How Many Airline Miles Do You Need for an Award Flight

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Redeeming miles for a free flight is one way to get that "Christmas feeling" any time of the year. Although you can roughly estimate how many miles you need for a free flight, each airline charges differing amounts. Whether you're flying domestic or international, the below suggestions can give you an idea of how many miles you need to set aside.

How many airline miles do you need for an award 

How Much Do Domestic Award Flights Cost?

One nuisance you will come across booking free flights is "floating award charts." A few years ago, most airlines charged a fixed-rate for award flights. You knew exactly how many miles you were going to pay to book a flight, regardless of ticket price.

Today, many airlines use a floating award chart that ties the award ticket price to the cash value price. In other words, a $400 ticket is probably going to cost more than a $100 ticket, even if you're flying the same route.

To their credit, American Airlines and United Airlines are two domestic carriers that still offer fixed rate rewards. Delta and Southwest only offer floating-rate award flights.

The cost of these floating award flights depends on these four factors:

Current cash value ticket price

Flight departure time

Departure date

Demand for that flight and route

Primetime flights are going to cost more than red-eye flights. If you want to fly on a busy travel day, all flights will cost more points than a less busy travel day.

For domestic flights, expect to pay between 4,000 miles and 20,000 miles each way for a main cabin seat. With legacy carriers, 12,500 miles is the norm for an economy seat. If you're flying in business or first class, expect to pay between around 50,000 miles each way in most cases.

Of course, you might have to pay more for any cabin class. Plus, you still have to pay fees and taxes for an award flight. For most flights, it's a manageable fee, but not on long British Airways awards.

American Airlines

For legacy carriers (American, Delta, and United), American might be the cheapest option for domestic flights because of their discount rate for short-haul flights. To get the best deals, look for their MileSAAver rate.

With this rate, award flights start at 7,500 for flights less than 500 miles in the mainland U.S. and Canada. For flights longer than 750 miles, expect to pay the following for domestic flights:

Main Cabin: 12,500 miles

Business Class: 25,000 miles (15,000 miles for flights shorter than 500 miles)

First Class: 50,000 miles

American Airlines has just recently announced new lower web special deals. 

United Airlines

United also has a fixed award chart with their Saver Award flights. If you can't book a Saver Award, you will pay a floating rate that only has an upper mileage limit.

Expect to pay the following for domestic flights:

Economy Class: 12,500 miles (10,000 miles for flights shorter than 700 miles)

First Class: 25,000 miles (Add 10,000 mile for premium transcontinental service)

You can see some United award booking tips here. To find better award flight availability, carry the United Explorer Card, which is one of the best travel credit cards.

Delta Air Lines

Many people have a love-hate relationship with Delta Air Lines and booking award flights. Why? Because the mileage prices aren't published. You can see some Delta award flight examples that we've mentioned before.

Short-haul flights start at 5,000 SkyMiles. For main cabin seats, expect to pay between 7,500 and 12,500 for most routes. But, longer domestic flights and high-demand routes can cost as much as 30,000 SkyMiles. That's significantly higher than United or American Airlines.

Premium cabin flights usually start around 35,000 miles. But, they can be as high as 75,000 miles for the same route on a busy travel day.

One sweet perk about flying Delta is getting your first checked bag free for you and eight companions. This is one benefit of owning a Delta credit card. When booking award flights, you need to think about these add-on expenses too.

Southwest Airlines

Of the discount airlines, Southwest Airlines usually has some of the best award flight prices. With the legacy carriers, you can pretty much bank on paying 12,500 miles for a domestic one-way flight. In many cases, you can fly Southwest for less. Plus, your first two checked bags fly free.

Depending on the day and time you fly, you can fly across the country for 6,515 miles. That's half the cost of flying American or United. Southwest is also a 1:1 Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner. You can quickly transfer your credit card rewards points to book a Southwest flight, even if the legacy carrier is your primary airline.

Another reason to fly Southwest is for their Southwest Companion Pass. With this perk, your travel companion only flies for the price of fees and taxes when you book your seat with cash or points. Hint: you can earn the pass much quicker with one of Southwest's credit cards.

JetBlue

JetBlue is another discount airline with competitive rates across the United States and to the Caribbean. They have floating award flight prices. Their "Blue" fares can be cheaper than the legacy carriers for cross-country flights. For our litmus test, a one-way flight from Atlanta to L.A. costs 11,200 miles plus $5.60 fees and taxes.

Where can find bargains is in short-haul flights. For instance, you can fly from Atlanta to Orlando for 2,600 points plus $5.60. Legacy carriers will charge between 5,000 and 10,000 miles for the same flight.

For one of the best premium class experiences, the JetBlue Mint class can be worth the splurge.

International Flights

Prices will vary for international flights. Some airlines use a distance-based program and others use a zone-based award chart.

For economy seats, expect to pay between 15,000 miles one-way for nearby countries. You'll likely spend around 30,000 miles if you fly to Europe or Asia. For first class and business class, 60,000 to 70,000 miles is a good rule of thumb for most airlines. Even though you pay more, you might get more value per miles for flying premium cabin.

When you fly overseas, you also need to pay attention to fuel surcharges. If you choose an airline like British Airways or Lufthansa, the fuel surcharge may feel like you aren't getting a free flight. Expect to pay up to $500 per person.

To avoid fuel surcharges, look to these airlines for global flights:

American

United

Aer Lingus

Avianca

Also, consider booking partner flights to save a few points. This is also an option when flying to Hawaii. You may have to call the airline to book your seat. But, the savings (and better flight experience) can be well worth the effort.

Summary: How Much to Pay for a Free Flight

You can find bargains for domestic and international flights. Your points are usually more valuable for premium cabin seats. When shopping for flights, compare discount and legacy airlines. Don't forget to include baggage fees and fuel surcharges too when looking at your free flight options.

source:Forbes