I believe folks spend an excessive amount of time targeted on the previous, not less than when utilizing selective reminiscence. It’s like when folks speak about “the great previous days of flying,” when service was good, folks dressed as much as fly, and so forth.
What they selectively neglect is that flying is a fraction of the worth it was once, and that in some ways getting on a airplane isn’t that totally different than getting on a bus. The best way I see it, it’s a web optimistic that flying has develop into so accessible. Equally, whereas some components of flying are much less luxurious than prior to now, that’s not the case throughout the board — there weren’t showers on planes 30 years in the past.
The identical idea might be true when redeeming miles. My aim with this submit isn’t to say that “the great previous days” of award redemptions are behind us (there are nonetheless many superb award candy spots), however relatively to have a look at a few of the award redemption prospects from previous years that I miss.
I’ll share these roughly in chronological order of once they had been pulled, and I’m curious what number of OMAAT readers keep in mind these offers. For many who have been round miles & factors for a very long time, I hope you’ll share any offers that come to thoughts as effectively. Right here we go…
Aeroplan top notch awards from the US to Asia for 120,000 miles
Air Canada’s Aeroplan frequent flyer program used to supply the perfect premium cabin redemption charges of any program on the market, in my view. For 120,000 miles you may fly roundtrip from the US to Asia with no gasoline surcharges. Better of all, you may have two stopovers along with your vacation spot, and you may route through Europe.
San Francisco to Munich to Zurich to Bangkok to Hong Kong to Seoul to Frankfurt to Seattle for 120,000 miles in top notch with no provider imposed surcharges? Sure please.
In 2011 Aeroplan devalued its award chart, and shortly thereafter Aeroplan additionally added provider imposed surcharges on most companions. The Aeroplan program has been utterly reinvented since then, and nonetheless has some nice award redemption alternatives.
Lufthansa opening 4-8 top notch award seats prematurely
Lufthansa was once one of the beneficiant airways on the earth when it got here to releasing top notch award area, even prematurely. That’s as a result of Lufthansa used to have Boeing 747-400s with 16 top notch seats, so it was completely regular to see 4 to eight top notch award seats prematurely. It was really one of many best top notch merchandise to e book with miles.
Then in 2011 Lufthansa shrank the scale of its top notch cabin, and the 747-400 went from having 16 top notch seats to having eight top notch seats. That prompted an enormous discount within the quantity of top notch award area, after which shortly after that Lufthansa applied a coverage the place the airline would solely launch top notch awards to companion frequent flyer packages at most 15 days earlier than departure.
Incomes British Midland Diamond Membership miles for award flights
British Midland (bmi) is my favourite airline that I virtually by no means flew. The airline had top-of-the-line frequent flyer packages in historical past, although sadly British Midland was finally taken over by British Airways.
Not solely did bmi make it tremendous simple to qualify for Star Alliance Gold standing, however the airline was recognized to credit score miles for award flights. As if that’s not cool sufficient, Diamond Membership had among the many most profitable mileage incomes charges of any program — underneath some circumstances, Lufthansa top notch tickets would earn 600%+ miles. You could possibly mainly earn again as many miles as you redeemed.
Sadly the British Midland Diamond Membership program was discontinued in 2012. I can’t think about why. 😉
Oneworld Explorer awards with wild guidelines
American AAdvantage used to supply oneworld Explorer awards, which had been distance primarily based relatively than zone primarily based, and allowed limitless stopovers. American ended up discontinuing them in 2014 (with no discover), although at that time they weren’t at the same time as helpful as they had been initially.
Again within the day — a few years earlier than they had been discontinued — the Explorer award value was primarily based on the place you selected to have stopovers, relatively than the cumulative distance you flew. Touring repeatedly from Tampa to Chicago to Hong Kong to Sydney to Los Angeles to Miami with none stopovers? Effectively you’re simply going from Tampa to Miami — you’ll be charged primarily based in your ~200 mile flight from Tampa to Miami. Sure, that’s really how this was enforced.
