Reddit’s r/awardtravel community is a vibrant place to discuss maximizing travel redemptions using points and miles. With over 300,000 members, it’s one of the largest forums dedicated to award travel hacking. This subreddit features everything from advice for newcomers to advanced strategies from seasoned travelers. Let’s explore some of the top discussions and most helpful posts.
Advice on Booking the Outgoing Trip
A user asked r/awardtravel for tips on an award booking from the US to Asia in business class. The responses highlighted key factors when planning this type of complex itinerary.
Suggestions included checking award space on each individual airline website rather than relying solely on third-party search tools. While services like AwardHacker provide a helpful starting point, they don’t always show updated award availability. Users also recommended checking one-way award options in addition to round-trips, as airlines can open up more seats when not requiring a round-trip purchase.
Commenters advised leveraging transferable points that can move to airline partners instead of using airline-specific miles. This allows mixing and matching various programs to find the best redemption value. Transferring Amex, Chase or Citi points to Singapore Airlines was a favorite tactic. One contributor booked SQ suites class from Europe to Singapore for only 57k Krisflyer miles transferred from American Express.
Alaska Airlines Award Change Policies
Alaska Airlines still permits a generous number of changes to award travel compared to other carriers. Unlike the prevalent “no changes allowed” policy for award tickets nowadays, Alaska allows canceling award bookings for future travel and redepositing the miles as travel credit funds without any additional fees.
This quirk provides substantial flexibility for free ticket alterations. You can modify the origin/destination and get the miles difference refunded or charged based on the new routing. Date changes are also permitted outside of 60 days before departure. Although other airlines like United or Delta generally forbid any award booking changes, Alaska provides peace of mind for travel plans that are prone to adjustments.
Last-Minute Award Booking Tips for Newcomers
A Redditor requested pointers on grabbing a last-minute transatlantic flight using points as a first-time award booker. Responses underscored the utility of transferrable rewards programs versus airline miles in this situation.
With programs like Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, or Citi ThankYou Points, you can swiftly transfer points to various airline partners to find award space. This proves useful for eleventh hour bookings where award seats on a single program may be absent. Users also hinted that calling the airline loyalty programs could unlock additional premium cabin award inventory not visible on sites.
Contributors advised checking Flying Blue, United, and Virgin Atlantic for decent business class redemptions to Europe on short notice. Flying Blue only charges 30k miles for a one-way business class flight with reasonable taxes and fees. Experienced subreddit members offered to search for specific options as well. The collaborative spirit highlights how r/awardtravel goes the extra mile to aid other travelers.
The Cheapest Options for Booking with Points
An avid jetsetter planning extensive budget travel sought tips on redeeming points for low-cost economy flights, aiming to extract maximum mileage out of their rewards. Respondents emphasized Southwest Airlines and its type companion pass as best for affordable domestic U.S. award tickets.
As Southwest doesn’t publish traditional award charts with fixed pricing, you can often score flights for as little as 2,400 points each way. Combine that with a companion pass where a partner flies free, and you’re looking at $4.80 roundtrip with points plus taxes.
For international economy awards, using Amex, Citi, or Chase points for Oneworld flights on airlines like American, British Airways, or Iberia was suggested as a sweet spot. Off-peak awards to Europe cost just 12,500 Avios points each way. Adding a stopover in Iceland opens additional savings possibilities too.
Keys to Booking Award Travel at the Optimal Time
Pinpointing ideal timing for booking award trips elicited varying perspectives across over 100 comments. Conventional wisdom suggests cementing vacations 300 to 330 days out from departure for the highest probability of success. However, some argued short term planning can also pay dividends. As one 1K elite member recounted, they booked a premium cabin award ticket to Asia with United just two weeks beforehand.
Another respondent highlighted how last minute first class award seats to Europe reliably open up about 14 days out, especially nearer to weekends. This matches patterns of business travelers canceling bookings after meetings get postponed. Experts in this subreddit leverage such insider knowledge of airlines’ operations.
Advice tailored booking strategies depending on whether your travel dates wield flexibility. For retirees without hectic schedules, spur-of-the-moment trips hunting airline flash award sales may suffice. But families plan vacations months ahead around school schedules. Moral of the story – know which redemption philosophy best fits your circumstances.
Top Posts on The r/awardtravel Subreddit
The r/awardtravel subreddit has specific rules in place before posting to ensure high-quality discussions. As outlined in the sidebar, users should first read the extensive wiki for beginner questions or search for existing posts on a topic. Veterans recommend checking flight availability directly rather than asking about specific routes and dates. Posts focused on selling, self-promotion or surveys are also prohibited. These guidelines help facilitate more meaningful conversations.
When seeking advice to book round-trip flights to Europe in business class, contributors emphasized flexibility both in gateway cities and travel times. Flying from major hubs like JFK opens up possibilities across various programs, including solid Delta redemptions at low rates of only 25k miles each way. Experts also note peak summer travel naturally restricts award space, so traveling in shoulder seasons or avoiding school holidays expands options.
As for the optimal time to book award flights in general, responses spanned philosophies. Some strive to nail down trips 300+ days out with preferable routings and elite perks secured. In contrast, others relish playing reservation roulette as close-in as two weeks pre-departure with odds of a jackpot. This flexibility perhaps best suits retirees without demanding schedules. Whichever strategy resonates most, the community shares trip reports showcasing luxurious journeys enabled by points, inspiring travelers to secure coveted award seats.
When a Redditor scored an Air Canada business class flight from the US to Asia for only 27k miles, regulars celebrated the redemption victory. However, the user couldn’t find availability on Air Canada’s site directly. Another long-time member clarified that point transfers can preempt award inventory loading on airline sites. Patience and frequently checking back is key. Such collaborative troubleshooting characterizes the spirit of r/awardtravel.
Overall, while the forum has rules to streamline helpful content, the community realizes no question is too mundane. Veterans stand ready to guide newcomers booking award travel for the first time. Reciprocally, fresh members breathe new perspectives into hacking schemes and redemption ideas. This symbiotic dynamic enables all travelers to maximize points and embark on memorable voyages.
Final Tips: Maximize Value, Points, and Discussion
While the above just scratches the surface, it illustrates how r/awardtravel enables exchanging actionable tips and milestones. Whether you’re an award travel rookie or aspire to fly first class suites, this forum helps maximize the value of points and miles. Users share expertise gained from missteps and triumphs alike.
Veterans who want to help give back mentor newcomers navigating complex programs for the first time. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step, and posts celebrate milestones like international business class bookings with points. At its core, r/awardtravel fosters community and unparalleled customer service no lounge can match.
We still have only begun tapping the knowledge of over 300,000 frequent flyer enthusiasts collaborating to secure coveted award seats. This travel hacking hivemind will surely produce new innovations enabling more and more travelers to embark on luxurious journeys. Everyone is welcome, so come join the discussion to find tips tailored exactly for your next vacation plans!