
ANA Mileage Club is one of the best programs to use when booking Star Alliance awards. It has some terrific sweet spots like round trip business class to Asia for 95,000 points! However, one of the biggest negatives about booking through ANA is that certain partners have high fees from them passing on high fuel surcharges.
The interesting thing is that for some partner airlines, certain routes involving different regions may have significantly higher or lower fuel surcharges. For example, Lufthansa has an absurd $2000 fee for routes between Germany and the US! Compare that to the much more manageable $200 fee for Lufthansa flights within Europe.
To account for this, I tried to find flights across different regions for each partner airline to showcase the various fuel surcharges you can expect. When listing out each partner airline, I also added an asterisk (*) next to their name if they have low/high fuel surcharges depending on the route.
However, some airlines and routes just didn’t have any award availability and I wasn’t able to confirm what their fees would have looked like. Despite this, I’m pretty proud to say that of the 64 flights I listed here, I managed to find business class availability for 58 of them!
One last disclaimer is that the example routes I chose were used to generalize the fuel surcharge fee for flights to that region. For example, for the Thai Airways flight between Bangkok and Copenhagen, I just assumed based on this single route that all flights between Thailand and Europe will have similar fuel surcharges. It is definitely possible that certain routes not listed here may have higher or lower fuel surcharges for that particular region. These are just generalizations I made off of a few sample routes.
With all that said, let’s get into which partners do and don’t pass on these fees.
Which ANA Partners Do Not Have High Fuel Surcharges
I placed airlines and routes in this group if they had fees of less than $500 for a round trip itinerary. The highlighted airlines with an asterisk have routes with cheap fuel surcharges but also have certain routes with high fuel surcharges.
These are the ANA partners that do not have high fuel surcharges on award tickets:
- Aegean Airlines (A3)
- Air New Zealand (NZ)
- Avianca (AV)
- Copa Airlines (CM)
- Ethiopian Airlines (ET)
- EVA Air (BR)
- LOT Polish Airlines (LO)
- Scandinavian Airlines SAS (SK)
- Singapore Airlines (SQ)
- United Airlines (UA)
- Air Dolomiti (EN)
- TAP Air Portugal (TP)
- Garuda Indonesia (GA)
- Turkish Airlines (TK)
- Air China (CA)
- Olympic Airlines (OA)
- Virgin Australia (VA)
- Air Canada (AC)*
- Asiana Airlines (OZ)*
- Austrian Airlines (OS)*
- Brussels Airlines (SN)*
- Lufthansa (LH)*
- Shenzhen Airlines (ZH)*
- Thai Airways (TG)*
- Swiss Air (LX)*
- South African Airways (SA)*
Aegean Airlines
Aegean is the main carrier of Greece and serves numerous European and Middle Eastern countries. Aegean seems to have very cheap fees across all of its routes. Even an itinerary involving London Heathrow had less than $150 in fees.
A round trip between Athens (ATH) and Madrid (MAD) only has $75.80 in fees.

A round trip between Athens (ATH) and London (LHR) only has $120.40 in fees.

A round trip between Athens (ATH) and Dubai (DXB) only has $93.60 in fees.

Air New Zealand
Air New Zealand is the main carrier of New Zealand and has routes across the US, Australia, and Asia. Air New Zealand also has very cheap fees on their routes involving the US and Australia.
A round trip between Auckland (AKL) and Houston (IAH) only has $90.40 in fees.

A round trip between Brisbane (BNE) and Auckland (AKL) only has $150.30 in fees.

Avianca
Avianca is the main airline of Colombia and has routes to the US, Europe, and other parts of South America. Avianca also has very cheap fees when flying to any of their destinations.
A round trip between New York (JFK) and Bogota (BOG) only has $85.40 in fees.

A round trip between Bogota (BOG) and Madrid (MAD) only has $103.70 in fees.

A round trip between Bogota (BOG) and Buenos Aires (EZE) only has $154.10 in fees.

