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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 next best time is now. There is currently some award space available to Europe. And more will be opened up every day going forward.
The best miles to get to Europe are United miles because the Star Alliance has the most European partners, and the Star Alliance airlines open the most award space to Europe. The next best type of miles are any other type of Star Alliance miles like US Airways, TACA, or Lufthansa miles.
Here’s the state of a few Star Alliance routes’ award space for this summer, followed by some general observations and tips.
Newark to London
United has five daily Newark to London flights. Award space is wide open this summer in economy class on the route, with a few business class beds sprinkled in. Yellow shaded dates have economy award space on at least one flight. Green means economy and business/first class space.
There are four days in the next week and a half with some premium cabin space, then only three more over the next three months. That means some award space is being opened up at the last second. Snap up what little bed space there is left, or take your pick of the litter for economy space.
Connecting to Newark is easy, since it’s a United hub and United has great domestic award space. Connecting from London is a bit tougher. London is not a Star Alliance hub. All European Star Alliance partners fly to London, though, so you can get almost anywhere in Europe in two segments from London.
Chicago to Frankfurt
Chicago to Frankfurt is served both by United and by partner Lufthansa. Here’s the award outlook.
The calendar is somewhat similar to Newark to London, but with a few improvements. For one, there is a lot more premium award space in the next two weeks. Some of that is Lufthansa First Class.
There is also quite a bit more premium space in the second half of the summer.
Connecting to Chicago is easy, since it’s a United hub. Connecting from Frankfurt is also easy, since it is a Lufthansa hub. That means, flying this route, you should be able to get from most of America to most of Europe in only three segments.
If you have a choice between Lufthansa business class and United business class on this route, I would choose United because it is fully flat. Lufthansa business class is angled lie flat.
Washington-Dulles to Paris
This route is served by United, but has a much lower frequency than the other two routes. This may explain the relative dearth of award space.
There isn’t any premium-cabin space, there is very little economy-cabin space, and there is no pronounced tendency to open last-second award space.
Of course, there’s no reason a person in DC can’t get to Paris in a premium cabin. There’s just no space on the direct flight. A connection opens up space.
Observations and Tips
- There is more award space from Newark and Chicago than Dulles and the West Coast.
- As usual, search the transatlantic space first. You can piece together the intra-European space and domestic space more easily. If necessary, consider buying a cheap segment in the US or Europe on a low-cost carrier to pair with the transatlantic award space you find.
- United and Lufthansa are opening award space in the last few weeks on many routes. They open more award space in premium cabins than in economy.
- At this point, the only award seats being offered are seats the airlines don’t expect to sell. Those include less popular routes and times. How about the day time flight from Newark to London?
- If you whiff on summer 2013 Europe space, how about summer 2014 in South America or Australia, during our winter?
- Plan your summer 2014 trip to Europe 11 months out if you know where you want to go.
- Hire an award booking service if you don’t have the knowledge or time to handle the award booking process yourself. I recommend these guys.
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Why is FRA-ORD so unavailable during the summer while the outbound is wide open? How would you suggest we get back?
May and June are wide open. For the other months, use a different route.
Would you suggest buying Avianca Life Miles for this?
Plug the data for the trip you have in mind into the Mile Value Calculator. If the value of the miles is worth more than the cost of the miles, then yes. https://milevalu.wpengine.com/milevalue-mile-value-calculator/
Trying to find a return from PSA to NYC on July 26. My options seem to be Air France business PSA -> CDG -> BOS for 50k Membership Rewards and ~$400 in fees, and then book a 4-hour train to NY; or Ryan Air PSA -> MAD for $75 and then Iberia coach to JFK for 30k Avios and ~$110.
Think it’s worth the premium cost and travel time for the AF flight?
If it’s a day flight suck it up and do Iberia coach. AF business is not that great.
If you have any AA miles, you can do Iberia as well, but adding a one-way from JFK to anywhere during off-peak period would reduce cost to 20K AA miles.
Thanks for your thoughts. Interesting idea on the use of AA miles, which I do have. However, I think this won’t work for the return leg since my initial travel date would be during peak season. From Milevalue’s post about the 20k off-peak flights to Europe: “Unfortunately, there is no way to game the return like this since AA fixes a trip’s date by the date of the first leg and the return’s first leg will be the Europe leg.”
