Even if you’re not flying the routes covered below you can still use this information for itinerary planning, specifically to find connecting flights most likely to have upgrades available, flights with newer seats, a free award seat—or perhaps all three.
Good Business Class Award Availability to Europe on Alitalia (SkyTeam)
New Seasonal Routes: This summer Alitalia is adding three new flights to Europe: Chicago-Rome (May 1 to Oct. 13); Los Angeles-Rome (May 1 to Oct. 23); additional service New York-Rome (April 17 to Oct. 25). Alitalia’s Business Class seats (20 inches wide, 15.4-inch monitor) turn into 73.5 to 76-inch-long flat-beds in a 1-2-1 layout.
Round-trip award tickets to Rome are 100,000 miles in Business Class. Request award space online.
Getting Alitalia Millemiglia Miles: Transfer 80,000 Starpoints for Business Class—with the 25% bonus, you’ll have 100,000 miles—or transfer 100,000 Amex Rewards points. Using Alitalia’s Route System: Rome is Alitalia’s hub and a good jumping-off point to Beirut, Cairo, Istanbul, and dozens of other cities. Check out Alitalia’s route map. Alitalia’s domestic airline partner for connecting flights to its U.S. gateways is Delta. Alitalia does not charge more miles for connecting travel within the U.S. For example, flying Detroit to Rome via New York costs 100,000 miles round-trip, including the Detroit-NYC leg on Delta.
Survey of Award Availability on Alitalia for One Traveler in Business Class to Rome
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Good Business Class Award Availability to Europe on Lufthansa from Canada (Star Alliance)
New Seasonal Route: Non-stop Montreal-Frankfurt from May 16 to Oct. 1
2 using an A340-300. 42 Business Class seats (no First Class) arranged 2-2-2. Stats: 20 inches wide, 78-inch-long flatbed, 15-inch monitor. The only question is whether the flight will have Lufthansa’s new Business Class seat. Lufthansa’s PR office says, “it is too early to say.” Round-trip Business Class award ticket to Frankfurt is 105,000 miles with Lufthansa miles. Request award space online.
Getting Lufthansa Miles & More Miles: Transfer 85,000 Starpoints—with the 25% bonus, you’ll have 105,000 miles.
Survey of Award Availability on Lufthansa for One Traveler in Business Class: Montreal-Frankfurt
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Business Class Award Taxes: Book with Lufthansa miles and you will pay at least $1,017, but book with US Airways miles and the cost drops to $194; book with LifeMiles and taxes/fees are $114.
Using Lufthansa’s Route System: Frankfurt, one of Lufthansa’s German hubs, is a good jumping-off point to Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Singapore, and dozens of other cities. View Lufthansa’s route map. Lufthansa’s domestic airline partners for connecting flights to its Canadian or U.S. gateways are Air Canada, United, and US Airways. Lufthansa does not charge more miles for connecting travel within North America (except for Hawaii departures). Ottawa to Frankfurt via Montreal at 105,000 miles round-trip includes the Ottawa-Montreal flight on Air Canada.
Good Business Class Award Availability to Europe on Virgin Atlantic from Canada
New Seasonal Route: Virgin Atlantic adds Vancouver-London from May 13 to Oct. 11, using an A340-300. There are 34 Business Class seats (22 inches wide and 30 at the shoulders when in it’s a bed), 79.5-inch-long flat-bed) in a 1-1-1 layout. Premium Economy seats, in a 2-3-2 layout (see the March issue for more on how FCF defines Premium Economy), are 21-inches wide, have 38-inches of pitch, recline 16 degrees, and are equipped with a 10.4-inch monitor A round-trip award ticket to London is 100,000 miles in Business Class and 70,000 miles in Premium Economy. Request award space online.
Survey of Award Availability on Virgin Atlantic for One Traveler, Vancouver-London
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[aside headline="For FCF Subscribers Who Live Abroad" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]Knowing the months that have favorable mileage award availability on Alitalia, Lufthansa, and Virgin Atlantic enables you to get a better flight experience from many countries to the U.S. or Canada. [/aside]
Getting Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Miles: Transfer 80,000 Starpoints for Business Class—with the 25% bonus, you’ll have 100,000 miles—and 60,000 miles for Premium Economy, or 100,000 Amex Rewards points.
Even Better: Use All Nippon Mileage Club miles, which brings Business Class awards down to 85,000 miles.
Getting All Nippon Mileage Club Miles: Transfer 70,000 Starpoints for Business Class now—with the 25% bonus you’ll have 85,000 miles—or 85,000 Amex Rewards points.
Using Virgin Atlantic’s Route System: London is Virgin Atlantic’s hub with good connections to other destinations like Cape Town, Dubai, Delhi, and dozens of other cities. See Virgin Atlantic’s route map. Virgin Atlantic’s domestic airline partners for connecting flights to its Canadian gateways are Delta and Virgin America. Virgin Atlantic charges more miles for connecting travel within North America.