Route from the US to Europe via Canada for Better Award Space

There are a ton of Canada-to-Europe Star Alliance routes with better availability in economy and business class this summer than USA-to-Europe routes.

Connections from the US to Canada are easy to find, connecting in Canada generally leads to less flying than connecting in the US, and all airlines I can think of allow a connection in Canada between the US and Europe.

Since direct flight paths from the US to Europe cross Canada, connecting in Canada saves distance compared to connecting in the US.

What are the routes with award space?

Rare TAM First Class Space Now Bookable

One of the most impossible premium cabin awards to find is now bookable!

Star Alliance carrier TAM has released excellent first class award space between its hub in Sao Paulo, Brazil and New York-JFK & Miami. In all my experiences at our Award Booking Service, I've never seen a TAM first class award seat....ever.

Check out the searches below using the ANA tool for two passengers. Both are during peak travel dates to South America: the World Cup this summer and in December when the weather is delectably hot.

How to Request United to Manually Sell Award Seats

Here's how I got United to "manually sell" me award seats for an itinerary. While this technique is not possible in most circumstances, in my case, it turned no award into my dream award!

I was in the midst of constructing a simple roundtrip itinerary from the US to Europe when I ran into some big trouble.

United's online award calendar displayed Austrian award space on the only day I could return to the States.

United No Longer Displays Singapore Award Space. Here’s How to Find It

Per this thread on Flyertalk, United.com no longer displays Singapore Airlines award space. This abrupt announcement might seem like terrible news to award bookers, but it's more of an inconvenience than anything else.

United.com is the easiest way to search for Star Alliance award space. It's far from a perfect booking tool, however.

TACA/Avianca LifeMiles 2 x 1 Sale Means 1.5 Cent Miles

TACA/Avianca LifeMiles are being sold for 1.5 cents until December 30, 2013. The normal price is 3 cents per mile, but LifeMiles is running one of its frequent 2 x 1 sales.

Your LifeMiles account must have already been open on December 3, 2013 to enjoy this promotion.

How to Combine Miles from Many Star Alliance Partner Accounts to Book a Large Family an Award Trip to Europe

United, Lufthansa, US Airways, Air Canada, ANA, Singapore, and TACA/Avianca are all members of the Star Alliance.

With few exceptions, all of their miles can be used with equal access to any Star Alliance carrier's Saver award space.

You cannot transfer one type of miles to another. For instance, you cannot transfer your Lufthansa miles to your United account.

But you can combine the power of your miles by using miles from several different accounts to book awards on the same flight.

United Has Better Access to Air Canada Award Space?

While booking a family of four to Australia through our popular Award Booking Service, I ran into a  vexing problem with Star Alliance award space.

On a certain Air Canada route, Air Canada's own Aeroplan members  had access to more award seats than its Star Alliance partners. That's not a surprising practice on the surface. Air New Zealand never releases transpacific space to Star Alliance partners.

How to Save 70,000 Miles on US Airways Awards to Southeast Asia

By using the principles of free oneways and an incredible sweet spot on the US Airways award chart, you can save up to 70,000 miles on your next US Airways award booking to Asia.

I'm flying Turkish Airlines Business Class on My Next US Airways AwardUS Airways charges ordinarily charges 120k miles roundtrip in business class to India or Thailand and 160k in first.

The Best Business Class Award Space to Asia This Summer

EVA Airlines, a Taiwanese carrier, joined the Star Alliance this week. EVA Airlines flies from Taiwan to six North American cities:

New York
Los Angeles
San Francisco
Seattle
Toronto
Vancouver

And from Taiwan, you can connect all over Asia.

The Best Value Destination for Lie Flat Seats? Peru

The best value destination for people who want to use their miles to travel in flying beds is Peru.

My favorite South American country is the perfect sweet spot of being far enough away for two airlines--LAN and United--to