Let’s jump right in to some of my favorite low cost, max value redemptions that are possible with credit card points! These are redemptions I would personally make and recommend to people! Note that not all of these cost charts explicitly mention the associated taxes and fees that come with an award redemption. These fees vary by route so it’s hard to give exact numbers.
Since these redemptions are so good, the competition for them is high and they will probably be hard to find. If you are struggling to find them, take a look at some of my tips for finding award flights.
ANA Business and First Class Between the US and Japan
Best Booking Program
The best program to book ANA is Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Unfortunately, Virgin does pass on fuel surcharges, so expect $200+ in fees for a one way ticket.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between west coast and Japan | Business | 45,000 miles |
| Between west coast and Japan | First | 72,500 miles |
| Between central/east coast and Japan | Business | 47,500 miles |
| Between central/east coast and Japan | First | 85,000 miles |
Example Routes
| West Coast and Central | East Coast |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles (LAX) <> Tokyo (HND) | (NH 105/106) | Washington D.C. (IAD) <> Tokyo (HND) | (NH 101/102 & NH 7028/7029) |
| Los Angeles (LAX) <> Tokyo (NRT) | (NH 5/6) | Chicago (ORD) <> Tokyo (HND) | (NH 111/112 & NH 7006/7009) |
| San Francisco (SFO) <> Tokyo (HND) | (NH 107/108 & NH 7011/7010) | Chicago (ORD) <> Tokyo (NRT) | (NH 11/12) |
| San Francisco (SFO) <> Tokyo (NRT) | (NH 7/8 & NH 7012/7013) | New York (JFK) <> Tokyo (HND) | (NH 109/110) |
| Seattle (SEA) <> Tokyo (HND) | (NH 117/118) | |
| Honolulu (HNL) <> Tokyo (HND) | (NH 185/186) | |
| Honolulu (HNL) <> Tokyo (NRT) | (NH 183/184) | |
| Houston (IAH) <> Tokyo (HND) | (NH 113/114) |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Virgin Atlantic is a 1:1 transfer partner with Amex MR, Citi TYP, Chase UR, Capital One Miles, and Bilt Rewards.
How To Book
You must call Virgin Atlantic at 0344 209 2722 to book the award.
Notes
- Virgin passes on fuel surcharges. Expect to pay $200+ one way for each award ticket
- The Room/The Suite are only offered on routes with the 777 (JFK)
- Virgin Atlantic is only good for booking direct flights to/from Japan. Not recommended to use Virgin when your final destination is not Japan/US
- Virgin Atlantic often has transfer bonuses from all point currencies
Japan Airlines Business and First Class Between US and Japan
Best Booking Program
The best program to book Japan Airlines is through American Airlines AAdvantage Program. Booking through Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan is not as cheap but in certain cases can be a better deal if you can take advantage of Alaska’s free stopover benefit. Both Alaska Airlines and American Airlines do not pass on fuel surcharges so you can expect to pay <$100 in fees for a one way award ticket.
Cost
Booking Through American Airlines Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between US and Japan | Business | 60,000 miles |
| Between US and Japan | First | 80,000 miles |
Booking Through Alaska Airlines Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between US and Japan | Business | 75,000 miles |
| Between US and Japan | First | 110,000 miles |
Example Routes
| West Coast / Central | East Coast |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles (LAX) <> Tokyo (HND) | (JL 15/16) | New York (JFK) <> Tokyo (HND) | (JL 3/4 & JL 5/6) |
| Los Angeles (LAX) <> Tokyo (NRT) | (JL 61/62) | New York (JFK) <> Tokyo (NRT) | (JL 8005/8006) |
| San Francisco (SFO) <> Tokyo (HND) | (JL 1/2) | Boston (BOS) <> Tokyo (NRT) | (JL 7/8) |
| San Francisco (SFO) <> Tokyo (NRT) | (JL 57/58) | Chicago (ORD) <> Tokyo (HND) | (JL 9/10) |
| Seattle (SEA) <> Tokyo (NRT) | (JL 67/68) | |
| San Diego (SAN) <> Tokyo (NRT) | (JL 65/66) | |
| Dallas (DFW) <> Tokyo (HND) | (JL 11/12) |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Unfortunately no credit cards can transfer to American Airlines. The only credit cards that earn AAdvantage miles are Citi AAdvantage cards or the Barclays Aviator cards. There’s also Bask Bank which can earn AAdvantage miles.
