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Repost from February. While the exact award space has changed some, the pattern remains that you want United miles!
It’s already May. Summer starts next month, so now is your last, best chance to plan and execute a perfect summer vacation to Europe for 2015 with miles and points for pennies on the dollar.
Your roundtrip flights can be under $100. You hotels can be free. Everything else will seem like it’s 30% off as the euro sits at $1.13. I’ve been in Europe when it was $1.50!
This blueprint will explain which miles to accrue, why to accrue them, how many you need, and which cards to open now to accrue them. I’ve even got a few tips on free hotel and airbnb stays.
Get United Miles
United and its partners in the Star Alliance have the best award availability to Europe for Summer 2015 by far. Award space in economy to Europe is wide open for 4+ people on the same itinerary this summer. Sample routes:
New York to Frankfurt, June and July, award space for 4 in economy on 54/61 days
Houston to Brussels, July and August, award space for 4 in economy on 55/62 days 
Los Angeles to Paris, June and July, award space for 4 in economy on 34/61 days 
Award space is better from the East Coast because finding the award space within North America during the summer is hard, and flights from the West Coast directly to Europe have terrible award space on almost every airline.
Award space within Europe is excellent, so pretty much no matter where you want to go in Europe should have similar award space.
Business and First Class award space is very limited right now. Usually United’s flights to Brussels from Newark and Washington-Dulles have some of the best premium-cabin award space in its European network. Right now Washington-Dulles to Brussels only has premium-cabin award space for one passenger on 6/61 days in July and August.
Some days do have award space in both Business and First Class.
If you really want to fly a premium cabin, I’d suggest one of two options:
- Book a premium cabin one way. There is sprinkled award space in Business and First Class on various routes. Find space in one direction that you can build on, and then book the other direction in economy since economy space is plentiful with United miles to and from Europe this summer. The age old question is which direction to book in Business Class? If it’s the eastbound, you get better use of the bed. If it’s the westbound, you get more out of the service and experience. There is no right answer.
- Book economy now and look to change one or both directions to a premium cabin in the last few days before departure.
Both United and Lufthansa, the German Star Alliance carrier, are pretty famous for opening last minute award space in Business and First Class.
Check a few weeks before departure to see if space has opened up on your flight and then every day after that. Space can open up as late as the day of your flight.
Unfortunately changing an award within 21 days of departure does cost $75 per ticket, but weirdly, sometimes this fee is forgotten by phone agents and not charged online.
How Many United Miles?
United charges:
- 30,000 miles one way in economy
- 57,500 miles one way in United Business (and for a limited time in partner Business)
- 70,000 miles one way in partner Business Class normally
- 80,000 miles one way in United First
- 110,000 miles one way in partner First
You’ll need at least 60,000 United miles per person for the roundtrip to Europe. United awards do not require a payment of fuel surcharges, but you will be on the hook for government taxes associated with your flights. These vary based on the countries you transit, arrive in, and depart from.
The highest taxes are on roundtrip Business or First Class awards to the United Kingdom (about $300). For most European itineraries, the roundtrip taxes will be in the $50 to $150 range. If the taxes matter a lot to you, play around with awards to different countries on united.com.
Add up the number of miles you need for the passengers and cabins you have in mind.
Do You Really Have Enough Miles?
Transferring United miles between accounts is very expensive, so one account with 45,000 miles and one account with 15,000 miles is very different than a single account with 60,000, which is enough for a roundtrip to Europe.
You can book United awards as one ways, so two accounts with 30,000 miles can be great to book one direction of the trip from each account. Anyone’s United miles can be used to book anyone else a ticket.
Ultimate Rewards can be perfect to top off accounts, but the points can only transfer to your United account or your spouse/domestic partner’s.
When you’re planning how many miles you need and which cards to get, keep these limitations in mind.
What Can You Do On Your Award?
One way United awards can’t have anything fancy. No stopovers, only connections of up to 24 hours.
