Hi - I am having difficulty obtaining a reasonable flight from New York (either EWR or JFK) to Barcelona (BCN) using miles.

I have

52K Delta miles
55K Northwest miles
140K American Express MR Points
9500 Starwood points.
5000 thank you points.

Dates are somewhat flexible, Aug 18-27.

I would rather use 50k miles rather than 100k with the skychoice/perkchoice options. Any thoughts?

I've used the thread below in the past. But I found you really need to do the leg work, get on the websites, make the phone calls. If you see something, hold it. More searches on this site that may help.

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=441299

Partner awards may be possibilities. Unfortunately, though, both your major mile accumulations are in SkyTeam programs, so that limits your possibilities.

Also look at http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showt...ferrerid=18562

According to the ANA web-site (an AMEX partner), there are LH first class seats avail around your dates, for 100K miles. Of course, if you would prefer Delta coach for the same number of points..........
Also some LH business seats for 80K; or a combo of LH and SQ business for 65K.......

Be flexible, this is prime time transatlantic travel. CO has nonstop EWR-BCN available for 50k miles on 8/21, return on 8/30. Some other dates too. There is also EWR-MAD with a connection on Air Europa. A NW or DL agent should be able to look these up and book.

I was able to book DL business class award this week RDU via JFK for a trip to MAD in October. However, it is a little convoluted. I couldn't get an outbound Saturday, so I settled for the following Monday. Return a week later, but no flights from Spain, so settled on return from Stockholm, so Mrs. Outoftown and I are leaving MAD Saturday to spend two days in Stockholm (unplanned, but c'est la vie). Surprisingly the extra connection on AF MAD to STO did not cost anything extra. It did bump the award amount 90K to 100K each because of the return on CO from STO to EWR to RDU. All domestic legs are ERJ or CRJ so bummer no 1st class. I know you are trying to get coach award seats. DL was most helpful (long hold times tho) in checking availability on NW and CO. Be flexible (per timing and carrier choices posted earlier and and alternative airports (as I did for my return flight) and keep trying! Good luck!

-outoftown