Copa Airlines
Copa Airlines is the main carrier of Panama and has routes to Mexico, the US, and South America. The routes to the US and South America from Panama City have cheap fees.
A round trip between Atlanta (ATL) and Panama City (PTY) only has $158.30 in fees.

A round trip between Panama City (PTY) and Santiago (SCL) only has $118.00 in fees.

Ethiopian Airlines
Ethiopian Airlines is the main carrier of Ethiopia and has a large route network serving the US, Asia, Africa, South America, and Europe. The fees are very cheap (<$100) for the Europe and intra-Africa routes. However, the fees are manageable but not as cheap for routes involving the US.
A round trip between New York (JFK) and Abidjan (ABJ) only has $186.32 in fees.

A round trip between Addis Ababa (ADD) and Rome (FCO) only had $95.80 in fees.

A round trip between Addis Ababa (ADD) and Cape Town (CPT) only has $82.20 in fees.

EVA Air
Eva Air is based out of Taipei and has a very large route network. The intra Asia routes have very cheap fees while the US and Europe routes have higher but still manageable fees.
A round trip between Taipei (TPE) and Los Angeles (LAX) only has $187.70 in fees.

A round trip between Taipei (TPE) and Paris (CDG) has $269.10 in fees.

A round trip between Taipei (TPE) and Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) only has $77.90 in fees.

LOT Polish Airlines
LOT is the main airline of Poland and mainly flies within Europe but has some routes involving the US and Asia. The fees for LOT flights within Europe are cheap while the fees for US routes are manageable.
A round trip between Chicago (ORD) and Warsaw (WAW) only has $209.60 in fees.

A round trip between Warsaw (WAW) and Madrid (MAD) only has $71.60 in fees.

Scandinavian Airlines
Scandinavian Airlines, or SAS, is the main carrier of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It primarily flies within Europe but also serves the US and Asia. The fees across their routes are extremely cheap at less than $100 round trip.
A round trip between Chicago (ORD) and Copenhagen (CPH) only has $55.40 in fees.

A round trip between Copenhagen (CPH) and Rome (FCO) only has $65.20 in fees.

Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines is the main carrier of Singapore and flies all over the world. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find any long haul award availability to Europe or the US. However, they have very cheap fees for their intra Asia flights.
A round trip between Manila (MNL) and Singapore (SIN) only has $55.90 in fees.

United Airlines
United is one of the main carriers of the US and has an extensive route network across the world. For the flights to Europe, Australia, South America, and within the US, the fees are very cheap. The Asia flights will have fees on the more expensive side.
A round trip between Washington D.C. (IAD) and Zurich (ZRH) only has $63.70 in fees.

A round trip between New York (EWR) and Sao Paulo (GRU) only has $34.30 in fees.

A round trip between Orlando (MCO) and Chicago (ORD) only has $11.20 in fees.

A round trip between San Francisco (SFO) and Sydney (SYD) only has $103.00 in fees.

A round trip between San Francisco (SFO) and Singapore (SIN) has $413.90 in fees.

Air Dolomiti
Air Dolomiti is a regional Italian airline that flies within Europe. They have manageable fees of around $200 for their flights.
A round trip between Frankfurt (FRA) and Geneva (GVA) has $202.20 in fees.

TAP Air Portugal
TAP is the main airline of Portugal and flies to the US, Africa, South America, and within Europe. TAP has very cheap fees for flights across their network.
A round trip between Miami (MIA) and Lisbon (LIS) only has $61.80 in fees.

A round trip between Amsterdam (AMS) and Lisbon (LIS) only has $91.80 in fees.

Garuda Indonesia
Garuda Indonesia is the main carrier of Indonesia and flies to the Middle East, Amsterdam, Asia, and Australia. The intra Asia routes have manageable fees while the routes to Australia and Amsterdam have a higher fee.
A round trip between Singapore (SIN) and Jakarta (CGK) only has $133.00 in fees.

A round trip between Jakarta (CDK) and Sydney (SYD) has $280.50 in fees.

A round trip between Jakarta (CDK) and Amsterdam (AMS) has $486.30 in fees.

Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is the main carrier of Turkey and flies all over the world. The fees for their US routes and Africa routes are on the higher side but their European routes have manageable fees.
A round trip between Chicago (ORD) and Istanbul (IST) has $472.50 in fees.

A round trip between Istanbul (IST) and Madrid (MAD) only has $174.60 in fees.

A round trip between Istanbul (IST) and Marrakesh (RAK) has $270.40 in fees.

Air China
Air China is an airline based out of Beijing and has an extensive route network involving the US, Australia, Europe, and intra Asia. The fees on the US and intra China routes are extremely cheap at less than $50 round trip! However, the European routes have much higher fees.
A round trip between Beijing (PEK) and Washington D.C. (IAD) only has $36.00 in fees.

A round trip between Beijing (PEK) and Chongqing (CKG) only has $33.60 in fees.

A round trip between Beijing (PEK) and Munich (MUC) has $458.90 in fees.

Olympic Airlines
Olympic Airlines is a Greek carrier with a limited route network that flies within Greece. The fees on their flights are very cheap at less than $100 round trip.
A round trip between Athens (ATH) and Zakinthos (ZTH) only has $62.10 in fees.

A round trip between Athens (ATH) and Skiathos (JSI) only has $62.30 in fees.

Virgin Australia
Virgin Australia is an Australian based airline that mainly serves the Oceania region. The fees on their intra Australia routes are very cheap at less than $50 round trip.
A round trip between Sydney (SYD) and Cairns (CNS) only has $40.80 in fees.

Air Canada *
Air Canada is the main carrier of Canada and has a large worldwide network. Air Canada flights that involve the US and Europe have cheap fees.
A round trip between Montreal (YUL) and Dallas (DFW) only has $108.88 in fees.

A round trip between Toronto (YYZ) and Paris (CDG) only has $173.49 in fees.

Asiana Airlines*
Asiana is a South Korean airline that flies to the US, Europe, and other Asian countries. Asiana has manageable fees on their Europe flights and cheap fees for their intra Asia flights.
A round trip between Seoul (ICN) and Rome (FCO) only has $244.70 in fees.

A round trip between Seoul (ICN) and Sapporo (CTS) only has $94.80 in fees.

Austrian Airlines *
Austrian Airlines is based out of Austria and mainly flies within Europe but still has routes to the US and Asia. Austrian Airlines has manageable fees for their intra Europe flights.
A round trip between Rome (FCO) and Vienna (VIE) only has $185.20 in fees.

Brussels Airlines *
Brussels Airlines is the main carrier of Belgium that mainly flies within Europe but has some flights to the US and Africa. The fees on intra Europe flights and flights to the Middle East are manageable.
A round trip between Brussels (BRU) and Barcelona (BCN) only has $162.80 in fees.

A round trip between Brussels (BRU) and Tel Aviv (TLV) only has $221.25 in fees.

Lufthansa *
Lufthansa is the main airline in Germany and serves every major continent except Australia. The fees on Lufthansa flights intra Europe are manageable.
A round trip between Frankfurt (FRA) and Paris (CDG) only has $216.40 in fees.

Shenzhen Airlines *
Shenzhen Airlines is an airline based out of Shenzhen that primarily serves Asia but has a few flights to Europe. The intra Asia flights have cheap fees.
A round trip between Nanjing (NKG) and Shenzhen (SZX) only has $33.60 in fees.

A round trip between Shenzhen (SZX) and Osaka (KIX) only has $126.40 in fees.

Thai Airways *
Thai Airways is the main airline of Thailand and has routes that involve Europe, Australia, and Asia. The fuel surcharges on the intra Asia flights and flights to Australia are cheap.
A round trip between Sydney (SYD) and Bangkok (BKK) only has $112.00 in fees.

A round trip between Manila (MNL) and Bangkok (BKK) only has $42.20 in fees.

Swiss Air *
Swiss Air is the main carrier of Switzerland and has a wide network of flights to the US, Asia, Africa, South America, and within Europe. The fees on Swiss flights within Europe are manageable.
A round trip between Zurich (ZRH) and Rome (FCO) only has $183.90 in fees.

