche redemptions, you can even use points for good value toward hotel stays in some cases. Thus, without further ado, here are the top sweet spots from Membership Rewards.
Recent updates to this guide
We recently updated a number of the sweet spots below to account for award chart changes and transfer partner additions. We also edited sections on transferring to Hilton (noting the value to be had with Small Luxury Hotels of the World) and Marriott (to remove the old award chart information). Further, we added a table below to automatically display transfer bonuses below when they are available.
This guide to sweet spots still focuses mainly on premium cabin flights because those are the sweet spots that provide the greatest value in comparison to ticket cost, but we will continue to add economy class sweet spots for those who prefer to use fewer points and/or travel with more than two passengers (it can often be very challenging or impossible to find more than two award seats in a premium cabin).
Note that this guide is best viewed in a web browser rather than in email form in order to take advantage of the full organization.
Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots: Transfer bonuses
Any conversation about Amex sweet spots ought to at least start with the fact that Amex frequently offers bonuses when you transfer to select partners. We often see bonuses of 25%, sometimes 30%, and occasionally as high as 40-50% with select partners. That same resource page with current point transfer bonuses also lists expired bonuses, so one can easily track past promotions to make an educated guess as to which bonuses we may see in the future.
These bonuses can make a sizable difference in sweet spots. If your needs line up with transfer bonuses, some of the sweet spots below can become even sweeter.
Current Partner Transfer Bonuses
Here are the currently available transfer bonuses from Amex Membership Rewards (this table will update automatically when new offers are found):
Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots: Domestic US Flights
American Express Membership Rewards has by far the best range of partners for domestic US flights. It’s worth noting that it has become increasingly difficult to book domestic US flights through foreign partner programs as the major US-based airlines have become far stingier with regard to releasing award space to partner programs. However, it can certainly be worth checking the following programs and/or using a good award search tool (but be aware that not all tools will show all of the following programs).
Alaska Airlines domestic US flights
British Airways Executive Club (for American Airlines or Alaska Airlines)
- The short story: British Airways offers a distance-based award chart, so short direct flights on partners American Airlines or Alaska Airlines can sometimes be a great value. Also note that British Airways allows cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for no fee but forfeiting the taxes ($5.60 each way within the US), though they've been known to refund those with some cancellations.
- Miles required: Varies based on distance. From 9K one-way in economy class / 16.5K in business class.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at britishairways.com. Note that British Airways inexplicably periodically stops displaying AA availability. It's always best to search before transferring.
- How to book awards: Book online at britishaiways.com.
- Change and cancellation fees: Officially $55, but when the taxes and fees are less British Airways gives the option of forfeiting the taxes instead ($5.60 each way in the US), which makes awards almost freely cancellable (some sometimes they refund the taxes anyway).
- Key warnings: British Airways charges for each segment separately, so multi-segment trips can get expensive quickly. Furthermore, the British Airways site sometimes shows phantom award space for AA (see: Phantom menace: an award search time suck). You may want to double-check Qantas.com for availability before transferring to British Aiways Executive Club.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Wells Fargo. Also transfer to Qatar and then to BA with: Citi.
Iberia Plus (for American Airlines or Alaska)
Caution: We’re including Iberia for completeness, but in most cases you’re better off booking American Airlines or Alaska Airlines flights through a different oneworld partner.
- The short story: Iberia Plus offers a distance-based award chart. Note that Iberia does not allow any chances / cancellations / redeposits in American Airlines awards. You can't even pay a fee to get your Avios back. You're better off booking through British Airways.
- Miles required: From 9K Avios each way.
- How to find awards: Search for available space on American at iberia.com. Use the Advanced Avios Search tool. Search Alaska award space via AA.com.
- How to book awards: Book online at iberia.com for American or over the phone for Alaska. Use the Advanced Avios Search tool for American.
- Change and cancellation fees: Most partner awards can not be changed or cancelled. There is no way to get your Avios back on partner bookings for American Airlines or Alaska Airlines flights.
- Key warnings: Most Iberia partner bookings, including those on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines, are completely nonrefundable and can not be changed. Only book AA flights with Iberia if plans are certain. Iberia used to require round trip booking for partner flights, but you can now book American Airlines flights one-way.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Chase, Wells Fargo. Also transfer to BA and then to Iberia with: Capital One, Citi
Qantas Frequent Flyer (for American Airlines or Alaska)
- The short story: Qantas offers better pricing than traditional American Airlines award prices on itineraries with a distance of 1200 miles or fewer each way and has no close-in booking fee. This could be especially good for those who need to connect on short itineraries as Qantas measures cumulative distance rather than pricing segments separately.
- Miles required: 8,000 miles for itineraries covering a distance up to 600 miles or 12,000 miles for itineraries covering a distance up to 1200 miles. (See: Strengths of Qantas for AA redemptions). No fuel surcharges on American or Alaska.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Qantas.com (you’ll need to create a free Qantas Frequent Flyer account). Note that for Alaska space you'll need to search AA.com.
- How to book awards: Book online at Qantas.com for American Airlines. Call for Alaska.
- Change and cancellation fees: 5,000 miles per passenger to change / 6,000 miles per passenger to cancel.
- Key warnings: Avios might be a better value if you have direct flights if you have access to points which transfer to Avios. However, for flights with connections, Qantas can be a better deal.
- Transfer from: Amex, Citi, Capital One, Marriott
Singapore KrisFlyer (for Alaska)
- The short story: Singapore KrisFlyer has a zone-based chart with some great values for travel on Alaska Airlines, particularly within the Western US and to/from Canada.
- Miles required: Varies form 8.5K-14K each way based on zone combination. See the zone-based chart and region definitions here. Note that Zone 2 includes all of Alaska's Canadian destinations (noted just as "Canada"), which means that itineraries between western states and Canada cost just 7.5K miles each way in economy class when awards are available.
- How to find awards: Search for available Alaska Airlines award space at AA.com (note that Singapore can not book any legs on AA, but AA will show Alaska flights available to partners).
- How to book awards: Alaska Awards can either be booked via phone or chat at the Singapore Airlines website. Note that booking via phone may be very difficult. Instead, see this post from Mainly Miles that explains in detail how to successfully book via chat.
- Change and cancellation fees: $50 change fee, $75 redeposit fee for saver awards.
- Key warnings: Singapore KrisFlyer can only book nonstop Alaska Airlines awards. Note that transfers to Singapore KrisFlyer are not instant. Transfers typically take 12-24 hours and Singapore does not hold award tickets.
- Transfer from: Amex, Citi, Chase, Capital One, Marriott
American Airlines domestic US flights
British Airways Executive Club (for American Airlines or Alaska Airlines)
- The short story: British Airways offers a distance-based award chart, so short direct flights on partners American Airlines or Alaska Airlines can sometimes be a great value. Also note that British Airways allows cancellation up to 24 hours in advance for no fee but forfeiting the taxes ($5.60 each way within the US), though they've been known to refund those with some cancellations.
- Miles required: Varies based on distance. From 9K one-way in economy class / 16.5K in business class.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at britishairways.com. Note that British Airways inexplicably periodically stops displaying AA availability. It's always best to search before transferring.
- How to book awards: Book online at britishaiways.com.
- Change and cancellation fees: Officially $55, but when the taxes and fees are less British Airways gives the option of forfeiting the taxes instead ($5.60 each way in the US), which makes awards almost freely cancellable (some sometimes they refund the taxes anyway).
- Key warnings: British Airways charges for each segment separately, so multi-segment trips can get expensive quickly. Furthermore, the British Airways site sometimes shows phantom award space for AA (see: Phantom menace: an award search time suck). You may want to double-check Qantas.com for availability before transferring to British Aiways Executive Club.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Wells Fargo. Also transfer to Qatar and then to BA with: Citi.
Iberia Plus (for American Airlines or Alaska)
- The short story: Iberia Plus offers a distance-based award chart. Note that Iberia does not allow any chances / cancellations / redeposits in American Airlines awards. You can't even pay a fee to get your Avios back. You're better off booking through British Airways.
- Miles required: From 9K Avios each way.
- How to find awards: Search for available space on American at iberia.com. Use the Advanced Avios Search tool. Search Alaska award space via AA.com.
- How to book awards: Book online at iberia.com for American or over the phone for Alaska. Use the Advanced Avios Search tool for American.
- Change and cancellation fees: Most partner awards can not be changed or cancelled. There is no way to get your Avios back on partner bookings for American Airlines or Alaska Airlines flights.
