How to Fly to Europe with Points and Miles

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Now is the time to book that trip to Europe, and the good news is you have more ways to get there on points and miles than almost any other part of the world. It can be tough to score an award seat during peak travel periods, but with a little legwork and some flexibility about which airline you fly, the programs below can get you there. If you are brand new to this, do not worry: we will explain the terms as we go, and you do not need to master all of these programs to book a great trip. One or two good options is plenty.

Welcome to our series on how to reach the regions of the world using points and miles. The guide below focuses on Europe, including the best mileage deals to the region using the transfer partners tied to your credit card rewards. Use it as a menu, not a checklist. If you are interested in other regions, choose from the articles below.

• Best ways to get to Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific using miles
• Best ways to get to South America using miles
• Best ways to get to cities in the US and Canada using miles
• Best ways to get to Africa using miles
• Best ways to get to the Caribbean / Central America using miles

Updated 2026 with award chart changes, surcharge information, and cancellation policies. This year brought some meaningful shifts: a few programs raised their prices, a couple of airlines piled on higher fuel surcharges, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan has rebranded to Atmos Rewards, and Japan Airlines Mileage Bank has emerged as a genuinely great low-surcharge option for business class. We have folded all of it in below.

Transferable currencies (start here)

When it comes to airline miles, transferable points are the closest thing to a holy grail. These are the flexible points you earn on cards like Chase Ultimate Rewards®, American Express® Membership Rewards®, Capital One miles, and Citi ThankYou® Points. Instead of being locked to one airline, they let you move your points to any of a number of airline programs, which gives you the freedom to book many different flights through many different methods. In practice, that flexibility can be the difference between saving hundreds of dollars and saving thousands.

If you are not yet familiar with transferable points programs, start with the guides below. These are the foundation, and they will make everything that follows easier to understand.

• American Express Membership Rewards® Guide (a Travel Freely advertiser)
• Bilt Rewards Guide (coming soon)
• Capital One Miles® Guide
• Chase Ultimate Rewards® Guide
• Citi ThankYou® Points Guide
• Marriott Bonvoy™ Guide
• Wells Fargo Rewards Guide (coming soon)

Read this first: award search tools

If you struggle to find award flights, want to save time, or feel overwhelmed reading this article, we highly recommend a tool that can search award flights for you. A good search tool can turn a beginner into a confident booker without spending 10,000 hours learning airline route maps. It is a real time saver, and it flattens the learning curve considerably.

There are some great tools out there. Lately, a favorite for beginners is PointsYeah.com. It is fast, includes multiple-date searches, and has a free version to get you started. Point.me is also excellent, and it remains the best for step-by-step tutorials aimed at the absolute beginner to award booking and points transfers. The tradeoff with Point.me is speed: each search takes longer, and you search one day at a time.

Read our review of Point.me here. If you want to try 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. To get the deal, select the Standard Plan (do not 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.

A quick word on “paid” flights to Europe

Before we get to award tickets, one tip worth knowing: using points to book a paid fare can sometimes cost fewer miles than an award ticket, and a paid fare still earns you miles. You can occasionally find slightly cheaper pricing through smaller online travel agencies, though you may be sacrificing customer service if something goes wrong with your flights.

It is also worth noting that fares that start in Europe are often much cheaper than the same route starting in the US. If you plan to visit Europe twice in the next year, it can make sense to book an award ticket over to Europe, then book a paid fare (perhaps using points) home from Europe and back again for your second trip. One-way business class fares from Europe to the US can be surprisingly reasonable, so there are a number of options to consider.

Best ways to get to Europe using airline miles (economy class)

The deals below are listed alphabetically. As you click through and run your own searches, remember that the lowest price is not the whole picture: always weigh baggage fees, which airlines add fuel surcharges (extra out-of-pocket cost on top of the miles), and how easily you can gather the miles for the award you want.

See each description for where to search, how to book, and which credit card programs you can transfer from. It is always best to confirm seat availability before you transfer miles, so you know the award you want can actually be booked with the miles you plan to use.

