You will usually have to pay a small amount in taxes and fees although some foreign carriers impose hundreds of dollars
in fuel surcharges on award tickets.
Furthermore, it's main European partner British Airways imposes
massive fuel surcharges on awards that often approach or even exceed the cost of discounted ticket paid with cash.
Singapore Airlines» award chart is not the cheapest and they do
add fuel surcharges on award tickets (except on domestic United Airlines flights).
However, since AeroMexico Premier Club passes
along fuel surcharges on award tickets, the value you'll ultimately get from the program depends on the airlines and routes you fly.
If I really wanted to
avoid fuel surcharges on an award then the drop in points when I transfer from Singapore Airlines to Virgin Australia might make sense in some circumstances where Singapore imposed high fuel surcharges.
Avios awards require customers to pay any fuel surcharges if they're normally collected with a paid fare (many other programs, including all awards on United and most awards on Alaska and American Airlines,
waive fuel surcharges on awards).
I
view fuel surcharges on awards as effectively being like buying a deeply discounted, non-mileage earning economy ticket and getting a double or triple upgrade to international first class.
And if you're solely focused on travel rewards, this card can cover travel expenses that you can't redeem miles for, like seaplane rides in the Maldives or
offsetting fuel surcharges on an award ticket.
Singapore Airlines has announced some significant changes to the cost of its awards and, in an attempt to soften the blow of the award chart devaluation, it has also announced that it will no longer
levy fuel surcharges on award bookings.
BA has a policy of
imposing fuel surcharges on all award tickets for fares that normally have them, sometimes hundreds of dollars on international flights, and it can't do that if there's no surcharge to collect.
United miles are among the most valuable of the big three carriers (United, Delta, and American) because the airline doesn't
collect fuel surcharges on any award tickets and because it allows a free stopover on round - trip tickets.
Keep in mind that Virgin Atlantic imposes rather
high fuel surcharges on its award flights, and you will also be subject to the high government and airport taxes when flying through the U.K.
And for good reason: United does not charge
a fuel surcharge on award flights, even on partner airlines.
That's because British Airways charges significant fees for additional taxes, fees, and
fuel surcharges on award flights to and from their main hub at London Heathrow.
The most important of those advantages is that US airlines don't typically charge
fuel surcharges on award tickets booked on their own flights, and often don't pass along their partners» fuel surcharges.
United Airlines does not impose
fuel surcharges on any award tickets.
Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, British Airways, and ANA almost always impose
fuel surcharges on award tickets booked with their miles.
ANA levies
fuel surcharges on award flights, though they tend to be relatively low on United and Air Canada.
United Airlines is one of the largest loyalty programs that never imposes
a fuel surcharge on award tickets.