- Key warnings: Most Iberia partner bookings, including those on American Airlines or Alaska Airlines, are completely nonrefundable and can not be changed. Only book AA flights with Iberia if plans are certain. Iberia used to require round trip booking for partner flights, but you can now book American Airlines flights one-way.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Chase, Wells Fargo. Also transfer to BA and then to Iberia with: Capital One, Citi
Qantas Frequent Flyer (for American Airlines or Alaska)
- The short story: Qantas offers better pricing than traditional American Airlines award prices on itineraries with a distance of 1200 miles or fewer each way and has no close-in booking fee. This could be especially good for those who need to connect on short itineraries as Qantas measures cumulative distance rather than pricing segments separately.
- Miles required: 8,000 miles for itineraries covering a distance up to 600 miles or 12,000 miles for itineraries covering a distance up to 1200 miles. (See: Strengths of Qantas for AA redemptions). No fuel surcharges on American or Alaska.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Qantas.com (you’ll need to create a free Qantas Frequent Flyer account). Note that for Alaska space you'll need to search AA.com.
- How to book awards: Book online at Qantas.com for American Airlines. Call for Alaska.
- Change and cancellation fees: 5,000 miles per passenger to change / 6,000 miles per passenger to cancel.
- Key warnings: Avios might be a better value if you have direct flights if you have access to points which transfer to Avios. However, for flights with connections, Qantas can be a better deal.
- Transfer from: Amex, Citi, Capital One, Marriott
Delta Airlines domestic US flights
Air France / KLM Flying Blue (for Delta)
- The short story: Air France sometimes charges far fewer miles for Delta flights than Delta charges its own members.
- Miles required: Variable, but starting around 10.5K one-way in economy, or 28K one-way in business class.
- How to find awards: Use the Virgin Atlantic 5 week award search to find availability (see this post for details). Next, confirm your findings at AirFrance.us (you’ll need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. Can also book via phone or app when the website returns errors.
- Key warnings: Air France's website is buggy and will often return errors when trying to complete a booking. If that happens, try calling. Note also that for very short-distance flights, you may be able to save some miles by booking via Virgin Atlantic.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy, Wells Fargo.
Delta SkyMiles
- The short story: Delta has frequent flash sales where it is sometimes possible to get solid value. Sometimes, though not always, Delta offers better award pricing on round trip itineraries. This can make for a great deal in some circumstances.
- Miles required: Varies.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Delta.com.
- How to book awards: Book online at Delta.com.
- Change and cancellation fees: None for award tickets originating in North America in Main Cabin or above. Note that fees are not waived for Basic Economy.
- Key warnings: Delta pricing can be very unpredictable and vary wildly. Transfers from Membership Rewards incur a small excise tax that is not charged when transferring to foreign partners.
- Transfer from: Amex
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club (for Delta)
- The short story: In some instances, Virgin Atlantic offers Delta flights for fewer miles than Delta would charge for the same itineraries.
- Miles required: Virgin has a distance-based award chart for domestic US travel on Delta that ranges from 7,500 miles (for flights up to 500 miles in distance flown) to 27,500 miles (up to 5,000 miles flown, which would cover New York to Honolulu). Taxes & fees are just $5.60 on domestic flights. See the full award chart here.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com. See: How to book Delta flights with Virgin Atlantic miles.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so they are not a good choice for connecting itineraries.
- Transfer from: Amex, Capital One, Citi, Chase, Marriott, Bilt, Wells Fargo
JetBlue domestic US flights
JetBlue TrueBlue
- The short story: JetBlue TrueBlue points are typically only worth about 1.33c towards the cost of a flight (See: What are JetBlue TrueBlue points worth?), but in some instances it may be possible to do a bit better.
- Miles required: Varies by route but can be less than other options when cash prices are low.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at JetBlue.com.
- How to book awards: Book online at JetBlue.com.
- Change and cancellation fees: None for award tickets except for Blue Basic. For those Blue Basic fares, changes are $100 on itineraries in the U.S., Caribbean, Mexico, Central America or $200 for other routes.
- Key warnings: Note that transfers from Membership Rewards cost a small excise fee. Transfers are free from other transferable currencies.
- Transfer from: Amex, Citi, Chase, Marriott
Qatar Privileges Club Avios (for JetBlue)
- The short story: Qatar Airways Privilege Club offers distance-based award pricing on JetBlue, which can be a decent value for economy class in some instances.
- Miles required: From 8.5K for the shortest domestic flights to 25K in economy class on transcontinental flights.
- How to find awards: You search for space via QatarAirways.com, but to see a calendar of availability, you'll need to find "P" class space for business class awards. You can find this via a paid tool like ExpertFlyer or with advanced routing codes via ITA Matrix.
- How to book awards: Book online at QatarAirways.com.
- Change and cancellation fees: $25 more than 24 hours in advance / $100 Between 3-24 hours in advance / Nonrefundable within 3 hours or after departure
- Key warnings: The Qatar Airways website sometimes can not find major airports. We hope this is a temporary glitch.
- Transfer from: Amex, Citi. Also transfer to BA and then to Qatar with: Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Wells Fargo
United domestic US flights
Air Canada Aeroplan (for United)
- The short story: Aeroplan offers decent pricing for very short awards within the US and between the US and Canada, though the new distance-based chart means that longer itineraries are less of a deal.
- Miles required: From 6K to 22.5K miles each way in economy class or 15K to 35K miles each way in business class based on distance (see more info here).
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AirCanada.com (you’ll need to create a free Aeroplan frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirCanada.com. Can also book via phone. Lap infants must be added to your reservation over the phone.
- Change and cancellation fees: Changes cost "$100" for "Lowest" fare awards; there's no fee to change Flex or Latitude awards. Cancellations cost $150 for most standard awards or $75 for Flex economy if done online at AirCanada.com (or $175 online for most awards / $125 for Flex economy via a call center). Other flex awards are free to change or cancel.
- Key warnings: Cancellation fees can be high on "standard" awards. Hold times to speak with a phone agent can be very long.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Marriott
Avianca LifeMiles (for United)
- The short story: Avianca LifeMiles offers one-ways on United within a single "zone" at excellent prices. Some flights price even less than the "official" rates.
- Miles required: As per the old award chart, the US is split into 3 zones. Within a single zone, awards typically cost 7.5K one-way in economy class or 10K one-way in business class. Between Zone 1 (most of the East Coast) and Zone 2 (most of the states apart from the far west) is 10K one-way in economy or 15K in business class. Note that some routes price below the chart for no clear reason. Note also that mixed-cabin itineraries can price favorably in some instances. See: Avianca LifeMiles' awesome mixed-cabin award pricing. First class for less.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at LifeMiles.com (you’ll need to create a free Avianca LifeMiles frequent flyer account)
- How to book awards: Book online at LifeMiles.com.
- Change and cancellation fees: Theoretically $50 within a region, though flights between regions can cost $200 to cancel.
- Key warnings: Availability at LifeMiles.com does not always match what you’ll find at United.com. Phone agents generally do not see better availability than what is shown at LifeMiles.com. Always check the LifeMiles site before transferring points.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Citi, Capital One, Marriott
Singapore KrisFlyer (for United)
- The short story: Singapore KrisFlyer charges the same 12.5K miles each way in economy class both within the US and between the US and Canada. While not the best deal in all situations, Singapore miles are easy to accumulate since they are partners with all of the major transferable points.
- Miles required: 14K miles each way in economy class (business class is 26K each way)
- How to find awards: Search for available United Airlines space at United.com (Note: Do not log in — logging in may show you expanded availability based on your credit card or elite status that is not available for partner bookings) or SingaporeAir.com (See: Book United flights online with Singapore miles).
- How to book awards: Book online at SingaporeAir.com or over the phone with Singapore KrisFlyer.
- Change and cancellation fees: $50 change fee, $75 redeposit fee for saver awards.
- Key warnings: Singapore allows a maximum connection time of 4 hours on a domestic itinerary and will not allow a stopover on a one-way domestic award. Be aware that United.com will show availability for flights with longer/overnight connections that are not available with Singapore KrisFlyer miles, so be sure to double check availability at SingaporeAir.com or with a phone agent before booking. Also note that transfers to Singapore KrisFlyer are not instant. Transfers typically take 12-24 hours (from all major transferable currencies) and Singapore does not hold award tickets.
- Transfer from: Amex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Marriott
Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots: Hawaii
While saver business class awards to Hawaii can be difficult to find (and even rarer in lie-flat seats), Amex has the good transfer partners to get the best values when available. Note that Singapore KrisFlyer can be a great deal for booking on Alaska Airlines.
