Even if you’re not flying the routes covered below, you can still use the 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 Asia on All Nippon (Star Alliance) from Canada
New Route Opportunity: On March 30, All Nippon starts service from Canada: Vancouver-Tokyo (Haneda) using a B767-300ER with 35 Business Class seats in a 2-1-2 cabin layout.
All Nippon’s Business Class seats on the B767-300 are not new flat-bed seats; seats offer a 139-degree recline (yes an older seat, but it is from Canada and has award space), 50- inch seat pitch, and 20 inches of width. The airline says it plans to update seats in the near future.
Using All Nippon miles a round-trip award ticket to Tokyo is 70,000 to 90,000 miles in Business Class, depending on the season. Request award space online. Find mileage award availability here.
Survey of Award Availability on All Nippon for One Traveler in Business Class: Vancouver-Tokyo
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Getting All Nippon Miles: Transfer 60,000 Starpoints for Business Class in low season or 80,000 in high season. Amex Rewards points also transfer to ANA.
Have no transfer points or miles? If you don’t have ANA miles, or Starwood or Amex Rewards points, buy Amex Reward points (up to 500,000 annually at a cost of 2.5¢ per point including taxes). It reduces a Business Class ticket to $2,367, which can cost $12,000 without a Saturday-night stay or advance purchase.
Fly All Over Asia: Tokyo is All Nippon’s hub and a good jumping-off point to countless cities all over Asia and beyond, like Beijing, Delhi, Doha, and Hong Kong, for example. See All Nippon’s route map.
All Nippon’s domestic airline partners for connecting flights to its Canadian gateways are Air Canada, United, and US Airways (until March 30). The extra cost in All Nippon miles varies because ANA’s partner awards are based on flight distance. US Airways program awards can cost less at times because it uses a zone chart, and it does not charge extra for connecting flights in the Continental U.S., which is one zone (but hurry because the partnership with Star Alliance ends March 30).
Good Business Class Award Availability to Asia on American (oneworld)
New Route Opportunity: On June 11, American starts flying Dallas-Hong Kong and Dallas-Shanghai using a B777-300ER with eight First Class and 52 Business Class seats. First Class seats are in a 1-2-1 configuration and turn into a 6’8” flat-bed.
ight First Class and 52 Business Class seats. First Class seats are in a 1-2-1 configuration and turn into a 6’8” flat-bed.
Business Class seats, configured 1-2-1, turn into a 76- to 78-inch-long flat-bed, and are 21 to 29.3-inches wide (with the armrest down). All First and Business Class seats also have direct aisle access.
Using AA miles, a round-trip award ticket to Hong Kong or Shanghai costs 110,000 miles in Business Class and 135,000 miles in First Class, and 90,000 in Business and 120,000 miles in First Class using US Airways miles. Request award space online for AA and US Airways. See chart below for mileage award availability.
Survey of Award Availability from Dallas for One Traveler (Two travelers are often the same)
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Getting the Miles:
American: Transfer 90,000 Starpoints for Business Class and 110,000 for First Class.
US Airways: Transfer 80,000 Starpoints for Business Class and 110,000 for First Class.
Fly To/From Many U.S. Cities: Dallas is American’s hub with good connections to Charlotte, Chicago, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, and many other U.S. cities. See American’s route map.
Fly To/From Many Asian Cities & Beyond: American’s airline partners for connecting flights in Asia are Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines. AA also does not charge extra miles for connecting travel within Asia. Dallas-Singapore via Hong Kong or New York-Hong Kong via Dallas is 110,000 miles in Business Class. Fly to many other Asian cities, like Bangkok, and you won’t pay more, either.
The same goes for using US Airways miles: As long as the destination is within the “North Asia” region (which includes Hong Kong and Shanghai), the cost is 90,000 miles in Business Class and 120,000 in First Class.
Good First Class Award Availability to Europe on British Airways A380 (oneworld)
New Aircraft Opportunity: On Sept. 1, British Airways starts A380 service on Washington, DC-London, with 14 First Class Suites, 97 Business Class seats, and 55 Premium Economy seats. FCF’s research uncovered good availability in First Class and Premium Economy for mileage awards. Each First Class suite turns into a 78-inch-long flat bed.
Premium Economy seats seats (World Traveller Plus) on the upper deck of the A380 are in a 2-3-2 layout, are 18.5-inches wide, have 38-inches of pitch, and recline 8 inches. (See the March 2013 issue for more on how FCF defines Premium Economy.)
A round-trip award ticket to London costs 120,000 points in First Class and 60,000 points in Premium Economy using British Airways Avios points (the same cost as many airlines charge for economy). Request award space online. See chart below for mileage award availability.
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Getting British Airways Executive Club Points: Transfer 100,000 Starpoints for First Class or 50,000 for Premium Economy. Amex Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards are also BA points-transfer partners.