For context, most major airline programs charge roughly 25K to 30K miles each way to Europe in economy. For example, flights booked through American Airlines AAdvantage® or United Mileage Plus® generally run 25K to 30K each way for saver awards in economy (all three big US carriers now use variable pricing, so it is always worth checking their own sites for unadvertised specials). The programs below regularly beat that, either on the same flights or on partner airlines.

Air France / KLM Flying Blue® (for Air France, KLM, or other SkyTeam member airlines)

• The short story: Monthly Flying Blue Promo Awards can offer excellent value between the US and Europe.
• Miles required: Varies. Economy awards are often available from as low as 10K to 15K one way during Promo Rewards sales from select airports.
• How to find awards: Search at AirFrance.us (you will need to create a free Flying Blue frequent flyer account to search).
• How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. You can also book by phone or in the app.
• Change and cancellation fees: 70 euros.
• Key warnings: Flying Blue does add fuel surcharges, though on economy awards they are often reasonable.
• Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Marriott, Wells Fargo.

ANA Mileage Club® (for flights on Star Alliance member airlines)

• The short story: ANA charges an excellent rate for Star Alliance flights to Europe, which is especially good if you want to take advantage of a free stopover. Good news for 2026: ANA now allows one-way awards, so you are no longer forced to book round trip.
• Miles required: 27.5K one way in economy class. Fuel surcharges are passed along, but they can be avoided by choosing the right carriers.
• How to find awards: Search at United.com (do not log in, since logging in can show expanded availability tied to your status or card that is not bookable on partner awards) or on ANA’s website (ANA searches can be clunky, so it is often easier to find space one way at United first).
• How to book awards: Book online at ANA’s website.
• Change and cancellation fees: Free to change; 3,000 miles per passenger to cancel.
• Key warnings: Some carriers charge high fuel surcharges and others charge little or none, so choose carefully. The ANA website is not the most modern or user-friendly, so give yourself time to learn it. Also note that transfers to ANA are not instant: typically 2 to 3 days from Amex Membership Rewards, or a week or more from Marriott, so there is a real risk of award space disappearing while you wait for the transfer.
• No fuel surcharges on: Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, Air China, Air New Zealand, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Etihad, and United.
• Low fuel surcharges on: Asiana, LOT Polish, Turkish.
• Transfer from: Amex, Marriott.

Atmos Rewards (formerly Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan)

• The short story: Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan has rebranded to Atmos Rewards. Its distance-based award chart offers competitive pricing to and from Europe, starting at 22.5K points one way in economy, with a free stopover allowed even on a one-way award.
• Miles required: Atmos uses a mix of region-based and distance-based charts. Between the US and Europe, flights of 1,501 to 3,500 miles cost 22,500 points one way in economy. Flights of 3,501 to 5,000 miles cost 27,500 points one way, and flights over 5,000 miles (for example, from Los Angeles or San Francisco) start at 35K points. Sometimes a connecting itinerary prices in a lower distance band than you would expect.
• How to find awards: Search at AlaskaAirlines.com.
• How to book awards: Book online at AlaskaAirlines.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: None for award tickets. There is a non-refundable $12.50 partner booking fee, which is waived for Summit Visa cardholders.
• Key warnings: Multi-partner itineraries (other than those that include British Airways or American Airlines) still cannot be booked as a single ticket.
• Transfer from: Bilt, Marriott.

Avianca LifeMiles® (for Star Alliance airlines)

• The short story: Avianca LifeMiles raised award costs in 2025 and again in 2026, so it is not the slam-dunk it once was. It can still be a good deal for Star Alliance awards in the right situation, especially with a transfer bonus.
• Miles required: 35K to 48K one way between the US and Europe. The recent increases have taken a lot of the shine off, particularly from East Coast airports, but the right transfer bonus can still turn this into a deal.
• How to find awards: Search at LifeMiles.com (you will need to create a free Avianca LifeMiles account).
• How to book awards: Book online at LifeMiles.com. You can also book by email; phone bookings are known to be a hassle but are possible.
• Change and cancellation fees: Roughly $50 within a region, though awards that cross regions can cost $200 to cancel.
• Key warnings: Availability on LifeMiles.com does not always match United.com, and phone agents generally do not see more space than the website shows. Always check the LifeMiles site before you transfer. Keep in mind the mandatory $25 booking fee is the same whether you book one way or round trip, so booking round trip spreads that cost across both directions.
• Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Citi, Wells Fargo, Marriott.