United or Alaska Airlines flights to Hawaii
Singapore Krisflyer
- The short story: Singapore KrisFlyer charges fewer miles for domestic flights to Hawaii than United does for the same flights. Additionally, they have a great chart for Alaska Airlines for those originating in parts of the US other than the East Coast.
- Miles required: For United flights: 19,500 miles each way in economy or 39,000 in business (as compared to 22.5K / 40K through United). For Alaska Airlines flights: award prices range from 13.5K to 14K one-way in economy class.
- How to find awards: Search for available United Airlines space at United.com (Note: Do not log in — logging in may show you expanded availability based on your credit card or elite status that is not available for partner bookings) or SingaporeAir.com (See: Book United flights online with Singapore miles– but note that business class prices have increased since that post was written). For Alaska Airlines award space, search at AA.com
- How to book awards: Book online at SingaporeAir.com or over the phone with Singapore KrisFlyer. Alaska awards must be booked over the phone.
- Key warnings: Singapore allows a maximum connection time of 4 hours on a domestic itinerary and will not allow a stopover on a one-way domestic award. Be aware that United.com and AA.com will show availability for flights with longer/overnight connections that are not available with Singapore KrisFlyer miles, so be sure to double check availability at SingaporeAir.com or with a phone agent before booking. Also note that transfers to Singapore KrisFlyer are not instant. Transfers typically take 12-24 hours (from all major transferable currencies) and Singapore does not hold award tickets.
- Transfer from: Amex, Chase, Capital One, Citi
American Airlines or Alaska Airlines flights to Hawaii
British Airways Avios
- The short story: British Airways offers a distance-based award chart, so flights from the West Coast of the USA on Alaska Airlines or American Airlines can be a great value with Avios.
- Miles required: 16K miles each way plus $5.60 for economy-class segments between west coast cities and Hawaii.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at britishairways.com for AA or aa.com for Alaska flights.
- How to book awards: Book American flights online at britishaiways.com or Alaska flights over the phone at 800-452-1201.
- Key warnings: British Airways charges for each segment separately, so multi-segment trips can get expensive quickly. Furthermore, the British Airways site sometimes shows phantom award space for AA (see: Phantom menace: an award search time suck). You may want to double-check Qantas.com for availability before transferring to British Aiways Executive Club for American flights.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Wells Fargo. Also transfer to Qatar and then to BA with: Citi.
Delta Airlines flights to Hawaii
Air France KLM Flying Blue
- The short story: Air France charges far fewer miles than Delta for Delta flights to Hawaii, but finding award availability can be a huge challenge.
- Miles required: 17.5K one-way in economy, or 30K one-way in business class for Delta flights from the US mainland to Hawaii.
- How to find awards: Use the Virgin Atlantic 5 week award search to find availability (see this post for details). Next, confirm your findings at AirFrance.us (you’ll need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. Can also book via phone when the website returns errors.
- Key warnings: Air France's website is buggy and will often return errors when trying to complete a booking. If that happens, try calling or using the app.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy, Wells Fargo.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic often offers Delta flights to Hawaii for many fewer miles than Delta would charge for the same itineraries. Virgin Atlantic also partners with Hawaiian and charges the same rates as Hawaiian when saver availability is present, though it can be a better deal through Virgin Atlantic if you catch a transfer bonus.
- Miles required: Varies by distance. See the full award chart here. Nonstop routes from the west coast of the US should run 22K in economy or 70K in business (business class is not a good deal). Alternatively, nonstop routes on Hawaiian Airlines cost 20K each way in economy class or 40K each way in business class. Those rates match what Hawaiian charges when saver awards are available, but it could be a better through through Virgin Atlantic if you catch a good transfer bonus.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so they are not a good choice for connecting itineraries.
- Transfer from: Amex, Chase, Capital One, Citi, Bilt
Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots: Europe
The absolute standout value here is ANA Mileage Club for Star Alliance awards at 88K round trip. However, with a good transfer bonus, Virgin Atlantic can offer amazing value for booking Delta One and Air France’s monthly promo awards can also offer nice values particularly if they line up with a transfer bonus. Look to Avianca LifeMiles for great pricing on mixed-cabin awards and possibly look to leverage the British Airways multi-carrier tool with a mixed Alaska/AA booking when those oneworld bookings become available on Alaska.
Economy class
ANA (for Star Alliance)
- The short story: ANA charges an excellent rate for round trip Star Alliance flights to Europe which is particularly good for those looking to take advantage of a free stopover on a round trip.
- Miles required: 55K round trip in economy class. Fuel surcharges are passed on, but are avoidable with the right carriers.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at United.com (Note: Do not log in — logging in may show you expanded availability based on your credit card or elite status that is not available for partner bookings) or ANA's website (though ANA requires searches to be round trip, so it is easier to find availability by searching one way at United first).
- How to book awards: Book online at ANA’s website.
- Key warnings: You must book round trip (though you can book open jaw and have a stopover). High fuel surcharges are assessed by some carriers, others have none or low fuel surcharges. The ANA website interface is not particularly user-friendly or modern-looking, so it may take some time to get used to the search features. Note that transfers to ANA are not instant. Transfers typically take 2-3 days from Amex Membership Rewards or a week or more from Marriott, so there is risk of award space disappearing while you wait for a transfer.
- No fuel surcharges on: Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, Air China, Air New Zealand, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Etihad, United
- Low fuel surcharges on: Asiana, LOT Polish, Turkish (higher than the others but low by comparison to some)
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy
Air France / KLM Flying Blue (for Air France / KLM or other SkyTeam airlines)
- The short story: Monthly Flying Blue Promo Awards can sometimes offer excellent value between the US and Europe.
- Miles required: Varies. Economy class awards are often available from as low as 10K-15K one way during Promo Rewards sales from select airports.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AirFrance.us (you’ll need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. Can also book via phone or app.
- Key warnings: Flying Blue does add fuel surcharges, though they are often reasonable.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy, Wells Fargo.
Avios (for British Airways, Aer Lingus, or Iberia)
- The short story: You can use British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus Avios to fly on those airlines for low mileage prices on nonstop routes.
- How to find awards: Search for British Airways available space at britishairways.com for Aer Lingus at United.com, Avios.com or using the award search tool. For Iberia, use the Advanced Avios tool. It's always best to search before transferring.
- How to book awards: Book British Airways flights online at britishairways.com or over the phone at 800-452-1201. You can book Aer Lingus over the phone with British Airways, use Avios.com or use this award search tool.
- Key warnings: Note that it may be worth checking all 3 booking options (Avios.com, BritishAirways.com, and Iberia.com) to determine your best deal, though keep in mind that things like cancellation policies differ (note that Iberia offers no changes or refunds at all on most partner flights whereas British Airways offers cheap cancellation). Aer Lingus and British Airways charge for each segment separately, so multi-segment trips can get expensive quickly (Iberia charges based on cumulative distance each way, which can be cheaper on connecting itineraries).
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Wells Fargo. Also transfer to Qatar and then to BA with: Citi.
Avianca LifeMiles (for Star Alliance)
- The short story: Avianca LifeMiles increased award costs in 2024, but sometimes still offers the best deal for Star Alliance awards, particularly from the west coast.
- Miles required: 22.5K one-way from the Northeastern US to the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Russia or 35K one-way on all other routes between the US and Europe. However, in the past we have seen inexplicable variance (See: The secret LifeMiles award chart), with some routes pricing well under the expected price. Also see: Trying to crack the LifeMiles secret code to Europe.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at LifeMiles.com (you’ll need to create a free Avianca LifeMiles frequent flyer account)
- How to book awards: Book online at LifeMiles.com. Can also book via email. Phone bookings are known to be a hassle but also possible.
- Key warnings: Availability at LifeMiles.com does not always match what you’ll find at United.com. Phone agents generally do not see better availability than what is shown at LifeMiles.com and it seems that manual bookings via email have ended. Always check the LifeMiles site before transferring points. Keep in mind that the mandatory $25 booking fee (added to all bookings) is the same whether one-way or round trip, so book round trip to save.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Brex Cash, Citi Thank You, Capital One, Marriott Bonvoy
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (for flying a single Oneworld partner airline)
- The short story: Cathay Pacific has reasonable pricing for single-partner oneworld redemptions, particularly those requiring connections since they charge based on cumulative distance.
- Miles required: 27K miles one-way for a cumulative distance of 2,751 to 5,000 miles, which covers much of the US to Europe. The next distance band, which covers up to 7,500 miles, would be 40K miles.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AsiaMiles.com (you’ll need to create a free Asia Miles frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AsiaMiles.com. Can also book via phone.
