Looking for some opinions here between the Swiss a350 biz vs LH (updated 1-2-1) biz class
Need 4 seats on points and AC has space on both carriers for ZRH - BOS. Same price (change in MUC for LH).
I’ve flown both in J but it’s been since pre covid and wondering what everyone’s opinion is between the two?
Lounge experience, soft product? FA attitudes. Nothing is off limits.
Hi All,
I’m currently an Amex Gold Card holder and have racked up a fair amount of points. I am taking a flight across the US in 2 days for an impromptu trip and am trying to understand when it makes sense to use my points for travel vs. cash.
I’m looking at an American Airlines flight that is $393 cash for basic economy. The points alternative is 57k points for main economy (Amex and AA do not let you book basic economy with membership rewards points).
My question: Do I just use the points for a nice “free” flight, or use cash?
Air France/KLM Flying Blue is showing solid Business Class award space from Scandinavia to multiple US gateways with Scandinavian Airlines, including New York, Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, and San Francisco.
Found using roame.travel
Routes with availability
70,300 Flying Blue miles
• CPH-BOS: 5/20, 5/24, 5/29, 6/7, 7/27
70,600 Flying Blue miles
• OSL-JFK: 5/23, 5/28
70,800 Flying Blue miles
• OSL-EWR: 5/28, 5/29
73,800 Flying Blue miles
• CPH-JFK: 5/22, 5/29, 6/2, 6/10
81,800 Flying Blue miles
• CPH-ORD: 5/21, 5/22, 5/23, 7/15, 7/17
88,200 Flying Blue miles
• CPH-ATL: 5/22, 5/23, 5/28, 5/29
93,200 Flying Blue miles
• CPH-SEA: 5/22, 5/23, 5/24, 6/9
105,100 Flying Blue miles
• CPH-SFO: 5/22, 6/1
Notes
• Flying Blue pricing is dynamic and can change rapidly
• Scandinavian departure points often price lower than major Western European hubs
• Business Class pricing starts from just 70k miles to the US East Coast
• Flying Blue transfer partners include American Express, Chase, Capital One, Citi, and Bilt
• Flying Blue is currently recovering from a previous outage, so some availability may already be gone
I’m looking to travel from New York (JFK) to Bali between July 22nd or 23rd and return on August 2nd. I currently have 183,000 Amex Membership Rewards points and I’m trying to figure out the best way to use them for this trip without spending all of my points.
I don’t really have a preference between business class or economy — I’m mainly looking for the smartest value and cheapest overall option using points. I’m open to different airlines and transfer partners (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, etc.) if that helps maximize value.
Can someone help me figure out the best redemption strategy?
I was hoping to redeem my points in July, looking at Japan, but I think I'm SOL for it with this change. Was there any warning that this was coming? Someone forwarded me this, but I can't remember getting anything from Aeroplan. Is June 1st a hard deadline for this? Or do you there's wiggle room if I call?
KLM Business Class award space is available from multiple North American cities to Amsterdam, including West Coast and Midwest departures.
Found using roame.travel
Routes with availability
60,000 Flying Blue miles
• MSP-AMS: 5/28, 6/3, 12/9, 1/1
• SLC-AMS: 6/29, 7/26
• IAD-AMS: 8/16
• BOS-AMS: 8/8, 8/10
• ORD-AMS: 12/31, 1/14
• PDX-AMS: 1/25, 2/8
Notes
• All flights are nonstop in long-haul lie-flat Business Class
• Flying Blue monthly transfer bonuses can make these redemptions even cheaper
• Amsterdam is one of the best SkyTeam hubs for Europe connections
• Availability from Portland and Salt Lake City is especially rare
• Transfer partners include American Express, Chase, Capital One, Citi, and Bilt
Hey there! Looking to use AA points to book JAL travel. In the past I’ve seen plenty of economy direct to/from DFW/HND via JAL for 35k points each way. However I don’t see anything like this for March of next year. February seems plentiful still. Did JAL stop dropping rewards for AA or are they really already sold out?
Posting this because the property just went live on Bonvoy and the launch pricing is genuinely worth talking about, especially if you've been considering Morocco.
Quick context from my own trip planning
For anyone considering Morocco — Marrakech felt a lot like exploring the older, chaotic parts of Delhi, but with a completely different flavour. Wonderfully vibrant, intense, sensory overload in the best way. The medina alleys, the souks, the calls to prayer cutting through it all.
The new Amerruk becomes an easy choice on Bonvoy redemptions. The second you step inside, the noise and heat of the city just vanish — it's like finding a secret garden oasis. Architecture is stunning, those typical Moroccan riad-style courtyards are something else, but it feels properly modern. For anyone hesitant about navigating Morocco for the first time, this place is the perfect luxury sanctuary with a fab points deal.
