How to Book a Roundtrip to Europe for 30,000 US Airways Miles

Anyone can book themselves a roundtrip to Europe this winter for 30,000 US Airways miles. Award space is excellent, and you can get the miles you need from opening one credit card and making one purchase on it.

Yesterday, I wrote about the unannounced demise of US Airways off peak awards to South America.

No More US Airways Off Peak Awards to South America

US Airways offers some of the best off peak awards in the world. During select dates each year, you can fly:

Between the United States and Europe for 35,000 miles roundtrip in economy
Between the United States and the Caribbean for 25,000 miles roundtrip in economy and 50,000 in business

Plus, US Airways® Premier World MasterCard® cardholders get an extra 5,000 mile discount on off peak awards, so they can fly to Europe for 30,000 miles roundtrip or the Caribbean for 20,000 miles roundtrip.

The Cheapest Awards within One Region

If you THINK BIG, and take an amazing multi-destination trip, you'll need to book several tickets to hop between destinations.

In the United States, Europe, and Southeast Asia, flights are fairly cheap because of the many competing airlines, including low cost carriers. In other regions, like Africa and South America, short flights can be exorbitantly expensive as a lack of competition drives up prices.

When ticket prices are expensive, that's the time to use miles. I've already laid out the cheapest intra-region bargain awards with American Airlines and United miles.

American Airlines Best Business and First Class on New Route

American Airlines' best Business and First Class are both found on the 777-300ER, its newest international plane.

The 777-300ER features fully flat beds in Business Class and First Class, plus a walk up bar on board for the folks up front.

US Airways 100% Bonus Buy Miles Promotion

From September 2 - 30, 2014 US Airways is offering all Dividend Miles members the chance to purchase miles with up to a 100% bonus. Many past offers have been targeted, but not this one.

During the promotion, you can buy up to 50,000 US Airways miles and get a 100% bonus in miles. That means you can get 100,000 US Airways miles for $1,881 total or 1.88 cents each.

This deal is very common.

Can You Get the Bonus on the US Airways MasterCard Twice?

I get frequent reader emails asking whether you can open a second US Airways® Premier World MasterCard® with 40,000 bonus miles after first purchase and paying the $89 annual fee.

The US Airways® Premier World MasterCard® will disappear in 2015 when American Airlines and US Airways integrate their frequent flyer programs, so people understandably are rushing to get the card or get it again and get the bonus one more time.

US Airways Now Pricing Awards as Sum of One Ways

US Airways is now pricing roundtrip awards as the sum of two one ways.

US Airways, American Airlines, and British Airways Not Sharing All Award Availability

US Airways, American Airlines, and British Airways are all members of the oneworld alliance who should be equally sharing award space on their own flights with their partners.

For the first time, I've found a case where US Airways "Low" (their name for "Saver") price award space is not bookable with American Airlines or British Airways miles.

Either the US Airways space is phantom, or it isn't being shared with American Airlines and British Airways, which would be a huge problem because American Airlines and British Airways awards are often cheaper than US Airways awards.
Refresher on Partners Sharing Space

Can You Get the Annual Fee Waived on Your US Airways Card?

Reader Joanna emailed me to let me know the results of calling Barclaycard:

"My US Airways® Premier World MasterCard® annual fee was due August 29. I called and got 5,000 miles for $1,000 spend over 90 days and annual fee waived for a year."

Barclaycard is really going all out to get people to get this card, keep this card, and use this card, and Joanna's email is another example.

Half Off Purchase of US Airways Miles through 8/22

US Airways is offering a targeted 50% discount on purchasing 60,000 to 100,000 US Airways miles.

With the discount, US Airways miles cost 1.88 cents each.

Who is targeted?
Is this a good deal?
What can you do with US Airways miles?

The sale price of 1.88 cents each is not the price I'd want to pay for US Airways miles most of the time, but it would allow you to book a roundtrip in Business Class to Europe for about $2,000 all in, including taxes and fees.

Or if you buy 100,000 miles for $1