- Key warnings: Fuel surcharges are moderate depending on route and origin.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy
Etihad Guest (for American Airlines or Brussels Airlines)
- The short story: Etihad Guest offers ok value for flying on partners American Airlines or Brussels Airlines between the US and Europe at the shorter end of its distance-based award chart, but watch out for the punitive cancellation policy.
- Miles required: 28K miles each way for flights of 2,001 to 2,500 miles flown or 34K for flights of 2,501 to 3,000 miles flown.
- How to find awards: You should be able to find and book American Airlines award space on Etihad's website. You may need to search United.com for Brussels Airlines space.
- How to book awards: Book on Etihad's website or call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Watch out for Etihad's cancellation policy: you'll lose 25% of the miles used if you cancel up to 21 days in advance, 50% if you cancel between 7 and 21 days in advance, 75% if you cancel within between 24 hours and 7 days of departure, or lose 100% of the miles used if you cancel within 24 hours of departure.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
Virgin Atlantic (for Air France / KLM or Virgin Atlantic)
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic offers excellent economy class pricing on Air France / KLM, particularly from the Eastern US to Europe but also for its own flights to the UK (albeit with somewhat expensive surcharges). Premium Economy can also be an excellent deal. See the full Virgin Atlantic award chart for travel on Air France / KLM here.
- Miles required:
- For flying Air France / KLM
During "standard season" (not peak) dates, 12,000 miles each way in economy class between the East Coast of the US and Western Europe or 20,000 miles each way to Central Europe (and North Africa). From the Western or Central US to Western Europe is 15,000 miles or Eastern Europe is 23,000 miles. Standard Season (off-peak) dates for 2024:
- 04 January 2024 - 21 March 2024
- 16 April 2024 - 15 June 2024
- 3 September 2024 - 24 October 2024
- 06 November 2024 - 6 December 2024
- For flying on Virgin Atlantic to/from the UK (Prices shown off-peak / peak; see: Virgin Atlantic award chart (U.S.-centric)
- From the Northeast US: 10K / 20K
- From the Midwest & South: 12.5K / 22.5K
- From the Western US: 15K / 25K
- Note that fees are about $149 one-way to London or $263 one-way from London
- For flying Air France / KLM
During "standard season" (not peak) dates, 12,000 miles each way in economy class between the East Coast of the US and Western Europe or 20,000 miles each way to Central Europe (and North Africa). From the Western or Central US to Western Europe is 15,000 miles or Eastern Europe is 23,000 miles. Standard Season (off-peak) dates for 2024:
- How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com. See: Book Air France & KLM with Virgin Atlantic Miles.
- Key warnings: The zone-based award chart for Air France / KLM flights can be a bit confusing at first, but the nice thing about booking Air France / KLM flights with Virgin Atlantic miles is that Virgin Atlantic does not charge each segment separately as they do with other partners or their own flights. In this case, you'll pay the region prices even if connecting. Keep in mind that Virgin Atlantic is currently facing uncertain financial times, so it may be best to hold off a while on booking any travel that isn't imminent.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Citi, Chase, Marriott
Business and First Class
Air France KLM Flying Blue
- The short story: Monthly Flying Blue Promo Awards and even regular standard awards can sometimes offer excellent value between the US and Europe.
- Miles required: Varies. Air France no longer has an award chart, but business class awards between North America and Europe start at 50K one way. Promo awards often offer better value, with business class awards often available in the 40K’s. On rare occasion, we have seen some destinations price in the 20K's one-way in business class.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AirFrance.us (you’ll need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. Can also book via phone.
- Key warnings: Air France / KLM do add fuel surcharges, though they are often reasonable (about $150-$250 in taxes and fees each way)
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy, Wells Fargo.
Air Canada Aeroplan (for Star Alliance flights)
- The short story: Aeroplan uses the same "Atlantic" region for Africa, The Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent. They also offer a stopovers on on a one-way award for 5,000 miles, which can present particular value. Lap infants are just $25 CAD or 2,500 miles per direction (far cheaper than what most programs charge).
- Miles required: 60K-110K each way in business class or 90K-140K each way in first class based on distance (See our complete guide to Aeroplan for more detail). Partner awards no longer incur fuel surcharges.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AirCanada.com
- How to book awards: Book online at AirCanada.com. Can also book via phone. Complicated stopover itineraries must be booked via phone. Lap infants must be added to your reservation over the phone.
- Key warnings: You'll pay more miles based on distance, but keep in mind that you can add a stopover on a one-way for 5,000 miles, which makes Aeroplan a better deal if you're looking to visit two countries in one trip (like Spain & India or Germany & South Africa or Portugal & Morocco as examples).
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One, Marriott
ANA Mileage Club (for Star Alliance round trip bookings)
- The short story: ANA offers one of the best deals around for round trip business class to Europe on Star Alliance airlines.
- Miles required: 100K round trip in business class. Fuel surcharges are passed on, but are avoidable with the right carriers.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at United.com (Note: Do not log in — logging in may show you expanded availability based on your credit card or elite status that is not available for partner bookings) or ANA's website (though ANA requires searches to be round trip, so it is easier to find availability by searching one way at United first).
- How to book awards: Book online at ANA’s website.
- Key warnings: You must book round trip. High fuel surcharges are assessed by some carriers, others have none or low fuel surcharges. The ANA website interface is not particularly user-friendly or modern-looking, so it may take some time to get used to the search features. Note that transfers to ANA are not instant. Transfers typically take 2-3 days from Amex Membership Rewards or a week or more from Marriott, so there is risk of award space disappearing while you wait for a transfer.
- No fuel surcharges on: Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, Air China, Air New Zealand, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Etihad, United
- Low fuel surcharges on: Asiana, LOT Polish, Turkish (higher than the others but low by comparison to some)
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy
Avianca LifeMiles (for Star Alliance flights)
- The short story: Avianca LifeMiles offers competitive business class pricing for Star Alliance awards to Europe, with no fuel surcharges.
- Miles required: 70K each way in business class with no fuel surcharges. Note that there is some variance, with some routes pricing well below the official award chart, such as the US Northeast to Ireland and the UK for 45K miles in business class (See: The secret LifeMiles award chart). Also see: Avianca LifeMiles’ awesome mixed-cabin award pricing for ways to fly for even fewer miles).
- How to find awards: Search for available space at LifeMiles.com (you’ll need to create a free Avianca LifeMiles frequent flyer account) or with any of several tools that support LifeMiles (see: Which award search tool is best?)
- How to book awards: Book online at LifeMiles.com. Can also book via email. Phone bookings are known to be a hassle but also possible.
- Key warnings: Availability at LifeMiles.com does not always match what you’ll find at United.com. Phone agents generally do not see better availability than what is shown at LifeMiles.com. Always check the LifeMiles site before transferring points. Keep in mind that the mandatory $25 booking fee (added to all bookings) is the same whether one-way or round trip, so book round trip to save.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You, Bilt, Wells Fargo, Marriott Bonvoy
Etihad Guest (for Royal Air Maroc, American Airlines, or Brussels Airlines)
- The short story: Etihad Guest offers ok prices for flying on American Airlines, Brussels Airlines, or Royal Air Maroc between the US and Europe, but watch out for the punitive cancellation policy.
- Miles required: 80K each way in business class on Brussels Airlines or to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc (connections to Europe will add additional miles now, fuel surcharges around $170 each way) or in business class on American Airlines (no fuel surcharges).
- How to find awards: Search for Brussels award space on United.com, American award space on AA.com (you may want to double-check availability at Qantas.com), or Royal Air Maroc award space on RoyalAirMaroc.com (you'll need to create a free Safar Flyer account)
- How to book awards: AA can be booked online at etihadguest.com. For all others, call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Etihad has a highly punitive cancellation policy. You'll pay a cancellation penalty of 25% of the miles used if you cancel 21 days or more in advance, 50% of the miles for cancellations between 7 and 21 days, 75% for cancellations between 24 hours and 7 days, and 100% of the miles for cancellation within 24 hours.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots: Asia
Virgin Atlantic still offers good value for ANA first class awards (even if not quite the bargain it once was), but in many cases you can get even better value for ANA business class itineraries (and Star Alliance itineraries) by booking through ANA Mileage Club. Avianca LifeMiles may also be a good choice for routes to Asia, especially if you’re able to take advantage of mixed-cabin pricing referenced in the Avianca sections above. Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is likely the best choice for oneworld flights.
Business and First Class
ANA Mileage Club (for Star Alliance round trip bookings)
- The short story: ANA charges 105K round trip between North America and Japan for business class flights on ANA metal during low season, 110K RT during regular season, or 115K RT during high season. Star Alliance awards are charged at high season rates. A stopover is allowed.
