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If you are new to frequent flyer miles and you have none, but you’ve heard that they are the best way to travel for pennies for all your travel needs, this is the place for you.
This is a blog about using frequent flier miles and other methods to travel for free or extremely cheap, often in first class.
Start by reading Travel for Pennies with Miles
Pretty cool, huh? The main way to earn miles is through credit card sign ups. I offer free consultations about what credit cards you should get to make your travel goals and travel fantasies a reality. Get your free consultation now.
Skill Level: Beginner
Maybe you’ve read a few blog posts or stumbled around FlyerTalk. You want to get it, but you’re not sure how to start. You’re in an enviable position. You are about to learn how to fly practically free all around the world, often in flying beds at the front of the plane.
You should read my beginners’ series, Free First Class Next Month.
The main way to earn miles is through credit card sign ups. I offer free consultations about what credit cards you should get to make your travel goals and travel fantasies a reality. Get your free consultation now.
Check out the MileValue YouTube Page for tutorials on using your miles.
And here are a list of some of my best posts:
Free Oneways on United Awards is my most viewed post of all time. As far as I know, it’s the first post to explain how to add a free oneway to any international award (or award to Hawaii) that uses United miles.
The United-award free oneway is especially awesome because it can be enjoyed even by people who are based at tiny regional airports, and it can go more places than an American Airlines free oneway.
The Five Cardinal Rules of American Airlines Awards
The Five Cardinal Rules… is a must read if you want to take advantage of the well-known but poorly-understood free oneway available on American Airlines awards. In it, you’ll see a link to my first post about free oneways on AA awards that you might also want to click.
I’ve put dozens of posts in the Anatomy of an Award category. They show step-by-step the process of conceiving and booking actual awards I’ve booked for myself or through my Award Booking Service.
How to Exploit the Southwest-AirTran Merger
The details of the award booking are in this Anatomy of an Award post.
How to Book Any PointBreaks Hotel for $35/night
This is the cheapest way to get hotels, and it’s a simple, repeatable trick that is well within the rules of the Priority Club program.
The Cheapest Ways to Get to Hawaii
I was born in Hawaii, and I go back about once a year, so I compiled the cheapest ways to get to Hawaii.
And to know which currencies to focus on collecting, you’ll want to read my one-of-a-kind valuation series on the following currencies:
- US Airways Dividend Miles
- United Mileage Plus
- American Airlines AAdvantage
- British Airways Avios
- Southwest Rapid Rewards
- Delta SkyMiles
In general, no matter your skill level, you should check back daily to keep growing your skills and to be part of a community of people who all want you to fly for free.
I have earned millions of points, primarily though credit cards, to travel the world in first class for pennies. This blog will show you how to earn and redeem points to do the same!
I would like to get to South Africa on Business for 2 in November, could be a week or so before or after, to stay there maybe 3 weeks with a stopover on the way, say in Europe. I have enough AA, Delta and United miles.
I am having a tough time as I don’t want to go through South America (South Africa requires a Yellow Fever vaccination if traveling from there. Not keen on going through Egypt or Qatar on United either.
Can you suggest a route? There are plenty of Economy seats, but all SAA Business Class are always taken (reserved for the lower echelons of their Government, while First Class is for the higher ups). Delta and AA claim 150,000 for a Business Class round trip, United is 120,000. Obviously I would prefer United as it is cheaper but also as I value AA miles higher (20,000 one-way to Europe off peak, lots of availability, etc.) When I called Delta they said they could do it for 400,000 each!! I am about to call the others but with my personal “restrictions” and for my own learning I would prefer to get them online.
Can you give me any suggestions?
btw, I am going from SFO (or somewhere else if that works and I’ll do a one-way add-on!
I’m going to email your paris/mstate email address.
I am almost there: I have found SFO-CLT-MIA-LIS-ACC-JNB in early November, Business Class. But the return is not allowing me to book JNB-ACC-LIS with a stopover for a few days and then LIS-EWR-SFO on Nov 29 – I suspect because there is too long a delay in Lisbon as I should be allowed one stopover. I would arrive in LIS at 4:10 am and want to leave at 12:30 pm, 8 hours later. Is that what is not allowing me to book it? Could I book it if I call United and pay the fee?
Sorry, I got that wrong! I meant SFO-MIA-LIS with a stopover for a few days, then LIS-JNB, all Businees Class. But the return is the problem: JNB-LIS (via ACC) is fine but it arrives in LIS at 04:10 am and then leaves at 12:30 pm to SFO. Is the problem because of the 8 hours in Lisbon?
