If your main question is "how many miles does it take to get a free ticket," the airlines are the only authoritative source. A phone call to each should get you the information. InsideFlyer also posts program reviews that can tell you.

However, you must be more specific if you want an answer - from us, from them, or from anywhere else. For example:

- A ticket from where to where? Direct comparisons between between, say, SAS and JAL are difficult in that regard.

- In what class of service?

- With or without advance notice? A may have an award for fewer miles than B, but it may require advance notice that B does not require. Without advance notice, A may have a special "last minute" award that requires more miles than B. Which award on A is the appropriate comparison?

If you have more specific questions, especially in areas where experience can help (one does not need experience to know how many miles an award ticket requires), please post those questions and I'm sure you'll receive answers. If the questions relate to a specific airline, a post in that airline's forum will probably get better response than a post here.