- Miles required: From 105K round trip in business class. Fuel surcharges are passed on, but can be quite reasonable to/from Japan and some other destinations.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at United.com (Note: Do not log in — logging in may show you expanded availability based on your credit card or elite status that is not available for partner bookings) or ANA's website (though ANA requires searches to be round trip, so it is easier to find availability by searching one way at United first).
- How to book awards: Book online at ANA's website.
- Key warnings: You must book round trip. High fuel surcharges are assessed by some carriers, others have none or low fuel surcharges. The ANA website interface is not particularly user-friendly or modern-looking, so it may take some time to get used to the search features. Low and regular season pricing only applies to itineraries entirely on ANA. Star Alliance awards or those mixing ANA and Star Alliance carriers price at high season rates.
- No fuel surcharges on: Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, Air China, Air New Zealand, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Etihad, United
- Low fuel surcharges on: ANA, Asiana, LOT Polish, Turkish (higher than the others but low by comparison to some)
- Transfer from: Amex, Marriott
Avianca LifeMiles (for Star Alliance)
- The short story: Avianca LifeMiles has reasonable-ish business class rates to Asia and may still be a good deal since they are semi-hackable by finding the right partners and/or adding a long economy class leg.
- Miles required: From 85K each way in business or 120K each way in first class, no fuel surcharges. Those prices are not very good, but note two things: first, there is sometimes variance by partner or city pair (See: The secret LifeMiles award chart). Second, it is possible to pay less by combining a long-haul premium cabin flight with a long-haul economy class flight. See: Avianca LifeMiles’ awesome mixed-cabin award pricing: First class for less).
- How to find awards: Search for available space at LifeMiles.com (you’ll need to create a free Avianca LifeMiles frequent flyer account). Note that you may need to toggle between "Smart Search", "Star Alliance", and a specific airline in the drop-down menu above city pair to find availability.
- How to book awards: Book online at LifeMiles.com. Can also book via email. Phone bookings are known to be a hassle but also possible. In a pinch, you can try a manual booking, though that process is quite slow and is best used when you aren't concerned about award availability changing.
- Key warnings: Availability at LifeMiles.com does not always match what you’ll find at United.com. Phone agents generally do not see better availability than what is shown at LifeMiles.com. Always check the LifeMiles site before transferring points (and keep in mind the need to toggle between Smart Search, Star Alliance, and an individual airline when searching to see all availability). The mandatory $25 booking fee (added to all bookings) is the same whether one-way or round trip, so book round trip to save.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Citi, Wells Fargo, Marriott.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (for oneworld)
- The short story: Cathay Pacific has reasonable pricing for business and first class on long itineraries, but it can get quite a bit better if you're able to pair the long-haul flight with a long leg in a lower class. See: Cathay Pacific Asia Miles mixed cabin award pricing. First class for less. Cathay also releases more availability to its own members than to partners.
- Miles required: 110K miles each way in business class or 160K each way in first class on itineraries over 7500 miles (85K/125K for some itineraries from the West Coast and less yet with mixed-cabin pricing as shown above)
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AsiaMiles.com (you’ll need to create a free Asia Miles frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AsiaMiles.com. Can also book via phone.
- Key warnings: Fuel surcharges are moderate depending on route and origin.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy
Qantas (for El Al to Israel)
- The short story: Qantas offers good partner pricing for El Al flights to Israel.
- Miles required: 90K points in business class on El Al between Tel Aviv and Boston, Newark, and New York JFK. 104.5K points in business between Tel Aviv and Miami. 119.2K points in business between Tel Aviv and Los Angeles. With a transfer bonus, these rates can get better. No fuel surcharges for travel on El Al. See the full award chart here.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Qantas.com (you’ll need to create a free Qantas Frequent Flyer account)
- How to book awards: Book online at Qantas.com.
- Transfer from: Amex, Capital One, Citi, Marriott
Singapore KrisFlyer
- The short story: While award prices are high, Singapore KrisFlyer has much better availability in premium cabins for their own members. They also offer a stopover on a one-way award.
- Miles required: 107K / 111.5K from the West Coast / East Coast to Singapore in business class or 146.5K / 148.5K in first class (see the full award chart here).
- How to find awards: Search for available space at United.com (Note: Do not log in — logging in may show you expanded availability based on your credit card or elite status that is not available for partner bookings) or SingaporeAir.com
- How to book awards: Book online at SingaporeAir.com or over the phone with Singapore KrisFlyer. Can waitlist as many options as you’d like as long as you have enough miles to book the award being waitlisted.
- Key warnings: Note that transfers to Singapore KrisFlyer are now instant from Amex Membership Rewards and typically take around 7 hours from Capital One and Chase (slightly longer from Citi). Waitlisted itineraries that do not clear by 14 days prior to departure will get canceled.
- Transfer from: Amex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Marriott
Virgin Atlantic (for ANA)
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic devalued ANA first class awards in March 2023 and then followed up by doing the same got business class awards in 2024. However, both are still very good redemptions between the US and Japan.
- Miles required: 72.5K / 85K one-way for first class between the US West Coast / US East Coast and Japan or 52.5K / 60K miles in business class
- How to find awards: Search United.com to find ANA partner award space. An easier option is to use Seats.Aero. Use the tool's Explore United MileagePlus feature to find ANA flights.
- How to book awards: Call Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at 800-365-9500.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so this award is best for direct flights. They also add fuel surcharges for ANA flights, which as of 2024 are about $360 from the US to Japan or $450 from Japan to the US (or around $730 if booked as a round trip).
- Transfer from: Amex, Chase, Capital One, Citi, Bilt, Marriott
Virgin Atlantic (for Delta)
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic used to offer very competitive pricing for Delta business class between the US and Asia. Unfortunately, Virgin now uses a distance-based award chart which has dramatically increased prices. They may still offer better pricing than Delta does and in some cases you may find multiple seats available, so this can be a useful option for those looking to fly several passengers (though it is pricey and availability is inconsistent and unpredictable). Taxes leaving the US are just $5.60 one way.
- Miles required: From 105K miles each way in business class from the mainland US. 80K each way in business class from Hawaii to Northern Asia (Honolulu to Tokyo, Nagoya, or Osaka). See the distance bands here and use a tool like gcmap.com to calculate distance between airports.
- How to find awards: Search VirginAtlantic.com to find Delta award space.
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com or call Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at 800-365-9500.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so this award is best for direct flights.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Chase, Citi, Marriott
Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots: Caribbean / Latin America
Similar to domestic US flights, Avianca LifeMiles and Qantas can offer better value than United and American for the same flights. Avios can also offer good value for American Airlines flights — British Airways is better for direct flights and when you need flexibility; Iberia is better for connecting itineraries and when plans are locked in (since you can not change or cancel).
All Classes
Avianca LifeMiles (for United / Copa)
- The short story: Avianca LifeMiles offers one-ways on United to the “rest of North America” (i.e. not the US) for 17,500 miles each way in economy class.
- Miles required: 17,500 miles each way in economy or 30,000 in business for flights to the Caribbean.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at LifeMiles.com (you’ll need to create a free Avianca LifeMiles frequent flyer account)
- How to book awards: Book online at LifeMiles.com. Can also book via email. Phone bookings are known to be a hassle but also possible.
- Key warnings: Availability at LifeMiles.com does not always match what you’ll find at United.com. Phone agents generally do not see better availability than what is shown at LifeMiles.com. Always check the LifeMiles site before transferring points.
- Transfer from: Amex, Citi, Capital One, Marriott
British Airways Avios (for American Airlines)
- The short story: British Airways offers a distance-based award chart, so flights from the southern part of the US to the Caribbean and Latin America can be a solid value.
- Miles required: Varies based on distance. From 8,250 one-way in economy class.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at britishairways.com for AA or aa.com for Alaska flights.
- How to book awards: Book American flights online at britishaiways.com or Alaska flights over the phone at 1 800 452 1201.
- Key warnings: British Airways charges for each segment separately, so multi-segment trips can get expensive quickly. Furthermore, the British Airways site sometimes shows phantom award space for AA (see: Phantom menace: an award search time suck). You may want to double-check Qantas.com for availability before transferring to British Aiways Executive Club for American flights.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Wells Fargo. Also transfer to Qatar and then to BA with: Citi.
Delta SkyMiles (for Delta)
- The short story: Delta has regular flash sales to the Caribbean where it is sometimes possible to get solid value.
- Miles required: Varies, but enter your starting airport at the Travel is Free Delta mileage calculator and just check the "international" box to find destinations that may present a good deal.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Delta.com.