No, at int’l airports, the layover can be up to 24 hours before changing from a layover to a “stopover.” That means the eight hours in Lisbon is not a problem. Right now the award is: SFO-LIS (stopover), LIS-JNB, JNB-SFO? That is a valid award, and if united.com is giving errors, you should just call and pay the $25.
Is there a way to sign up for credit cards to help you out…love ur blog man!
Hopefully there will be soon, although the content of the site will not radically change, and I’ll still have the best content anywhere on redeeming miles. In addition, I’ll have the best content anywhere on credit cards, valuing each sign up offer in dollars, so it’s easy to compare between several cards.
OK, I thought I understood the logic on United, but it doesn’t seem to work for me:
Nov 04 SFO-ZRH on UA & Swiss
Nov 07 ZRH-JNB on Swiss
Nov 28 JNB-SFO on Swiss & UA
Each segment works by itself but when I try yo put it into a multiple-destination trip it can’t do it.
I thought it would work as long as I have only 1 partner (Swiss in this case).
And I should be able to tack on a one-way to OGG afterwards .. right?
I think I’ll call United.
Thanks for your site – it is a GREAT resource.
Nov 04 SFO-ZRH on UA & Swiss
Nov 07 ZRH-JNB on Swiss
Nov 28 JNB-SFO on Swiss & UA
This ^^ is valid. And for none of what we’re talking about does it matter whether you fly United, a partner, or a combination.
However if you do that itinerary, you cannot tack on a free oneway. A roundtrip award gets 2 openjaws and 1 stopover. You need 1 openjaw and 1 stopover to tack on a free oneway. So if you use your only stopover in Zurich, you cannot tack on a free oneway.
I am a bit slow, but then this should work:
11/04/12: SFO-GVA UA (open jaw)
11/08/12: ZRH-JNB SWISS
11/26/12: JNB-ZRH SWISS (stopover)
11/27/12: ZRH-SFO SWISS (return)
04/17/13: SFO-OGG UA (one way add-on)
But online I can’t even get back to SFO with any combination of dates, stopovers, etc. let alone the one way add-on.
If I do that list in economy with one-way searches only I can do each leg non-stop on those airlines. I just can’t combine them.
This is not a legal routing for a single award. You have two stopovers (GVA/ZRH) and SFO on the return, and you only get one. And you have a mid-award open jaw, flying into GVA then out of ZRH, which you could do at the destination, but not mid-award. The return stopover in ZRH is legal as long is it is less than 24 hours because United considers international layovers of less than 24 hours not to be stopovers.
Here’s how you could correct this:
11/4 SFO-GVA-ZRH-JNB
11/26 JNB-ZRH
11/27 ZRH-SFO (less than 24 hours in ZRH)
4/15 SFO-OGG
To preserve a free oneway, you can’t have a stopover on the main award. If you want a stopover in GVA, you need to jettison the free oneway (and you need to fly out of GVA after the stopover, you can’t fly into GVA and out of ZRH at that point.)
Oh, well, thanks again. It seems it isn’t really possible to get a great deal on a trip to JNB. I think I’ll just take the return ticket with a stopover somewhere.
But I was able to duplicate your free one-way on another route.
British Airways office is closed right now.
If I find an award on alaskaair.com with my Alaska account (SEA to SMF) will I be able to get that on BA? Or do they allow only some seats on a flight even though Alaska has very day available?
Turns out that even though award seats are available on Alaskan Air, BA will not necessarily let you have them with Avios. Irritation.
Just found your site and love it. Trying use my United miles to fly inter island.
How to do and is it a good use of miles. Leo
I don’t think it’s a great use of miles. What’s the cash price of the ticket you want? Have you looked at using Delta or Hawaiian miles if you have them?
Thanks for the mileage value calculator.
You are welcome
Wow, I just found your site recently and it is an incredible resource! I especially appreciate the perspective of an LA based traveller, which I hope to be… once I get travelling.
Keep up the great work, and safe travels.
Thanks! I hope you become a traveler soon too.
looking for united club access. now that i can’t use am ex to gain entry, i was looking for another way to use the lounges. saw a continental pass for sale cheap, can i still use continental in united lounges.
site looks great – i will bookmark and look around
thanks
If the pass hasn’t expired. Try the United Club credit card with the annual fee waived for the first year via this trick: http://millionmilesecrets.com/2012/05/21/united-club-card/
great value on information!
Hi dude
Absolutely cool blog, I just have one thing to say! I wish i lived in America!!!
However being stuck in the UK, I have made use of the Avios BA card from Lloyds and I cannot really find any other ways of getting points from the credit cards…
I know you do not have that issues, but would you happen to know any support for us “poor” people living in the UK?
