AADVANTAGE MILES
Main Cabin Awards
Always want to take advantage of the MileSAAver awards which range from 7,500 for miles less than 500 miles to 40,000 for a flight to the South Pacific. There are special off peak price discounts for flight outside the continental US and international regions. I would avoid any AAnytime Level 1 or Level 2 redemptions unless you’re really strapped for cash. Most of the time you can find a flight for less in USD then the monetary value of the points required for these redemptions. Also it could be worth it to just redeem for a MileSAAver First/ Business class award for 25,000 miles.
Premium Economy Awards
Award redemptions available on flights to Hawaii, Alaska, Europe, Asia, and South Pacific flights. American runs 500 mile upgrade promotions for Premium Economy seats on flights within the continental US. These redemptions carry little value as booze and food is already free on most international flights so you would be paying 10,000-15,000 miles for some extra legroom.
Business/First Awards
MileSAAver award in the continental US is the cheapest First class ticket you can find. 25,000 miles is an absolute steal, especially if the only main cabin redemption available for the same flight is an AAnytime award seat priced at 30,000 miles. Includes destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America for only 25,000, only 10,000 above the main cabin awards. MileSAAver awards for first/ business class range from 15,000-80,000 miles. I’d stay away from first class redemptions on flights under 500 miles because most of the time American will put you on a small plane with 3 or 4 seats across and the first class is pretty much the same as main cabin. AAnytime first/business award redemptions will set you back a pretty penny, avoid if you can.
The AAdavantage award chart can be viewed HERE
ALASKA MILES
Extremely similar to AAdvantage miles in value except Alaska offers more options for flights that are a short distance in the continental US and Alaska with redemption awards starting at 5,000 miles for trips less than 700 miles, 7,500 miles for trips between 701 and 1400 miles, 10,000 miles for trips between 1401 and 2100 miles, and 12,5000 miles for any trip longer 2101 miles plus taxes and fees. The taxes and fees for any domestic Alaska flight booked with miles is $5.60.
Alaska partners with American, among others, so you can redeem your Alaska miles for American flights. These redemptions obviously come at a premium so it’s best to redeem your Alaska miles for Alaska flights when you can. The taxes and fees for partner airlines also come at a higher rate of $15 and some change.
Can see more travel partners and award ticket pricing HERE
AIR FRANCE and KLM MILES
Flights across the pond from NYC to Paris or Amsterdam will set you back 22,000 miles + taxes and fees in Economy. The taxes and fees can vary by the location you’re flying to but can get very high on these international airlines, some times as high as $500. A flight from AMS to VIE would run you 7,500 miles + taxes and fees. The taxes and fees on flights on mainland Europe should only run you $20-$30.
There’s no award calendar but you can view their trip with miles calculator HERE
ASIANA MILES
A one-way flight from North America to Asia will set you back between 40,000 and 55,000 miles plus around $30 in taxes and fees. There are some mileage deduction rates during low season that can get you to Asia for as little as 35,000 miles plus taxes and fees.
Their normal award chart can be seen HERE
Deduction award chart HERE
ALLEGIANT MILES
Pretty standard 1 mile is equal to $.01 in value. So 1,000 miles is equivalent to $10 in flight credits. Most Allegiant flights are from smaller towns to big vacation destinations such as Las Vegas or Orlando. Allegiant has no international flights, yet, and their longest flight is a nonstop from Cincinnati, Ohio to Los Angeles, California.
The only way to earn Allegiant miles is with the Allegiant World MasterCard and you’ll only be able to search for award travel after linking your card to your Allegiant account. Allegiant still charges extra for everything including carryon bags and seat assignments if you book an award ticket.
AVIOS
Avios can be tough to work with because of the high fuel surcharges not included in the award redemption on British Airways, Aer Lingus, and Iberia. You’re almost always better off paying for an international British Airways flight in cash verses the points. But nonetheless there are some hidden gems that you can take advantage of.
Redeeming Avios for flights between Europe destinations can be as little as 4,000 points each way and will run you about $60 in taxes and fees. Generally these airlines are much better then your European budget airlines (Ryanair, Eurowings, Vueling), these tickets come with extra baggage allowance as well as free refreshments and a small bite to eat.
There are select routes within the US on American Airlines that will costs 3,500 less miles if you book using your Avios. A couple examples would be a flight from JFK-MIA and DFW-ORD. Domestic US flights booked with Avios only carry a charge of $5.60 in taxes and fees.
The best Avios award chart I could find was put together by thepointsguy.com and you can check it out HERE
DELTA SKYMILES
Great value on domestic routes that Delta flies regularly. 7,500 points for a nonstop flight from JFK to LAX is the best miles deal I’ve seen. This is for a basic economy redemption but Delta’s basic economy is the best around. They allow a personal item and a carry on bag but you won’t be able to choose your seat.
There is no general award travel chart like AAdvantage but Delta releases Skymile deals periodically and you can really score on these. I’ve seen deals on the delta page for flights from JFK to AMS for as low as 12,000 miles each way. Definitely a good place to start looking for a destination if you have the time and some SkyMiles.
Skymiles can be very hard to use if you Delta doesn’t fly from an airport in your area often. For example flying from SNA to SLC will cost you the same amount in miles as JFK to AMS sometimes. But hopper flights can be as low as 4,000 points. Taxes and fees for domestic Delta flights are $5.60.
