Advice: Cheapest Way to Get to Milan
Aug 4, 2013 | 8:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 3
Advice: Cheapest Way to Get to Milan
Hi,
I'm a college student and will be studying abroad in Milan, Italy during the upcoming fall semester. Currently, I have roughly 47,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, 4,000 British Airways Avios, and 41,000 Hilton HHonors points.
Currently, I'm pricing a round-trip flight to take a trip home (MIL to BOS) for a week at the end of October.
Does anybody have input for what would be the cheapest way to book this flight using my points? Should I book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards site (and gain the 20% bonus), or transfer my points to British Airways, American, United, etc?
I'm new to gaining & using mileage points, so thank you in advance for your help!
I'm a college student and will be studying abroad in Milan, Italy during the upcoming fall semester. Currently, I have roughly 47,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, 4,000 British Airways Avios, and 41,000 Hilton HHonors points.
Currently, I'm pricing a round-trip flight to take a trip home (MIL to BOS) for a week at the end of October.
Does anybody have input for what would be the cheapest way to book this flight using my points? Should I book through the Chase Ultimate Rewards site (and gain the 20% bonus), or transfer my points to British Airways, American, United, etc?
I'm new to gaining & using mileage points, so thank you in advance for your help!
Aug 4, 2013 | 10:11 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
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Welcome to FT!
You need to look closer at UR transfer partners. You can't transfer to AA. If you want to pay cash book thru Chase UR site. Check BA & UA sites to see how many miles your trip requires. Then you can make a more informed decision.
You need to look closer at UR transfer partners. You can't transfer to AA. If you want to pay cash book thru Chase UR site. Check BA & UA sites to see how many miles your trip requires. Then you can make a more informed decision.
Aug 4, 2013 | 10:14 pm
#3
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 115
You have enough UR points to transfer to United for a one way award, if you apply for the United card with the 50k bonus, you will have enough for a RT award, roughly 60k rt. Didn't do a thorough search but it looks like the TATL will be on LH if you don't mind them and 11hrs in Economy.
Aug 4, 2013 | 10:53 pm
#4
Join Date: Mar 2012
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Don't use BA (actual BA iron) since you will pay a fuel surcharge. 50k will basically get you on BA from MIL to BOS (via LON or MAD on Iberia) but you will end up paying close to $500 in taxes and surcharges.
You may be better off transferring the UR to United and getting a ticket on United. You can buy the remaining miles from Chase to get to the 60k
If you can find availability on Aer Lingus using BA miles, that would be your best option. Very low surcharges and you would get the RT for under 50 k including the connection from Milan to the UK
You may be better off transferring the UR to United and getting a ticket on United. You can buy the remaining miles from Chase to get to the 60k
If you can find availability on Aer Lingus using BA miles, that would be your best option. Very low surcharges and you would get the RT for under 50 k including the connection from Milan to the UK
Aug 5, 2013 | 8:13 am
#5
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: BOS, BWI, DCA, IAD
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Posts: 2,401
UA and AA offer OW award travel at half the RT mileage, and AA offers OW between Europe and the US at 20k (instead of the usual 30k) offseason. You may find it easier to accumulate miles on two airlines (perhaps using credit card offers) than on one. UA's partners include LH and LX. AA's partners include BA, AB and IB, though award travel on BA should be avoided due to high surcharges.
Aug 5, 2013 | 4:48 pm
#8
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: NYC
Programs: Amex Centurion
Posts: 202
I would top off my Chase account, transfer to Korean Air and book Alitalia. You will have to connect through FCO but I am seeing availability at the end of Oct on Expert Flyer. The FCO-MXP flight is pretty comfy as well on an A320. It should price out to 50k miles.
Last edited by LynchMob; Aug 5, 2013 at 5:37 pm
Aug 5, 2013 | 5:03 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2011
Posts: 164
No b/c you're flying Aer Lingus so almost no taxes, and since you're going to Boston already its a great way to optimize your miles (depends if you want to save your miles or want to save your cash). Once you're in dublin, try flying ryanair to milan?
@LynchMob, not sure how to transfer Chase to delta... you are thinking of MR?
@LynchMob, not sure how to transfer Chase to delta... you are thinking of MR?
Aug 5, 2013 | 5:29 pm
#10
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
I think the taxes and surcharges on an EI DUB-BOS Coach roundtrip booked with Avios run somewhere between $100 and $125. Because there is a small fuel surcharge on EI's TATL flights, the award ticket is not considered "free," and that triggers certain U.S. taxes that would not be assessed on a "free" award ticket.
Originally Posted by sprials
No b/c you're flying Aer Lingus so almost no taxes, and since you're going to Boston already its a great way to optimize your miles (depends if you want to save your miles or want to save your cash). Once you're in dublin, try flying ryanair to milan?
@LynchMob, not sure how to transfer Chase to delta... you are thinking of MR?
@LynchMob, not sure how to transfer Chase to delta... you are thinking of MR?
Aug 5, 2013 | 5:32 pm
#11
Join Date: Mar 2012
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Aug 6, 2013 | 4:00 pm
#13
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Brooklyn, NY
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Aug 8, 2013 | 11:42 am
#15
Join Date: Aug 2010
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Just make sure you have no luggage - that could turn your budget flight on Ryanair into an expensive trip.