Toggle navigation

Flight Intel


To ensure that Milez.biz users are always well-informed with the latest industry intelligence and our site boasts the most up-to-date data possible, we collect anecdotal material about award flights, organized by destination pairings and frequent flyer program. We’re always looking for the following type of information:
  • What are the fees and surcharges that travelers needed to pay in order to book their award flight?
  • How was the availability of a given route(s) when it came to booking the award flight?
  • Are there tricks that program members used in order to optimize their redemption?
  • Which specific flights were used for the award ticket? Are some flights better than others?
  • How does this award ticket compare to other programs and how does it compare to a ticket bought with cash?
  • Are there specific sweet spots in the award tables that one should try to take advantage of?
  • Are there exceptions to the award tables where our calculations are not accurate?
  • What was your overall experience with a particular award ticket?
  • Was it worth cashing your miles in for a given flight?
Let us know if you have intel you would like to share. We’d also be more than happy to link to your trip reports and sources, too! Click on the "comment" button for any of the miles calculations or email us through the contact page.

Sydney (SYD) to San Francisco (SFO) with Miles from Korean Air Skypass

Fees for booking the one-way first class journey from Sydney to San Francisco, flying on Korean Air, are USD 126.

Full article at Pointshack.com.au: http://www.pointhacks.com.au/reviews/korean-air-first-class-overview/

11 January, 2017

Toronto (YYZ) to Funchal (FNC) with Miles from [OLD] Aeroplan (Air Canada) / Star Alliance

The most efficient and least costly way to get to Madeira from Toronto (or vice versa) is to use Star Alliance partner Brussels Airlines. There is even a flight directly from Brussels to Funchal so that a connection in Lisbon is not necessary. The one-way fee for the one-stop journey through Brussels is only CAD 65. If using Brussels Airlines with an extra stop in Lisbon (using TAP) the fee for the one-way is CAD 124 (CAD 224 in business).

Routings with other Star Alliance partners all connect in Lisbon (ie. two connections will be necessary) and the fees for the one-way award ticket will in the CAD 300 - 450 range. United is a bit cheaper at CAD 165 but a total of three connections may be needed.

8 January, 2017

Sacramento (SMF) to Anchorage (ANC) with Miles from Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

Alaska Airlines has recently introduced new distance based charts for its own flights. The distance is calculated cumulative for all segments of a trip (not for individual segments). So the distance from Sacramento to Anchorage, with a connection in Seattle, totals about 2,050 miles, just under the threshold of the next higher band. Fees for the one-way trip are USD 6.

Source: http://millionmilesecrets.com/2017/01/04/how-to-use-fewer-miles-for-short-flights-with-new-alaska-airlines-award-chart/

4 January, 2017

Santa Ana (SNA) to Portland (PDX) with Miles from Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

You can travel directly on Alaska Airlines between Portland and Orange County. But even with an extra connection in Reno (RNO) you will still be charged the same number of miles thanks to the new cumulative distance chart from Alaska Airlines. The fees are USD 6 per flight segment.

Another similar example would be a trip from Portland (PDX) to Salt Lake City (SLC) with a stop in Boise (BOI).

Source: http://millionmilesecrets.com/2017/01/04/how-to-use-fewer-miles-for-short-flights-with-new-alaska-airlines-award-chart/

4 January, 2017

Washington (IAD) to Frankfurt (FRA) with Miles from United Mileage Plus / Star Alliance

United Mileage Plus never charges fuel surcharges, so even on the Lufthansa flight from Washington to Frankfurt there are only taxes to pay in addition to your miles, in this case approximately USD 81 for the one-way itinerary to Germany.

Source: http://millionmilesecrets.com/2017/01/03/how-to-use-the-united-airlines-award-chart/

3 January, 2017

New York (JFK) to Tokyo (HND) with Miles from United Mileage Plus / Star Alliance

The New York (JFK) to Tokyo (HND) flight incurs a USD 14.20 fee when booked on on Asiana. If you depart from Newark (EWR) and use All Nippon Airways (ANA) instead, the fee drops to USD 5.60.

3 January, 2017

Anchorage (ANC) to Chicago (ORD) with Miles from United Mileage Plus

Alaska is its own zone for United Mileage Plus own metal awards, so the miles costs for an award ticket are a little higher than for travel to the rest of the continental USA. The fees for the ticket, however, remain the same at USD 5.60.

Source: http://millionmilesecrets.com/2017/01/03/how-to-use-the-united-airlines-award-chart/

3 January, 2017

Madrid (MAD) to New York (JFK) with Avios from Iberia Plus

Following Head for Points' advice, the fees for this flight are much cheaper, if booked on iberia,com (with Iberia avios, GBP 159) than if the same flight is booked with British Airways avios (on ba.com, GBP 361).

And BTW, the London Heathrow to New York (JFK) award ticket booked with BA avios has fees of GBP 502!

Source: http://www.headforpoints.com/2017/01/02/eight-avios-airmiles-quirks-you-might-not-know-about/

2 January, 2017

London (LHR) to Abu Dhabi (AUH) with Miles from American Airlines AAdvantage [oneworld / Partners]

The strategy to use your AA miles for an Etihad flight (specifically the Etihad First Apartment) is to find availability on the Etihad booking site first. Then call the American Airlines help line to make the booking.

Here are step-by-step instruction from topmiles.com on how to do this.

31 December, 2016

Manaus (MAO) to Asuncion (ASU) with Miles from American Airlines AAdvantage [oneworld / Partners]

Unlike all other Brazilian destinations Manaus is zoned in South America 1 by AAdvantage. So the round-trip to Paraguay from this city in Brazil is a little more costly.

26 December, 2016