Do you happen to have another trick in mind?
Nevermind! I wasn’t aware that the first leg determines the discount for AA. Thought either one can be during off peak period.
Have you looked into Alitalia on FCO-JFK route? AZ new business class on the route is excellent, both soft and hard product.
Also, I see that Delta has plenty of low-level availability for BOS-NYC on Jul 26th. Alternatively, you can pay 4500 Avios for AA flight.
I did search FCO-JFK on airfrance.us and no AZ flights showed availability direct to JFK. There were several options on AZ/AF through CDG to JFK on the 23rd-25th, but I’d really rather not cut the trip a day short and leave before the 26th.
I also noticed that Delta Shuttle availability from BOS early in the day, but the latest one with award availability was at 2:45 pm and the AF flight would land at 3 pm. So close yet so far.
Fantastic call trying Avios for the last leg, don’t know why I didn’t think of that, much better option than Amtrak or bus, especially on a Friday into NYC. Unfortunately no SAAver level availability. Frustrating. PLUS Amtrak won’t let me redeem on the Acela until after 6 pm, so long wait in Boston. Could spend another $100 on a flight I guess.
Guess I’m leaning towards the Iberia coach flight, don’t want to wait too long before pulling the trigger. I called AA about this and they actually don’t see the availability, which I think has to do with it being “Economy” availability on Iberia.com, rather than their lower “Blue” level. So no free one-way to LAX for that September wedding, or random HNL trip…
Thanks for the help and the ideas, much appreciated, I’m all ears for any others.
FRA-JFK route on SQ Y using Virgin America miles? Don’t remember how to look it up.
MXP-JFK on Etihad? 🙂
Hmm, nothing available for redemption on that SQ flight, at least through a search of ANA which I assume includes Virgin redemptions. MXP and JFK don’t come up in the dropdown menus on the Etihad website as a redeemable city pair, in either direction. Don’t see that flight on Hipmunk that day either…
At those prices, I would do Iberia coach. I don’t hear great things about Air France biz.
Hi! Is there any way to use miles to fly to Guyana from NYC? I would like to gift a trip to someone.
Thanks,
S
No. Guyana is not served by any major airlines whose miles you might have. The gift would need to be to somewhere else with a cash flight to/from Guyana.
Yeah, I did this search two days ago. There is very little availability on the return legs.
Hi! Where did you search?
I used the UAL website and tried every gateway coming back from London, even the obscure ones in canada. Nothing that works in July. (Okay, there was ONE flight available at 7AM to ORD on one day, but c’mon)
I feel the post is telling less than half the story. You do have to get back, once you get there!
Disclaimer: I was checking coach only.
In general what city in Europe has the least amount of charges to fly out of to the US on United?
esther, that is no way to decide where to travel ! If you want to save money on the charges, but you dont care where you go (as long as they speak “european”), try Montreal!
Esther – try Zurich.
Thanks, KennyB.
UK is the worst. France and Germany are pretty bad. Everywhere else is about equally good. I saw low taxes on a recent award from Spain.
Perfect example of penny wise, pound foolish. If you save money in taxes to go to Switzerland, but have to pay triple prices, then are you really saving anything?
Excellent article Scott, as usual! I’m trying to book award seats for United flights on the ANA website where 2 of the 4 segments are XN. I have the MileagePlus Explorer Card so they are available to me on United, but I want to transfer my Membership Rewards points to ANA and it will not allow me to book these segments.
Anyway I can book them through ANA?
No. XN is only available to people using United miles.
Thanks for all the great info. I just booked two bus class via United on LH from PHL via Frankfurt to Rome for July….searched lots of options…would have preferred United but none with saver bus class awards were showing… Have to get from Boston to PHL and find a way back Aug 9 and may have to go coach . Appreciate all of your ideas and insight. What options would I have for changing to another flight i.e. United First closer into my flight? Outbound is July 25. Thanks again!
With United miles, a change will be $75 plus any change in taxes plus any change in miles.
Is it too late for 6 award tkts from west coast ( SFO) or nearby, to Germany or Italy?
Depends on how flexible you are.