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We are less than two months from 2015, and what I’m most looking forward to is being able to book one way awards with Delta SkyMiles. The 2015 award chart is already published and no Saver awards are going up in price.

Here are the roundtrip business class prices next year. One ways will be half the price.

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2015 SkyMiles Business Class Award Chart

I have booked myself only one SkyMiles awards in the last three years, and the big reasons is that one way awards are often most convenient for my travel style. In 2015, I expect to book myself several SkyMiles awards, possibly to South America, Europe, Asia, and New Zealand.

Here are the five partners I am most excited to book one way:

1. Virgin Australia to Australia or New Zealand

50k SkyMiles in economy or 80k miles in flat bed Business Class

Virgin Australia has the best Business Class award space to Australia with connections to New Zealand of any airline. It’s not even close.

  • Qantas hardly releases any premium cabin award space to American Airlines
  • Air New Zealand gives United none
  • United and Air Canada release some premium cabin space bookable with United miles, but far less than Virgin Australia

When I’m flying 16 hours, a flat bed is most welcome, and Virgin Australia Business Class features very comfortable flat beds.

Unfortunately for those who don’t read MileValue, and fortunately for those who do, Delta has stopped displaying Virgin Australia award space on delta.com. Now you can search it like this on virginaustralia.com. This only figures to increase the already widely available award space.

Virgin Australia flies to Brisbane and Sydney from Los Angeles. You can connect in Los Angeles with Alaska Airlines or Delta.

I’m eager to fly one way to Australia, so that I can hop around New Zealand and Southeast Asia before coming home. Soon I can get to Australia for 80k Delta miles one way.

  • What are the rest of the top five partners I’m most excited to fly one way?
  • Flights to Asia, Europe, and South America

2. Virgin Atlantic to Europe

30k SkyMiles in economy or 62.5k miles in flat bed Upper Class

How can you argue with a 6’6″ flat bed, an onboard bar, and an airline that oozes cool?

Virgin Atlantic serves the United Kingdom from:

  • Atlanta
  • Boston
  • Chicago
  • Detroit (from June 1, 2015)
  • Las Vegas
  • Los Angeles
  • Miami
  • New York-JFK
  • Newark
  • San Francisco
  • Washington-Dulles

I have my eye on a flight from the United States to Europe in March, and I would love to start the trip in the British Isles. I checked award space from Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington DC to London for the first half of March in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class, and there is great award space.

The space is searchable on delta.com, which I searched via Award Nexus to get an easy to view calendar:

Screen Shot 2014-11-05 at 12.10.00 PM

That’s 6 days with award space from Los Angeles, 5 from Dulles, and 1 from San Francisco in a 20 day period.

I can’t wait to be able to book a one way flight to Europe in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class soon for only 62,500 Delta miles. Then I can hop around the continent for as long as I’d like without having an exit date hanging over my head.

3. AeroMexico to Central/South America

  • 17.5k miles to Mexico or Central America in economy, 30k in Business
  • 22.5k miles to Northern South America in economy, 40k in Business
  • 30k miles to Southern South America in economy, 62.5k in Business

Including seasonal destinations, AeroMexico serves 13 American destinations from Mexico City.

Screen Shot 2014-09-22 at 11.56.12 PM

From Mexico City, you can connect through Mexico, Central America, and South America. The South American destinations:

Screen Shot 2014-11-05 at 12.49.18 PM

Award space is tight on Delta flights to South America, but wide open on AeroMexico flights. AeroMexico space can be booked with Delta SkyMiles and can be searched at airfrance.us.

I might very well use AeroMexico award space to return from South America to the United States in time for March Madness. Soon I will be able to do that for 22.5k or 30k Delta miles depending on where I am in South America in March.

4. China Airlines to Asia

35k SkyMiles in economy or 70k miles in flat bed Business Class

I just wrote a full post on China Airlines’ new 777-300ER. The plane features 40 Business Class seats arranged in a 1-2-1 reverse herribgbone.

Screen Shot 2014-10-26 at 5.08.09 PM

Each of the 78″ beds has direct aisle access.

Screen Shot 2014-10-26 at 5.08.17 PM

The Business Class cabin features a Sky Lounge with a Literary Tea-tasting Area, Fashionable Coffee Area, and a bar.

Screen Shot 2014-10-26 at 5.08.26 PM

Unfortunately there is no way to search for Business Class award space online, but my call to Delta reservations found plenty of award space. (These two facts are probably related.)

Soon, we can use 70,000 SkyMiles to fly a sparkling new product from the United States to anywhere in Northeeast or Southeast Asia. Delta does collect fuel surcharges on China Airlines award flights.

5. Korean Airlines to Sao Paulo

30k SkyMiles in economy or 62.5k miles in flat bed Business Class

This is one of the coolest routes in the world! Korean flies Seoul to Los Angeles to Sao Paulo three times weekly, and you can just fly from the United States to Brazil if you’d like.

Award space on the route is excellent. There was award space every day the flight runs in early April when I checked today. You can search Korean award space on delta.com, which I searched via Award Nexus to produce a calendar.

Screen Shot 2014-11-05 at 11.49.24 AM

Business Class features flat beds (though they certainly don’t look to be exactly parallel to the ground) in a 2-3-2 configuration.

Screen Shot 2014-11-05 at 11.49.12 AM

American also flies Los Angeles to Sao Paulo directly, but good luck finding award space in Business Class on the flight. Soon we can book direct Korean Airlines flight for only 62,500 miles one way in Business Class!

Your Turn

Those are the top five awards I can’t wait to book one way with SkyMiles. What about you? Which partners and routes are you itching to book in two months?


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