Clearly that was too good to final.
With the ability to e book SWISS top notch with companion airline miles
SWISS was once one of many airways that made top notch so available to anybody redeeming miles. I do not forget that again within the day when SWISS’ A330s had eight top notch seats, I’d typically see flights with six to eight top notch award seats. With the ability to redeem US Airways miles for these flights was a heck of a deal.
Sadly as of 2014, SWISS went from one excessive to the opposite. SWISS went from making top notch awards huge open for members of companion packages, to proscribing them completely to Miles & Extra Senator members and above, that means that top notch awards are off limits for many of us.
There have been some restricted alternatives to redeem companion miles for SWISS top notch since then, however that was usually when there have been glitches.
Star Alliance top notch from the US to Asia through Europe for 70,000 United miles
In 2014, United MileagePlus devalued its award chart. Whereas this wasn’t fairly nearly as good of a worth as a few of the above redemptions, utilizing 70,000 miles for one thing like Los Angeles to Frankfurt to Bangkok in top notch was powerful to beat.
US Airways enterprise class awards from the US to North Asia for 90,000 miles
I positive do miss US Airways Dividend Miles, and particularly, the power to redeem simply 90,000 miles for roundtrip enterprise class from the US to North Asia. One of the best half was that you may route by way of Europe. The even higher half was that Dividend Miles brokers had been geographically challenged, so you may get away with much more than that. Is Madrid in Spain or Argentina? Frankfurt is absolutely in Kentucky, proper? 😉
I’ve so many superb recollections of Dividend Miles redemptions, like New York to Warsaw to Zurich to Beijing to Addis Ababa to Frankfurt to Washington. I don’t assume there’s an award I’ve ever booked extra of than this one. On condition that US Airways used to promote miles for 1.1 cents every, you may mainly e book these for $1,000 every. Not a nasty deal.
This award redemption was discontinued in 2014.
Home US awards through Europe on Lufthansa
Again within the day, LifeMiles’ web site would allow you to e book home top notch awards inside the US on Lufthansa. However wait a second, Lufthansa doesn’t function flights inside the US. That’s appropriate, so you may do one thing like Los Angeles to Frankfurt to San Francisco for 25,000 miles in top notch, the identical worth you’d pay for flying United top notch from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
There are nonetheless many nice makes use of of Avianca LifeMiles, however nothing like this.
25,000 British Airways Avios for transatlantic enterprise class on Aer Lingus
Typically distance primarily based award charts work in our favor, and different occasions they don’t. With British Airways’ previous award chart, this system charged simply 12,500 miles for economic system or 25,000 miles for enterprise class on flights of as much as 3,000 miles one-way. As luck would have it, Boston to Dublin lined a distance of ~2,990 miles.
Flying throughout the Atlantic for the worth of a home ticket was a steal. Sadly British Airways devalued its award chart in 2015, and at this level that award will value you 13,000-20,000 Avios in economic system or 50,000-60,000 Avios in enterprise class.
Cathay Pacific top notch for 67,500 American miles (with two seats prematurely)
Up till 2016, American charged simply 67,500 miles for top notch between the US and Asia in Cathay Pacific top notch.
However what I’m actually wanting again longingly on is when Cathay Pacific used to make two top notch award seats obtainable prematurely. Now that was superior. Sadly for the previous a number of years Cathy Pacific usually solely releases one top notch award seat prematurely, making it tougher to e book this as a pair. For that matter, availability is even fairly restricted for a single traveler.
Backside line
There’s no denying that over time airline award redemption charges have been devalued, and plenty of candy spots have been discontinued. On the similar time, miles are simpler to earn than ever earlier than, and there are nonetheless some superb candy spot alternatives on the market.
Nonetheless I believed it will be enjoyable to look again at a few of the greatest award values over time. There are a lot of extra I can consider, however the above are a few of my favorites, and positive deliver again some fond recollections.
Anybody have exprience with any of the above, or have every other nice offers from again within the day to share?