- How to book awards: Book online at Delta.com.
- Key warnings: Delta pricing can be very unpredictable and varies wildly.
- Transfer from: Amex
Qantas (for American Airlines)
- The short story: Qantas offers better pricing than traditional American Airlines award prices on itineraries with a distance of 1200 miles or fewer each way and has no close-in booking fee.
- Miles required: 8,000 miles each way for itineraries covering a distance up to 600 miles (like Miami to Grand Cayman) or 12,000 miles each way for itineraries covering a distance up to 1200 miles (like Miami to most of Central America and the Caribbean). (See: Strengths of Qantas for AA redemptions).
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Qantas.com (you’ll need to create a free Qantas Frequent Flyer account)
- How to book awards: Book online at Qantas.com.
- Key warnings: Alaska Mileage Plan might be a better value if you have direct flights and Finnair will be significantly cheaper on flights over 1,200 miles.
- Transfer from: Amex, Citi, Capital One, Marriott
Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots: Africa
It’s hard to beat the value of using Etihad Guest for Royal Air Maroc to get to Africa at just 44K miles each way in business class to Casablanca. However, if you don’t live near an airport served by Royal Air Maroc, using ANA Mileage Club to book a Star Alliance award for 105K round trip in business class is also a fantastic deal that opens a lot more options. If you’re looking to combine two destinations on a one-way, look to Air Canada Aeroplan for a stopover for just 5K miles on a one-way ticket.
Economy Class
Air France / KLM Flying Blue
- The short story: Monthly Flying Blue Promo Awards can sometimes offer excellent value between the US and Europe and Flying Blue considers several countries located in North Africa to be part of its "Europe" pricing model (including Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, and the Canary Islands). Once in Africa, keep Flying Blue in mind for intra-Africa awards on Kenya Airways.
- Miles required: Varies. Economy class awards to Europe (including those North African countries listed above) are often available from as low as 10K-15K one way during Promo Rewards sales from select airports.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AirFrance.us (you’ll need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. Can also book via phone or app.
- Key warnings: Flying Blue does add fuel surcharges, though they are often reasonable.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy, Wells Fargo.
ANA Mileage Club
- The short story: ANA has the hands-down cheapest award pricing between North America and Africa/Middle East on Star Alliance airlines (note that they include almost all of Africa in their definition).
- Miles required: 70K round trip in economy class. Fuel surcharges are passed on, but can be avoided with the right partners. Find partners that do not add fuel surcharges in this post.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at United.com (Note: Do not log in — logging in may show you expanded availability based on your credit card or elite status that is not available for partner bookings) or ANA's website (though ANA requires searches to be round trip, so it is easier to find availability by searching one way at United first).
- How to book awards: Book online at ANA’s website.
- Key warnings: You must book round trip. High fuel surcharges are assessed by some carriers, others have none or low fuel surcharges (avoid Lufthansa-group airlines to avoid high fuel surcharges). The ANA website interface is not particularly user-friendly or modern-looking, so it may take some time to get used to the search features.
- No fuel surcharges on: Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, Air China, Air New Zealand, Avianca, Copa Airlines, United
- Low fuel surcharges on: ANA, Asiana, LOT Polish, Turkish (higher than the others but low by comparison to some)
- Transfer from: Amex, Marriott
Avianca LifeMiles
- The short story: Avianca LifeMiles offers competitive pricing for Star Alliance awards with no fuel surcharges.
- Miles required: Officially, 40K each way in economy class to South Africa (which includes most of Africa) or 42.5K each way to North Africa (and the Middle East). Note that there is sometimes variance (See: The secret LifeMiles award chart), though we are not aware of any such pricing anomalies to Africa.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at LifeMiles.com (you’ll need to create a free Avianca LifeMiles frequent flyer account).
- How to book awards: Book online at LifeMiles.com. Can also book via email. Phone bookings are known to be a hassle but also possible.
- Key warnings:
- Availability at LifeMiles.com often doesn't match what you’ll find at United.com or Aeroplan. Phone agents usually do not see better availability than what is shown at LifeMiles.com. While it can be possible to book via E-mail, it is very slow and frustrating. ALWAYS check the LifeMiles site before transferring points.
- LifeMiles expire after 12 months of inactivity. Redeeming Miles does NOT count as activity, but buying miles or transferring from a bank partner does.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Citi, Wells Fargo. Also can transfer from Marriott Bonvoy.
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- The short story: Cathay Pacific has reasonable pricing for single-partner oneworld redemptions, particularly those requiring connections since they charge based on cumulative distance. Keep in mind that Royal Air Maroc is now a oneworld carrier and American intends to begin service from Philadelphia to Casablanca in 2021 (delayed from June 2020).
- Miles required: 27K miles one-way for a cumulative distance of 2,751 to 5,000 miles, or 40K one-way for up to 7,500 miles.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AsiaMiles.com (you’ll need to create a free Asia Miles frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AsiaMiles.com. Can also book via phone.
- Key warnings: Fuel surcharges are moderate depending on route and origin.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One Miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy
Etihad Guest (for Royal Air Maroc)
- The short story: Etihad Guest offers ok value for flying on Royal Air Maroc between the US and Casablanca.
- Miles required: 28K miles each way in economy class plus about $120 in fuel surcharges one-way between North America and Casablanca.
- How to find awards: Search for award space at RoyalAirMaroc.com or AA.com. (You’ll need to create a free Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer account to search at the Royal Air Maroc website).
- How to book awards: Call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Etihad has a highly punitive cancellation policy. You'll pay a cancellation penalty of 25% of the miles used if you cancel 21 days or more in advance, 50% of the miles for cancellations between 7 and 21 days, 75% for cancellations between 24 hours and 7 days, and 100% of the miles for cancellation within 24 hours.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
Singapore Krisflyer
- The short story: Singapore ok Star Alliance award pricing to the Middle East and North Africa (including Morocco, Libya, Tunisia, and Egypt).
- Miles required: 52K miles each way in economy class to/from the Middle East and North Africa. Central and Southern Africa are less competitive at 60K each way. See the full award chart here.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at United.com (Note: Do not log in — logging in may show you expanded availability based on your credit card or elite status that is not available for partner bookings) or SingaporeAir.com
- How to book awards: Book online at SingaporeAir.com or over the phone with Singapore KrisFlyer.
- Key warnings: Note that transfers to Singapore KrisFlyer are not instant. Transfers typically take 12-24 hours (from all major transferable currencies) and Singapore does not hold award tickets.
- Transfer from: Amex, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Marriott
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic offers excellent economy class pricing on Air France / KLM, particularly from the Eastern US, but since the US is split into two different zones and you'll find African countries in four different zones, it can be very confusing. Premium Economy can also be an excellent deal (see the full chart for Air France on this page).
- Miles required:
- East Coast North America & Caribbean (Zone 6) to:
- Zone 2 (Eastern Europe and North Africa, which includes Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia): 20K miles each way off-peak / 30K peak
- Zone 3 (Middle East and Russia, which includes Egypt): 25K off-peak / 35K peak
- Zone 4 (Central Africa): 24.5K off-peak / 34.5K peak
- Zone 5 (Southern Africa, Indian Ocean & Indian Subcontinent): 28K off-peak / 38K peak
- West & Central North America & Central America (Zone 7) to:
- Zone 2 (Eastern Europe and North Africa, which includes Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia): 23K miles each way off-peak / 33K peak
- Zone 3 (Middle East and Russia, which includes Egypt): 28K off-peak / 38K peak
- Zone 4 (Central Africa): 28K off-peak / 38K peak
- Zone 5 (Southern Africa, Indian Ocean & Indian Subcontinent): 31K off-peak / 41K peak
- East Coast North America & Caribbean (Zone 6) to:
- How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com. See: Book Air France & KLM with Virgin Atlantic Miles.
- Key warnings: The zone-based award chart for Air France / KLM flights can be a bit confusing at first, but the nice thing about booking Air France / KLM flights with Virgin Atlantic miles is that Virgin Atlantic does not charge each segment separately as they do with other partners or their own flights. In this case, you'll pay the region prices even if connecting. Keep in mind that Virgin Atlantic is currently facing uncertain financial times, so it may be best to hold off a while on booking any travel that isn't imminent.
- Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Citi, Chase, Marriott
Business and First Class
Air Canada Aeroplan (for Star Alliance)
- The short story: Air Canada Aeroplan includes Africa in its "Atlantic" zone, meaning that the award pricing range matches that to Europe and you could even add a stopover in Europe en route to Africa for 5K additional miles one-way. Lap infants are just 2,500 miles.
