The last time we rated unrestricted awards to different regions of the world was in August 2008. Since then a lot has changed.
Delta and Northwest merged: Northwest WorldPerks, the program that offered the lowest unrestricted awards to Africa and South America, is now gone. New and more expensive mileage redemption programs are now offered by United and US Airways. Other changes include the changeover to a different alliance by Continental, which now offers unrestricted awards to regions it does not actually service; as long as the international (long-haul) portion is flown by Continental, connections to other Star Alliance members is allowed. That’s not offered by any other U.S. airline.
What Hasn’t Changed…
The standard rule on when to use unrestricted awards: Get at least a 3¢ return per mile, otherwise save your miles for another day. It’s that simple, as is the math: Cost of Ticket ÷ Miles Used = Value of a Mile. Just divide the cash value of the ticket by the number of miles it takes to claim the award. Why 3¢ per mile? Because most mileage programs will charge 2.5 to 3.5¢ to replace them. At times, it can also be a personal preference for when it makes the most sense to pay double for an award ticket.
The Best Use: Fly First Class, Not Business
In practice, this almost always means using the award for an international First Class ticket, which otherwise can easily cost $10,000 to $20,000.
Here’s a guide, by continent, to using unrestricted awards.
Africa: A region where Business Class tickets can easily run more than $5,000, Continental offers the lowest unrestricted Business Class award, at 280,000 miles, to Central and South Africa. However, with a return on your miles of only about 1.8¢, buying a ticket offers the better value.
Asia: Go for First Class on American. From most U.S. gateways, a First Class ticket to Tokyo costs $11,000 to $14,000, AA charges 250,000 miles round-trip.
Europe: American also has the best redemption value (250,000 miles), given that ticket prices start at $9,000 in First Class.
Hawaii: With First Class ticket prices on most routes between $1,800 and $3,000, ticket purchase is most cost-effective. Air France offers the lowest mileage charge at 120,000, but it’s available only to its elites. The next best options are American and Continental at 150,000 miles, giving you a very low return rate.
South America: American offers the best in First Class at 250,000 miles, for tickets that can easily cost $10,000 or more.
South Pacific: United offers the best value, at 320,000 miles, for a First Class ticket that can cost as much as $21,000. A return of 6.5¢ per mile ($21,000 ÷ 320,000).
Keep your options open by using a loyalty program that allows you to transfer points to numerous airlines. The best in this regard are Amex Rewards, Starwood, and Diners Club.
Unrestricted Mileage Award Levels (in thousands of miles)
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