Originally Posted by
mc12345
Thank you, dukerau. And those would all still be eligible for first class seats? I've read that some programs are coach only, so just checking. Thanks again.
Most programs have first class awards. (If any don't, perhaps someone who knows of them will post here.)The AA frequent flyer program, as one example, offers awards in all classes of service. First class takes more miles than coach, of course, but not nearly as many more miles as the price difference for paid tickets suggests. Many members of frequent flyer programs find that first/business class awards are the best use of miles, since they typically require 2-3x the miles for tickets that might cost 10x as much if you paid for them with money.
Several AA partners fly to Male (MLE), including British Airways from London and Cathay Pacific from Hong Kong. You'll need 45,000 miles per person for an economy class ticket, 67,500 for business class and 90,000 for first.
AA's official partner award chart is here. Other programs may require different amounts of miles.
Booking well in advance helps here, so it's good that you're planning early. Award flights become available about 11 months out. Many flights have very few award seats allocated. They often go quickly.