If you have a stash of Star Alliance frequent flyer miles, United.com is a great place to start planning your award trip, but it's far from perfect.

I've detailed in the past how United's site will display "phantom" availability. Award space displays as bookable, but when you attempt to reserve the space online you will receive an error message. Then if you try to call in to book the trip--whether with United or another Star Alliance partner's miles to book the trip (e.g.

Early planners are looking to book their summer trips to Europe

Note: This post may have a shorter shelf life due to the impending US Airways merger.

Our Award Booking Service receives numerous requests from clients trying to maximize the value of their miles. These savvy travelers want to fly in the best premium cabins and take advantage of any and all liberal routing rules available.

Luckily, many of our clients have large Dividend Miles balances.

Note: This post may have a shorter shelf life due to the impending US Airways merger.

Our Award Booking Service receives numerous requests from clients trying to maximize the value of their miles. These savvy travelers want to fly in the best premium cabins and take advantage of any and all liberal routing rules available.

Luckily, many of our clients have large Dividend Miles balances.

Cathay Pacific has initiated four-times-weekly flights from Hong Kong to the Maldives with an A330 aircraft with fully flat business class (but no first class.)

The route opens up an exciting ultra-luxury way for Americans to get to the Maldives with a combination of American Airlines miles and British Airways Avios on Cathay Pacific flights.

What's the optimal use of your miles on these flights?

Cathay Pacific is a Hong Kong-based member of the oneworld alliance, which flies to the US with what many people consider to be the world's best

Here's a common problem with an easy solution: two or more people want to take a trip together, but the miles that will be used to book the awards are spread across two or more accounts.

How do you get the companions on the same flights and preferably seated next to each other?

The first--and perhaps most important step--should take place well before you're ready to book the awards.

1. Make sure you are earning compatible miles.

Compatible miles could mean a lot of things.

You can do some cool things with Delta SkyMiles.

Update: United has now instituted a four-flights-per-one-way-rule. That limits you to three 23-hour layovers.

Award flights are now bookable through May 2014 with most of your miles.

The card offer in this post has expired so its links have been removed. Click here for the top current credit card sign up bonuses.

LAN Airlines is putting its Boeing 787 Dreamliner into service between Los Angeles and Lima starting July 1st according to airlineroute.net, and the award space is widely available.

Like all LAN longhaul flights, the plane is configured with two cabins, economy and Premium Business with fully flat beds.