Award Miles Redemption HELP!
 

I'm looking to redeem my award miles, specifically for a one way ticket from Montreal or Boston to Vienna. I can choose from either AA or MileagePlus.

What's the best guide in learning how to redeem miles?
Is there an expert I can pay or a program I can use to quicken my competency here?

These threads may help:
AA - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...ld-awards.html

UA - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...ster-wiki.html

:)

Neither AA nor UA flies to Vienna, so you will need to use one or more partner airlines in either case.

On this route, you will have more options on MileagePlus, because UA's partners include AC, LH, LX and OS. You can easily check award availability for specific dates at www.united.com.

AA's chief European partner, BA, charges prohibitive fees on award tickets. Travel on AB (via Berlin or Dusseldorf) is possible and award availability can be checked at www.aa.com. Travel on IB, which flies from Boston to Madrid, is also possible, but award travel on IB cannot be booked or checked at AA's website; it requires a phone call to AA.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

For this particular route, I would expect Mileage Plus to be the winner. Just check award availability at united.com. UA and its partners should offer several one-stop options from either BOS or YUL; whether there will be award-seat availability for your desired date of travel is another matter.

Any surcharge-free routings using AA miles would require at least two connections.

While this is true, 1-stop IB route BOS-MAD-VIE is an option and would include a reasonable surcharge (~$300 round trip).