Award Chart Sweet Spots

Scott GrimmerMileValue.com

Chicago Seminars, October 15, 2016

What Do I Mean by “Sweet Spot”?

Either an award that is far cheaper with one type of miles than it is with most other types of miles (or at least cheaper than it is with United, Delta,

and American Airlines miles.)

Or an especially good use of a type of miles compared to the other uses of those same miles.

Combine Sweet Spots for a RTW Trip

Last Year's Chicago Seminars Talk:RTW Awards & Big Trips That talk was 80% based on Sweet Spots and

20% based on techniques

Sweet Spots to Europe in Economy to London only for as little as 10,000 ThankYou Points or

Membership Rewards plus around $125 in fuel surcharges, and occasional sales or transfer bonus knock this down to around 10,000 to 14,000 miles/points

with 12,500 Air France Flying Blue Miles plus 50 euros in fuel surcharges when booked 1-3 months in advance from rotating American cities (Promo Awards)

with 20,000 Etihad miles on American Airlines flights from October 15 to May 15

with 20,000 Alaska miles on American Airlines flights from October 15 to May 15

with 22,500 American Airlines miles each year from January 10 to March 14 and November 1 to December 14 on all partners (off peak awards)

Virgin Atlantic Service to North America

The Deal One Ways for Half Prices

Listed + $135 Frequent 30% Discount on

Miles Needed for Economy & Premium Economy (Last 9/2016)

Frequent 25% or 30% Transfer Bonuses from Citi ThankYou Points or AMEX Membership Rewards

10,000 TY or MR = One Way from Eastern US to UK

The Prep

Get a card that earns Membership Rewards or ThankYou Points

Transfer During Transfer Bonus – if you can tolerate the risk

Book During Award Sale from USA to UK. (Return from somewhere else in Europe with another type of miles)

Sweet Spots to Europe in Premium Cabins

to London only in Premium Economy with 27,500 Virgin Atlantic miles plus around $225 in fuel surcharges (15,000 TY or MR by using same stacking technique just desribed)

to London only in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class with 40,000 Virgin Atlantic miles plus around $414 in fuel surcharges (Upper Class is not usually included in award sales, but 31k TY or MR with 30% transfer bonus)

with 50,000 Asiana miles in Lufthansa First Class plus taxes and fuel surcharges (which are much lower Europe to USA than vice versa)

The Deal

40,000 SPG = 50,000 Asiana Asiana charges 50,000 miles one way in First

Class between USA and Europe Asiana collects fuel surcharges on all partners

except United Fuel surcharges are much lower Europe to

USA than vice versa. Taxes plus fuel surcharges can be as low as $200 from Europe to USASee list of cheap cities for returns from Europe

The Facts

Lufthansa Only Releases First Class Award Space within 15 Days of Departure. It is widely available on many routes

Flying through Frankfurt gets you access to the First Class Terminal

Search on united.com; book by calling Asiana

The Flight Porn

Sweet Spots to Hawaii in Economy

with 12,500 Avios in American Airlines or Alaska economy from the Western United States

with 25,000 Korean miles roundtrip in Delta economy

with 15,000 Air France Flying Blue miles in Delta economy

with 17,500 Singapore miles in United economy

The Deal

United has the best award space to Hawaii in economy

Space often gets better the closer you get to departure

Search on united.com without signing in; book by calling Singapore

No late booking fee, $20 change, $30 cancellation

The Bible on booking Singapore awards on United to Hawaii

Sweet Spots to Hawaii in First

in flat bed Delta Business/First Class with 45,000 Korean miles roundtrip

in flat bed First Class with 30,000 Singapore miles on United

in First Class with 30,000 Air France Flying Blue miles on Delta

Sweet Spots to Korea, Japan in Economy

with 25,000 Etihad miles on American Airlines flights from October 1 to April 30

with 25,000 Alaska miles on American Airlines flights from October 1 to April 30

with 30,000 Alaska miles on Cathay Pacific flights

The Deal

Etihad and Alaska had identical award charts for flying AA flights to AA's own chart for AA flights

AA massively devalued its award chart 3/2016 Etihad and Alaska forgot (?) to copy the changes, so

they still have very cheap awards on AA planes and very generous off peak award dates

Search on AA.com for MileSAAver award space on AA planes and book on alaskaair.com or by calling Etihad

Sweet Spots to Korea, Japan in Business

in Cathay Pacific Business Class with 50,000 Alaska miles

in American Airlines Business Class with 50,000 Etihad miles

in American Airlines Business Class with 50,000 Alaska miles

Sweet Spots to Korea, Japan in First in First Class with 62,500 Etihad miles on American Airlines

flights in First Class with 62,500 Alaska miles on American Airlines

flights in Cathay Pacific First Class with 70,000 Alaska miles from Los Angeles to Tokyo only in Singapore Suites Class with

74,375 Singapore miles + $113 in First Class with 80,000 American Airlines miles (Japan

Airlines First Class is amazing and widely available) in Korean Airlines First Class with 80,000 Korean miles +

small fuel surcharges and taxes (most widely available First Class in the world)

Singapore Suites Class Deal

Flying Double Bed As others have devalued, it went from

expensive to average priced Transfer UR, MR, TY, SPG to Singapore miles Search and book on singaporeair.com

American Airlines Deal

Since March 22, 2016 devAAluation, USA to Japan or Korea for 80,000 miles one way in First Class is last reasonably priced First Class award