Roundtrip United awards can have two open jaws at the end points, one stopover, and the destination, plus any connections up to 24 hours.
On a roundtrip award, you can do something like this:
- Home to European city A (stopover)
- European city A to European city B (destination)
- European city C (open jaw) to home
And feel free to throw a few 23 hour connections in there in European cities D and E.
Note the open jaw between cities B and C. This would be filled in with a train or low-cost carrier flight.
Any questions?
Get started now, so you can have your miles in place as soon as possible and your flights booked shortly thereafter. At that point, worry about hotels and lodging if you haven’t already.
You can use your miles to see up to three European cities (plus more on 23 hour connections) on a single roundtrip award.
Award space is wide open, Europe is unusually cheap at the moment, and miles and points can pay for most of your trip. What are you waiting for?
Just getting started in the world of points and miles? The Chase Sapphire Preferred is the best card for you to start with.
With a bonus of 60,000 points after $4,000 spend in the first 3 months, 5x points on travel booked through the Chase Travel Portal and 3x points on restaurants, streaming services, and online groceries (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), this card truly cannot be beat for getting started!
Editorial Disclaimer: The editorial content is not provided or commissioned by the credit card issuers. Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of the credit card issuers, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the credit card issuers.
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I love this post and am going to bookmark and re-read. My goal is to take my family of 5 to Europe summer of 2016. We almost have enough miles (I figure with that many seats, I’ll need to book a year out). I am new to this and only have the USA card, my husband has AA and USAir, so I need to get creative on hotel. My goal is to have 2 weeks hotel, 2 rooms/night, all on points. Doable?? 🙂
As I strongly recommend in this post, United miles are much more likely to find 5x seats to Europe than AA/US miles. United has much better European partners with award space to Europe. AA/US miles great for Asia, South America, Australia in economy.
I love this post and am going to bookmark and re-read. My goal is to take my family of 5 to Europe summer of 2016. We almost have enough miles (I figure with that many seats, I’ll need to book a year out). I am new to this and only have the USA card, my husband has AA and USAir, so I need to get creative on hotel. My goal is to have 2 weeks hotel, 2 rooms/night, all on points. Doable?? 🙂
As I strongly recommend in this post, United miles are much more likely to find 5x seats to Europe than AA/US miles. United has much better European partners with award space to Europe. AA/US miles great for Asia, South America, Australia in economy.
Thanks for the super detailed post! I have ~350k in Chase/United points. We also have a bunch of Starwood points. My girlfriend and I want to visit Copenhagen this July. We would like to fly Business/First from our home airport of Denver. How should I go about finding the best routes and saver awards for Star Alliance or OneWorld Alliance? I want to get the best value from my points and perhaps throw in an open jaw somewhere in Europe.
By searching united.com and aa.com one route at a time until you find space.
Thanks for the super detailed post! I have ~350k in Chase/United points. We also have a bunch of Starwood points. My girlfriend and I want to visit Copenhagen this July. We would like to fly Business/First from our home airport of Denver. How should I go about finding the best routes and saver awards for Star Alliance or OneWorld Alliance? I want to get the best value from my points and perhaps throw in an open jaw somewhere in Europe.
By searching united.com and aa.com one route at a time until you find space.
Thanks Scott! Great article! What about 4 tix from East coast, stopover to anywhere in Europe and final destination manila, then on return, manila to Hawaii stopover for few months then back to East coast. Is it possible to find a RT like that with 300K miles btwn me and husband? Can I do stopover on both directions?
As this post indicates, you get one stopover on a roundtrip award. You can do that as 4 one ways.
Thanks Scott! Great article! What about 4 tix from East coast, stopover to anywhere in Europe and final destination manila, then on return, manila to Hawaii stopover for few months then back to East coast. Is it possible to find a RT like that with 300K miles btwn me and husband? Can I do stopover on both directions?
As this post indicates, you get one stopover on a roundtrip award. You can do that as 4 one ways.