Bilt Rewards is the only program that can transfer to Alaska Airlines. The other credit cards that earn Alaska miles are the Bank of America Alaska Visa personal card and business card.
How To Book
You can book online at alaskaair.com and aa.com.
Notes
- First Class only offered on the 777 (LAX/JFK/SFO)
- Not as good value when including intra Asia segment
- Free cancellation except for $12.50 partner booking fee
- Alaska offers free stopovers
Star Alliance Business and First Class Between US and Europe
Best Booking Program
The best program to book Star Alliance flights between US and Europe is Avianca Lifemiles. Avianca charges reasonable fees departing from the US but charges much more in fees when departing from Europe. For example IAD -> MUC will have an additional $26 in fees but the reverse MUC -> IAD will have an additional $137 in fees! This is not including the extra $25 fee charged when making award bookings online.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between US and Europe | Business | 60,000 / 63,000 miles |
| Between US and Europe | First | 87,000 miles |
Example Routes
| West Coast | East Coast |
|---|---|
| Lufthansa Business from Long Angeles (LAX) <> Frankfurt (FRA) | (LH 450/451 & LH 456/457) | 63,000 miles | Lufthansa First from Washington D.C. (IAD) <> Munich (MUC) | (LH 414/415 & LH 9280/9281) | 87,000 miles |
| Lufthansa Business from San Francisco (SFO) <> Munich (MUC) | (LH 7995/7996 & LH 458/459) | 63,000 miles | Lufthansa Business New York (JFK) <> Frankfurt (FRA) | (LH 400/401 & LH 404/405) | 63,000 miles |
| Swiss Air Business from San Francisco (SFO) <> Zurich (ZRH) | (LX 38/39 & LX 3208/3209) | 63,000 miles | Swiss Air Business from New York (JFK) <> Geneva (GVA) | (LX 22/23) | 63,000 miles |
| Swiss Air Business from Los Angeles (LAX) <> Zurich (ZRH) | (LX 40/41) | 63,000 miles | Swiss Air Business from Miami (MIA) <> Zurich (ZRH) | (LX 64/65) | 63,000 miles |
| United Business from San Francisco (SFO) <> Paris (CDG) | (UA 984/990) | 63,000 miles | United Business from New Jersey (EWR) <> London (LHR) | (UA 883/934 & UA 15/110 & UA 17/904) | 60,000 miles |
| United Business from Los Angeles (LAX) <> London (LHR) | (UA 230/231 & UA 923/935) | 63,000 miles | United Business from New Jersey (EWR) <> Brussels (BRU) | (UA 998/999) | 63,000 miles |
| Scandinavian Business from Los Angeles (LAX) <> Copenhagen (CPH) | (SK 931/932) | 63,000 miles | Scandinavian Business from Boston (BOS) <> Copenhagen (CPH) | (SK 927/928) | 60,000 miles |
| Scandinavian Business from San Francisco (SFO) <> Copenhagen (CPH) | (SK 935/936) | 63,000 miles | Scandinavian Business from Chicago (ORD) <> Stockholm (ARN) | (SK 945/946) | 63,000 miles |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Avianca is a 1:1 transfer partner with Amex MR, Citi TYP, and Capital One Miles.
How To Book
You can book online at lifemiles.com. You can change the language to English using the button with the circular flag in the upper right hand corner.