Avios (for British Airways, Aer Lingus, Finnair, or Iberia)

• The short story: You can use British Airways, Aer Lingus, Finnair, or Iberia Avios to fly those airlines for low mileage prices on nonstop routes. Avios is shared across those programs, which gives you flexibility in where you book.
• How to find awards: Search British Airways space at britishairways.com. Search Aer Lingus at United.com, Avios.com, or the Aer Lingus award search tool. For Iberia, use the Advanced Avios tool. Always search before transferring.
• How to book awards: Book British Airways online at britishairways.com or by phone at 1-800-452-1201. Book Aer Lingus by phone through British Airways, at Avios.com, or with the Aer Lingus tool. Search Iberia at iberia.com or the Advanced Avios tool. Book Finnair at finnair.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: $55. If the taxes and fees on your ticket were less than $55, British Airways may let you forfeit those fees instead, and in practice they sometimes still refund the taxes.
• Key warnings: It is worth checking all three booking sites (Avios.com, BritishAirways.com, and Iberia.com) to find your best deal, but note that cancellation policies differ (Iberia offers no changes or refunds at all on most partner flights, while British Airways offers cheap cancellation). Aer Lingus and British Airways charge for each segment separately, so multi-segment trips get expensive quickly. Iberia charges based on cumulative distance each way, which can be cheaper on connecting itineraries.
• Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Marriott, Wells Fargo. You can also transfer to Qatar and then to British Airways from Citi.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles™ (for flying a single oneworld partner airline)

• The short story: Cathay Pacific has reasonable pricing for single-partner oneworld redemptions, especially itineraries with connections, since it charges based on total distance flown.
• Miles required: 27K miles one way for a cumulative distance of 2,751 to 5,000 miles, which covers most of the US to Europe. The next band, up to 7,500 miles, is 40K miles.
• How to find awards: Search at AsiaMiles.com (you will need to create a free Asia Miles account).
• How to book awards: Book online at AsiaMiles.com. You can also book by phone.
• Change and cancellation fees: $50 or 7,500 miles online, or $90 or 13,500 miles by phone, for changes (per person, per sector). $120 or 17,000 miles to cancel.
• Key warnings: Fuel surcharges are moderate depending on the route and origin.
• Transfer from: Amex (at a 5:4 ratio), Bilt, Capital One, Citi, Marriott.

Emirates Skywards®

• The short story: Emirates can be a great deal for economy between New York (JFK) and Milan, or Newark (EWR) and Athens. Heads up, though: surcharges have roughly doubled to about $290 round trip.
• Miles required: Starting at 17.5K one way.
• How to find awards: Search at Emirates.com.
• How to book awards: Book online at Emirates.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: Date change $25; destination change or cancellation $75.
• Key warnings: Emirates carries high fuel surcharges, and round-trip saver awards can sometimes be hard to find.
• Transfer from: Amex (1000:800), Bilt, Citi (1000:800), Capital One (1000:750), Marriott.

