Now is the time to book that trip to Europe! Luckily, you have tons of options in getting there with miles and points. And while it can be tough to score an award ticket during peak travel periods, with a little bit of legwork and some flexibility in which airline(s) you’ll fly, the programs below can get you there.
Welcome to our series on how to get to the regions of the world using points and miles. The article below focuses on Europe using miles – including the best mileage deals to the region using various credit card transfer partners. Please use this as a guide to finding some great deals. If you’re interested in other regions, choose from the articles below. Other destinations:
Zac at The Louvre in Paris 2021
Transferable Currencies When it comes to airline miles, transferable points are the holy grail. Transferable point programs let you transfer your points to any of a number of airline programs giving you the freedom to book many different flights through a variety of methods. This can be the difference between saving hundreds of dollars and saving thousands.
If you’re not familiar with transferable points programs, please check out the guides below:
Read this first: Award Search Tools Quick disclaimer: If you struggle to find award flights, want to save time, or feel overwhelmed reading this article, I highly recommend checking out a tool that can search award flights for you. This can turn a beginner into an expert without the 10,000 hours. Using an award booking search tool like this can be a huge time saver, but also erase the learning curve for how to find and book these kinds of flights that have great value.
There are some great tools out there. Lately, my favorite tool for beginners is PointsYeah.com . It is really fast, includes multiple-date searches, and has a free version! I previously recommended Point.me as my favorite, and I still think it is the best for step-by-step tutorials for the absolute award booking and points transfer beginner. But, you’ll quickly grow frustrated by how slow each search takes with Point.me, and you have to search one day at a time.
Read our review of Point.me here. If you want to check out the tool, here is our link to sign up for point.me . You can use the promo code TRAVELFREELY5 to get your first month for $5 — this applies for both a monthly or annual plan. To get the deal, select the Standard Plan (don’t select “I Have a code”). When you reach the checkout page, enter TRAVELFREELY5 and the $12 per month will become $5 (or use the code TRAVELFREELY20 to receive a 20% discount if you choose the annual plan).
Best ways to get to Europe using airline miles (in economy class)The deals below have been listed alphabetically. As you click on the provided links and conduct your search, it’s important to remember that the lowest price isn’t the entire picture: be sure to consider baggage fees, which airlines levy fuel surcharges and how easily you can accumulate miles for your chosen award.
See each description for where to search, how to book, and which partners you can use to transfer. It is always best to confirm seat availability before transferring miles to be sure that the award you seek can be booked with the miles you plan to use.
Note that most major airline programs charge either 25K or 30K miles each way to/from Europe in economy class. For example, flights booked through American Airlines AAdvantage or United Mileage Plus generally cost 25K-30K each way for saver awards in economy class (though they’ve all recently adopted variable pricing, so it’s worth checking those airlines’ sites for unadvertised specials).
The focus below is on programs that regularly offer better values to and from Europe for those same flights and flights with partner airlines.
ANA (for flights on Star Alliance member airlines)
The short story: ANA charges an excellent rate for round trip Star Alliance flights to Europe which is particularly good for those looking to take advantage of a free stopover on a round trip.Miles required : 55K round trip in economy class.How to find awards: Search for available space at ANA’s website . (You’ll need to create a free ANA Mileage Club account and log in to search for space.)How to book awards : Book online at ANA’s website .Key warnings: You MUST book round trip. Note, some carriers have high fuel surcharges, meaning more out-of-pocket expense for you. Others have none or low fuel surcharges. The ANA website interface is not particularly user-friendly and the search features can be tricky. Transfers to ANA typically take 2-3 days from Amex Membership Rewards or a week or more from Marriott, so there is risk of award space disappearing while you wait for a transfer.No fuel surcharges on: Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, Air China, Air New Zealand, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Etihad, UnitedLow fuel surcharges on : ANA, Asiana, LOT Polish, Turkish (higher than the others but low by comparison to some)Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Marriott Bonvoy
Air France / KLM Flying Blue (for flights on Air France / KLM or other SkyTeam member airlines)
The short story: Monthly Flying Blue Promo Awards can sometimes offer excellent value between the US and Europe.Miles required : It depends. Promo awards often offer good value, with economy class awards starting as low as 10K-15K one way during some sales from select airports. Some searches unveil good value on travel with SkyTeam partners like Delta or Alitalia.How to find awards: Search for available space at AirFrance.us (you’ll need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search)How to book awards : Book online at AirFrance.com . Can also book via phone.Key warnings: Air France / KLM do add fuel surcharges, though they are often reasonable.Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Chase Ultimate Rewards , Citi Thank You , Capital One , Marriott
Avios (for British Airways, Aer Lingus, or Iberia)
The short story: You can use British Airways, Iberia or Aer Lingus Avios to fly on those airlines for low mileage prices on nonstop routes.Miles required: (Click here to calculate the mileage for your trip.)