The numbers maths
Booking I want to lock :
That's roughly ₹50,000/night in cash terms, getting it for ~30.7k points/night. For a brand new Marriott property in Marrakech with Atlas Mountains views — this is some of the best Bonvoy value I've seen on an international redemption.
Calendar reading (next 6 months)
Why this makes sense as part of a larger Morocco trip
Marrakech is rarely a standalone trip. The real magic is the loop:
Amerruk slots in perfectly as your luxury base in Marrakech, especially at the start when jet lag hits.
For Indian travellers specifically
Why act on this
If you've got Bonvoy points from Amex MR transfers or hotel stays, this is the kind of redemption they're meant for. Lock LOW dates now, cancel if plans change.
Happy to answer questions on the booking, transfer ratios from Amex MR, or Morocco itinerary planning.
Hi all - sanity check here. I'm flying from BCN to BOS and have found a business seat on my preferred date (16 June) for 70k miles (+125USD). This clocks out at about 3.5cpp which is pretty good.
Thoughts? Grab this now or see if I can get a better option?
Nonstop Brussels Airlines Business Class award space is available from Washington DC to Brussels across summer and fall 2026.
Found using roame.travel
Routes with availability
60,000 Aeroplan points
• IAD-BRU: 5/19, 6/1, 6/3, 6/10, 7/27, 8/3, 8/12, 8/14, 8/16, 8/17, 8/19, 8/21, 8/22, 8/23, 10/4
Notes
• All flights are nonstop in long-haul lie-flat Business Class
• Brussels is a strong Star Alliance hub for onward Europe connections
• Summer availability is especially strong in August
• Brussels Airlines Business Class partner space is not commonly available through Aeroplan
• Transfer partners include American Express, Chase, Capital One, and Citi
I'm planning a trip to Bali next May with a stopover in Singapore and I'm getting ready to book next week at T-355. Ideally I want to book SQ35 or SQ37 as those are the direct flights but I'm seeing that availability for those in saver rate is very scare and might be challenging to book 2 seats.
So the other options that seems to be easier is SQ11, the one that has a quick 1-hour stop in NRT. I'm wondering if anyone here tried both and can share their opinion. How does the 777 compare to A350 in J?
New transfer bonuses just launched on May 17th
I was completely new to the credit card miles game till a few months back.
For years, I only had basic cards like ICICI Amazon Pay, Axis Flipkart, and Scapia mainly for UPI. Never really understood how people were getting “free” travel through points and miles.
Then we started planning a Singapore trip with my wife and 2 kids, and through Reddit I discovered the whole miles/rewards ecosystem.
I upgraded to Axis Horizon and also applied for HSBC TravelOne (T1), which luckily got approved. Total joining fees I paid were around ₹9.5k.
Here’s how things worked out:
Flights
Booked 4 Air India round-trip tickets to Singapore via HSBC Hopper for \~85k.
Got:
\- 13.5k points back
\- Additional 3k bonus after crossing ₹1 lakh spend milestone
Axis Horizon rewards
Accumulated around 9k points total (including welcome + regular spends).
Hotels
Got Accor Explorer membership effectively for \~₹15k after 2k points return.
Booked Grand Mercure Singapore for 6 nights at \~₹65k after using:
\- 1 free night from Accor Explorer
\- 25k points redeemed from Axis + HSBC
\- 2k bonus points from Accor
Actual out-of-pocket for hotel became only around ₹8–9k.
So effectively:
\- Flights + 6-night hotel stay for family of 4 cost me around ₹94k total.
And the savings didn’t stop there.
In Singapore:
\- HSBC T1 gave Marina Bay elite membership benefits
\- Got free tickets for:
\- SkyPark Observatory
\- ArtScience Museum
\- Sampan rides
Used HSBC T1 for most spends there because of 0 forex till June + 4% rewards.
Total trip expense including:
\- cabs everywhere
\- food
\- Universal Studios
\- Aquarium
\- Cable Car
\- Gardens by the Bay
\- Boat rides
\- other attractions
came to around ₹2 lakhs all-inclusive for a family of 4. Its inclusive of joining fees and accor membership. Still have 1 night left with accor and 1k points in accor.
Honestly, without Reddit and all the people sharing knowledge around cards, points, rewards, hotel programs, and hacks, I would never have figured any of this out.
Big thanks to everyone who contributes here and helps beginners learn 🙌
SWISS Business Class award space is available from Zurich and Geneva to multiple US gateways with wide-open dates through spring 2027.