Etihad Guest® (for American Airlines or Brussels Airlines)

• The short story: Etihad Guest offers decent value for flying partners American Airlines or Brussels Airlines between the US and Europe at the shorter end of its distance-based chart. Watch out for the punitive cancellation policy.
• Miles required: 28K miles each way for flights of 2,001 to 2,500 miles flown, or 34K for flights of 2,501 to 3,000 miles flown.
• How to find awards: You should be able to find and book American Airlines award space on Etihad’s website. You may need to search United.com for Brussels Airlines space.
• How to book awards: Book on Etihad’s website or call Etihad Guest at 1-877-690-0767.
• Change and cancellation fees: Etihad has a strict policy. No changes or cancellations are allowed within 72 hours of departure, and Value tickets cannot be cancelled at all. More than 72 hours out, Deluxe tickets change and cancel free, Comfort tickets lose 25% of the fare to cancel (changes cost about AED 200), and Value tickets allow changes for about AED 600.
• Key warnings: Etihad also has a tough expiration policy: miles are valid for 18 months, and that window only extends if you fly Etihad or a partner and credit it to Etihad Guest.
• Transfer from: Bilt, Capital One, Citi, Marriott.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club™ Avios (for JetBlue)

• The short story: Qatar Airways Privilege Club offers reasonable award pricing on JetBlue with no fuel surcharges.
• Miles required: 25K each way. Taxes and fees departing the US are just $10.10.
• How to find awards: Search at QatarAirways.com. You can theoretically start by finding “P” class space using advanced routing codes in ITA Matrix, but awards sometimes appear even when ITA Matrix shows no “P” space, so hunting directly on QatarAirways.com may be your best bet.
• How to book awards: Book on QatarAirways.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: $25 more than 24 hours in advance; $100 between 3 and 24 hours in advance; nonrefundable within 3 hours or after departure.
• Key warnings: Qatar only charges mandatory taxes ($10.10 departing the US and roughly $40 to $100 departing Europe) with no added carrier-imposed surcharges on JetBlue awards.
• Transfer from: Amex, Citi. You can also transfer to British Airways and then to Qatar from Bilt, Capital One, Chase, or Wells Fargo.

Qantas Frequent Flyer® (for oneworld partner airlines)

• The short story: Qantas offers decent award prices from the US Northeast to northwestern Europe on itineraries of 3,600 miles or fewer each way.
• Miles required: 23,300 miles for itineraries covering 2,401 to 3,600 miles. No fuel surcharges on American.
• How to find awards: Search at Qantas.com (you will need to create a free Qantas Frequent Flyer account).
• How to book awards: Book online at Qantas.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: 5,000 miles per passenger to change; 6,000 miles per passenger to cancel.
• Key warnings: Atmos Rewards or American AAdvantage is often a better value if you have direct flights.
• Transfer from: Amex, Citi, Capital One, Marriott.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club® (for flying Air France / KLM or Virgin Atlantic)

Note that Virgin Atlantic also charges fewer miles than Delta for nonstop Delta flights, which is notable since Delta often charges far more for the same seats. See How to book Delta flights with Virgin Atlantic miles for more.

• The short story: Virgin Atlantic offers excellent economy pricing on Air France / KLM, especially from the Eastern US to Europe, and on its own flights to the UK (though with high surcharges). Premium Economy can also be an excellent deal.
• Miles required:
  • Flying Air France / KLM: During standard season (not peak) dates, 12,000 miles each way in economy between the East Coast 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; to Eastern Europe, 23,000 miles.
  • Flying Virgin Atlantic to and from the UK: Prices start as low as 6,000 points each way from the East Coast or 9,000 points from the West Coast. Note that fees run about $160 one way to London or about $250 to $300 one way from London.
• How to find awards: Search at VirginAtlantic.com.
• How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com. See our guide to booking Air France and KLM with Virgin Atlantic miles.
• Change and cancellation fees: $100. If your original taxes were less than $100, Virgin Atlantic will let you simply forfeit the taxes instead.
• Key warnings: The zone-based chart for Air France / KLM can be confusing at first, but the nice thing is that Virgin Atlantic does not charge each segment separately on those flights (as it does with other partners or its own flights), so you pay the region price even when connecting.
• Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Marriott, Wells Fargo.

Best ways to get to Europe using miles (business and first class)

Business and first class are where points really shine, turning a cash fare that could cost thousands into a redemption you can actually afford. The deals below are again sorted alphabetically. As with economy, weigh baggage fees, fuel surcharges, and how easily you can gather the miles. With variable pricing now in effect at all three major US carriers, it is always worth checking their own sites for unadvertised specials too.