The Delta Deals Page can be found HERE
HAWAIIAN AIRLINES MILES
Flights to Hawaii from the West Coast range from 20,000 miles to 90,000 miles. That’s a massive range for award redemptions and there are few options for flights to destinations other than Hawaii. Neighbor Island flights start at 7,500 points.
At 60,000 miles, the Hawaiian MasterCard bonus can almost secure you and your significant other roundtrip flights for that dreamy Hawaiian vacation. Delta redemptions can be as low as 16,000 for a nonstop flight from LAX to KOA so there are definitely other options in the market for flights to and from the island.
The Hawaiian Airlines award chart can be found HERE
JETBLUE POINTS
Point values fluctuate between 1.1 and 1.5 cent per point. The fluctuations are usually based on the popularity of the route. Naturally you can get more value out of your miles when booking routes in their off-peak seasons. Keep in mind if you have the JetBlue Plus Card you’ll also get a 10% refund on points redeemed.
JetBlue offers free wifi on all their flights as well as named brand snacks and 50% all in-flight beverage purchases made with the JetBlue cards. Their current intro bonus is 60,000 miles after spending $1,000 on the card and paying a $99 annual fee. You can very easily get $600 of value out of those points.
JetBlue doesn’t have an award chart or where we jet for mils chart but you can find a good summary of JetBlue redemptions from NerdWallet HERE
FRONTIER MILES
Value awards start at 10,000 miles each plus $5.60 taxes and fees. Depending on where you’re trying to fly, your miles could be worth less than $.01 each. These fares don’t include any baggage or in-flight refreshments. You’re better off trying to score a super cheap flight with cash. I’ve seen Frontier flights as low as $19 for a one-way from SNA to DEN.
There are some options for traveling to Mexico, Dominican Republic, and Jamaica for 15,000 miles each way but taxes and fees ranging from $33.70-$49.60. Frontier also hits you with a fee for award tickets booked less then 6 months from your travel date. But not to worry, if you have the Frontier MasterCard (which is probably the only way you could accumulate enough miles to book an award flight anyways) these fees are wiped.
MILES and MORE
A one-way economy ticket for US travel on United will run you 15,000 miles while a one-way flight from North America to Europe will set you back 30,000 miles. Don’t forget about the carrier surcharges plus taxes and fees. These seem to continue to creep higher and higher.
The star alliance is great and odds are if you redeem your miles you’ll be on a very high quality flight, but don’t expect a lot of bang for your buck with these redemptions.
Can’t locate a Miles and More award chart but there is one created by One Mile at a Time HERE
SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS
Rapid Rewards points are worth about 1.5 cents each and reward flights are priced based on the distance flown. I feel like I have seen Rapid Reward points worth more in some instances though. I have redeemed 960 miles for a one-way flight from SNA to SFO in the past which at 1.5 cents a point would mean they were asking just north of $10 for the flight.
Earlier this summer I saw some award flights from LAX to HNL for as little as 6,000 points each way. Southwest flights tend to get much more expensive 2 weeks from your travel date and sometimes they won’t even offer point redemptions for flight bookings that are 2 weeks or less from departure. I would recommend redeeming your Southwest points a few months ahead of time. There is no cancellation fees so if your plans change you’ll get a full refund of your points.
Like JetBlue there is no award chart for Southwest. Nerdwallet does a good job describing the program in greater detail HERE
UNITED MILES
United has switched from an award chart model that was similar to AAdvantage to a Delta Skymiles style redemption model. They’ve also gotten rid of their $75 surcharge on bookings made within 3 weeks of your travel date.
One way flights to Europe will run you anywhere from 30,000-45,000 miles. The last redemption I had with United was a flight from EWR to SNA with a stop at ORD that ran me 15,000 miles. I find United miles to be severely devalued from what they used to be but still have some friends that swear by them. There are deals to be found here for sure.
United’s mileage estimator portal can be found HERE
SPIRIT MILES
Get flights for as low as 2,500 miles for off-peak flights less than 1249 miles. Flights over 2,500 miles will set you back 12,500 miles. There are over 100 days a year of off-peak flight prices, so not super unheard of to find something for the low low. Must have a Spirit MasterCard to redeem for off-peak redemptions.
You will still have to pay for bags, refreshments, seat assignment, basically anything besides bring your body onto the plane. Better redemption program than frontier for sure. The 30,000 Spirit miles intro bonus will go much further than the 40,000 Frontier miles.
Spirit has lots of region 1 flights to choose from. You can view their award chart HERE
VIRGIN ATLANTIC MILES
Point redemption is very favorable, flights start at 10,000 points each way to get from Northwest US to the UK . You’ll be paying a little bit more than $200 in fees. These redemptions include free drinks, meals, and snacks plus one checked bag.
You probably end up paying around $200-$300 for a budget one-way flight to Western Europe from JFK so I wouldn’t let the high fees turn you away so fast. Virgin Atlantic has an exceptional product compared to Norwegian or TAP as well. Not my first card choice, but can definitely get yourself to Europe and back from anywhere in the US for the intro bonus plus a little extra scratch.
Enjoy Virgin Atlantic’s redemption chart HERE