While Miles & More bargains can be spectacular for example, 30,000 miles in economy and 55,000 in
business per roundtrip between North America and Europe it also often has high fuel surcharges, which can be as much as $ 1,000 for premium class flights.
They will literally pay you up to $ 600
per roundtrip ticket to / from the United States for your unused baggage allowance.
It only costs 50,000 miles
per roundtrip between the continental U.S. and Europe, excluding Turkey and Russia.
You can fly to Marseilles or Copenhagen for 9,000
Avios per roundtrip, Rome, Ibiza and Budapest for 15,000 Avios, or Moscow, Athens and Istanbul for 20,000.
A flight between the U.S. and Europe will only cost you 40,000 miles
per roundtrip if you fly between October 15 and May 15.
Since United allows two open
jaws per roundtrip, none of your flights have to return or leave from the same cities.
You can fly between New York and Los Angeles / San Francisco in Delta One for 35,000 Amex
points per roundtrip or 17,500 Amex points one way with the 30 % American Express transfer bonus.
Off - peak flights between the U.S. and Europe are about 10,000 miles cheaper
per roundtrip for both economy and business class.
Virgin charges 45,000 miles in economy and 90,000 in business
per roundtrip beating both Flying Blue and Etihad rates for American in business class.
With monthly special awards at 7,500 miles
off per roundtrip you can get to select U.S. destinations for 17,500 miles rather than 25,000.
A business class upgrade between the U.S. and Moscow costs 80,000 miles
per roundtrip on a SkyTeam carrier.
Korean offers even better rates to Hawaii from the Continental U.S. on Delta than Flying Blue — 25,000 Skypass miles in economy and 45,000 Skypass miles in business
per roundtrip vs. 50,000 and 80,000 SkyMiles.
United allows one
stopover per roundtrip in addition to your destination, so you can't have a stopover en route and then a later free one way because those require a stopover at your home airport.
Even a business class ticket (redeeming Avios for business class tickets are not usually recommended) for 75,000
Avios per roundtrip is a good deal compared to United's 100,000 miles price tag.
Remember that 25,000 miles you save
per roundtrip if you choose a United flight over Lufthansa is enough to book you an award flight in the U.S. or Canada.
Plus, there's no fee for last - minute bookings and you're allowed one stopover and open -
jaw per roundtrip.
So considerably more expensive than UA, though UA charges 50,000 more
points per roundtrip, so something we'll need to consider.
If you happen to live in a city with a direct American Airlines flight to Orlando, you can book that flight with British Airways Avios (a Chase and SPG transfer partner) for as low as 15,000 Avios (points)
per roundtrip ticket!
But there is one good value on Virgin Atlantic: 60,000 miles in Economy and 125,000 miles in
Business per roundtrip between the U.S. East Coast and the UK.
A business class ticket on Cathay Pacific between Los Angeles and Hong Kong falls into Asia Miles award Zone D (5,000 to 7,500 miles) and costs 120,000
miles per roundtrip.
Check your first bag for free (a savings of up to $ 100
per roundtrip) when you use your Card to purchase your ticket.
For example, you get your first and second checked bags for free when flying United — a potential value of $ 240
per roundtrip.
You can check your first bag for free when you use your card to purchase your ticket (a savings of up to $ 100
per roundtrip).
That comes out to a potential savings of $ 100
per roundtrip.
That's a total savings of up to $ 240
per roundtrip — $ 140 more in potential bag fee savings than you get with the United MileagePlus ® Explorer Card.
Check your first bag for free (a savings of up to $ 100
per roundtrip) when you use your Card to purchase your ticket.
Add to that the value you'll get from just free checked bags (which can cost up to $ 240
per roundtrip) and the United Club membership (which costs $ 550 a year) and it's easy to make money with this card.
Alaska Airlines» generous booking policies allow you to make one free stopover per one - way domestic award ticket, or two stopovers
per roundtrip.
Add to that the value you'll get from just free checked bags (which can cost up to $ 240
per roundtrip) and the United Club membership (which costs $ 550 a year) and it's easy to make money with this card.
Check your first bag for free (a savings of up to $ 100
per roundtrip) when you use your Card to purchase your ticket.
That means you can fly to Israel for 50,000 miles in economy and 125,000 miles in business
per roundtrip.
All major U.S. frequent flyer programs, like United, charge 25,000 miles
per roundtrip, which means you will need to transfer 25,000 points to an airline program in order to book your flight on miles.
Brussels has an unbelievably generous rate on Etihad for flights between New York and the Belgian capital: 21,972 for economy and 36,620 miles for business,
per roundtrip.
Transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to BAEC and fly from New York to Berlin / Dusseldorf for 40,000 Avios on Air Berlin (
per roundtrip), or to Madrid for 34,000 Avios on Iberia.
Flights between the continental U.S. and Hawaii cost 22,500 one way, but the West Coast lies well within a 3,000 - mile distance from Honolulu, so if you transfer your Ultimate Rewards points to BAEC, you can fly between the West Coast and Honolulu on American or Alaska for 12,500 Avios or 25,000
per roundtrip.
One of the most amazing Ultimate Rewards values is redeeming Avios between Boston and Dublin on a British partner Aer Lingus for 25,000
per roundtrip.
Though Alaska charges $ 99 for the companion pass, you can get tremendous value from the ticket because you're allowed two stopovers
per roundtrip.
A business class flight between North America and Europe can run as low as 62,500 miles
per roundtrip, but the $ 500 in taxes and fuel surcharges makes it somewhat less appealing.
Or you could get a United first - class award seat, which is going to cost you 160,000 miles
per roundtrip but has better availability.
The cost is 80,000 miles
per roundtrip.
Alaska's award chart for American Airlines includes American's off - peak rates, but with the added benefit of two free stopovers
per roundtrip.