Kind Regards
Mads
I hope Europe catches up to the USA with respect to miles in the next few years. Right now you do not have the great options we do. I would not recommending earning too many Avios since you’ll be shocked at the surcharges on longhaul redemptions. Earn some Avios for their valuable uses and get a cashback card for the rest of your purchases.
Hi there,
I am in a similar situation as Mads Singers- when I first arrived in the UK I signed up for the BA card as it was the only one that offered rewards. Now I have 2 free companion vouchers (each based on £10k spend, so a bit better than the Chase Visa $30k spend I think), 154k in Avios, but unsure of where the best place to go is to use this voucher, if at all. Can you provide any assistance?
thanks
Sara
If you can stomach paying $2k and 150k Avios for two first class tickets, then you can get good value to most places you might want to go.
Just started reading your blog about a month ago and love the insight and unique content you bring! I think MMS cited you on something re: US Airways and that’s how I found your site. My question to you- I’m looking at a US Airways award flight and either spending 90K in Bus (which is currently available) or 120K in F (will check back in Jul or Aug 2013 for availability):
9/15/13: SFO-LAX-FRA on LH(stopover)
9/25/13: FRA-MUC-NRT on LH(destination)
9/30/13: NRT-LAX-SFO on NH
I know it’s a RTW itinerary. But from some of the comments on past posts and your replies, a possibility they’ll ticket me? If not, any suggestions? Thanks for your insight!
Hello,
I am a friend of Scott Grimmer sister and she referred me. I sent an earlier message but no reply. I was hoping for assistance booking a trip.
May I hear from someone soon? 808-373-3725
Mahalo
I have spent many hours searching for Delta mile runs from atl that are one to two days in length and that are about 5 cpm. My goal is 25,000 miles by April. I believe that I have used every tool out there, but the lowest fares I am finding are about 8 cpm. Any advice?
Have you seen this forum? http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/mileage-run-deals-372/
That’s pretty much my only advice.
Hey, just a quick suggestion to add the “Master Threads” to this page. Would be a good reference I think… Start Here –> Master Threads –> Tons of info!
Good idea!
Awaiting your reply to my request last Saturday
Sterling
I show a reply on February 23. Check your spam.
I have read several of your posts and I find myself in a tizzy. Open jaw, free legs, etc. I have traveled using points before but never trips like you have described. I’m trying to figure out what would be my best bet. I have 110k AA miles, 45k Chase UR, 45K Amex MR. I know it’s a tall order but I am hoping to plan a round-the-world trip. I figured if I planned the long hauls with points (flying business) I could pick up cheap flights like jetstar, ryanair, and airasia. Any advise?
Use the AA miles for two longhauls, UR for one and MR to Avios for short hops. You might be interested in my award booking service –> milevalue.com/award-booking-service
Wife and I want to fly business class from seattle to Amsterdam any day in Sept and return from Paris or London 12 to 14 days later, using Alaska air miles, can you help with these miles?
Had 180,000. air miles with Delta. Booked RT to Venice 07/26 &
Return 08/10 from Barcelona. Air mile chart shows 65,000. For
High season. Delta would only issue using 130,000 miles, double..
Objected by email and direct with agent to no avail. Said this was
Outrageous but did no good. Any other recourse?
Delta has three tiers of miles prices: low, medium, and high. The low price roundtrip in economy is 60k miles. The high is 130k. You must have booked flights that Delta was only offering at the high price.
The real bummer is that roundtrip in business class (flat beds) is only 100k miles on partners. I’m glad you’ve found MileValue.com, so you won’t get suckered in at the high price again. Please subscribe by email in the top left, and use the award booking service in the future to maximize your miles.
(milevalue.com/award-booking-service)
Need assistance as 1st time user for certain sectors to assess costs & availability
I want to travel direct form LAX on 9/19 to Paris France, “stay over/ Lay over ” for three nights , with an evertual distination in Rome, Italy . Fly back to LAX out of Milan Italy to LAX direct on October 5th .
I have approximately 260,000 Starwood / American Express points and want to use them to fly Business class.
Sorry, I forgot to indicate that I ahve flexibilithy in the dsys (plus or minus ) two days so long as the total number out of the country is appriximately the same..
Fill out the form at milevalue.com/award-booking-service , and I’ll get to work
i thought i did ?
Am I missing something ?
I’m planning on a trip to Chang Mai, Thailand, leaving from ORF in early October with “open jaw” for several days in Bangkok, returning about 4 months later. I have both Delta and US Air miles and would like to fly 1st or business. Will have nailed the dates in about two weeks.
Comments?