For flights on British Airways or Aer Lingus booked via British Airways, Aer Lingus, or Iberia (prices shown off-peak/peak):
13K / 20K for flights 3,000-4,000 miles flown
16,250 / 25K for flights 4,001 to 5,500 miles flown
For flights on Iberia booked via Iberia Avios only (prices shown off-peak/peak):
17K / 20K for flights 3,001-4,000 miles one way
21,250 / 25K for flights 4,001-5,000 miles one way
How to find awards: Search for British Airways available space at britishairways.com for Aer Lingus at United.com or Avios.com. For Iberia, use the Advanced Avios tool . It’s always best to search before transferring.How to book awards : Book British Airways flights online at britishaiways.com or over the phone at 1 800 452 1201. You can book Aer Lingus over the phone with British Airways or use Avios.comKey warnings: Note that it may be worth checking all 3 booking options (Avios.com, BritishAirways.com, and Iberia.com) to determine your best deal, though keep in mind that things like cancellation policies differ (note that Iberia offers no changes or refunds at all on most partner flights whereas British Airways offers cheap cancellation). Aer Lingus and British Airways charge for each segment separately, so multi-segment trips can get expensive quickly (Iberia charges based on cumulative distance each way, which can be cheaper on connecting itineraries).Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Capital One , Chase Ultimate Rewards , Marriott Bonvoy
Avianca LifeMiles (Star Alliance)
The short story: Avianca LifeMiles offers competitive pricing for Star Alliance awards, with some routes to Europe inexplicably pricing lower than LifeMiles’ award chart.Miles required : Officially, the LifeMiles award chart offers economy class at 20K one-way from the Northeastern US to the British Isles, Scandinavia, and Russia or 30K one-way on all other routes between the US and Europe. If you’re lucky, you may find an offer for less than the expected 30K miles one-way.How to find awards: Search for available space at LifeMiles.com (you must create a free Avianca LifeMiles frequent flyer account)How to book awards : Book online at LifeMiles.com . Can also book via email. Phone bookings are known to be a hassle.Key warnings: Availability at LifeMiles.com does not always match what you’ll find at United.com. Phone agents generally do not see better availability than what is shown at LifeMiles.com. Always check the LifeMiles site before transferring points. There is a mandatory $25 booking fee added to all bookings whether one-way or round trip. Also note that as of May 2020, Avianca has filed for bankruptcy protection. LifeMiles is not yet affected by this process and may not be, but given the uncertain state of global economics it may be wise to hold off on bookings that aren’t time-sensitive.Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Citi Thank You , Capital One , Marriott Bonvoy
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles (for flying a single Oneworld partner airline)
The short story: Cathay Pacific has reasonable pricing for single-partner Oneworld redemptions, particularly those flight itineraries requiring connections since they charge based on cumulative distance. (Click here to calculate flight mileage.)Miles required : 27K miles one-way for a cumulative distance of 2,751 to 5,000 miles, which covers much of the US to Europe.How to find awards: Search for available space at AsiaMiles.com (you must create a free Asia Miles frequent flyer account)How to book awards : Book online at AsiaMiles.com . Can also book via phone.Key warnings: Fuel surcharges are moderate depending on flight route and origin.Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Capital One , Citi Thank You , Marriott Bonvoy
Etihad Guest (for American Airlines or Brussels Airlines)
The short story: Etihad Guest offers a good value for flying on American Airlines between the US and Europe during off-peak dates (October 15 – May 15).Miles required : 20K each way in economy class on American Airlines during off-peak dates (October 15 – May 15). Peak pricing is 30K each way. If your travel is during peak dates, also consider Brussels Airlines from New York JFK or Washington IAD, which would be 27K each way in economy class (search for space on Brussels via United.com).How to find awards: You must first search for American Airlines award space at Qantas.com. Note that you could also use the British Airways site, but it is known to sometimes show phantom AA availability (which means it shows available seats that you can’t purchase.)How to book awards : Once you find the flight you wish to book, you must call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.Key warnings: Etihad phone agents have historically had trouble booking partner awards, though the new call center in Serbia appears to be quite competent. If your agent appears to be having trouble, you might want to HUCA (hang up, call again).Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Capital One , Citi Thank You , Marriott
Virgin Atlantic (for flying Air France / KLM or Virgin Atlantic)Note that Virgin Atlantic also charges the more standard 30K miles each way for nonstop Delta flights, which is notable since Delta frequently charges many more miles for the same flights. See How to book Delta flights with Virgin Atlantic miles for more.