Found using roame.travel
Routes with availability
60,000 Aeroplan points
• ZRH-JFK: 5/24, 5/25, 5/27, 5/28, 5/29, 6/2, 6/3, 6/4, 6/5, 6/6, 10/15, 10/13, 11/6, 11/10, 11/11, 11/12, 12/7, 12/8, 12/9, 12/10, 12/11, 12/12, 12/13, 1/19, 1/20, 1/23, 1/26, 1/27, 2/2, 2/3, 2/4, 2/18, 2/19, 2/20, 2/23, 2/27, 3/1, 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 3/5
• ZRH-EWR: 5/24, 5/27, 6/5, 6/6, 10/14, 11/7, 11/10, 11/11, 11/12, 11/13, 12/7, 12/8, 12/9, 12/10, 12/11, 12/21, 12/22, 12/23, 1/19, 1/20, 1/23, 1/25, 1/26, 1/27, 2/2, 2/3, 2/4, 2/18, 2/19, 2/20, 2/22, 2/23, 2/27, 3/1, 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 3/5, 3/6
• ZRH-BOS: 5/21, 5/22, 5/23, 5/24, 5/25, 9/17, 9/18, 10/9, 10/22, 10/28, 11/4, 11/11, 12/7, 12/8, 12/9, 12/10, 12/21, 12/22, 12/23, 1/20, 1/21, 1/22, 1/26, 1/27, 2/2, 2/3, 2/4, 2/18, 2/23, 3/2, 3/3, 3/4
• GVA-JFK: 5/21, 5/22, 5/23, 5/25, 5/26, 5/27, 5/29, 5/30, 6/2, 6/3, 6/5, 6/6, 6/7, 6/9, 6/10, 10/1, 10/2, 10/7, 10/9, 10/15, 10/25, 10/26, 11/3, 11/6, 11/7, 11/9, 11/10, 11/11, 11/12, 11/13, 12/8, 12/9, 12/10, 12/11, 12/12, 12/13, 12/21, 12/22, 12/23, 1/20, 1/21, 1/22, 1/23, 1/25, 1/26, 1/27, 2/3, 2/4, 2/18, 2/23, 2/24, 3/2, 3/3, 3/4, 3/5
Notes
• SWISS Business Class partner award space is extremely rare
• All flights are nonstop in long-haul lie-flat Business Class
• Zurich and Geneva are excellent gateways for onward Europe connections
• Aeroplan keeps taxes and fees relatively low compared to other Star Alliance programs
• Transfer partners include American Express, Chase, Capital One, and Citi
SWISS Business Class award space is wide open from multiple North American cities to Zurich and Geneva, including peak summer dates and early 2027 availability.
Found using roame.travel
Routes with availability
60,000 Aeroplan points
• BOS-ZRH: 5/23, 5/24, 6/1, 8/18, 10/13, 1/24, 1/25, 1/26, 1/27, 1/30, 1/31, 2/1, 2/3, 2/6, 2/7, 2/8, 2/9
• EWR-ZRH: 5/23, 8/15, 8/16, 10/26, 11/9, 11/10, 1/24, 1/25, 1/26, 1/27, 1/30, 1/31, 2/7, 2/8, 2/9
• JFK-ZRH: 5/28, 5/29, 7/7, 7/11, 7/13, 7/14, 8/25, 10/26, 1/24, 1/25, 1/26, 1/27, 1/30, 1/31, 2/1, 2/3, 2/6, 2/7, 2/8, 2/9
• JFK-GVA: 5/24, 5/25, 5/27, 5/28, 5/29, 6/1, 6/28, 7/5, 7/21, 7/23, 7/26, 7/28, 8/13, 8/30, 8/31, 9/6, 9/20, 10/4, 10/11, 10/14, 10/26, 10/29, 11/1, 11/9, 11/10, 11/11, 1/24, 1/25, 1/26, 1/30, 1/31, 2/3, 2/4, 2/6, 2/7, 2/8, 2/9, 2/10
70,000 Aeroplan points
• IAD-ZRH: 7/9, 7/11, 7/12, 7/19, 7/20, 7/21, 7/23, 7/24, 7/25, 7/26, 7/27, 8/8, 8/9, 8/10, 8/11, 8/12, 8/14, 8/15, 8/17, 8/29
• ORD-ZRH: 7/14, 7/20, 7/25, 7/26, 8/10, 8/16
• YYZ-ZRH: 7/12, 7/19, 7/21, 7/25
• MIA-ZRH: 8/10, 8/11, 8/16, 8/17, 10/4, 10/5, 10/7, 10/13, 10/20, 10/25, 10/26, 10/27
Notes
• SWISS Business Class space is extremely rare to book with partner miles
• Aeroplan avoids the massive fuel surcharges often seen through other Star Alliance programs
• Zurich and Geneva work well for broader Europe connections
• Summer availability is especially strong from IAD, JFK, and MIA
• Transfer partners include American Express, Chase, Capital One, and Citi
Heyy guys! I need your advice based on your experience. I have 137k points in capital one and 73k bilt points. I have to book my parents flight from India to usa one way around 19 Aug. The only option i am seeing right now is British airways or air france or KLM. Due to recent incidents i want to avoid air india, etihad, emirates and qatar.