Notes
- Not good for complex layovers
- Expensive cancellation and change fees
- Additional taxes and fees can get expensive departing from Europe
Starlux Airlines Business Class Between The US and Taipei
Best Booking Program
The best program to book Starlux Business Class is Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between US and Taipei | Business | 75,000 miles |
Example Routes
| West Coast |
|---|
| Los Angeles (LAX) <> Taipei (TPE) | (JX 1/2) |
| San Francisco (SFO) <> Taipei (TPE) | (JX 11/12) |
| Seattle (SEA) <> Taipei (TPE) | (JX 31/32) |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Bilt Rewards is the only program that can transfer to Alaska Airlines. The other credit cards that earn Alaska miles are the Bank of America Alaska Visa personal card and business card.
How To Book
You can book online at alaskaair.com.
Notes
- Non saver availability is plentiful but costs 175k miles one way
- Free cancellation except for $12.50 partner booking fee
- Alaska offers free stopovers
Delta One Business Class Between The US and Europe
Best Booking Program
The best program to book Delta One Business Class is through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club. Virgin Atlantic has two award charts for Delta. There is a dedicated award chart for flights between the US and the UK and another one for non UK routes. The sweet spot is for non UK routes because it’s 50,000 miles one way in Delta One Business class and ~$5 in fees.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between US and Europe (non UK) | Business | 50,000 miles |
| Central and East Coast US and UK (standard season) | Business | 47,500 miles |
| Central and East Coast US and UK (standard season) | Business | 57,500 miles |
| West Coast US and UK (standard season) | Business | 67,500 miles |
| West Coast US and UK (peak season) | Business | 77,500 miles |
Example Routes
| West Coast | Central / East Coast |
|---|---|
| Salt Lake City (SLC) <> Amsterdam (AMS) | Atlanta (ATL) <> Barcelona (BCN) |
| Los Angeles (LAX) <> Paris (CDG) | New York (JFK) <> Rome (FCO) |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Virgin Atlantic is a 1:1 transfer partner with Amex MR, Citi TYP, Chase UR, Capital One Miles, and Bilt Rewards.
How To Book
You can book online at virginatlantic.com.
Notes
- Partner Delta availability can be hard to find
- Virgin Atlantic has transfer bonuses often from all point currencies
United Airlines Polaris Business Class Between The US and Australia
Best Booking Program
Award travel between the US and Australia is notoriously difficult so this may be harder to find availability but it’s a great deal.
The best program to book United Airlines Polaris business class is Avianca Lifemiles. You can book through ANA for cheaper but it’s more difficult and has more restrictions so I wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re experienced.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between US West Coast and Australia | Business | 80,000 miles |
Example Routes
| West Coast |
|---|
| Los Angeles (LAX) <> Sydney (SYD) |
| San Francisco (SFO) <> Brisbane (BNE) |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Avianca is a 1:1 transfer partner with Amex MR, Citi TYP, and Capital One Miles.
How To Book
You can book online at lifemiles.com. You can change the language to English using the button with the circular flag in the upper right hand corner.
Notes
- Not good for complex layovers
- Expensive cancellation and change fees
- Lifemiles has frequent transfer bonuses from Amex, Citi, and Capital One
Eva Air Business Class Between The US and Asia
Best Booking Program
This is a more niche redemption but Eva Air has a terrific sweet spot through their own Infinity MileageLands program. You can fly between the US west coast and anywhere in Asia for 75,000 miles in business class. If you’re in central or east coast US, the cost is 80,000 miles which is still a terrific deal.
While it may be more inconvenient adding a layover in Taipei, the good thing is that Eva Air has a fantastic business class experience. Another big benefit is that Eva Air has really good award availability through its own program as compared to partners like United and Air Canada.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between US West Coast and Asia | Business | 75,000 miles |
| Between Central/East Coast US and Asia | Business | 80,000 miles |
Example Routes
| West Coast | Central/East Coast |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles (LAX) <> Singapore (SIN) | Houston (IAH) <> Kuala Lumpur (KUL) |
| San Francisco (SFO) <> Jakarta (CGK) | New York (JFK) <> Bangkok (BKK) |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Eva Air is a 1:1 transfer partner with Citi TYP and a 1:0.75 transfer partner with Capital One Miles
How To Book
You can book online at evaair.com.
