Best place to buy points/miles for travel within Europe?

[motlking]

Hey guys,

does anyone know the best place to buy points/miles for travel within Europe and possibly to US from Europe?

I have booked flights to Zurich for my parents in First Class and would like to see what the best place to get Business class flights within Europe are. They are definitely going to France and Belgium.


Thanks all

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hey guys,

does anyone know the best place to buy points/miles for travel within Europe and possibly to US from Europe?

I have booked flights to Zurich for my parents in First Class and would like to see what the best place to get Business class flights within Europe are. They are definitely going to France and Belgium.


Thanks all

Generally speaking there aren't many good programs for using points for ultra short-haul flights. This is one area where Qantas is actually pretty good... 8000 or 12000 points for 'shortish' connections. Air berlin is probably the choice unless you want to fly them via LHR, but AB has a fairly limited business class offering in Europe.

Buying points, even through Lifemiles at 1.5 cents each the math just don't add up on awards where they want 15K for economy or 27k for business class intra-europe.

BA avios are another option, particularly avios+pay - but can add up if you have to fly via London (they will add sectors together).

Given Euro business class is pretty much same same as economy without the lounge access, it might be worthwhile to just suck it up with economy. Booking round-trips rather than one way can reduce the price significantly (just throw away the return trip). My folks did a lufthansa flight BER-AMS... €600 one way, or €95 return. They bought the return and didn't use it.

 

[motlking]

Thanks Mel_Traveller! some really good info there.

If business in Europe is pretty much same as economy and not full service business then I might just look at economy flights.

Strange about the return flights being cheaper than one way! Is that the case for most airlines within Europe? Any sites that are better than others to compare flights?

 

[RooFlyer]

Buying Alaska Airlines is an option, but only do it when they have one of their frequent 'bonus' offers on. The higher the A$ to the US$ the better of course.

Alaska have alliances with a diverse group of airlines where you can use their miles.

Within Europe its Air France/KLM, so that sounds like an option. From Europe to the USA you can choose (depending on point of origin) from American, Air France/KLM, BA, Delta, Emirates or Iceland Air.

I'm a bit more sanguine about Eurobusiness - the seat is about the only non-benefit (but even then at least you have a 'shadow') - there's lounge access, better attention/boarding etc and general comfort. I do it when I can afford it.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks Mel_Traveller! some really good info there.

If business in Europe is pretty much same as economy and not full service business then I might just look at economy flights.

Strange about the return flights being cheaper than one way! Is that the case for most airlines within Europe? Any sites that are better than others to compare flights?

Euro business class (with a couple of exceptions like Turkish airlines on some aircraft) is 3-3 economy seating with the middle left free. Catering is upgraded, but for shortish flights of 1-2 or 3 hours you'll usually be getting a smallish cold or warm snack, plus breads and a small dessert. And free drinks. The fares also include lounge access.

Economy class is reduced catering (may have to buy on board, or else will get a small sandwich or sweet biscuit or something).

One way v return is complex and can depend on a range of factors including route and comepetition. BA sells one way fares for example to close-in Euro destinations... lots of competition from Easyjet and the like. But some peak business flights are priced for peak business pax... so the one way can be very high, but a ticket with a weekend can be very low.

Googleflights is a good starting point. Find your route and play around with one way v return (including a weekend away sometimes helps).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Buying Alaska Airlines is an option, but only do it when they have one of their frequent 'bonus' offers on. The higher the A$ to the US$ the better of course.

Alaska have alliances with a diverse group of airlines where you can use their miles.

But still 25K per person in business or 15K in economy - one way. Pretty expensive redemptions for a flight like ZUR-Paris (and Swiss will do it non-stop compared to a stop in Amsterdam)

(looking at the figures with a best cost of USD2.11 cents per mile (per pointhacks) that would give AUD422 for a one way economy class flight, or AUD703 for business class...)

 

[RooFlyer]

Sure; value is in the mind of the bum on the seat

I went through the exercise recently of looking to buy some top-up points to do an economy flight with AA within the USA. Cost more than buying the airfare!!

I buy Alaska miles in bulk at strategic times and use them as required, usually for medium/long haul business. I agree in the OPs case it doesn't look like a worthwhile thing to buy Alaska now, but anyone in the market of buying miles should know about Alaska.

 

[MikeeB]

Brussels Airlines has a quite modest redemption table (Through redemption with Etihad). While I have never seen Etihad guest miles for sale through official channels, I'm reasonably sure they are a transfer partner of SPG and you could also buy them through AMEX if you hold a Platinum Charge card. Brussels to New York return in Business for about 36000 Etihad Guest miles plus about $100USD in surcharges/taxes. Seems like a good deal even if as previously mentioned, they don't worry about the return leg and use it as a one way.