- Miles required: Ranges from 60K to 110K in business class based on distance (add 5K miles for a stopover). First class ranges from 90K-140K one way. Add 5,000 miles for a stopover on a one-way. See more chart information here.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at AirCanada.com (you’ll need to create a free Aeroplan frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at AirCanada.com. Can also book via phone. Lap infants must be added to your reservation over the phone.
- Fuel surcharges: Aeroplan no longer adds fuel surcharges to awards.
- Transfer from: Amex, Chase, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Marriott
ANA Mileage Club (for round trip Star Alliance)
- The short story: ANA's round trip business class pricing to Africa is very competitive when compared to what most programs charge for the same flights.
- Miles required: 130K round trip in business class. Fuel surcharges are passed on, but can be avoided with the right partners. Find partners that do not add fuel surcharges in this post.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at United.com (Note: Do not log in — logging in may show you expanded availability based on your credit card or elite status that is not available for partner bookings) or ANA's website (though ANA requires searches to be round trip, so it is easier to find availability by searching one way at United first).
- How to book awards: Book online at ANA’s website.
- Key warnings: You must book round trip. High fuel surcharges are assessed by some carriers, others have none or low fuel surcharges. The ANA website interface is not particularly user-friendly or modern-looking, so it may take some time to get used to the search features. Note that transfers to ANA are not instant. Transfers typically take 2-3 days from Amex Membership Rewards or a week or more from Marriott, so there is risk of award space disappearing while you wait for a transfer.
- No fuel surcharges on: Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, TAP Air Portugal, Air China, Air New Zealand, Avianca, Copa Airlines, United
- Low fuel surcharges on: Asiana, LOT Polish. Note that surcharges on Turkish are in the $300's each way.
- Transfer from: Amex, Marriott
Avianca LifeMiles (for Star Alliance)
- The short story: Avianca LifeMiles offers competitive pricing for Star Alliance awards with no fuel surcharges.
- Miles required: Officially, 78K each way in business or 105K each way in first class with no fuel surcharges. Note that there is some variance (See: The secret LifeMiles award chart). Also see: Avianca LifeMiles’ awesome mixed-cabin award pricing: First class for less for ways to fly first class for even fewer miles). In short, it is possible to pair the long-haul flights in business with connecting segments in economy class to pay fewer total miles.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at LifeMiles.com (you’ll need to create a free Avianca LifeMiles frequent flyer account)
- How to book awards: Book online at LifeMiles.com. Can also book via email. Phone bookings are known to be a hassle but also possible. Finally, it may be possible to email for a manual booking if individual segments are available but don't show up together.
- Key warnings: Availability at LifeMiles.com does not always match what you’ll find at United.com. Phone agents generally do not see better availability than what is shown at LifeMiles.com. Always check the LifeMiles site before transferring points. Keep in mind that the mandatory $25 booking fee (added to all bookings) is the same whether one-way or round trip, so book round trip to save.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Citi ThankYou points, Capital One miles, Marriott Bonvoy
Etihad Guest
- The short story: Etihad Guest offer decent value a good value on Royal Air Maroc between the US and Casablanca.
- Miles required: 80K miles each way in business class between North America and Casablanca plus about $170 in fuel surcharges one-way. Additional segments are priced individually.
- How to find awards: Search for award space at RoyalAirMaroc.com. You’ll need to create a free Royal Air Maroc Safar Flyer account to search.
- How to book awards: Call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings:Etihad has a highly punitive cancellation policy. You'll pay a cancellation penalty of 25% of the miles used if you cancel 21 days or more in advance, 50% of the miles for cancellations between 7 and 21 days, 75% for cancellations between 24 hours and 7 days, and 100% of the miles for cancellation within 24 hours.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You Marriott Bonvoy
Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots: Australia / New Zealand / Oceania
While Aeroplan award pricing to the region has increased, it is nonetheless an excellent deal for those looking to visit a destination in Asia and one in Oceania on the same ticket given that a stopover can be added for just 5K miles one way and Aeroplan adds to fuel surcharges on partner awards. On the other hand, ANA Mileage Club is hard to beat for phenomenal pricing to much of the region as long as you can book round trip.
Business and First Class
ANA Mileage Club (for Star Alliance)
- The short story: ANA offers very good pricing for business class between North America and Oceania and also offers a wide range of partner options. You can route via Canada, most of East / Southeast Asia or fly Air New Zealand.
- Miles required: From 130K round trip in business class on ANA metal during low season and from 145K round trip in business class on Star Alliance partners. ANA has eliminated fuel surcharges on many/most of its flights, making routing on ANA an even better deal.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at ANA’s website. (you’ll need to create a free ANA Mileage Club account and log in to search for space)
- How to book awards: Search for available space at United.com (Note: Do not log in — logging in may show you expanded availability based on your credit card or elite status that is not available for partner bookings) or ANA's website (though ANA requires searches to be round trip, so it is easier to find availability by searching one way at United first).
- Key warnings: You must book round trip. High fuel surcharges are assessed by some carriers, others have little to none. The ANA website interface is not particularly user-friendly or modern-looking, so it may take some time to get used to the search features. Note that transfers to ANA are not instant. Transfers typically take 2-3 days from Amex Membership Rewards, so there is risk of award space disappearing while you wait for a transfer.
- Transfer from: Amex
Air Canada Aeroplan
- The short story: Aeroplan's Oceania region includes Australia, New Zealand and Eastern Asia. While award pricing to Oceania is on the high side, members can now book a stopover in eastern Asia en route to Australia or New Zealand for 5K additional miles one-way and lap infants are just $25 CAD or 2,500 miles per direction (far cheaper than what most programs charge).
- Miles required: 55K-115K each way in business class or 90K-140K each way in first class from North America to the Pacific zone, though practically for most North America-based flyers, distance bands start at 75K / 115K each way. See more detail here.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Aeroplan.com (you’ll need to create a free Aeroplan frequent flyer account to search)
- How to book awards: Book online at Aeroplan.com. Lap infants must be added to your reservation over the phone.
- Fuel Surcharges: Aeroplan no longer charges fuel surcharges on partner award tickets.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One, Marriott
Avianca LifeMiles
- The short story: Avianca LifeMiles might have somewhat hackable awards if you could find premium cabin space on the long-haul.
- Miles required: 80K miles in business class from the US to Australia / New Zealand / Oceania, but see Avianca LifeMiles' awesome mixed-cabin award pricing for info on how this might be hackable if premium space exists. Note also that Air New Zealand economy class flights price lower than the chart shows for flights to/from Los Angeles. Business class may also price lower if you can find availability.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at LifeMiles.com (you’ll need to create a free Avianca LifeMiles frequent flyer account)
- How to book awards: Book online at LifeMiles.com. Can also book via email. Phone bookings are known to be a hassle but also possible.
- Key warnings: Availability at LifeMiles.com does not always match what you'll find at United.com. Phone agents generally do not see better availability than what is shown at LifeMiles.com. Always check the LifeMiles site before transferring points.
Etihad Guest
- The short story: Etihad Guest offers high-ish prices for flights on American Airlines or Virgin Australia.
- Miles required: 140K each way in business class, 200K each way in first class
- How to find awards: Search for American saver award space on AA.com (you may want to double-check availability at Qantas.com)
- How to book awards: AA and Virgin Australia can be booked online at etihadguest.com. All other carriers can be be booked by calling Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
- Key warnings: Etihad phone agents have historically had trouble booking partner awards, though the new call center in Serbia appears to be quite competent. If your agent appears to be having trouble, you might want to HUCA (hang up, call again). Note that finding saver premium cabin availability on American Airlines is only slightly more likely than getting struck by lightning.
- Transfer from: Amex Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Citi Thank You
Hawaiian Miles
- The short story: Hawaiian may be a good option for those who can position to Hawaii cheaply, particularly for Pago Pago or Papeete.
- Miles required: 65K miles one-way in business class to Australia or New Zealand; 47.5K miles one-way in business class to Pago Pago or Papeete.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Hawaiian Airlines’s Hawaiian Miles site (you’ll need to create a free Hawaiian Miles account).
- How to book awards: Book online at Hawaiian Airlines’s Hawaiian Miles site.
- Key warnings: Availability can be hard to come by, but if you find it it may be worth it.
Qantas: for Jetstar
- The short story: Qantas's low-cost-carrier Jetstar flies between Hawaii and several Australian cities and can be booked with Qantas points.
- Miles required: 61,500 miles one-way in business class from Honolulu to Sydney.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Qantas.com (you’ll need to create a free Qantas Frequent Flyer account)
- How to book awards: Book online at Qantas.com.
