FCF’s Advice on Where to Look for Better Seats and Good Mileage Availability

July 2012
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A round-up of new routes with First and Business Class mileage award space.

New routes used to be a gold mine for finding free award space, especially if you were flexible. Not so anymore, thanks to more sophisticated “yield management systems.”

Second SWISS Flight from the U.S. to Zurich

FCF was pleasantly surprised to find plentiful First Class award seat availability (which anyone may enjoy; hang with me) and good Business Class award space on SWISS’s new Chicago-Zurich flight, which operates now through Oct. 27. SWISS’s Miles & More program charges 170,000 miles for a free First Class award ticket, which can cost up to $14,000 and 105,000 for Business Class ($4,000 to $10,000). (See chart below for favorable mileage availability during the travel window using the Miles & More program.)

SWISS partners with United and US Airways mileage pro-grams, which at times offer similar free award availability.

Lower-Cost and Relatively-Easy Business and First Class Strategy Examples Offering Almost-Unbelievable Values

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ow Almost Anyone Can Benefit From this Strategy

Get SWISS Miles: Transfer 140,000 points from Starwood and with the 25% bonus for every 20,000 miles transferred, you’ll have the 170,000 miles needed for First Class. For Business Class, transfer 85,000 points.

Why You May Not Need SWISS Miles

Free award seat availability through SWISS’s own mileage program (Miles & More) is, at times, similar to that on United and US Airways.

In other words, the miles that we’ve recommended that you buy from US Airways (see our June 6 alert on the carrier’s 100% bonus) can be redeemed through US Airway’s for travel on SWISS flights to Europe if available.

Virgin Atlantic Seasonal Service from Canada

Given the economic climate, we were also pleasantly sur-prised to find plentiful Business Class and Premium Econo-my award space on Vancouver-London, Virgin Atlantic’s new seasonal route (now through Oct. 27). Virgin Atlantic charges 100,000 miles for a free Business Class award ticket and 70,000 for Premium Economy. Anyone originating from the Western U.S. might consider this opportunity.

Don’t Have Virgin Atlantic Miles?

But do have FCF’s recommended Starwood credit card? If so, just transfer 80,000 points from Starwood. With the 25% Starwood bonus for every 20,000 miles transferred from the program, you’ll have the 100,000 miles needed for Business Class; or transfer 60,000 points to get Premium Economy. You can also transfer 100,000 points from Amex Rewards, which anyone with an American Express card may buy for $2,500, which may save you up to $8,000 on Business Class travel.

Free Mileage Space on Virgin Atlantic: Vancouver-London

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[["Class of Service","<strong>Departure Availability<\/strong>","#colspan#","#colspan#","<strong>Return Availability<\/strong>","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","<strong>Handful<\/strong>","<strong>Decent<\/strong>","<strong>Go For It<\/strong>","<strong>Handful<\/strong>","<strong>Decent<\/strong>","<strong>Go For It<\/strong>"],["Business","Sept.","Oct.","July, Aug.","July, Sept.","","Aug., Oct."],["First","","","July to Oct.","","Sept.","July, Aug., Oct."],["<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Handful:<\/span><\/strong> <em>Award space is available for two people traveling on the same itinerary about 4 to 8 days during the month indicated in the chart (at time of research). Worth pursuing if you're flexible.<\/em>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Decent:<\/span><\/strong> <em>Award space is available for two people traveling on the same itinerary about 9 to 12 days during the month indicated.<\/em>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Go For It:<\/span><\/strong> <em>Award space is available for two people traveling on the same itinerary about 13 days or more during the month indicated.<\/em>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"]]
[["Class of Service","<strong>Departure Availability<\/strong>","#colspan#","#colspan#","<strong>Return Availability<\/strong>","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","<strong>Handful<\/strong>","<strong>Decent<\/strong>","<strong>Go For It<\/strong>","<strong>Handful<\/strong>","<strong>Decent<\/strong>","<strong>Go For It<\/strong>"],["Premium Economy","Aug., Sept.","","July, Oct.","July, Sept.","Aug.","July, Sept., Oct."],["Business","","Aug., Sept.","July to Oct.","","","July to Oct."],["<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Handful:<\/span><\/strong> <em>Award space is available for two people traveling on the same itinerary about 4 to 8 days during the month indicated in the chart (at time of research). Worth pursuing if you're flexible.<\/em>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Decent:<\/span><\/strong> <em>Award space is available for two people traveling on the same itinerary about 9 to 12 days during the month indicated.<\/em>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Go For It:<\/span><\/strong> <em>Award space is available for two people traveling on the same itinerary about 13 days or more during the month indicated.<\/em>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"]]