Notes
- You can technically book Star Alliance partners through Eva Air too but it’s prone to have issues and not recommended
- The extended award availability is good for getting more than 1 seat on a flight where you can book the first seat through Aeroplan then a second seat through Infinity MileageLands
Emirates Business Class and First Class Between The US and Europe
Best Booking Program
Emirates operates some famous fifth freedom routes involving the US that don’t have crazy high fuel surchages. If the A380 is operated on these routes, it’ll be the easiest and cheapest way to experience Emirates first class with the inflight shower!
The best program to book Emirates Business Class and First Class is through their Skywards Program. You can also book through Air Canada Aeroplan but Aeroplan uses dynamic pricing with Emirates awards and often times will not be cheaper than booking through Skywards.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between Newark and Athens | Business | 87,000 miles |
| Between Newark and Athens | First | 102,000 miles |
| Between New York (JFK) and Milan | Business | 87,000 miles |
| Between New York (JFK) and Milan | First | 102,000 miles |
Example Routes
| East Coast |
|---|
| New York (JFK) <> Milan (AMS) | EK 205/206 |
| Newark (EWR) <> Athens (ATH) | EK 209/210 |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Emirates is a 1:1 transfer partner with Amex MR, Citi TYP, Chase UR, Capital One Miles, and Bilt Rewards.
How To Book
You can book online at emirates.com.
Notes
- Emirates switches off between the A380 and 777-300 on these routes
Air France and KLM Business Class Between The US and Europe
Best Booking Program
The best program to book Air France and KLM Business Class is through their Flying Blue Program. Use the Air France version since it’s more reliable.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Air France Business Class between US and Paris | Business | 50,000 miles |
| KLM Business Class between US and Amsterdam | Business | 50,000 miles |
| Air France/KLM Business between US and Europe | Business | Starting from 55,000 miles |
Example Routes
| West Coast and Central | East Coast |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles (LAX) <> Paris (CDG) | New York (JFK) <> Amsterdam (AMS) |
| San Francisco (SFO) <> Madrid (MAD) | Boston (JFK) <> London (LHR) |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Flying Blue is a 1:1 transfer partner with Amex MR, Citi TYP, Chase UR, Capital One Miles, and Bilt Rewards.
How To Book
You can book online at airfrance.us.
Notes
- Air France/KLM use dynamic pricing so prices can vary based on date and route
- Flying Blue allows free stopovers but you must call in to book
- Award availability is usually pretty good 1 year out and you can find 4+ seats sometimes
- Use the Air France calendar trick to easily search for award space
- Flying Blue often has transfer bonuses from all point currencies
Qatar Airways QSuites To The Maldives or South Africa via Doha
Best Booking Program
The best program to book Qatar Business Class is American Airlines AAdvantage Program.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between US and Doha | Business | 70,000 miles |
| Between US and Maldives with layover in Doha | Business | 75,000 miles |
| Between US and Cape Town with layover in Doha | Business | 75,000 miles |
Example Routes
| West Coast and Central | East Coast |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles (LAX) <> Doha (DOH) | (QR 739/740 & QR 741/742) | New York (JFK) <> Doha (DOH) | (QR 701/702 & QR 704/705 & QR 9000/9001) |
| San Francisco (SFO) <> Doha (DOH) | (QR 737/738) | Chicago (ORD) <> Doha (DOH) | (QR 725/726) |
| Seattle (SEA) <> Doha (DOH) | (QR 719/720) | Atlanta (ATL) <> Doha (DOH) | (QR 755/756) |
| Dallas (DFW) <> Doha (DOH) | (QR 729/730 & QR 731/732) | Boston (BOS) <> Doha (DOH) | (QR 743/744) |
| Washington D.C. (IAD) <> Doha (DOH) | (QR 707/708 & QR 713/714) | |
| Miami (MIA) <> Doha (DOH) | (QR 777/778) |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Unfortunately no credit cards can transfer to American Airlines. The only credit cards that earn AAdvantage miles are Citi AAdvantage cards or the Barclays Aviator cards. There’s also Bask Bank which can earn AAdvantage miles.
