If booking a partner award, double check what the cost would be from the individual carriers, rather than just taking the quote from the ticket issuing airline.
Thus, it's really important to make sure that when you're thinking
about booking a partner award, you know you're looking at the right award chart.
They have also started requiring significantly more miles to
book partner awards such as Virgin Atlantic Upper Class which now costs 85,000 miles one - way to London.
Hot Tip: British Airways can
book partner awards up to 355 days before departure, but American Airlines is only 330.
You could use American AAdvantage miles from your Aviator Red Card and
book a partner award through AA, or you could transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to British Airways and book Cathay through BA.
Though you can't transfer them directly to United, you can transfer them to KrisFlyer with options to
book partner awards on United or book Singapore's business and first class awards more easily.
Keep in mind that
booking a partner award with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles can be a frustrating experience for the following reasons.
Keep in mind that
booking a partner award with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles can be a frustrating experience for the following reasons.
The airline that ticketed the award still needs to communicate with the airlines that operate each flight, so if
you booked a partner award you may want to wait a couple days and then call the other airline to confirm it has your reservation on file.
Or if I already know I'm going to
book a partner award.
In order to
book any partner awards with Virgin Atlantic miles, you are going to have to get on the phone.
Unfortunately, the whole process can turn into a long and tedious affaire, since many agents are unfamiliar with
booking partner awards.
You have to call 1 -888-8-ETIHAD to
book a partner award.
It still errors out from time to time with me, but it's always convenient when you search and
book partner awards online.
but it can still be useful to be able to transfer Starpoints points to AAdvantage if you're looking to
book partner awards.
One of the biggest complaints with Korean Air for the longest time was that you couldn't search or
book partner awards online and had to go through a burdensome process of calling in and mailing forms in to make partner award bookings.
The best process for booking award tickets via Asiana depends on if you want to fly on Asiana metal or if you want to
book a partner award.
Now, it has a new search function where you can
book partner awards online.
However, using Alaska miles to
book a partner award is only 100K miles round trip, resulting in a redemption value of 5.5 cents per point.
But you can transfer them to ANA Mileage Club or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer and
book a partner award.
Japan Airlines doesn't allow you to
book all partner awards online or even search for some of them.
If
you book a partner award with Avios, you'll be going by the off - peak rates (unless you're booking Aer Lingus or Iberia flights).
However, if you're
booking partner awards with connections between two or more oneworld airlines, this partner chart will apply.
Asiana does not allow you to
book partner awards online.
Because many airlines only release their premium cabin space to members of their own frequent flyer programs, transferring American Express points gets you access you don't have when
you book partner award flights through your usual frequent flyer program.
While this is generally true for awards on Virgin's own metal,
booking partner awards is a great option.
The issue with this booking is that you had to call it in and it was extremely difficult for many people to
book partner awards with Etihad agents who were notoriously uninformed on the booking process.