South African Airways *
South African Airways is the main carrier of South Africa and mainly flies within Africa with limited flights to Australia and South America. The intra Africa flights have fees that are on the higher end.
A round trip between Johannesburg (JNB) and Harare (HRE) has $413.90 in fees.

Which ANA Partners Have High Fuel Surcharges
These partners will pass on high fuel surcharge fees and have total fees of more than $500 for a round trip itinerary. All of these airlines on this list have an asterisk because they also have routes that have cheaper fees.
Note that a lot of the routes on this list unfortunately involve the US. For these flights, you will be better off booking them through a different partner like Air Canada Aeroplan for cheaper fees.
These are the ANA partners that have high fuel surcharges on award tickets:
- Air Canada (AC)*
- Asiana Airlines (OZ)*
- Austrian Airlines (OS)*
- Brussels Airlines (SN)*
- Lufthansa (LH)*
- Shenzhen Airlines (ZH)*
- Thai Airways (TG)*
- Swiss Air (LX)*
- South African Airways (SA)*
Air Canada *
Air Canada’s flights to Asia will have very high fees.
A round trip between Toronto (YYZ) and Tokyo (HND) has $633.59 in fees.

Asiana Airlines *
Asiana flights between the US and Korea will have high fees.
A round trip between Seattle (SEA) and Seoul (ICN) has $600.60 in fees.

Austrian Airlines *
Austrian Airlines flights between the US and Austria will have high fees.
A round trip between Vienna (VIE) and New York (JFK) has $655.40 in fees.

Brussels Airlines *
Brussels Airlines flights between the US and Brussels will have insane fees.
A round trip between New York (JFK) and Brussels (BRU) has $2,020.30 in fees.

Lufthansa *
Lufthansa flights between the US and Germany will have insane fees. There will also be high fees for flights between South Asia and Germany.
A round trip between New York (JFK) and Frankfurt (FRA) has $2,093.80 in fees.

A round trip between Mumbai (BOM) and Frankfurt (FRA) has $647.85 in fees.

Shenzhen Airlines *
Shenzhen Airlines flights on the Shenzhen-Barcelona route will have high fees.
A round trip between Shenzhen (SZX) and Barcelona (BCN) has $509.60 in fees.

Thai Airways *
Thai Airways flights between Europe and Thailand will have high fees.
A round trip between Copenhagen (CPH) and Bangkok (BKK) has $544.40 in fees.

South African Airways *
South African Airways flights between South Africa and South America will have high fees.
A round trip between Johannesburg (JNB) and Sao Paulo (GRU) has $551.80 in fees.

Swiss Air *
Swiss Air flights between the US and Switzerland will have insane fees. Flights between Switzerland and Asia will also have high fees.
A round trip between Boston (BOS) and Zurich (ZRH) has $2,018,10 in fees.

A round trip between Zurich (ZRH) and Tokyo (NRT) has $723.10 in fees.

Undetermined
For these partners, I couldn’t find any award availability on ANA so I’m not sure what their fees look like when booking through ANA.
- Air India (AI)
- Croatia Airlines (OU)
- Egypt Air (MS)
- Air Macau (NX)
- Etihad Airways (EY)
- Eurowings (EW)
- Philippine Airlines (PR)
- Virgin Atlantic (VS)
- Vietnam Airlines (VN)
For a lot of these airlines, I was able to find partner availability on Air Canada and Turkish Airlines. It’s weird that ANA can’t see that same award space even though they should be able to. This seems to be a documented issue at least in the case of Air India.
Conclusion
ANA is still a great program to use if you can find the right partner airlines and routes that don’t have high fuel surcharges. For those based in the US, the best ANA partners to fly to/from the US with low fees are United, TAP, SAS, Air New Zealand, Eva Air, Air Canada, and LOT. If your desired route has high fees, you can always book through another program like Air Canada Aeroplan which doesn’t pass on fuel surcharges.
Let me know what your favorite low fee route to book on ANA is!