If it's any consolation, Delta doesn't allow redemptions for international first class, while American's
partner award rates are still slightly more lucrative than United's
partner award rates.
Only 3
partner award rates were changed in business class (1) and first class (2).
Not exact matches
Update your
partners about product milestones, such as
awards, high usage
rates, or remarkable case studies.
In honor of the TASTE
AWARDS, PR Newswire is offering a special
rate to all nominees, winners,
partners, sponsors, judges, and fans of the TASTE
AWARDS.
That might make Hilton sound like a better deal, but their high
rates for
award rooms means that transferring to an airline
partner might actually give you better value.
Keep in mind that you're still earning a fixed
rate of return, so these rewards are worth the same for coach, business class or any hotel room, and they can not be transferred to airline or hotel
partners for
award bookings.
For example, see the New British Airways Avios Devaluation which really made first class and business class
awards a terrible value, especially for peak travel dates on British Airways and on
partners, since all
partner awards are at the peak travel
rate.
However,
award rates can be very high if your travel includes
partner airlines.
This means that if you were already planning a 5 - night
award, by paying an extra 32,000 / 30,000 Starpoints, you get 50,000 airline miles — a better transfer
rate than regular transfers to airline
partners.
Keep in mind that you're still earning a fixed
rate of return, so these rewards are worth the same for coach, business class or any hotel room, and they can not be transferred to airline or hotel
partners for
award bookings.
Award tickets may be booked as shortly as two hours prior to a flight when they are available, and because American itself operates the flight, rather than a
partner, that means that any available seat can be ours for the AAnytime
rate of 35,000 miles.
First, they lowered mileage earning
rates on
partner airlines without notice and now, I just found out they will be raising their fees for
award travel changes.
Alaska has a separate
award chart for each
partner and the
rates often differ considerably from those available by booking directly with the
partner airline.
Some
awards partners have different transfer
rates than a 1:1 ratio.
Do note that Flying Blue's best
award redemptions tend to be in economy class vs business and offer low
rates to places like Hawaii, Central and South America, and even Europe at costs less than many of their
partner airlines included Alaska or Delta.
For example, Delta recently changed its
partner redemption
rates so that a one - way business class
award to Europe on Virgin Atlantic, Air France,... read more
While Virgin Atlantic charges half of the miles required for a round - trip
award on its own flights, the
award rates will vary if you book a flight on one of their
partners.
Additional Terms & Conditions
Award Tickets on
partner airlines may require higher
rates or a Saturday night stay.
You can also take advantage of some great
rates by using Korean Air SKYPASS miles to book
awards on SkyTeam Alliance
partners.
JetBlue is also a Membership Rewards travel
partner, but, the everyday
rate is 250 MR to 200 TrueBlue which isn't a good deal unless you really want an
award flight and have points to burn.
JAL, which uses a distance - based
award chart for redemptions on
partner airlines, has the same
rate of 40,000 miles for some routes, but it can go up to 55,000 miles or more to certain destinations.
I felt that I could still redeem my miles for domestic flights and certain business class
awards at reasonable
rates while using other means to earn and redeem
awards with
partners like Lufthansa and Singapore.
The redemption
rates on
partner awards is what makes Alaska is so special in my opinion.
Even so, it now has so many
partners around the world — and with fairly reasonable
award rates — that I consider it a great place to stockpile miles.
That's because different programs have different redemption
rates and
award available on their own flights and on
partner airlines.
While with many airlines the
award chart sweet spots are found using one airline to fly a
partner, Korean Air gives great
rates to fly its own wonderful first - class suite from one of its more than a dozen U.S. destinations, with first - class seats for 80,000 miles one way.
For example, Delta recently changed its
partner redemption
rates so that a one - way business class
award to Europe on Virgin Atlantic, Air France, KLM, or Alitalia costs 85,000 SkyMiles.
When you participate in SPG's Nights and Flights deal, you get a discount on a 5 night Category 3 or 4 hotel
award stay combined with the transfer bonus to an airline
partner (at the 1:1 transfer
rate only).
The conversion
rate is 1 GC
Award Point to 1 Airline Mile, but there may be different conversion
rates for specific Airline
Partners and this is subject to change without notice at the sole and absolute discretion of The Company.
For flights taken on primary
partner airlines Delta
awards EQD at a
rate of 25 % of miles flown for the cheapest Business Class fares......
It's interesting to note that American Airlines is only willing to
award EQD at a maximum of 30 % of miles flown for BA marketed flights while Delta (who AA has been unashamedly copying so far)
awards Medallion Qualifying Dollars (MQD) at a maximum
rate of 40 % of miles flown on its major
partners.
If you're not familiar with Alaska'a
award program, Mileage Plan, it's one of the best
award programs due to solid redemption
rates, flexible routing rules, and a number of quality
partners that span across alliances.
For
award flights on
partners this dynamic pricing wasn't a huge headache since
partner awards are subject to the lowest tier of the dynamic pricing, so all you had to know is what the lowest redemption
rate is for a route and that would tell you the mileage requirement for a
partner award.
As shown on their Star Alliance
partner award chart, flights from North America to Europe can be booked as low as 55,000 miles, but
partner airlines are not given the 15 % discount and the redemption
rates are higher, so the deal is not to sweet (though still decent).
You can search the
award chart here since it shows
rates by location but below you'll see the
partner award chart from the US.
Pro Tip: If you book economy class flights, you should always compare the travel portal
rate to the number of points required to book an
award flight with one of Chase's airline
partners.
GarudaMiles is a distance - based program with a separate
award chart for every
partner, but they all have similar redemption
rates.
Most
partner flights are bookable online at the saver (lowest)
award redemption
rate.
Remember, you can only book your
award flight on a
partner airline if there is the lowest, saver
rate available.
Partner rates are also very good, here is their
partner award chart.
United MileagePlus has separate
award rates for travel on their own metal vs.
partners, so
rates listed are for
partner travel
Why it's worth it: While the personal Starwood Amex isn't currently offering an elevated bonus, it's still a great card, especially since Starpoints are my highest -
rated loyalty currency and there are so many ways to redeem them, from transferring to airline
partners to SPG Moments to Starwood and Marriott
award stays.
Meanwhile below is a comparison of AAdvantage first class
partner redemption
rates under the old and new program, along with a side - by - side comparison of United
partner first class redemption
rates (Delta doesn't allow
award redemptions for international first class).
@ John — For
partner airlines they'll
award a percentage of flown miles, so I'd expect earnings
rates to be cut.
The trick, as Matt said, is getting to the
partner's gateway for the low
award rate.
@ WB — If you book
partner awards then they have to be roundtrip, though
award rates are very similar.
Unlike some of Alaska Airlines» other
partner redemption
rates, the Japan Airlines one - way
awards price at exactly half of round - trip prices.
That
rate went up to 95K after the charts were deleted and the new
partner saver
award rate on that route is 115K one - way.
Currently there's a workaround if you book a domestic Delta flight at the saver
award level to add on a
partner award at the old
rates.
Korean Air has reasonable redemption
rates, which are downright cheap compared to United's new
partner award redemption
rates, for example.