[…] Mile Value had a great post this week for beginners looking to secure a free trip to Europe this summer. […]
[…] Mile Value had a great post this week for beginners looking to secure a free trip to Europe this summer. […]
Wonderful post. So much insight on how these cards work along with the bonus points that come along with them. This entire post was about European summer vacations but would this still be the same for travel to Europe later in the year specifically for travel in October 2015? Also, in your experience how long goes the application process take before your approved and able to receive your card?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Rich
Wonderful post. So much insight on how these cards work along with the bonus points that come along with them. This entire post was about European summer vacations but would this still be the same for travel to Europe later in the year specifically for travel in October 2015? Also, in your experience how long goes the application process take before your approved and able to receive your card?
Looking forward to hearing from you.
Rich
Do you still recommend this for traveling during the fall?
Yes
Do you still recommend this for traveling during the fall?
Yes
[…] There is real value in partner Business Class to Europe and Asia at these prices, which are still higher than American’s prices to Asia and Europe, but are pretty good. Book your summer vacation to Europe now–I already explained how in complete detail. […]
[…] There is real value in partner Business Class to Europe and Asia at these prices, which are still higher than American’s prices to Asia and Europe, but are pretty good. Book your summer vacation to Europe now–I already explained how in complete detail. […]
Thanks for reposting and updating this, I missed it last time on Feb.
For economy to Europe, wouldn’t it be better to use Alaska miles since they match the off peak award pricing of AA and allow a free stopover even on one way?
This is about a trip during the summer. AA off peak dates are October 15 to May 15, so that wouldn’t work for a summer trip. But that’s a great deal from October 15 to May 15.
Thanks for reposting and updating this, I missed it last time on Feb.
For economy to Europe, wouldn’t it be better to use Alaska miles since they match the off peak award pricing of AA and allow a free stopover even on one way?
This is about a trip during the summer. AA off peak dates are October 15 to May 15, so that wouldn’t work for a summer trip. But that’s a great deal from October 15 to May 15.
Hey Scott,
Are you saying that if i make a change to an award online less than 21 days out, I will not be charged the close in ticketing fee?
Hey Scott,
Are you saying that if i make a change to an award online less than 21 days out, I will not be charged the close in ticketing fee?
Thanks for the great tips! I’ve been scouring your site for tips on booking a 10th anniversary trip to Paris. I’m 12 months out and have all the miles I need, but I’m worried that there don’t seem to be many saver seats available on United (I know I’m a month early, I’ve been looking at the most recently released dates.)
Because we’re flying from Denver, I’m wondering if the number of connections (generally Denver to East coast, then East Coast to Paris, or sometimes to Frankfurt and then Paris) to show 2 saver awards on that many legs.
Suggestions for booking? I’m debating just spending the money to book it over the phone. Unfortunately, we have limited flexibility on dates
The phone agent will not be better than you at searching.
1. Search DEN-PAR
2. If nothing comes up, search segment by segment or hire my award booking service.
Segment by Segment: https://milevalu.wpengine.com/how-i-booked-my-friend-an-award-home-when-there-was-no-award-space/
MileValue Award Booking Service: https://milevalu.wpengine.com/award-booking-service/
Thanks for the great tips! I’ve been scouring your site for tips on booking a 10th anniversary trip to Paris. I’m 12 months out and have all the miles I need, but I’m worried that there don’t seem to be many saver seats available on United (I know I’m a month early, I’ve been looking at the most recently released dates.)
Because we’re flying from Denver, I’m wondering if the number of connections (generally Denver to East coast, then East Coast to Paris, or sometimes to Frankfurt and then Paris) to show 2 saver awards on that many legs.
Suggestions for booking? I’m debating just spending the money to book it over the phone. Unfortunately, we have limited flexibility on dates
[…] away the best to Europe. Collect them for your trip there next summer, since you have time. See my Blueprint for a Free European Summer Vacation for the simple […]