Fly Beyond London—to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and More: London is British Airways hub and a good jumping-off point to Amman, Bangkok, Johannesburg, Mumbai and many other cities.
[aside headline="For FCF Subscribers Who Live Abroad (or in U.S. Cities Not in the Examples)" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]Knowing the months that have favorable mileage award availability on All Nippon, American, British Airways, and Japan Airlines enables you to get a better flight experience from many countries to the U.S. or Canada.[/aside]
British Airways’ domestic partner for connecting flights to its U.S. gateways is American and Alaska. The extra cost in BA points varies because BA’s partner awards are based on flight distance. American can cost less, at times, because it uses a zone chart and it does not charge extra for connecting flights in the Continental U.S., which is one zone. Availability of BA award seats using AA miles is often the same.
Good First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy Award Availability to Asia on Japan Airlines (oneworld)
New Seat Opportunity: Japan Airlines is rolling out a new premium seat, The Sky Seat, on B777s and B767s. London, Los Angeles, New York, and Paris to Tokyo already have the new seat, Chicago-Tokyo B777s will have it this month, and Frankfurt-Tokyo flights will have it in April.
New Aircraft Opportunity: On Sept. 1, British Airways starts A380 service on Washington, DC-London, with 14 First Class Suites, 97 Business Class seats, and 55 Premium Economy seats. FCF’s research uncovered good availability in First Class and Premium Economy for mileage awards. Each First Class suite turns into a 78-inch-long flat bed.
Premium Economy seats seats (World Traveller Plus) on the upper deck of the A380 are in a 2-3-2 layout, are 18.5-inches wide, have 38-inches of pitch, and recline 8 inches. (See the March 2013 issue for more on how FCF defines Premium Economy.)
A round-trip award ticket to London costs 120,000 points in First Class and 60,000 points in Premium Economy using British Airways Avios points (the same cost as many airlines charge for economy). Request award space online.
Survey of Award Availability on British Airways for One Traveler: Washington, DC-London
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Getting British Airways Executive Club Points: Transfer 100,000 Starpoints for First Class or 50,000 for Premium Economy. Amex Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards are also BA points-transfer partners.
Fly Beyond London—to Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and More: London is British Airways hub and a good jumping-off point to Amman, Bangkok, Johannesburg, Mumbai and many other cities.
[aside headline="For FCF Subscribers Who Live Abroad (or in U.S. Cities Not in the Examples)" alignment="alignright" width="half" headline_size="default"]Knowing the months that have favorable mileage award availability on All Nippon, American, British Airways, and Japan Airlines enables you to get a better flight experience from many countries to the U.S. or Canada.[/aside]
British Airways’ domestic partner for connecting flights to its U.S. gateways is American and Alaska. The extra cost in BA points varies because BA’s partner awards are based on flight distance. American can cost less, at times, because it uses a zone chart and it does not charge extra for connecting flights in the Continental U.S., which is one zone. Availability of BA award seats using AA miles is often the same.
Good First Class, Business Class, and Premium Economy Award Availability to Asia on Japan Airlines (oneworld)
New Seat Opportunity: Japan Airlines is rolling out a new premium seat, The Sky Seat, on B777s and B767s. London, Los Angeles, New York, and Paris to Tokyo already have the new seat, Chicago-Tokyo B777s will have it this month, and Frankfurt-Tokyo flights will have it in April.
The eight First Class seats (1-2-1 configuration) are 26-inches wide, and turn into a 78.5-inch-long flat-bed (maximum bed width, 33-inches). They have a 23-inch monitor and in-seat power supply for laptops and USB power connections. The 49 Business Class seats (2-3-2 configuration) are 25.5-inches wide and turn into a 74-inch-long flat-bed. JAL also offers 40 Premium Economy seats (2-4-2 configuration) that are 18.5-inches wide, recline approximately 120-degrees, have 42-inches of pitch, and a 12.1-inch monitor.
A round-trip award ticket to Tokyo is 110,000 miles in First Class, 80,000 in Business Class, and 65,000 in Premium Economy using JAL miles. Request award space online. See chart below for mileage award availability in First, Business, and Premium Economy.
Survey of Award Availability on Japan Airlines for One Traveler: Chicago-Tokyo
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Getting Japan Airlines Miles: Transfer 90,000 Starpoints for First Class, 70,000 for Business Class, and 60,000 for Premium Economy.
Fly To/From Many Cities Across Asia: Tokyo is Japan Airlines’ hub and a good jumping-off point to Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, and many other cities.
Fly To/From Many U.S. Cities: JAL’s domestic airline partner for connecting flights to its U.S. gateways is American. The extra cost in Japan Airlines miles varies because JAL’s partner awards are based on flight distance. Using American miles can cost less, at times, because it uses a zone chart, and it does not charge extra for connecting flights in the Continental U.S., which is one zone (100,000 to 135,000 miles depending on class).