The short story: Virgin Atlantic offers excellent economy class pricing on Air France / KLM, particularly from the Eastern US to Europe but also for its own flights to the UK (albeit with somewhat expensive surcharges). Premium Economy can also be an excellent deal.Miles required :
For flying Air France / KLM During “standard season” (not peak) dates, 12,000 miles each way in economy class between the East Coast of the US and Western Europe or 20,000 miles each way to Central Europe (and North Africa). From the Western or Central US to Western Europe is 15,000 miles or Eastern Europe is 23,000 miles. Standard price travel dates dates include:
6 January 2020 – 2 April 2020
22 April 2020 – 19 June 2020
7 September 2020 – 11 December 2020
6 January 2021 – 31 March 2021
For flying on Virgin Atlantic to/from the UK (Prices shown off-peak / peak; see: Virgin Atlantic award chart (U.S.-centric )
From the Northeast US: 10K / 20K
From the Midwest & South: 12.5K / 22.5K
From the Western US: 15K / 25K
Note that fees are about $149 one-way to London or $263 one-way from London
How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com How to book awards : Book online at VirginAtlantic.com .Key warnings: The nice thing about booking Air France / KLM flights with Virgin Atlantic miles is that Virgin Atlantic does not charge each flight segment separately as they do with other partners or their own flights. Keep in mind that Virgin Atlantic is currently facing uncertain financial times, so it may be best to hold off a while on booking any travel that isn’t imminent.Transfer from : Amex, Citi, Chase , Marriott
Best ways to get to Europe using airline miles (premium cabins) Again, the deals below are roughly sorted alphabetically. Remember that the lowest price isn’t the entire picture: always take into consideration baggage fees, fuel surcharges and the ease of amassing the miles for your chosen award. See each description for where to search, how to book, and which partners you can use to transfer. It is always best to confirm availability before transferring miles to be sure that the award you seek can be booked with the miles you wish to use.
Also note, that with variable pricing in effect at all three of the major US carriers (American / Delta / United), it’s always worth checking those airlines’ sites for unadvertised specials. The programs listed below regularly offer better values for those same flights and flights with other partners, which provide many options between the US and Europe.
Flying First Class on Air France
Air Canada Aeroplan
The short story: While flights to Europe recently became more expensive using this program, they do offer a stopover on on a one-way award for only 5,000 miles, which can present particular value. For traveling families, lap infants are now just $25 CAD or 2,500 miles per direction (far cheaper than most programs).Miles required : 60K-100K each way in business class or 90K-130K each way in first class based on distance. Partner awards no longer incur fuel surcharges .How to find awards: Search for available space at Aeroplan.com (you must create a free Aeroplan frequent flyer account to search)How to book awards : Book online at Aeroplan.com or via phone. Lap infants must be added to your reservation over the phone.Key warnings: You’ll pay more miles based on distance, but keep in mind that you can add a stopover on a one-way for 5,000 miles, which makes Aeoplan a better deal if you’re looking to visit two countries in one trip.Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Chase Ultimate Rewards , Capital One , Marriott
Air France / KLM Flying Blue Flying Blue doesn’t have a set award chart, but their monthly Promo Rewards often make it possible to fly to Europe in business class for 45K miles or less.
The short story: Monthly Flying Blue Promo Awards can sometimes offer excellent value between the US and Europe.Miles required : On Air France, the “normal” price to Europe is around 60K one way in business class. Promo awards often offer better value, with business class awards available in the 40K’s and sometimes as low as the 20K’s depending on destination.How to find awards: Search for available space at AirFrance.us (you must create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account)How to book awards : Book online at AirFrance.com . Can also book via phone.Key warnings: Air France / KLM do add fuel surcharges (about $150-$250 in taxes and fees each way)Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Capital One , Chase Ultimate Rewards , Citi Thank You , Marriott Bonvoy
Business Class on Air France
ANA Mileage Club If you can book round trip and avoid airlines with high fuel surcharges, ANA is the best deal for Star Alliance flights.