How To Book
You can book online at aa.com.
Notes
- American Airlines doesn’t allow free stopovers on award bookings
Star Alliance Business Between US and Asia via ANA
Best Booking Program
The best program to book Star Alliance Flights or partner flights to Asia is through ANA Mileage Club. Although ANA offers amazing redemption rates, the drawbacks of booking through them are that you have to book a round trip and that they have pretty steep fees.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between US and East Asia | Business | 115,000 miles |
| Between US and East Asia | First | 215,000 miles |
| Between US and Southeast Asia | Business | 135,000 miles |
| Between US and Southeast Asia | First | 245,000 miles |
Example Routes
| West Coast and Central | East Coast |
|---|---|
| Eva Air Business From Los Angeles (LAX) <> Taipei (TPE) | (BR 25/26) | Asiana Airlines Business From New York (JFK) <> Seoul (ICN) | OZ 221/222 & OZ 223/224) |
| Singapore Airlines Business From San Francisco (SFO) <> Singapore (SIN) | (SQ 31/32 & SQ 33/34) | ANA Business From Chicago (ORD) <> Tokyo (HND) | NH 111/112 & NH 7006/7009 |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Amex MR is the only credit card program that can transfer to ANA.
How To Book
You can book online at ana.co.jp.
Notes
- ANA requires round trip award bookings
- ANA allows 1 stopover
- Imposes pretty high fees for award tickets on certain partners
- Website is hard to navigate and find availability
Star Alliance Business Between US and Asia via Aeroplan
Best Booking Program
One of the best programs to book Star Alliance Flights or partner flights to Asia is Air Canada Aeroplan. Air Canada has very reasonable fees with most award tickets charging <$100 in fees.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between US and East Asia | Business | 75,000 miles |
| Between US and Southeast Asia | Business | 87,500 miles |
Example Routes
| West Coast | East Coast |
|---|---|
| Eva Air Business From Seattle (SEA) <> Taipei (TPE) | (BR 25/26) | Singapore Airlines Business From New York (JFK) <> Singapore (SIN) | (SQ 23/24) |
| ANA Business From Los Angeles (LAX) <> Tokyo (HND) | (NH 105/106 & NH 7542/7543 & NH 125/126) | Asiana Business From New York (JFK) <> Seoul (ICN) | (OZ 221/222 & OZ 223/224) |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Air Canada Aeroplan is a 1:1 transfer partner with Amex MR, Chase UR, Capital One Miles, and Bilt Rewards.
How To Book
You can book online at aircanada.com.
Notes
- Stopover costs 5,000 miles
- Can combine partners on same itinerary
Turkish Airlines Business Class Between the US and Istanbul
Best Booking Program
The best program to book Turkish Airlines is their own program: Turkish Airlines Miles and Smiles. There are 2 award charts: a promotional award chart (which has the much cheaper rates) and the regular award chart. Flights with promotional award pricing are very hard to find. The majority of flights returned online will show the regular award chart pricing. Turkish Airlines does impose some pretty steep fees that can be more than $200.
Cost
| Route | Cabin | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Between US and Turkey | Business | 65,000* |
**All prices for one way trip
Example Routes
| West Coast | East Coast |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles (LAX) <> Istanbul (IST) | New York (JFK) <> Istanbul (IST) |
Credit Card Transfer Partners
Turkish Airlines is a 1:1 transfer partner with Capital One, Citi, and Bilt.
How To Book
You can book online at turkishairlines.com. If adding a stopover or booking other Star Alliance partners, you must call their office at 1-800-874-8875.
Notes
- Promotional pricing awards are very difficult to find
- Can only book online if the entire itinerary is flown on Turkish Airlines
- Allows free stopover
Conclusion
There are some really incredible value redemptions that can be made with points. In my opinion, these are probably the most popular and most worth it redemptions out there. So the next time you’re lost on how to use your points, consider using your points on one of these amazing awards!
