Frequent flyer miles were originally designed to be
redeemed for award tickets, but the airlines now offer dozens of different ways to spend your miles.
Ever
looked for an award ticket, thought you had found a great deal, and then were shocked when the taxes and fees cost hundreds of dollars?
Not to mention you'll also get 5,000 elite qualification miles towards American status, which you don't
get for an award ticket.
This means that there are many routes with open seats
available for award tickets going empty, but you may have to call the airline mileage program to find them.
I personally would use the card to pay
for award ticket taxes, hotels, and any other travel costs that would otherwise take money out of my pocket for this hobby.
First, it will allow you to start searching
early for award tickets, and keep an eye out for the routes and airlines that make the trip.
Sometimes you need to get a new card fast, particularly if you have a trip coming up in a few months and you need a quick infusion of
points for an award ticket.
If your plans are uncertain, the change
fees for award tickets can sometimes be less than those for paid tickets.
For example, If you redeem Asia Miles
for an award ticket with British Airways only, then the regular Asia Miles award chart would be applicable.
There is a companion pass that is award after $ 30000 of spend, but since this pass can only be
used for award tickets on British Airways operated flights, it has very little value.
«Some programs are saying no blackout dates, but instead they're closing out
dates for award tickets by inventory control,» says Sorensen.
One of the things I like about JAL is that they even provide some detailed fare
rules for your award ticket, including things like stopovers, penalties, and restrictions.
You'll get the best redemption value for the miles earned with your United MileagePlus Club
card for award tickets on United Airlines and its airline partners.
You can redeem BA
Avios for award tickets with Oneworld Alliance members and other partners, You can redeem BA Avios for Alaska Airlines awards, which could be great choice if you are considering going to Hawaii.
Virgin Atlantic flies to the UK from 12 US cities and offers great
prices for award tickets in economy, Premium Economy, and Upper Class.
If that seems too expensive to you though, you can buy the 55,000 miles (40,000 + 16,000 bonus) you need
for the award ticket for just $ 1182.50 including taxes.
Today, we'll take a closer look at the Etihad Guest program, and go over how to use miles
for award tickets in the program.
To capitalize on what United
offers for award tickets, you will need to know a few strategies for booking flights, including their stopover and open jaw rules.