Air Canada Aeroplan®

• The short story: Aeroplan groups Africa, the Middle East, and the Indian subcontinent into the same “Atlantic” region as Europe. It also offers a stopover on a one-way award for 5,000 miles, which can be very valuable. Lap infants are just $25 CAD or 2,500 miles per direction, far cheaper than most programs. Note that Air Canada and United awards are priced dynamically, with no maximum cap.
• Miles required: 60K to 110K each way in business class, or 90K to 140K each way in first class, based on distance. Partner awards do not incur fuel surcharges.
• How to find awards: Search at AirCanada.com.
• How to book awards: Book online at AirCanada.com or by phone. Complicated stopover itineraries must be booked by phone, and lap infants must be added over the phone.
• Change and cancellation fees: Changes cost $100 for “Lowest” fare awards; there is no fee to change Flex or Latitude awards. Cancellations cost $150 for most standard awards online at AirCanada.com (or $175 via the call center). Other flex awards are free to change or cancel.
• Key warnings: You pay more miles based on distance, but the 5,000-mile stopover on a one-way ticket makes Aeroplan a strong choice if you want to visit two countries in one trip (Spain and India, Germany and South Africa, or Portugal and Morocco, for example).
• Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Chase, Capital One, Marriott.

Air France / KLM Flying Blue®

• The short story: Monthly Flying Blue Promo Awards, and even regular standard awards, can offer excellent value between the US and Europe.
• Miles required: Varies. Air France no longer publishes an award chart, but business class between North America and Europe starts at 60K one way (when you can find it). Promo awards often beat that, with business class sometimes available for 40K.
• How to find awards: Search at AirFrance.us (you will need a free Flying Blue account).
• How to book awards: Book online at AirFrance.com. You can also book by phone.
• Change and cancellation fees: 70 euros.
• Key warnings: Air France / KLM adds fuel surcharges in business class, and they have been climbing (now roughly $300 to $350 in taxes and fees each way). Factor that into whether the redemption still beats paying cash.
• Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Marriott, Wells Fargo.

Atmos Rewards (formerly Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan)

• The short story: Now rebranded from Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, Atmos Rewards has a distance-based chart that shines on shorter business class routes to and from Europe, starting at 45K points one way with a free stopover allowed on a one-way award.
• Miles required: Between the US and Europe, flights of 1,501 to 3,500 miles cost 45K points one way in business class. Flights of 3,501 to 5,000 miles cost 55K one way, and flights over 5,000 miles (for example, Los Angeles or San Francisco) start at 70K points. Sometimes a connecting itinerary prices in a lower distance band than expected.
• How to find awards: Search at AlaskaAirlines.com.
• How to book awards: Book online at AlaskaAirlines.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: None for award tickets. There is a non-refundable $12.50 partner booking fee, waived for Summit Visa cardholders.
• Key warnings: Multi-partner itineraries (other than those including British Airways or American Airlines) still cannot be booked as a single ticket.
• Transfer from: Bilt, Marriott.

American Airlines AAdvantage®

• The short story: American Airlines charges 57.5K miles one way for partner business class awards to and from Europe. It no longer publishes an award chart for its own flights, but connecting itineraries can sometimes price very reasonably.
• Miles required: 57.5K miles one way for partner business class. American does not publish a chart for its own flights, but itineraries that connect within the US often price for less than nonstop awards to Europe.
• How to find awards: Search at AA.com.
• How to book awards: Book online at AA.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: None for award tickets. Web Specials cannot be changed but can be cancelled and redeposited without a fee.
• Key warnings: Watch for high surcharges on British Airways awards to and from the UK (they can be much lower departing other European countries). Nonstop American-operated flights to Europe can cost an exorbitant number of miles, but connecting from a non-hub within the US can sometimes cut the cost dramatically.
• Transfer from: Citi, Marriott.

