Scott Grimmer of MileValue.com presented about Sweet Spot Awards with frequent flyer miles at the 2016 Chicago Seminars. Sweet spot awards are awards that are way under-priced with one type of miles, compared to other types.

1. Award Chart Sweet Spots
Scott Grimmer
MileValue.com
Chicago Seminars, October 15, 2016

2. What Do I Mean by “Sweet Spot”?
Either an award that is far cheaper with one type
of miles than it is with most other types of
miles (or at least cheaper than it is with United,
Delta, and American Airlines miles.)
Or an especially good use of a type of miles
compared to the other uses of those same
miles.

3. Combine Sweet Spots for a RTW Trip

Last Year's Chicago Seminars Talk:
RTW Awards & Big Trips

That talk was 80% based on Sweet Spots and
20% based on techniques

4. Sweet Spots to Europe in Economy

to London only for as little as 10,000 ThankYou Points or
Membership Rewards plus around $125 in fuel surcharges, and
occasional sales or transfer bonus knock this down to around
10,000 to 14,000 miles/points

with 12,500 Air France Flying Blue Miles plus 50 euros in fuel
surcharges when booked 1-3 months in advance from rotating
American cities (Promo Awards)

with 20,000 Etihad miles on American Airlines flights from October
15 to May 15

with 20,000 Alaska miles on American Airlines flights from October
15 to May 15

with 22,500 American Airlines miles each year from January 10 to
March 14 and November 1 to December 14 on all partners (off peak
awards)

5. Virgin Atlantic Service to North America

6. The Deal

One Ways for Half Prices
Listed + $135

Frequent 30% Discount on
Miles Needed for Economy
& Premium Economy (Last
9/2016)

Frequent 25% or 30%
Transfer Bonuses from Citi
ThankYou Points or AMEX
Membership Rewards

10,000 TY or MR = One
Way from Eastern US to UK

7. The Prep

Get a card that earns Membership Rewards or
ThankYou Points

Transfer During Transfer Bonus – if you can
tolerate the risk

Book During Award Sale from USA to UK.
(Return from somewhere else in Europe with
another type of miles)

8. Sweet Spots to Europe in Premium Cabins

to London only in Premium Economy with 27,500
Virgin Atlantic miles plus around $225 in fuel
surcharges (15,000 TY or MR by using same
stacking technique just desribed)

to London only in Virgin Atlantic Upper Class with
40,000 Virgin Atlantic miles plus around $414 in fuel
surcharges (Upper Class is not usually included in
award sales, but 31k TY or MR with 30% transfer
bonus)

with 50,000 Asiana miles in Lufthansa First Class
plus taxes and fuel surcharges (which are much
lower Europe to USA than vice versa)

9. The Deal

40,000 SPG = 50,000 Asiana

Asiana charges 50,000 miles one way in First
Class between USA and Europe

Asiana collects fuel surcharges on all partners
except United

Fuel surcharges are much lower Europe to
USA than vice versa. Taxes plus fuel
surcharges can be as low as $200 from
Europe to USA
See list of cheap cities for returns from Europe

10. The Facts

Lufthansa Only Releases First Class Award
Space within 15 Days of Departure. It is widely
available on many routes

Flying through Frankfurt gets you access to
the First Class Terminal

Search on united.com; book by calling Asiana

11. The Flight Porn

12. Sweet Spots to Hawaii in Economy

with 12,500 Avios in American Airlines or
Alaska economy from the Western United
States

with 25,000 Korean miles roundtrip in Delta
economy

with 15,000 Air France Flying Blue miles in
Delta economy

with 17,500 Singapore miles in United
economy

13. The Deal

United has the best award space to Hawaii in
economy

Space often gets better the closer you get to
departure

Search on united.com without signing in; book by
calling Singapore

No late booking fee, $20 change, $30
cancellation

The Bible on booking Singapore awards on
United to Hawaii

14. Sweet Spots to Hawaii in First

in flat bed Delta Business/First Class with
45,000 Korean miles roundtrip

in flat bed First Class with 30,000 Singapore
miles on United

in First Class with 30,000 Air France Flying
Blue miles on Delta

15. Sweet Spots to Korea, Japan in Economy

with 25,000 Etihad miles on American Airlines
flights from October 1 to April 30

with 25,000 Alaska miles on American Airlines
flights from October 1 to April 30

with 30,000 Alaska miles on Cathay Pacific
flights

16. The Deal

Etihad and Alaska had identical award charts for
flying AA flights to AA's own chart for AA flights

