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Do you still want to go to Europe this summer? You're not alone. That's the most popular request the MileValue Award Booking Service is getting at the moment.

While it's much easier to plan an award for summer 2014 to Europe--let's book 11 months in advance!--summer 2013 is still possible.

Do you want to know my secret weapon route?

American Airlines flies six nonstops daily from Chicago-O'Hare to London-Heathrow.

It's May 21, and you just realized you want to go to Europe this summer. You're not alone--that's probably the most common request my Award Booking Service is getting right now.

The good news is that finding award space to Europe this summer is still possible, especially if you are flexible.

Which routes have space? Which airlines will open up more award space?

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The next best time is now. ~Chinese Proverb

The best time to book an award to Europe for the summer was last fall.

The four legacy carriers--United, Delta, US Airways, and American--all allow stopovers on award tickets (though stopover rules vary greatly.) Adding a stopover en route is a great way to add another city to your trip and get extra value from your award.

Usually adding a stopover increases the complexity of an award, but sometimes it makes your life easier. Sometimes adding a stopover is the best way to increase your award booking options.

I'll give an example of how taking a stopover can save 27,500 US Airways miles when booking an off peak award to Europe.

A few weeks ago, I shared my thoughts on The Coolest Thing You Can Do with 57.5k United Miles and 10k Avios, which arose from daydreaming about booking myself more award trips.

The last few days I've worked myself into a frenzy planning an incredible-value American Airlines Explorer Award around the world in business class for 130k American Airlines miles and the most opulent Explorer Award possible for 280k miles.

American Airlines Explorer Awards have a distance-based award chart that uses American Airlines miles to fly two or more of American's oneworld partners.

Disclaimer: I use the word "upgrade" a few times in the post. I am not referring to buying a cash ticket in economy and trying to use miles or cash to get it into business class. I am referring to using miles to change an award from economy to business. The first type of upgrade is almost universally a bad deal. The second type is a fine deal.

United has a litany of award fees. Booking by phone is $25. Cancelling is $150.

The Miles & More® Premier World MasterCard® comes with 20,000 bonus Lufthansa Miles & More miles after first purchase.

The card comes with an annual companion ticket for paid economy class tickets on Miles & More airlines.

The card earns 2 miles per dollar on ticket purchases made directly from Miles & More integrated airlines and 1 mile per dollar on all other purchases.

Miles &

I recently had a reader ask me about the best miles to collect to get from Salt Lake City to Cozumel, Mexico. The answer illustrates the best ways to get to the Caribbean and Mexico, so I thought I'd share and expand upon it here.

Near international destinations like Cozumel can be an excellent deal on region-based award charts like those used by American, United, US Airways, and Delta.

United, US Airways, American, and Delta among others rely on award charts to determine the price of your award.

Airline phone agents have probably hung up on me a dozen times in my life. The story is usually pretty similar.

I call in with an award request that is complex. The computer prices it incorrectly according to published rules. I ask for clarification on the rule that is causing my award to misprice.

The agent makes up a rule. I point out that rule doesn't exist. I speak to a supervisor. The supervisor makes up a rule. I point out the rule doesn't exist.

At this point, the supervisor might go to the airline's internal experts on awards.

There are a lot of reasons to use an Award Booking Service, like the MileValue Award Booking Service. One great reason is because you have miles in several accounts and want to use the most efficient type for the trip you have in mind. Different miles have different best uses.

Recently I was contacted by a friend who had mid-six-figure account balances in his American, United, and Delta accounts. He wanted a simple open jaw trip to Europe in economy class. From Washington-Dulles to Nice and returning from London to Dulles.

Below is the email I sent to him.