- Key warnings: Jetstar flights can be quite cheap. While their business class is much more expensive than their economy class fares, it's worth comparing to cash fares to be sure you're getting a decent value.
Qantas: for Emirates
- The short story: While the award cost here is substantially higher than most others, it may be worth it to those who really want an indulgently long experience in Emirates business class. It is possible to spend upwards of ~30 hours in A380 business class by routing via Dubai (note that some US cities have 777 service, which is likely angled in business class).
- Miles required: 159,000 miles one-way in business class between North American cities and those cities served by Emirates in Australia and New Zealand.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at Qantas.com (you’ll need to create a free Qantas Frequent Flyer account)
- How to book awards: Book online at Qantas.com.
- Key warnings: Choose A380 routes to get a fully-flat aisle access business class seat with a bar at the rear of the plane.
- Transfer from: Amex, Citi, Capital One, Marriott
Virgin Atlantic: for Delta
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic used to offer a decent sweet spot for Delta flights to Oceania. Unfortunately, they now use distance-based award chart and prices have skyrocketed. This option is only worth considering if your flying a family as Virgin sometimes has access to multiple seats on Delta flights (though availability is often tough to find to/from Oceania)
- Miles required: 165K miles each way in business class on routes of 6,000 miles or more (from the mainland US to Oceania), which makes this a relatively poor value.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com. See the distance bands here and use a tool like gcmap.com to calculate distance between airports.
- How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com. See: How to book Delta flights with Virgin Atlantic miles.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so they are not a good choice for connecting itineraries.
Virgin Atlantic: for Air New Zealand
- The short story: Virgin Atlantic offers very good deals for Air New Zealand premium cabin flights - if you can actually find availability.
- Miles required: 62.5K each way in business class between New Zealand to North America.
- How to find awards: Search for available space at United.com (Air New Zealand space does not show up at VirginAtlantic.com).
- How to book awards: Book over the phone with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club at 800-365-9500. You'll need the dates that you found saver award availability on United's website.
- Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately (i.e. an itinerary with a single connection will cost 25K miles), so they are not a good choice for connecting itineraries. Furthermore, Air New Zealand business class award space is extremely rare.
Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots: Round the world ticket
In addition to the sweet spots mentioned above, it is worth noting that ANA’s round the world award chart can present phenomenal value for RTW Star Alliance awards and the British Airways multi-carrier tool can be leveraged similarly for oneworld itineraries including at least 2 oneworld partners.
ANA Round the World
Here is the ANA round the world award chart:
And here is an example itinerary that clocks in at just under 20K miles, meaning it could (theoretically) be booked entirely in business class with Star Alliance carriers for 115K miles.
ANA round the world awards can only be booked over the phone with ANA Mileage Club. See this post from Travel is Free for more.
British Airways multi-carrier award
Here is the award chart for a British Airways Avios multi-carrier award (note that this requires flights on 2 or more oneworld carriers):
| Distance (in miles) | Economy | Premium Economy | Business | First |
| 0-1,500 | 30K | 45K | 60K | 90K |
| 1,501-4,000 | 35K | 52.5K | 70K | 105K |
| 4,001-9,000 | 60K | 90K | 120K | 180K |
| 9,001-10,000 | 70K | 105K | 140K | 210K |
| 10,001-14,000 | 90K | 135K | 180K | 270K |
| 14,001-20,000 | 100K | 150K | 200K | 300K |
| 20,001-25,000 | 120K | 180K | 240K | 360K |
| 25,001-35,000 | 140k | 210K | 280K | 420K |
| 35,001-50,000 | 160K | 240K | 320K | 480K |
A British Airways multi-carrier award requires 2 or more oneworld carriers (note that you can not fly non-oneworld partners on this ticket). You can have up tp 8 segments and one open-jaw and travel must take place within a 12-month period.
For an excellent write-up with insight into valuable nuances of this award, see this write-up from Prince of Travel. You’ll need to call British Airways Executive Club to book after finding availability.
Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots: Hotel Partners
Hilton often sells points for half a cent each. This means that transfers to Hilton aren’t a good value at the ordinary ratio of 1:2 (where 1,000 Membership Rewards points become 2,000 Hilton Honors points). We sometimes see transfer bonuses of 30% or even 40%, in which case you’re getting 1.3c per point or more as compared against the cost of buying points at half a cent each. Given Hilton’s partnership with Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH), there are some potentially exciting redemptions if you’re able to transfer with a bonus.
Marriott is a 1:1 transfer partner, though we have seen transfer bonuses as high as 50%. Marriott transfers might make sense if you have a valuable redemption in mind. Keep in mind that our Reasonable Redemption Value for Marriott points is 0.7c per point, so we generally only recommend transferring with a bonus and even then only with a specific high-value redemption in mind.
Finnair Avios has some hotel partners in Nordic countries where it is possible to get incredible return per Avios when using the minimum number of Avios. See this post for more detail.
Choice Privileges can be a notably good partner for Nordic Choice hotels, where it is possible to get both free breakfast and free dinner in some instances.
Choice Privileges
- The short story: Clarion Collection hotels, of the Nordic Choice hotels group that can be booked with Choice Privileges points, offer free breakfast and dinner and offer a great value for points. See: Free hotel breakfast & dinner at Nordic Choice Clarion Collection [Sweet-spot spotlight].
- Points required: Varies, but many options between 10,000 and 20,000 points per night
- How to find and book awards: Search online at ChoiceHotels.com, but be aware that you can only search and book award stays a maximum of 100 days in advance.
- Key point: Rather than transferring the full amount needed for an award night, it is possible to transfer as few as 6,000 points to Choice Privileges and then use cash & points bookings to buy the rest of the points necessary for well under 1c per point. See this post for details.
Amex Membership Rewards Sweet Spots: Bottom line
American Express Membership Rewards is an incredibly powerful currency with some great sweet spots. In comparison to the posts on Citi ThankYou points sweet spots and Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots, you can see that Amex just has a wider range of possibilities to get great value to many parts of the world, making it a favored (and in my opinion underrated) award currency.
Have we missed your favorite sweet spot? Let us know in the comments below.
Other program sweet spots
Capital One Miles sweet spots
Citi ThankYou points sweet spots
Chase Ultimate Rewards sweet spots
Marriott Bonvoy airline partner sweet spots
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I have 120,000 points saved up on AMEX gold, and need to book a last-minute trip Boston-San Fran. Tickets currently are at around $600. Jetblue and United have the most options. Should I transfer my points? It would use all of them.
I am overwhelmed by the research I’ve done over the past few days, but am wanting to be smart about this…
I welcome opinions!
Please and THANK YOU.
I usually fly a lot on southwest due to their bags policy. Does it make sense to transfer points to them since I now have the Amex gold or should I find another airline where I can get better point value?
You can’t transfer Membership Rewards points to Southwest.
As to whether you should find another airline where you can get better point value, I always look for the best point value if I’m going to use my points to book something. Amex has a lot of airline transfer partners. Which will be the best just depends on where you’re looking to go and when you’re looking to go and which airline you’re looking to fly.
Thank you for your response! We usually fly domestic so I’m open to any other airlines.
All of this is new to me. I appreciate your help!
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Are there no sweet spots with Alaska outside the US?
I’ve got a bunch of Singapore miles “stranded” there. I can use those to get to HI? In J? Any chance you can give me a “how to”?
Thanks!
Yes. See the Hawaii section in the post, then go to SingaporeAir.com for United flights or call for Alaska flights after you’ve found availability.
If you’re talking about using Alaska miles, sure. But Alaska isn’t a Membership Rewards transfer partner, so that wouldn’t be in the Membership Rewards sweet spots post.
If you’re talking about using other miles to fly Alaska outside of the US, the only destinations they have that come to mind outside of the US are some limited Canadian destinations in the northwest q few destinations in Mexico, and Costa Rica. Looks like they started flying to Belize this year. Off the top of my head, British Airways or Iberia are likely to be the best bet for the flights to Mexico and Costa Rica. Singapore might work out better for the flights to Canada depending on airport combos.
Hi Nick. I was planning recently for a Hawaii trip. There are lots of spaces in United.com but doesnt show up at Singapore’s site hence isnt bookable with Krisflyer miles. I called and they confirmed there wasnt anything.
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Amazing, Nick!! Thanks
Are these posts listed somewhere on the resources page? I took a quick look and didn’t see them but it’s quite possible that I just missed it
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Is using ANA to fly on Etihad still a viable option? Starting about 1.5 years ago, a note about being limited to codeshare routes was put up on the ANA website, and most reports for 6 months after that indicated no Etihad availability using ANA miles.