ANA Mileage Club®

• The short story: ANA offers one of the best deals around for business class to Europe on Star Alliance airlines, and with one-way awards now allowed, it is more flexible than it used to be.
• Miles required: 50K one way in business class. Fuel surcharges are passed along, but they can be avoided with the right carriers.
• How to find awards: Search at United.com (do not log in, since logging in can show expanded availability tied to your status or card that is not bookable on partner awards) or on ANA’s website (it is often easier to find space one way at United first).
• How to book awards: Book online at ANA’s website.
• Change and cancellation fees: Free to change; 3,000 miles per passenger to cancel.
• Key warnings: Some carriers charge high fuel surcharges and others little or none. The ANA website takes some getting used to. Transfers to ANA are not instant (2 to 3 days from Amex, a week or more from Marriott), so there is a risk of award space disappearing while you wait.
• No fuel surcharges on: Air Canada, Scandinavian Airlines, Air China, Air New Zealand, Avianca, Copa Airlines, Etihad, and United.
• Low fuel surcharges on: Asiana, LOT Polish, Turkish.
• Transfer from: Amex, Marriott.

Avianca LifeMiles®

• The short story: Avianca LifeMiles offers competitive-ish business class pricing for Star Alliance awards to Europe, with no fuel surcharges.
• Miles required: 69K to 93K each way in business class with no fuel surcharges. Routes that price at 93K as of 2026 can usually be booked through other Star Alliance programs for fewer miles, but the 69K routes (especially for West Coast travelers) can still be solid deals, particularly with a good transfer bonus.
• How to find awards: Search at LifeMiles.com (you will need a free Avianca LifeMiles account) or with an award search tool that supports LifeMiles.
• How to book awards: Book online at LifeMiles.com. You can also book by email; phone bookings are a hassle but possible.
• Change and cancellation fees: Roughly $50 within a region, though awards between regions can cost $200 to cancel.
• Key warnings: Availability on LifeMiles.com does not always match United.com, and phone agents rarely see more. Always check the LifeMiles site before transferring. The mandatory $25 booking fee is the same one way or round trip, so round trip spreads the cost.
• Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Citi, Wells Fargo, Marriott.

Emirates Skywards®

• 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. Be warned, though: the surcharges are brutal.
• Miles required: 59K one way or 118K round trip in business class. First class is 102K one way and 204K round trip. Surcharges are much higher now and can top $900 round trip in business class, so run the math before you book.
• How to find awards: Search at Emirates.com.
• How to book awards: Book online at Emirates.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: Date change $25; destination change or cancellation $75.
• Key warnings: Emirates has high fuel surcharges, and round-trip saver awards can be hard to find.
• Transfer from: Amex (1000:800), Bilt, Citi (1000:800), Capital One (1000:750), Marriott.

Iberia Avios

• The short story: Iberia charges as few as 50.5K miles one way in business class on its own flights from New York, Boston, Chicago, or DC to Madrid during off-peak season. Sometimes it runs a winter promotion for even less. We do not recommend Iberia for partner awards, since those are completely nonrefundable.
• Miles required: Varies by distance, starting at 50.5K off-peak or 59K peak on Iberia’s own flights. Fuel surcharges are very mild (around $175 in total taxes and fees round trip; one-way surcharges are higher leaving Europe than heading to Europe).
• How to find awards: Search at Iberia.com.
• How to book awards: Book at Iberia.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: About 25 euros or $40 for Basic, Premium Economy, or Business Class (recent data points suggest $40 for US customers despite no mention on the website). Only on flights operated by Iberia, Iberia Express, and Air Nostrum are partner awards nonrefundable.
• Key warnings: Iberia’s website can be tricky to navigate and availability is hard to find. Surcharges are moderate from the US to Europe, and much lower than British Airways Avios. Iberia’s chart is distance-based, so connections cost more, though connecting itineraries sometimes have space even when the nonstop legs do not.
• Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Chase, Wells Fargo. You can also transfer to British Airways and then to Iberia from Capital One or Citi.