My question is:
Is it okay to wait till 1st june to book flight for August 2026. They will be flying economy.
Is their any other route i should explore to fly from india to usa that i am missing here?
I am looking for flight between below destinations:
Source - Mumbai/Bombay , New Delhi Destination- Washington DC (All airports)
I’m looking to book 2 business class tickets some time in mid August to early September from JFK to JED. I’ve booked flights on points before but this would be my first real redemption, especially on something other than economy. It would be for the start of my honeymoon (would be going from JED to Asia after spending time in Saudi)
The best point redemption I see right now is 78k LifeMiles per person, business class via EgyptAir with a layover in Cairo (8/12). I saw 105k per person on Saudia Airlines via AF/KLM (8/18) but whenever I try to book for 2, the availability goes away so I’m assuming it’s only 1 available? I’ve seen royal air Marov available for 70k AA points, which I don’t have. But I heard you can book them through Etihad guest? Either way, when I try the search for 2 tickets, it disappears.
Open to suggestions, repositioning, etc. I kinda impulse bought a month of seats.aero and though it’s been really insightful I have yet to find anything that stands out. Appreciate any help and thanks in advance!!
Amex points: 686k
Capital One points: 313k
Chase points Saving for Hyatt but open for good redemptions: 400k
Edit: totally forgot to mention why I’m hesitant on the EgyptAir - did some research and I’m getting very mixed reviews, with some saying it’s alright and others saying don’t bother even with business class. I’ve heard the dry aspect of it but I don’t drink anyways. Not to mention with the war going on, I checked their website and it seems like there’s been at least some impact and I’m just not sure I want to risk cancellation or anything. But I can be convinced if anyone has good stories.
Finally redeemed my 420k points and Im happy with the outcome.
I was able to redeem 2ppl Qatar Airways Boston to Seychelles round trip for 420k Amex MR + $1,496.43 in fees. 9.41 CPP with everything factored in except the optional seat upgrade fees that I paid.
My BOS to Doha and back will be in the Qsuites Double Suite on their A350-900. Super excited for this royal treatment and bed setup while I gorge myself on food.
The only hangup was getting Seychelles to Doha return as they didn’t offer award availability for the exact time I needed so I ended up booking economy and using my leftover Avios for a seat upgrade to the very front. It’s a 4:30hr flight so Im not going to lose any sleep over it.
Overall how did I do?
I’ve got a couple hundred thousand in Amex points and I see the transfer rate to Hilton is 1000=2400 which seemed like a lot. I was thinking about utilizing it for 5 day stay at one of their all inclusive properties in Mexico, but I wasn’t sure if that’d be a smart move or good value for the points as I’ve never really used my points before and am rather new to the game. Any insight would be super appreciated. Thanks!
Wide open Business Class award space is showing across multiple Virgin Atlantic routes to London and Manchester, including some rare sub-35k pricing.
Found using roame.travel
Routes with availability
29,000 Virgin Atlantic points
• ATL-MAN: 1/13, 1/19, 1/26, 1/27, 2/3, 2/9, 2/16, 2/17, 2/23, 3/9
• IAD-LHR: 1/20, 1/26, 1/27, 2/2, 2/3, 2/9, 2/10
32,000 points
• MIA-LHR: 10/20
35,000 points
• ATL-MAN: 6/30, 7/28, 3/23, 3/24
• MBJ-LHR: 6/21
• TPA-LHR: 7/3, 7/4
• MCO-MAN: 7/6, 7/27, 7/28, 8/3, 8/4, 8/5, 8/10
• JFK-LHR: 7/7, 7/8, 7/14, 7/15, 7/28, 7/29, 8/5, 8/12, 8/19, 8/26
• MCO-LHR: 7/13, 8/3
• MIA-LHR: 10/27
• BOS-LHR: 3/30
Notes
• Lowest pricing starts at 29k points in Business Class
• Strong value for nonstop flights to London and Manchester
• Virgin Atlantic pricing changes fast and many dates were seen within hours
• Transfer partners include American Express, Chase, Capital One, and Citi
• UK routes can still have high taxes and surcharges
