Ways to Beat the Family Curse For Booking Multiple Seats Using Miles and Points

Ways to Beat the Family Curse For Booking Multiple Seats Using Miles and Points

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We’ve spotted a few of these rare birds to Asia and Europe on major carriers… if you blink you might miss them.

I’m sure you’ve had this experience before. You go to an airline website hoping to use miles for four or more seats in a premium cabin for your family vacation and you end up feeling like you’re lost in a forest looking for Bigfoot.

I mean, the truth is that searching for just one seat with miles can be bad enough, let alone for your whole tribe.

And then there’s the cost. It’s not uncommon to end up seeing prices that are 200,000 or 300,000 miles per round-trip ticket. For a family of four to Europe, that’s close to a million miles, which at a minimum value are worth two cents each, or $20,000. So that’s obviously out of the question.

So what’s a family to do?

Wouldn’t it be nice to get discount mileage tickets for you and your whole family? Well, despite those crazy mileage costs you normally see, you actually can. You just need to think a little more laterally.

Your family-friendly team here at FCF is the best source for finding four+-seat availability. We look at that as part of our Sweet Redeems reporting.

Intriguingly, if your search doesn’t have four seats available on your dates, some airlines will just return some generic “not available” response, which I find a little uncreative on their part. For example, if there are three seats, you won’t see the screen say, “by the way, we have three seats available, maybe that can work for you?”

So to get around this roadblock, I always start with one seat, then move up to two, then three, then four. Even if I find only two seats, it’s better to get half the trip paid for with low-cost mileage tickets and pay for the remaining two tickets in cash.

We’ll share more on other family strategies soon, but this story focuses on where you can book your family for free on miles, now.

And if you don’t have all the miles you need for four or more travelers, don’t forget that you might be able to transfer points to the desired airline with the points you have.

Business Class Family Availability Treasure Map

Looking to fly high with four to seven travelers on discount award tickets? Voila! The following chart shows what’s available at time of publication to Asia and Europe.

Months in black at least four seats available; in blue at least six; in green at least seven. Remember to use the data as a guide since availability can be volatile…

Don’t see your route listed? See this report on free connections with award flights.



Operating Airline



Route


Round-trip Mileage Cost
OutboundReturn
4 to 8 Days Per Month9 to 12 Days Per Month13+ Days Per Month4 to 8 Days Per Month9 to 12 Days Per Month13+ Days Per Month

American

Charlotte-Frankfurt


144,000-156,000
Jan.Feb.
Charlotte-MunichFeb.Jan., Feb.Jan.Feb., March, AprilMarch
New York-London


156,000
Nov., Dec., Aug.Sept., Oct., Nov.Feb.Dec., Jan., Feb.
Seattle-LondonFeb.Jan., Feb.



Japan
Los Angeles - Tokyo


100,000
Aug., Sept.Aug., Sept.
San Francisco - TokyoAug.Oct., Sept.

Singapore

New York - Frankfurt162,000Oct., Dec., JuneNov., May, JuneNov., Dec., Jan. to April, May, July to Sept.Oct., Dec.Nov., Dec., JuneNov., Jan. to May, June, July to Sept.
Los Angeles - Tokyo207,000Nov., Jan., Feb., April, May, Sept.Feb., JulyJuly, Aug.July, Aug., Sept.
Los Angeles - Singapore214,000Aug.Sept.May, Aug., Sept.
New York - Singapore223,000Aug., Sept.April, June, July, Sept.July, Aug., Sept.Aug.
UnitedBoston - London120,000Jan.Oct., Nov., Dec., Jan., Feb. to April, June, JulyDec., Feb., March, MayFeb., May
Months in black at least four seats available; in blue at least six seats; in green at least seven seats. Remember to use the data as a guide since availability can be volatile

Business Class Partner Availability for the Family

This next chart below shows routes with availability to Europe on Austrian and TAP airlines, using United miles (which you can transfer from Chase points), and on Delta, using Virgin Atlantic miles (which you can transfer from Amex, Chase, and Citi).


Operating Airline

Using Partner Miles


Route

Round-trip Mileage Cost
OutboundReturn
4 to 8 Days Per Month9 to 12 Days Per Month13+ Days Per Month4 to 8 Days Per Month9 to 12 Days Per Month13+ Days Per Month

Austrian

United

Chicago - Vienna

144,000

Dec., Jan.Nov. to MarchJan.
New York - ViennaFeb., MarchJan.MarchJan., Feb., March
Washington, DC - ViennaJan., Feb., MarchJan., Feb.Nov.Jan.Feb., March

Delta

Virgin Atlantic

Detroit - Amsterdam

100,000

Nov., Jan.Jan.
New York - BrusselsJan., MarchJan.Feb.Nov.Jan., MarchJan., Feb.
New York - FrankfurtJan.March to May
New York - ReykjavíkOct., AprilApril, May
New York - London95,000-115,000Aug.April, MayAug.
Portland - Amsterdam100,000Nov., Feb., MarchJan.Feb., MarchJan.

TAP

United

Boston - Lisbon

144,000

Feb., MarchJan.Feb., March
New York - LisbonJan.Feb.Jan., March, MayFeb., March
Washington, DC - LisbonJan., Feb.Jan., Feb., MarchFeb.
Months in black at least four seats available; in blue at least six seats; in green at least seven seats. Remember to use the data as a guide since availability can be volatile

United Upgrade Availability for the Family

Here are three routes to Europe with United mileage upgrade availability from economy to Business. (40,000 round-trip, valid with most fares, plus $1,100 co-pay.)



Operating Airline


Route
OutboundReturn
4 to 8 Days Per Month9 to 12 Days Per Month13+ Days Per Month4 to 8 Days Per Month9 to 12 Days Per Month13+ Days Per Month

United

Boston - LondonOct., Jan.Nov., Jan., March, April, June, JulyOct., Dec., Feb., March, April, Aug.Oct., Feb., May
Newark - LondonOct.Oct., Feb., March, AprilOct.
Washington, DC - FrankfurtOct.Dec., Jan., Feb.
Months in black at least four seats available; in blue at least six seats; in green at least seven seats. Remember to use the data as a guide since availability can be volatile

One Route With First Class Family Availability

Here’s the only American Airlines route with First Class availability for a family of four or more.



Operating Airline


Route


Round-trip Mileage Cost
OutboundReturn
4 to 8 Days Per Month9 to 12 Days Per Month13+ Days Per Month4 to 8 Days Per Month9 to 12 Days Per Month13+ Days Per Month
AmericanNew York - London168,000-249,000Dec., Jan., Aug.Dec., Jan., Feb., Aug.Nov. to Jan., Aug.
Months in black at least four seats available; in blue at least six seats; in green at least seven seats. Remember to use the data as a guide since availability can be volatile

Transfer Points Partners

The chart below shows airlines with four or more award seats available, and their points transfer partners. Partner availability can be different from the operating carrier’s loyalty program. As with any deal, make sure you double-check availability with the mileage program you want to use, before you transfer any points to miles.

Airline With Four or More Seats AvailableCarrier Points Redemption PartnersLowest Cost Mileage Redemption PartnersPartner Points Redemption Partners
AmericanCitiCathay PacificAmex, Capital One, Citi
AustrianUnitedChase
DeltaAmexVirgin AtlanticAmex, Chase, Citi
JapanCathay PacificAmex, Capital One, Citi
SingaporeAmexSingaporeAmex, Capital One, Chase, Citi
TAPCapital OneUnitedChase
UnitedChaseAll NipponAmex

Watering the Family Tree

Don’t write off premium travel with miles or points just because you’re traveling with four or more people.