FAQ: Is this a good award redemption for economy class to Europe?
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Knowing what is a good deal and what isn’t can be tough when you are new to points/miles.
People are nervous to use their points because they don’t know if this is a “good” redemption, should I wait for something “better”? Hopefully this will help you see what some of the absolute best offers out there are. From there you can decide what works for you.
ECONOMY AWARD FLIGHTS TO EUROPE
Air France/KLM – Every month, Flying Blue (which is the loyalty program for Air France/KLM) releases a new set of promos. When you are on the Promos Page, you want to scroll down to “Long Haul” and see what cities have the current promos. Many times you will find flights as low as 11,250 miles one way in economy. The promos usually require you to book by the last day of the month, for travel through the next 7(ish) months. Beating 11,250 miles one way to Europe is pretty hard to do.
But even without the promos, you can often find 15K – 20K miles (one way) on Air France/KLM. This is always my 1st place to look for great fares! On top of that, kids 2 – 11 get 25% off award tickets!
How to book – You’ll need to have an account with Flying Blue – this is the loyalty program for Air France/KLM
Transfer points from – Chase, Capital One, American Express, Citi Thank You, Bilt
Virgin Atlantic – Virgin Atlantic offers a pretty cool flight finder tool. You can find many flights for 15K miles (+$152 taxes/fee) for Seattle to London (LHR) (one way in economy). You can find Orlando (MCO) to London for 12,5000 miles (+152 taxes fees) (one way in economy).
How to book – Create account with Virgin Atlantic
Transfer points from – Chase, Capital One, American Express, Citi Thank You, Bilt
Singapore Air – Singapore Airlines has promos called “Spontaneous Escapes“. If last minute travel works for you, these can have terrific savings. Many years ago we flew Singapore economy from Houston to Manchester (England) and it is hands down the BEST economy flight we’ve ever taken!
One nice thing is how low the taxes/fees are on Singapore Air. Without the promos, you’ll find saver fares from Houston to Manchester OR JFK to Frankfurt starting at 25K miles + $5.60 (taxes/fees).
How to book – Create an account with Singapore Airlines
Transfer points from – Chase, Capital One, American Express, Citi Thank You
Iberia –
You can find award fares as low as 17K – 22K avios (+$97 taxes/fees) economy one way from O’Hare to Madrid, Boston to Madrid or Barcelona and New York to Madrid or Barcelona. One thing I really like about Iberia is that if you don’t have enough points, they’ll give you an option to pay a bit more & use less avios (Avios is simply what Iberia & British Airways calls their miles).
How to book – You’ll need to have an account with Iberia
Transfer points from – Chase, American Express
British Airways –
British Airways offers some good options with moderate taxes. Denver – London (LHR) as low as 30K miles (one way) +$82 taxes/fees. Their direct flights usually have the best award options. Look for “off peak” dates for best pricing.
How to book – You’ll need to have an account with British Airways
Transfer points from – Chase, Capital One, American Express, Citi Thank You, Bilt
United, American Airlines, Delta –
United’s lowest award fares in economy (one way) usually start at 32K – 40K miles. But the taxes/fees are only $5.60.
American Airlines is similar with fares starting at 29K miles (each way) and again, low $5.60 taxes).
IF you see a specific fare deal/promo announced with Delta, then maybe possibly you’ll find a good fare.
Double check your work
Use tools like these to see if there are better options. Or start with these tools and then double check the airlines above.
Always check for transfer bonuses!
ALWAYS check to see if there are any transfer bonuses before you transfer points.
For example, Amex recently had a 30% transfer bonus to British Airways. A 30% transfer bonus means that for every 1,000 points you transfer, Amex gave an extra 300 points. Hence, a 30% bonus.
HOW DO YOU KNOW about transfer bonuses? I list them in my newsletter. Be sure you are signed up!
A Few Notes:
- It’s REALLY important to remember if a redemption works for you, that IS a good deal. A lot of us are working around school, sports, work. It’s better to book the trip and pay a little more with points then to keep waiting and never book it. Believe me, you can ALWAYS earn more points, and I’m happy to show you how : )
- I never recommend transferring points until you have found the exact flights you want and are ready to book. Award travel changes all the time.
I hope that you found this list and tips helpful! There are many more ways you can get to Europe on points/miles but these are some of the more beginner friendly ways that have some fantastic point redemption options!
Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.
The content on this page is accurate as of the posting date; however, some of the offers mentioned may have expired.
