Normally the best use of frequent flyer miles is
for international premium cabin awards because these are expensive tickets if you pay with cash but not very expensive if you pay with miles.
(By contrast, I value most other airline points at about 2 cents each because I can use
them for international premium cabin awards, or even some pricey domestic fares that normally cost $ 500 +.)
Not exact matches
Airline partners are where you will find the most value
for your points, particularly on
award flights in
international premium cabins.
Alaska has an amazing
award chart, known
for its below market
award prices
for certain
international premium cabin tickets.
Starpoints are worth even more than the cash - back currencies, assuming you prefer to redeem
for international awards in
premium cabins, which is where miles get their maximum value.
United (via Star Alliance partners), Singapore and Korean all allow
for aspirational
international premium -
cabin awards.
I can almost always get 2 cents of value
for my United MileagePlus miles using them
for premium cabin international awards.
Alaska is also well known
for offering well below market prices on
international premium cabin awards.
While one of the
award charts did see a major valuation last year — that of Emirates — there are still multiple partner
award charts which offer
international premium cabin awards for much less than the number of miles that would be required by booking directly with the airlines» own
award programs.
But you get better returns with
premium cabin awards for international travel.
It raised the amount of miles you need
for most
international awards, especially in the
premium cabins, and introduced their new EveryDay
awards (variable even higher level
awards than the old Standard level).
It raised the amount of miles you need
for most
international awards, especially in the
premium cabins, and introduced their new EveryDay
awards (variable even higher level
awards than...
If I were to save them
for an
international award in a
premium cabin, they could be worth even more.
Delta seems to add some as the schedule opens but their best
premium cabin international award availability is much closer to departure, this is one of the reasons
for the outcry over Delta's new 72 hour rule
for changes / cancellations, since it prevents members from converting medium or high availability to low availability when low space opens at the last minute).