Search Japan Airlines First Class on ba.com, book by calling AA

Korean First Class Deal

Korean First Class is the most widely available First Class in the world

Since others' devaluations, it went from expensive to fair price

Transfer UR, SPG to Korean miles Search and book on koreanair.com

Sweet Spots to China, Southeast Asia in Economy and Business

with 30,000 Alaska miles on Cathay Pacific flights

with 50,000 Alaska miles in Cathay Pacific Business Class

The Deal

American Airlines used to charge 55k/67.5k one way in Business/First from USA to SE Asia on Cathay Pacific. The devAAluation increased those prices to 70k/110k

Now the reasonable way to fly Cathay Pacific to SE Asia is with Alaska miles for 50k/70k in Business/First

Search ba.com, book by calling Alaska

Sweet Spots to China, Southeast Asia in First

with 70,000 Alaska miles in Cathay Pacific First Class in Korean Airlines First Class with 80,000 Korean

miles + small fuel surcharges and taxes (most widely available First Class in the world)

fom Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore only in Singapore Suites Class with 91,375 Singapore miles + $276

from New York to Frankfurt to Singapore only in Singapore Suites Class with 93,500 Singapore miles + $286

Sweet Spots to Fiji, Australia, New Zealand

To Aus/NZ in Business Class with 45,000 Virgin America points on Virgin Australia; 80,000 points roundtrip

To Aus/NZ in Business Class with 55,000 Alaska Airlines Miles on Fiji Airways. Stop as long as you'd like in Fiji for free.

The Virgin America/Virgin Australia Deal

Virgin Australia Business Class award space used to be widely available all year for many people

Now it is only available within a week of departure Get Virgin America miles from 1:1 transfer from

SPG with 5,000 bonus Virgin America points for every 20,000 SPG points (65k SPG = 80k Virgin America

Search on delta.com, book by calling Virgin America

Sweet Spots to Mexico, Central America, Caribbean

with 12,500 American Airlines miles each year from April 27 - May 20 or September 7 - November 14 on American Airlines flights

to Central America only with 15,000 Alaska miles each year from January 16 - June 14 or September 7 - November 14 on American Airlines flights

to Central America only with 15,000 Etihad miles each year from January 16 - June 14 or September 7 - November 14 on American Airlines flights

The Deal

Worse off peak dates, but cheaper price and plenty of award space

Search and book on aa.com

Sweet Spots to Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador

with 15,000 Alaska miles each year from January 16 - June 14 or September 7 - November 14 on American Airlines flights

with 15,000 Etihad miles each year from January 16 - June 14 or September 7 - November 14 on American Airlines flights

Sweet Spots to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay in Economy

with 20,000 Etihad miles on American Airlines flights from March 1 – May 31 or August 16 – November 30

with 20,000 Alaska miles on American Airlines flights from March 1 – May 31 or August 16 – November 30

with 45,000 Virgin Atlantic miles roundtrip on Delta flights

Sweet Spots to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay in Business/First

in Business Class with 35,000 Asiana miles on United, Copa, or Avianca flights

in Business Class with 45,000 Alaska miles on AeroMexico flights, try to fly the Dreamliner (has not been bookable since October 2015)

in First Class with 45,000 Asiana miles on United flights in Business Class with 50,000 Etihad miles on American

Airlines flights in Business Class with 50,000 Alaska miles on American

Airlines flights

The Deal

30,000 SPG = 35,000 Asiana There are no fuel surcharges on United, Copa,

and Avianca flights to South America

Questions????

Any questions about sweet spots from the Continental United States to other places before we move on to awards that don't touch the United States?

We (Almost) All Live in the US, so Why Care about Foreign Awards?

RTW Awards died in 2014 United Stopovers died this month Big trips and RTW trips rely on sweet spots on

non-US awards

Foreign Sweet Spots United: SE Asia to Australia/NZ in economy for 17,500 miles, in

Thai First for 40,000 United South-South: South America to South Africa in South

African Business for 45,000 miles United: Japan-Oceania for 12,500 miles, North Asia-Oceania

for 15,000 Alaska Airlines: Europe-HKG in Cathay Business Class for

42,500 miles American Airlines: Middle East to SE Asia in Qatar First Class

for 50,000 miles Singapore: Business Class within South America for 20,000

Miles

United: SE Asia ↔ Australia/NZ

17.5k/30k/40k in economy/Business/First I recommend Thai First, transiting Bangkok for

one of the best ground experiences in the world

Search and book on united.com

United: South-South

South African Airways flies Sao Paulo ↔ Johannesburg daily

United charges 45k one way in Business Class on the route

Connections possible within Brazil, to Buenos Aires, and throughout South and Southern Africa

United: Oceania

Japan to Oceania is 12,500 miles. North Asia to Oceania is 15,000.

Connections are allowed in New Zealand on Air New Zealand, which has an interesting Pacific network

Made less valuable by no more United stopovers, but there is still hidden city possibility

Alaska: HKG ↔ Europe on Cathay

HKG ↔ Europe for 42,500 miles in Business (economy 30k, First 70k)

Connections add to price, unfortunately Search on ba.com, book by calling Alaska HKG-MAD longest at 13:55 on 777-300ER

American: Qatar A380 First for 50k

DOH-BKK for 50,000 miles one way in First Class, possible connections in DOH and BKK

Search on ba.com, book by calling American BKK-DOH is 7:10

Singapore: Intra-South American Business Class

20,000 miles one way is a great deal North ↔ South

No fuel surcharges Search on united.com, book by calling

Singapore Lots of Avianca space via Lima (TACA Peru) Some flat bed Avianca space out of Bogota

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