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank (for oneworld partners)

New for 2026: Japan Airlines Mileage Bank has become one of the better low-surcharge ways to reach Europe in business class, so it is worth getting to know if you collect Capital One, Bilt, or Marriott points.

• The short story: Japan Airlines Mileage Bank charges as few as 42K miles one way for American Airlines business class awards to and from Europe.
• Miles required: 42K miles one way for American business class between the East Coast and Europe. Surcharges are under $50 each way.
• How to find awards: Search with Japan Airlines online. It can be a tricky process the first time, so give yourself a little patience to learn the interface.
• How to book awards: Book with Japan Airlines online.
• Change and cancellation fees: Japan Airlines Mileage Bank does not allow changes to ticketed awards, but the cancellation fee is a reasonable 3,100 JPY.
• Key warnings: The big drawback is a hard expiration policy. Miles expire at the end of the month, 36 months from when they were earned or transferred in, with no way to extend or reinstate them. JAL also limits redemptions to yourself and family members. Because of the expiration rule, transfer points in only when you are ready to book.
• Transfer from: Capital One (1000:750), Bilt, Marriott.

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank (for Emirates and Air France / KLM)

• The short story: Japan Airlines Mileage Bank also partners with Emirates and Air France / KLM Flying Blue, and it charges as few as 60K miles one way for business class on either carrier, often with much lower surcharges than booking those airlines directly.
• Miles required: 60K miles one way for business class between the East Coast and Europe. Surcharges run about $100 to $150 on Emirates and under $10 on Air France departing the US. British Airways surcharges are much lower than most programs, around $200 to $250.
• How to find awards: Search with Japan Airlines online.
• How to book awards: Book with Japan Airlines online.
• Change and cancellation fees: No changes to ticketed awards; cancellation fee is a reasonable 3,100 JPY.
• Key warnings: Same hard expiration policy as above (miles expire 36 months after they are earned or transferred, with no extensions) and redemptions are limited to you and family members.
• Transfer from: Capital One (1000:750), Bilt, Marriott.

Qatar Airways Privilege Club™ Avios (for JetBlue Mint)

• The short story: Qatar Airways Privilege Club offers reasonable award pricing on JetBlue, which can be a great way to book Mint (business) class to Europe.
• Miles required: 78K each way. Taxes and fees departing the US are $10.10.
• How to find awards: You can search at QatarAirways.com, but it is easier to start by finding “I” class space for business awards using a paid tool like ExpertFlyer or advanced routing codes in ITA Matrix.
• How to book awards: Book on QatarAirways.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: $25 more than 24 hours in advance; $100 between 3 and 24 hours in advance; nonrefundable within 3 hours or after departure.
• Key warnings: Qatar only charges mandatory taxes ($10.10 departing the US and roughly $40 to $100 departing Europe) with no added carrier-imposed surcharges on JetBlue awards.
• Transfer from: Amex, Citi. You can also transfer to British Airways and then to Qatar from Bilt, Capital One, Chase, or Wells Fargo.

Qantas Frequent Flyer® (for oneworld partner airlines)

• Miles required: 68,400 points for American Airlines business class awards covering 2,401 to 3,600 miles each way, which includes the Northeast US to much of Western Europe. No fuel surcharges on American Airlines or Alaska.
• How to find awards: Search at Qantas.com (you will need a free Qantas Frequent Flyer account).
• How to book awards: Book online at Qantas.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: 5,000 miles per passenger to change; 6,000 miles per passenger to cancel.
• Key warnings: Atmos Rewards or American AAdvantage might be a better value if you have direct flights (this varies with the precise distance).
• Transfer from: Amex, Citi, Capital One, Marriott.

