New routes are often a chance to score free award mileage seats because it can take time for paying customers to find out about the new service, leaving the excess capacity for free mileage award usage oftentimes. This is the case with Brussels Airlines (Star Alliance), which begins flying from New York to Brussels on June 1, using an A330-300 aircraft with new flat-bed Business Class seats. Brussels Airlines flies to many other European destinations including London, Moscow, and Rome; and also to Africa (Nairobi) and the Middle East (Tel Aviv).
The Premium Seat
Business Class will offer a 77-inch-long bed (6 feet, 5 inches) with three seat positions (take off/land, lounge, and sleep) and furnished with a Pneumatic cushion, which adjusts from soft to firm and remembers your settings for each position. The seat also has a 15.3-inch-wide touch screen and all the ports (laptop, headset, USB, personal video). remembers your settings for each position. The seat also has a 15.3-inch-wide touch screen and all the ports (laptop, headset, USB, personal video).
The Lowest Business Class Fare
For travel June 29 through Sept. 3, Business Class tickets are $2,122 (including taxes and fees), which is 51% ($2,204) lower than the current lowest fare, $4,326.
Free Business Class Mileage Awards
There are favorable odds for free award travel in Business Class for two passengers for departures in June, August, and from September through November; and for return in June, and from September through November.
How Anyone Can Get the Miles
The lowest mileage award, 68,000 miles round-trip, for this route is to be had with partner All Nippon Airways (ANA), a credit-card point-transfer partner with American Express Mem-bership Rewards (transfer time is up to four business days) and Starwood. Brussels Airlines is a partner in Miles & More (Lufthansa’s mileage program), charging 105,000 miles for the same ticket. So save 37,000 miles (35%) by redeeming miles with ANA and flying on Brussels Airlines. Free award avail-ability is about the same on both carriers. Other Star Alliance mileage awards can be had with Continental, United, and US Airways; the cost is 100,000 miles.