By taking advantage of award chart anomalies and industry semantics
Airlines determine mileage award prices two basic ways: by flight distance or by zones. The zone system divides the world into regions (e.g., the 48 contiguous states and Canada is one zone), with every destination within a given region priced at the same number of miles. A flight-distance chart is simply based on distance flown. Opportunity knocks when one alliance partner uses a zone chart and the other partner a flight distance chart. Example: American Airlines (zone) and British Airways (flight-distance).
Rating the Alliances’ Award Discrepancy Opportunities
This article rates the international partners of U.S. carriers on the basis of how easy it is to take advantage of discrepancies between the two charts. It’s a story for those willing to leave the comfort zone of a primary carrier in order to learn how to play the two charts against each other. You can look at our ratings as simply a way to highlight loudly why you might think twice about being locked into specific loyalty programs. The anomalies highlighted here net free tickets and upgrades for the loyalty-free agent.
[aside headline="Keep In Mind..." alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]While a premium cabin ticket on a shorter flight may not seem worth the cost or effort, just remember how coach travelers get treated: in lines, with fees, baggage, etc. It’s often things other than the seat that benefit short-haul First Class travelers most.[/aside]
Domestic First Class
Only one alliance, oneworld, has a flight distance partner discrepancy that can net a savings of 23,000 miles (46%) on short-haul, non-stop flights when compared to American or US Airways’ own mileage award cost.
For example, on a non-stop short-haul flight, such as Chicago-Washington, DC, BA charges only 27,000 miles round-trip for First Class on a flight operated by its partner American Airlines—at almost half the cost of AA. You can look at this as an upgrade to First from coach for just 2,000 miles.
BA’s award calculator for shows specific routes; see our cheat sheet below for many more examples.
Alliance Opportunity Ratings: Short-Haul Domestic Routes
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Sample of Domestic First Class American / US Airways Routes at 46% Off (27,000 Miles)
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Getting BA Miles Isn’t Very Difficult
You can transfer miles from Starwood, which drops the price to 22,000 miles, given the transfer bonus. Look at that as an almost Two-for-One or a Less-than-Free Upgrade, as people with American-centric credit cards will be paying more for coach than the Starwood Loyalty-Free Agent does for First Class. Amex, Chase, and Diners Club points are also transferable to BA.
Domestic Zone-Chart Discrepancy: Star Alliance
Singapore, a Star Alliance partner with United (meaning you can use Singapore miles to fly United), is an exception to the flight distance loophole. It uses a zone chart, and charges only 40,000 miles round-trip for United’s Business Class transcon and other U.S. domestic flights, a 20% savings. You can transfer Amex, Chase, Citi, and Starwood points to the airline.
To/From Canada First and Business Class: A Game of Semantics
Here, not only does the partner’s flight-distance award chart play a role in getting a much lower mileage-award rate, but so does “class-of-service semantics.”
Delta and US Airways call premium class on two-class flights to Canada “First Class,” while American and United call it “Business Class.” This is key because flight-distance charts charge more for First Class than they do for Business Class.
On a short-haul AA flight, such as Chicago-Toronto (842 flight miles round-trip), BA charges only 18,000 miles roundtrip in Business Class. But for a short-haul US Airways flight, like Philadelphia-Toronto (678 flight miles round-trip), BA charges 27,000 miles round-trip in First Class.
Calling Business Class “First Class” on a flight to Canada has BA charging more for US Airways flights.
Another good example of a non-stop short-haul flight is New York-Toronto on AA; BA charges only 18,000 miles roundtrip in Business Class which is 32,000 less—almost a Three-for-One.
Alliance Opportunity Ratings: Short-Haul Routes Between Canada and the U.S.
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Sample Routes Between Canada and U.S. Offering Savings of Up to 65%
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To/From the Caribbean, Central America, and Mexico: First and Business Class
Here again, semantics is the key to savings, as US Airways calls its premium class “First Class,” while American, Delta, and United call it “Business Class.”
That’s one reason why, oneworld received the highest grade again—with potential savings of up to 42,000 miles (70%) on short-haul, non-stop flights to the Caribbean or Mexico. An opportunity with Star Alliance can net a savings of 37%.
For example, take AA non-stop short-haul flights such as Miami-Grand Cayman or Jamaica: BA charges only 18,000 miles round-trip in Business Class—42,000 fewer miles than AA charges (60,000 miles). It’s a Three-for-One.
Alliance Opportunity Ratings: Short-Haul Between Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean and the U.S.
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Sample of Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean Routes in First / Business Class Up to 70% Off From Major U.S. Hub Cities
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A Good Deal Gets Better: Use Cash & Miles to Multiply Opportunities
BA offers Avios & Money, a program in which you pay cash to pay fewer miles—not always the goal for most travelers, but often a great deal.
Looking at Dallas-Cancun in Business Class, for example, our research shows that BA’s normal miles option is 30,000 Avios points plus $66 in taxes while the Avios & Money option requires 16,000 miles and $266 in cash. Which simply translates to the airline selling you miles at 1.4¢ each (with no limit), a penny a mile less than the usual cost and a great way to conserve miles—or get in the game with fewer miles.
So, before buying Amex Rewards points at 2.5¢ (500,000- mile annual limit) per year for travel on BA, first exhaust the Avios & Money program.
How Anyone Can Get Two- and Three-for-Ones Fast and Easy
All Nippon: ANA is a points transfer partner with Amex Rewards and Starwood.
British Airways: BA is a points transfer partner with Amex Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Starwood. You can also purchase 27,000 miles directly from the airline annually at 2.8¢ per mile.
Know Your Point-Transfer Friendly (PTF) Credit Cards
American Express Membership Rewards: The website states that “the average transfer time is 24 to 48 hours with British Airways and two to four business days for All Nippon.” However, in my experience, transfers often occur the same day with both airlines.
Chase Ultimate Rewards: The website states that “the average transfer time is one business day, but can take up to 7 days.” In my experience, transfers to British Airways have sometimes been completed the same day.
Starwood Preferred Guest: Its website indicates that “transfers take an average of two to four weeks to U.S. carriers and four to six weeks to international ones.” In my experience, Starwood gets miles the same day to some airlines, including All Nippon, but my last transfer to British Airways took five days.