Last week I used 27,500 Asiana miles + $38.30 to book myself a Business Class award from Honolulu to Bogota that I'll fly next month.

This is a steal of a deal because United would have charged 45,000 miles for the same ticket.

While I am ticketed, one of my two legs is in economy, so I have set an automatic alert to let me know if Business Class space opens on the leg on which I'm currently ticketed in economy.

Why use Asiana miles?
How to get Asiana miles and transfer time
Route planning
Award Search
Award

Last week I used 27,500 Asiana miles + $38.30 to book myself a Business Class award from Honolulu to Bogota that I'll fly next month.

This is a steal of a deal because United would have charged 45,000 miles for the same ticket.

While I am ticketed, one of my two legs is in economy, so I have set an automatic alert to let me know if Business Class space opens on the leg on which I'm currently ticketed in economy.

Why use Asiana miles?
How to get Asiana miles and transfer time
Route planning
Award Search
Award

United is offering tons of Business Class award space for the next 11 months on its flights to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Santiago, Chile.

Both routes will soon be flown by United's brand new 787-9 Dreamliners with flat beds in Business Class. You can book either route for as little as 35,000 miles one way.
United 787-9 Dreamliner
The United 787-9 Dreamliner has 48 beds in Business class in a 2-2-2 configuration. I would choose a middle seat, since both have direct aisle access.

United is offering tons of Business Class award space for the next 11 months on its flights to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and Santiago, Chile.

Both routes will soon be flown by United's brand new 787-9 Dreamliners with flat beds in Business Class. You can book either route for as little as 35,000 miles one way.
United 787-9 Dreamliner
The United 787-9 Dreamliner has 48 beds in Business class in a 2-2-2 configuration. I would choose a middle seat, since both have direct aisle access.

Here is just how easy and how essential it is to search for awards segment-by-segment.

My friend is visiting me in Belgrade, Serbia and wants to fly home to Los Angeles next week, so we were searching for an award for him with United miles, which are definitely the best miles between the United States and Europe.

Unfortunately the only awards available are in Business Class, and he has more time than money or miles.

I'd personally fly this award in flat bed Business Class for 57,500 United miles + $78.

You can use Avianca LifeMiles to book domestic First Class or Business Class on United for about $400 one way, including United's fully flat beds on its routes from Los Angeles and San Francisco to New York. (Currently these flights go to JFK.

This is a repost from 2013 because this benefit is still available and still under-publicized.

Elite members of United's MileagePlus frequent flyer program get access to extra Saver award seats in economy class. (Platinum and higher members also get extra business and first class seat availability.)

While helping my friend who has no United status book an award with United miles, I saw that extra economy class award seats popped up when she signed into her account. That confused me, since she has no United status.

Out & Out notices that some United awards are pricing cheaper than they should on united.com. It seems a glitch is causing domestic awards to allow free or cheap one ways.

For instance, look at this roundtrip from Los Angeles to Newark (by the way, this new flat bed service STILL has amazing award availability) with a one way from Los Angeles to Houston two months later.

This should price at 75,000 miles because all legs are in Saver First Class, which is 25,000 miles one way for a domestic award.

Update: United flights have resumed.

All United flights are currently grounded for "automation issues" apparently related to a computer system malfunction. The same thing happened June 2, 2015.

If you are flying United today, check your flight status and call foreign call centers (via Google Voice) to make changes.

UK contact number: +44 0845-607-6760
Australia contact number: +61 131-777
India contact number: +91-124-4315500

Good luck out there.

Update 6/28/15 at 9:50 PM ET:

United now lists 757s as operating all flights between Newark and Los Angeles/San Francisco from October 25 on.

And yet, space is still amazing.