Top 13 Routes with A380 Premium-Seat Mileage Availability

May 2013
Read Offline

You have to fish where the fish are when it comes to the A380. It’s in high demand, which says something about the flight experience. That means if you want to fly it, you’re better off going where there’s mileage inventory rather than competing for seats on an in-demand (or just less generous) route. That’s what this article is about—the best A380 fishing holes.

In the chart below are the 13 A380 routes that offer good chances of redeeming miles for award travel. The mileage redemption options listed and miles needed are based on using miles from the operating airline’s loyalty program to book a flight. Partner awards have not been included in the survey in other words. The chart also shows airline credit-card-transfer partnerships in case you don’t have miles with the airlines listed.

Top 13 A380 Routes with Free Mileage Award Space

[table_opt id="1238" style="gray-header" width="wide" alignment="center" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter" responsive="all"]

Loyalty-Program-Partner Award Tickets

These tickets are booked with miles from one airline loyalty program for travel on one of its partners (flying Lufthansa using United or US Airways miles, for example). Partner award space can, at times, be similar to the operating airline’s own award availability, but is never better.

This could also be a good time to cash in miles you’ve accumulated through buying or transfer bonuses. Among the airlines that have offered hefty buying bonuses were US Airways which partners with Lufthansa (not valid for First Class awards) and Singapore, and Alaska Airlines which partners with Air France, British Airways, Emirates, and Korean. Also, see our FCF August 2012 for “Point-transfer friendly airlines”, meaning airlines that will hold award space while your credit card points transfer.

Airlines and Their A380 Routes from North America

Seven airlines currently fly the A380 from the U.S.: Air France, China Southern, Emirates, Korean, Lufthansa, Qantas, and Singapore. (British Airways starts service Oct. 31, Los Angeles-London.) Their current routes are listed in the chart below, even routes that might not have award space worth mentioning now but may in the future, or routes to keep an eye out for special fares, such as seasonal Thanksgiving fares to Europe on Air France and Lufthansa in Business Class, or EasyUp fares.

A380 Routes from the U.S.

[table_opt id="1239" style="gray-header" width="default" alignment="center" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter" responsive="all"]

[["Airline","Route","Class","Miles Needed","U.S. Credit Card Transfer Partner","Departure Availability","#colspan#","#colspan#","Return Availability","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Handful","Decent","Go For It","Handful","Decent","Go For It"],["Air France","Los Angeles - Paris","Premium Economy","75,000","AX, SW","","","Oct. to Feb.","","","Oct. to Feb."],["#rowspan#","New York - Paris","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","","Sept.","July, Aug., Oct. to Feb.","","","July to Feb."],["#rowspan#","Washington, DC - Paris","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","","","June to Feb.","","","June to Feb."],["British Airways*","Los Angeles - London","Premium Economy","75,000","AX, DC, UR","","Dec.","Nov., Jan.","","Dec.","Nov., Jan."],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - London","Business","100,000","#rowspan#","","Nov. to Jan.","","","","Nov. to Jan."],["China Southern","Los Angeles - Guangzhou","Business","200,000","SW","","","May to Feb.","","","May to Feb."],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Guangzhou","First","275,000","#rowspan#","Feb.","","May to Jan.","","","May to Feb."],["Emirates","New York - Dubai","Business","145,000","SW","May, Aug., Oct., Nov., March","Feb.","Sept.","May, Oct.,","Aug., Feb., March","Sept."],["Korean Air","Atlanta - Seoul","First","Varies by sea- son: Off-peak 160,000; peak 240,000","DC, UR","","","Nov. to Feb.","","","Nov. to Feb."],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Seoul","#rowspan#","Varies by sea- son: Off-peak 160,000; peak 240,000","#rowspan#","","","May to Feb.","","","May to Feb."],["#rowspan#","New York - Seoul","#rowspan#","Varies by sea- son: Off-peak 160,000; peak 240,000","#rowspan#","May","July","June, Aug. to Feb. ","","Sept.","May to Aug., Oct. to Feb."],["Lufthansa","Houston - Frankfurt","Business","105,000","SW","","","July, Aug.","","","July, Aug."],["#rowspan#","Houston - Frankfurt","First","170,000","#rowspan#","June","","July to March","June","","July to March"],["#rowspan#","Miami - Frankfurt","Business","105,000","#rowspan#","","Dec.","Jan. to March","","Dec.","Jan. to March"],["#rowspan#","Miami - Frankfurt","First","170,000","#rowspan#","Nov.","Dec., Jan.","Feb., March","Dec.","","Jan. to March"],["Singapore","Los Angeles - Tokyo","Business","155,000","AX, SW","","","May to Sept.","June","July, Nov.","May, Sept., Oct., Dec."],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Tokyo","First","175,000","#rowspan#","July, Dec.","Oct.","Aug., Sept., Nov., Jan.","July, Dec.","June","Sept. to Nov."],["#rowspan#","New York - Frankfurt","Business","115,000","#rowspan#","May, June, Dec.","","July to Nov.","","Dec.","May to Nov."],["#rowspan#","New York - Frankfurt","First","175,000","#rowspan#","June, Jan.","","July to Dec.","","June","July to Jan."],["<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Handful:<\/span><\/strong> <em>Our most recent research shows that award space is available for at least one person about 4 to 8 days during the months indicated in the chart. Worth pursuing if you\u2019re flexible.<\/em>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Decent:<\/span><\/strong> <em>Our most recent research shows that upgrade award space is available for at least one person about 9 to 12 days during the months indicated.<\/em>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["<strong><span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Go For It:<\/span><\/strong> <em>Our most recent research shows that award space is available for one person about 13 days or more during the months indicated.<\/em>","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#","#colspan#"]]
<small><em>*Service starts Oct.15. AX = American Express, UR = Chase Ultimate Rewards, DC = Diners Club, SW = Starwood</em></small>
[["Airline","Routes"],["Air France","Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC to Paris"],["China Southern","Los Angeles to Guangzhou"],["Emirates","New York to Dubai"],["Korean Air","Atlanta, Los Angeles, New York to Seoul"],["Lufthansa","Houston, Miami, San Francisco to Frankfurt"],["Qantas","Los Angeles to Melbourne, Sydney"],["Singapore","Los Angeles to Tokyo and New York to Frankfurt"]]