The short story: ANA offers the hands-down best deal for round trip business class to Europe on Star Alliance airlines.Miles required : 88K round trip in business class. Choose a carrier with no or low fuel surcharges.How to find awards: Search for available space at ANA’s website . (you must create a free ANA Mileage Club account)How to book awards : Book online at ANA’s website .Key warnings: You must book round trip. High fuel surcharges are assessed by some carriers, others have none or low fuel surcharges. The ANA website interface is not particularly user-friendly. Note that transfers to ANA are not instant. Transfers typically take 2-3 days from Amex Membership Rewards or a week or more from Marriott, so there is risk of award space disappearing while you wait for a transfer.No fuel surcharges on: Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, Air China, Air New Zealand, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Etihad, UnitedLow fuel surcharges on : ANA, Asiana, LOT Polish, Turkish (higher than the others but low by comparison to some)Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Marriott Bonvoy
Avianca LifeMiles
While the “regular” rate is 63K miles each way in business class, the nice thing about Avianca LifeMiles is their mixed-cabin pricing: if you have a long economy class leg in your itinerary, you may be able to get to Europe with the transoceanic leg in business class for under 50K miles. Also great for flying with no fuel surcharges.
The short story: Avianca LifeMiles offers competitive pricing for Star Alliance awards, especially in first class, with no fuel surcharges.Miles required : 63K each way in business or 87K each way in first class, no fuel surcharges.How to find awards: Search for available space at LifeMiles.com (you must create a free Avianca LifeMiles frequent flyer account)How to book awards : Book online at LifeMiles.com . Can also book via phone. Phone bookings are known to be a hassle.Key warnings: Availability at LifeMiles.com does not always match what you’ll find at United.com. Phone agents generally do not see better availability than what is shown at LifeMiles.com. Always check the LifeMiles site before transferring points. Keep in mind that the mandatory $25 booking fee (added to all bookings) is the same whether one-way or round trip.Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Capital One , Citi Thank You , Marriott Bonvoy
Emirates Skywards You’ll need to book round trip to get the best deals, but at 90K round trip in business or 135K round trip in first, they are deals indeed.
The short story: Emirates charges a very reasonable number of miles for business or first class between New York (JFK) and Milan or Newark (EWR) and Athens, with round-trip pricing being particularly attractive.Miles required : 62.5K one-way / 90K round trip in business class or 85K each way in first classHow to find awards: Search for availability at Emirates.com How to book awards : Book online at Emirates.com Key warnings: Emirates’ fees are quite reasonable these days (around $60 to Europe and $100 from Europe for a total of around $160 round trip)Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Citi ThankYou points , Capital One miles , Marriott Bonvoy
Etihad Guest
While the Royal Air Maroc and Brussels Airlines sweet spots have soured a bit, Etihad still offers a competitive rate to Brussels or Casablanca (easy connections to Europe from there) or on American Airlines.
The short story: Etihad Guest offers a good value for flying on American Airlines, Brussels Airlines, or Royal Air Maroc between the US and Europe.Miles required : 44K each way in business class on Brussels Airlines or 44K to Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc (connections to Europe will add additional miles now, fuel surcharges around $170 each way) or 50K each way in business class on American Airlines (no fuel surcharges). First class on AA is only 62.5K miles one-way, but AA only operates 3-cabin first class on a couple of routes and award space may be hard to come by.How to find awards: Search for Brussels award space on United.com , American award space on AA.com (you may want to double-check availability at Qantas.com), or Royal Air Maroc award space on RoyalAirMaroc.com (you’ll need to create a free Safar Flyer account)How to book awards : Call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.Key warnings: Etihad phone agents have historically had trouble booking partner awards, though the new call center in Serbia appears to be quite competent. If your agent appears to be having trouble, you might want to HUCA (hang up, call again).Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Capital One , Citi Thank You , Marriott Bonvoy
Iberia Avios Potentially the cheapest deal on miles, Iberia is one you shouldn’t ignore if you can fly direct from one of their Eastern US gateways to Spain.
The short story: Iberia charges as few as 34K miles one-way in business class on its own flights from New York, Boston, Chicago, or DC to Madrid during off-peak season. Sometimes they run a winter travel promotion for even less.Miles required : Best deal are from the cities mentioned above to Madrid: 34K during off-peak dates or 50K during peak dates. Fuel surcharges are very mild (Around $175 in total taxes & fees round trip. If booking one-way, surcharges are higher leaving Europe than flying to Europe.How to find awards: Search Iberia.com using the Advanced Avios Search Tool How to book awards : Book at Iberia.com after using the Advanced Avios Search Tool.Key warnings: Iberia’s website can be challenging to navigate and availability can be challenging to find. There are some surcharges, but at under a hundred bucks from the US to Europe, they are much milder than when using British Airways Avios. Note that Iberia’s award chart is distance-based, so itineraries with connections will require more miles.Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Chase Ultimate Rewards , Marriott Bonvoy
Turkish Miles & Smiles
At 45K each way, this can be a great option for one-way Star Alliance itineraries, but not for those with high fuel surcharges.
