All Nippon Airways (ANA)--a Japanese Star Alliance carrier--launches a new route between Tokyo-Haneda and Vancouver from March 30, 2014.

Saver award space is excellent on the route in economy and business class. You can book the space this week--by January 31, 2014--with United miles at pre-devaluation rates.

There is:

widely available
underpriced
economy award space
for two passengers
for all of 2014
to Australia
with the opportunity to stop in Hawaii for a few days in either direction.

If you have 75,000 American Airlines miles and about $100, you can fly a roundtrip award from the United States to Australia on almost any day you want this year.

Don't believe the award calendar on united.com!

The calendar should show you for an entire month whether any given day has Saver award space in economy, in a premium cabin, or in both. But the calendar is currently showing no Saver award space on days where there is Saver award space.

Don't believe the calendar. Some of those white days do have award space.

This is very inconvenient for award bookers.

Yesterday I posted "Not April Fools: Delta Has the Best Award Space to Asia I’ve Ever Seen."

I showed screen shots of how incredibly available--every day for months--Saver award space was on Delta flights from the west coast to Asia.

Buried in Delta's major award chart devaluation last year was a second piece of bad news: Delta awards could no longer be put on hold under any circumstances.

But there had to be a way, I thought.

United announced a massive devaluation of its miles on October 31, 2013 to take effect for awards booked February 1, 2014 or later.

Miles make keeping a New Year's resolution related to travel very easy. The key is to come up with a strategy that you execute almost automatically and to start today.

If you come up with the right plan, then in a few months, you can take a dream vacation anywhere in the world at a price you can afford.

Set the right goal. What does the purpose of frequent flyer miles say about when and where you should use them to go?
Identify the right miles and get the right rewards card.

With Christmas tomorrow, I'll get on my soapbox for a second: Give experiences not things.

Having lived happily for much of 2013 with very few things--two carry on sized bags full to be exact--I can confirm what many more have said before me: things don't bring happiness.

If you're celebrating Christmas, what should you give your loved ones tomorrow?

Last second award availability is routinely fantastic on United flights and on certain Star Alliance partner flights. Use your United miles (or any other Star Alliance miles) to book a last minute trip right now to anywhere in the world for Christmas or New Year's!
Australia
You could be in Sydney Harbour for the fireworks. United flies daily from Los Angeles and San Francisco. Both routes have Saver award space this week in economy, business, and first classes for two passengers.

In Part 1, I shared my experiences at the 2012 Euro Cup and how they informed my plan for the World Cup. I also discussed the flight and hotel awards I booked for myself.