AA massively devalued its award chart 3/2016

Etihad and Alaska forgot (?) to copy the changes, so
they still have very cheap awards on AA planes and
very generous off peak award dates

Search on AA.com for MileSAAver award space on
AA planes and book on alaskaair.com or by calling
Etihad

17. Sweet Spots to Korea, Japan in Business

in Cathay Pacific Business Class with 50,000
Alaska miles

in American Airlines Business Class with
50,000 Etihad miles

in American Airlines Business Class with
50,000 Alaska miles

18. Sweet Spots to Korea, Japan in First

in First Class with 62,500 Etihad miles on American Airlines
flights

in First Class with 62,500 Alaska miles on American Airlines
flights

in Cathay Pacific First Class with 70,000 Alaska miles

from Los Angeles to Tokyo only in Singapore Suites Class with
74,375 Singapore miles + $113

in First Class with 80,000 American Airlines miles (Japan
Airlines First Class is amazing and widely available)

in Korean Airlines First Class with 80,000 Korean miles +
small fuel surcharges and taxes (most widely available First
Class in the world)

19. Singapore Suites Class Deal

Flying Double Bed

As others have devalued, it went from
expensive to average priced

Transfer UR, MR, TY, SPG to Singapore miles

Search and book on singaporeair.com

20. American Airlines Deal

Since March 22, 2016 devAAluation, USA to
Japan or Korea for 80,000 miles one way in
First Class is last reasonably priced First
Class award

Search Japan Airlines First Class on ba.com,
book by calling AA

21. Korean First Class Deal

Korean First Class is the most widely available
First Class in the world

Since others' devaluations, it went from
expensive to fair price

Transfer UR, SPG to Korean miles

Search and book on koreanair.com

22. Sweet Spots to China, Southeast Asia
in Economy and Business

with 30,000 Alaska miles on Cathay Pacific
flights

with 50,000 Alaska miles in Cathay Pacific
Business Class

23. The Deal

American Airlines used to charge 55k/67.5k
one way in Business/First from USA to SE
Asia on Cathay Pacific. The devAAluation
increased those prices to 70k/110k

Now the reasonable way to fly Cathay Pacific
to SE Asia is with Alaska miles for 50k/70k in
Business/First

Search ba.com, book by calling Alaska

24. Sweet Spots to China, Southeast Asia
in First

with 70,000 Alaska miles in Cathay Pacific First
Class

in Korean Airlines First Class with 80,000 Korean
miles + small fuel surcharges and taxes (most widely
available First Class in the world)

fom Los Angeles to Tokyo to Singapore only in
Singapore Suites Class with 91,375 Singapore miles
+ $276

from New York to Frankfurt to Singapore only in
Singapore Suites Class with 93,500 Singapore miles
+ $286

25. Sweet Spots to Fiji, Australia, New Zealand

To Aus/NZ in Business Class with 45,000
Virgin America points on Virgin Australia;
80,000 points roundtrip

To Aus/NZ in Business Class with 55,000
Alaska Airlines Miles on Fiji Airways. Stop as
long as you'd like in Fiji for free.

26. The Virgin America/Virgin Australia Deal

Virgin Australia Business Class award space
used to be widely available all year for many
people

Now it is only available within a week of departure

Get Virgin America miles from 1:1 transfer from
SPG with 5,000 bonus Virgin America points for
every 20,000 SPG points (65k SPG = 80k Virgin
America

Search on delta.com, book by calling Virgin
America

27. Sweet Spots to Mexico, Central America, Caribbean

with 12,500 American Airlines miles each year
from April 27 - May 20 or September 7 -
November 14 on American Airlines flights

to Central America only with 15,000 Alaska miles
each year from January 16 - June 14 or
September 7 - November 14 on American Airlines
flights

to Central America only with 15,000 Etihad miles
each year from January 16 - June 14 or
September 7 - November 14 on American Airlines
flights

28. The Deal

Worse off peak dates, but cheaper price and
plenty of award space

Search and book on aa.com

29. Sweet Spots to Colombia, Venezuela, Peru,
Ecuador

with 15,000 Alaska miles each year from
January 16 - June 14 or September 7 -
November 14 on American Airlines flights

with 15,000 Etihad miles each year from
January 16 - June 14 or September 7 -
November 14 on American Airlines flights

30. Sweet Spots to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay,
Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay in Economy

with 20,000 Etihad miles on American Airlines
flights from March 1 – May 31 or August 16 –
November 30

with 20,000 Alaska miles on American Airlines
flights from March 1 – May 31 or August 16 –
November 30

with 45,000 Virgin Atlantic miles roundtrip on
Delta flights

31. Sweet Spots to Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay,
Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay in Business/First

in Business Class with 35,000 Asiana miles on United,
Copa, or Avianca flights

in Business Class with 45,000 Alaska miles on
AeroMexico flights, try to fly the Dreamliner (has not been
bookable since October 2015)

in First Class with 45,000 Asiana miles on United flights

in Business Class with 50,000 Etihad miles on American
Airlines flights

in Business Class with 50,000 Alaska miles on American
Airlines flights

32. The Deal

30,000 SPG = 35,000 Asiana

There are no fuel surcharges on United, Copa,
and Avianca flights to South America

33. Questions????

Any questions about sweet spots from the
Continental United States to other places
before we move on to awards that don't touch
the United States?

34. We (Almost) All Live in the US, so
Why Care about Foreign Awards?

RTW Awards died in 2014

United Stopovers died this month

Big trips and RTW trips rely on sweet spots on
non-US awards

35. Foreign Sweet Spots

United: SE Asia to Australia/NZ in economy for 17,500 miles,
in Thai First for 40,000

United South-South: South America to South Africa in South
African Business for 45,000 miles

United: Japan-Oceania for 12,500 miles, North Asia-Oceania
for 15,000

Alaska Airlines: Europe-HKG in Cathay Business Class for
42,500 miles

American Airlines: Middle East to SE Asia in Qatar First Class
for 50,000 miles

Singapore: Business Class within South America for 20,000
Miles

36. United: SE Asia ↔ Australia/NZ

17.5k/30k/40k in economy/Business/First

I recommend Thai First, transiting Bangkok for
one of the best ground experiences in the
world

Search and book on united.com

37. United: South-South

South African Airways flies Sao Paulo ↔
Johannesburg daily

United charges 45k one way in Business
Class on the route

Connections possible within Brazil, to Buenos
Aires, and throughout South and Southern
Africa

38. United: Oceania

Japan to Oceania is 12,500 miles. North Asia
to Oceania is 15,000.

Connections are allowed in New Zealand on
Air New Zealand, which has an interesting
Pacific network

Made less valuable by no more United
stopovers, but there is still hidden city
possibility

39. Alaska: HKG ↔ Europe on Cathay

HKG ↔ Europe for 42,500 miles in Business
(economy 30k, First 70k)

Connections add to price, unfortunately

Search on ba.com, book by calling Alaska

HKG-MAD longest at 13:55 on 777-300ER

40. American: Qatar A380 First for 50k

DOH-BKK for 50,000 miles one way in First Class,
possible connections in DOH and BKK

Search on ba.com, book by calling American

BKK-DOH is 7:10

41. Singapore: Intra-South American
Business Class

20,000 miles one way is a great deal North ↔
South

No fuel surcharges

Search on united.com, book by calling
Singapore

Lots of Avianca space via Lima (TACA Peru)

Some flat bed Avianca space out of Bogota

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