Turkish Airlines Miles & Smiles®

• The short story: Turkish has decimated its rates to and from Europe on partners, but can still be a reasonable value on its own flights, especially when it opens expanded award availability to its own members.
• Miles required: 65K miles each way in business class. Connecting itineraries on Turkish price as the sum of both segments, making them much more expensive. Partner awards are far less competitive at 85K to 90K each way between the US and Europe.
• How to find awards: Go to turkishairlines.com, click to book an award ticket, then log in and search. Some Star Alliance partner space does not appear on the site but may be bookable by email.
• How to book awards: Book online at turkishairlines.com, over the phone at 1-800-874-8875, or via email.
• Change and cancellation fees: $70 per passenger to change or cancel, though it can be hard to find agents who know how to change a partner award, so cancelling for $70 is often your best bet.
• Key warnings: Turkish sometimes cannot see Star Alliance availability for no clear reason. No fuel surcharges on Air Canada, United, Avianca, or SAS; low fuel surcharges on LOT Polish and Turkish.
• Transfer from: Bilt, Capital One, Citi, Marriott.

United MileagePlus®

United does not offer the most competitive mileage pricing to Europe, but it has the most user-friendly website, no cancellation fees on award tickets, and it does not pass on fuel surcharges, which can make it worth considering if you already have a pile of United miles.

• The short story: United charges a relatively hefty number of miles for business class between the US and Europe (about 88K on partner airlines), but the lack of fuel surcharges is a big advantage for booking partners like Lufthansa, and free changes and cancellations add appeal. United credit card holders now also get a 10% to 15% discount on award pricing plus access to more availability.
• Miles required: Starting at 88K one way in business class on partner airlines and 80K on United. Economy awards start around 26K to 27K.
• How to find awards: Search at United.com.
• How to book awards: Book online at United.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: No fees to change or cancel award tickets.
• Key warnings: United has eliminated its award chart, so you may see many different prices for award tickets.
• Transfer from: Bilt, Chase, Marriott.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club® (for flying Virgin Atlantic or Delta)

• The short story: Virgin Atlantic often prices Delta flights for fewer miles than Delta charges for the same itineraries, which used to make it a great way to book Delta One to Europe. It has since added very high surcharges to those flights, which makes them far less appealing than they once were. Surprisingly, Virgin can be a very good deal on its own flights now that it prices them dynamically.
• Miles required:
  • Delta flights: 57.5K miles each way in business class for direct flights between the East Coast or Central US and Europe, or 77.5K between the West Coast and Europe in peak season. Off-peak prices are 47.5K and 67.5K.
  • Virgin flights: Prices start at 29K each way in business class and can climb sharply due to dynamic pricing.
  • Surcharges can add $1,000 or more each way.
• How to find awards: Search at VirginAtlantic.com. See How to book Delta flights with Virgin Atlantic miles.
• How to book awards: Book online at VirginAtlantic.com.
• Change and cancellation fees: $100. If your original taxes were less than $100, Virgin Atlantic will let you forfeit the taxes instead.
• Key warnings: Virgin Atlantic charges each segment separately, so it is not a good choice for connecting itineraries. It adds significant surcharges on Delta flights to and from Europe, and some major European airports are not loaded into its website, so you may have to call to check availability or book.
• Transfer from: Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, Citi, Marriott, Wells Fargo.

How to get the miles

Here is the part that ties it all together. You do not earn most of these airline miles directly. Instead, you earn flexible, transferable points on your credit cards, then move them to the airline program that prices your trip best. The chart below shows which transferable programs feed each airline program above, so you can see at a glance which of your points can get you where you want to go.

Not sure which card earns the points you need? That is exactly what the free Travel Freely app is built for. Inside the app, CardGenie® shows the current best offers and can point you toward a card that earns the transferable points these European awards run on, all based on the cards you already have. It is the simplest way to go from “this looks complicated” to “I know my next step.”

Get started with the free Travel Freely app

More from our series on the best ways to reach regions around the world using miles:

• Best ways to get to Asia using miles
• Best ways to get to Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific using miles
• Best ways to get to South America using miles
• Best ways to get to Africa using miles
• Best ways to get to the Caribbean / Central America using miles

(Some of this content originally appeared on Frequent Miler and has been posted with permission.)

• Category: Destinations, Redeeming Miles and Points