Confused about required amount of miles to travel
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 9
Confused about required amount of miles to travel
I am confused about how many miles it takes to travel to different destinations. I have a lot of miles with AA, United, and Delta and sample miles for destinations do not seem to match up when I actually try to redeem miles. For instance, a roundtrip USE<-> SE Asia sample is 80,000 miles but when I go to redeem it is 115,000 + $115 each way. This has occurred on a number of occasions when I actually go to redeem miles for an international flight. Am I doing something wrong? I am newer to redeeming miles in this manner. Your insight is appreciated.
#2
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,952
The program may also have another chart for flights operated by their partner airlines, and for itineraries operated by two or more airlines.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: home = LAX
Posts: 25,932
There are also routing rules. An airline might divide Asia into two or more parts, and it may cost more to connect in one part of Asia if you're end destination is in a different part of Asia.
Another kind of routing rule is direction of travel: AA, for example, considers US<->India awards to be trans-Atlantic only. If you want to fly trans-Pacific (say, because you're starting from the USA west coast), it has to be booked as two separate awards (which doesn't cost double, but does cost more).
Another kind of routing rule is direction of travel: AA, for example, considers US<->India awards to be trans-Atlantic only. If you want to fly trans-Pacific (say, because you're starting from the USA west coast), it has to be booked as two separate awards (which doesn't cost double, but does cost more).
#4
Join Date: May 2009
Location: South Park, CO
Programs: Tegridy Elite
Posts: 5,678
I am confused about how many miles it takes to travel to different destinations. I have a lot of miles with AA, United, and Delta and sample miles for destinations do not seem to match up when I actually try to redeem miles. For instance, a roundtrip USE<-> SE Asia sample is 80,000 miles but when I go to redeem it is 115,000 + $115 each way. This has occurred on a number of occasions when I actually go to redeem miles for an international flight. Am I doing something wrong? I am newer to redeeming miles in this manner. Your insight is appreciated.
You will always pay some manner of taxes and fees for an award redemption, from the chump change level for a domestic award to a bit more internationally....and some airlines levy a hefty "fuel surcharge" as well.