The short story: At 45K each way in business class or 67.5K each way in business class, Turkish offers one of the best mileage rates to Europe – but watch out for fuel surcharges on some partners. Still, fuel surcharges may be worth it in some instances given the low rates (particularly in first class).Miles required : 45K miles each way in business class or 67.5K each way in first classHow to find awards: Search for available space at united.com and call Turkish to book or go to turkishairlines.com , log in to your account, go to “Miles transactions” to find the Star Alliance booking tool and click “book now” to go to that search tool (not the tool on the home page at turkishairlines.com). Note that there may be bookable options that do not appear on the site (hence checking United and calling when necessary).How to book awards : Book online at turkishairlines.com using the instructions above or over the phone at 1-800-874-8875 or via email Key warnings: Turkish is sometimes unable to see Star Alliance availability for no explicable reason. However, Turkish allows a hold for long enough for points to transfer from Citi. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that you get your desired itinerary on hold via phone before transferring points. No fuel surcharges on Air Canada, United, Avianca, or SAS. Low fuel surcharges on LOT Polish and Turkish.Transfer from : Capital One , Citi Thank You , Marriott Bonvoy
Virgin Atlantic
Update 12/5/23: Major negative changes are happening to the redemption value of this Virgin strategy. This article has not been updated to reflect these changes.
Often (though not always) one of the easier sweet spots to book, Virgin is a great option for nonstop Delta flights to Europe.
The short story: Virgin Atlantic often offers Delta flights for many fewer miles than Delta would charge for the same itineraries. This can be a particularly good value for Delta’s life-flat routes to Europe and availability is often surprisingly good.Miles required : 50K miles each way in business class (for direct flights) between the US and Europe (excluding the UK, which is a separate chart).How to find awards: Search for available space at VirginAtlantic.com .How to book awards : Book online at VirginAtlantic.com .Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so they are not a good choice for connecting itineraries. Note that taxes on flights originating in Europe can be high, but are only $5.60 when originating in the US. Some major European airports are not loaded into Virgin Atlantic’s website, so you may have to call to check availability / book.Transfer from : Amex Membership Rewards , Chase Ultimate Rewards , Citi Thank You, Marriott Bonvoy
United United doesn’t offer the most competitive mileage pricing to Europe, but they do have the most user-friendly website experience and they do not pass on fuel surcharges, which can make them an option to consider if you have a lot of United miles.
The short story: United charges a relatively large number of miles for business class flights between the US and Europe (~70K), but the lack of fuel surcharges can be a major advantage for booking partners like Lufthansa.Miles required : 70K one-way in business class between the US and Europe on partner airlines and sometimes even fewer points on United.How to find awards: Search for available space at United.com How to book awards : Book online at United.com Key warnings: United has eliminated its award chart, so we may eventually see many different prices for award tickets.Transfer from : Chase Ultimate Rewards , Marriott Bonvoy
Travel Freely member Megan went Italy! (Pictured at the Vatican)
The following chart shows the available transferable points programs for each of the above airline frequent flyer programs:
Rewards Program
Amex Transfer Ratio
Chase Transfer Ratio
Citi Transfer Ratio
Marriott Transfer Ratio
Capital One Transfer Ratio
Air Canada Aeroplan
1 to 1
1 to 1
60K to 25K
1 to 1
Air France KLM Flying Blue
1 to 1
1 to 1
1 to 1
60K to 25K
1 to 1
ANA Mileage Club
1 to 1
60K to 25K
Avianca LifeMiles
1 to 1
1 to 1
3K to 1K
1 to 1
Emirates Skywards
1 to 1
1 to 1
1 to 1
60K to 25K
1 to 1
Etihad Guest
1 to 1
1 to 1
60K to 25K
1 to 1
Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles
1 to 1
60K to 25K
1 to 1
United MileagePlus
1 to 1
60K to 30K
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
1 to 1
1 to 1
1 to 1
60K to 25K
(Some of this content originally appeared on The Frequent Miler and has been posted with permission.)
More from the best ways to get to various regions around the world using miles:
