This opportunity has now expired. Here are some of the best new ways to use points across the atlantic.
Do you have Amex or Citi points? How about Etihad Guest miles? Or Starwood points? If you have any of the above, you’re about to be very happy, scoring perhaps the best bargain in the points and miles world today. You can fly flat across the Atlantic ocean in business class for just 36,620 miles round trip…
Availability comes and goes. Use the United site to search for direct flights using points.
Ok, That’s A Crazy Good Deal…
No elbow wars in these seats! It’s true! The first hurdle in unlocking amazing nearly free travel is earning miles, the second is knowing which miles to earn and which ones can offer the best value. In this case, we’re going to use Etihad Guest miles, which you can create from many credit card points or Starwood points to fly on Brussels Airlines, in their exciting new business class…
So Hang On, We’re Using Etihad Points To Book Brussels Airlines?
You got it! Etihad is a partner of Brussels Airlines and they (Etihad) happen to offer the best possible rate to cross the Atlantic using miles for flights on Brussels Airlines. The best part is that even if you’ve never flown Etihad, you can create their miles almost instantly by transferring either your Amex points, Citi points or Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) hotel points. Easy!
So Where Can I Fly At This Crazy Rate?!
Glad you asked, you can fly direct between New York (JFK) and Brussels in either direction, putting you into the heart of Europe or the heart of the US in style. Aside from this awesome deal, there are some absurd rates for flights within Europe and to Africa. To see a complete list, check out this very handy guide from Etihad which even includes the amount of miles for each possibility around the world in order of miles needed.
Ok, I’m So In! How Do I find Space?
Brussels Airlines is a member of Star Alliance, so you’ll want to use another member of Star Alliance’s website to search for availability on Brussels Airlines. I recommend United.com. Without logging in you’ll be able to search the route. If there’s space on Brussels Airlines, it will show up. If there’s not, keep searching for dates that have space.
What About Booking? Is It Complicated?
If you consider a phone call complicated, then it’s a little bit complicated, but it should not be too bad. Once you find space on United.com, call Etihad Guest’s Manchester call center (on Skype for pennies) +443456081225 to tell them you want to book Brussels Airlines flights on your specific dates, feed them the flight number and tell them you’re looking for “I” class inventory. They should see the space, if not, they may place you on hold while they call Brussels Airlines. They should be able to get it done in one call. If not, say thanks, hang up, call back and speak to someone with brains, which is not always guaranteed. For, 36,620 miles + $94 round trip flat beds, it’s hard to argue with a bit of elbow grease…
