There are countless chances to book travel at a discount, from paid ticket sales to redemption programs.
Few deals, though, are as dependable as the Promo Rewards that Air France-KLM Flying Blue offers each month.
These specials, which offer savings on flights to and from particular cities or area pairs, frequently appear on the Flying Blue website.
There is a predetermined travel window and all discounts are only bookable through the end of the month.
This month, one-way economy flights to several European locations are available from Boston, Washington, and Miami for as little as 11,250 miles.
If you're wanting to take a spring break trip to Europe, this can be a great price because it's a fraction of what many competing programs charge for the same award tickets.
The deal
Airlines: Air France and KLM.
Routes: Low-cost flights between Europe and Miami International Airport, Dulles International Airport, and Boston Logan International Airport.
Cost: Vary depending on the airport.
Awards in the economy category start at 11,250 miles each way.
Travel is permitted from January 1 through June 30.
Book by January 31.
Rewards promotions between North America and Europe
The least expensive awards are from Boston to Europe, where the minimum one-way mileage is 11,250 miles plus taxes and fees.
These rates were available on numerous late-winter and early-spring dates to places including Frankfurt, Prague, and Budapest, Hungary.
Additionally, we've seen that prices to and from Miami to a number of places start at the specified minimum of 12,750 miles one-way.
Finally, there is a tonne of availability, starting at the advertised 12,750 miles, from Washington to various European destinations.
We are also seeing reasonably cheap business-class tickets from several cities to Europe, however, they are not specifically Promo Rewards.
For instance, you may reserve a flight in March for 56,500 miles plus taxes from Washington to Dublin via Paris.
Not a revolutionary offer, but one to take into account if you're looking for award space.
How to book
On the Air France or KLM website, purchase Promo Rewards tickets.
When logged in, go to the home page of your account and select "Book with Miles."
After that, input the itinerary you want to follow and press the red search button.
Early in March, Boston had reasonable availability at the lowest Promo Reward price.
Connecting flights frequently costs less in miles than nonstop trips.
Transferring points is never a good idea if you don't have specific dates in mind, so if you want to use them to book this award, look for award space first.
Getting Flying Blue miles
Given that Flying Blue partners with all of the major transferable point currencies, increasing your balance is simple.
Points from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Citi ThankYou Rewards can be transferred at a 1:1 ratio.
Additionally, Marriott points can be transferred at a 3:1 ratio with a bonus of 5,000 miles for every 60,000 points transferred.
Our tests indicate that transfers made using Amex, Bilt, Capital One, Chase, and Citi should post almost promptly.
That wasn't the case, though, with the Marriott test transfer, which took three days to reach our Flying Blue account.
Because of this, if you want to make a reservation immediately away, credit card points are your best option.
Enhance your purchase
Don’t forget to use a card that earns additional points on airfare purchases to pay taxes and fees on your award ticket.
Some of the best cards include The Platinum Card® from American Express (5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year), the Citi Premier Card (3 points per dollar on air travel), the Chase Sapphire Reserve (3 points per dollar on travel), the American Express Gold Card (3 points per dollar on airfare when booked directly with the airline or through Amex Travel) and the Chase Sapphire Preferred Card (2 points per dollar on travel).
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