When is it okay to redeem miles for Economy Class tickets?

It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that one does not redeem miles for Economy Class. It’s something I emphasize in every article, reiterate at every workshop, and segue into every dinner conversation (“What do you think about the PMD ban?” “Oh, I think it’s poorly thought through, like redeeming your miles for Economy Class”)

My reasoning is simple: most people could pay for an Economy Class ticket if they really had to. But how many would be willing or able to spend money on First or Business Class?

In other words, you could trade your miles for something you’d normally have anyway, or you could trade them for an otherwise unattainable experience. That’s why I’ve always viewed redeeming miles for Economy Class as the aviation equivalent of giving up your birthright for a bowl of stew.

Now all that said, it’s probably necessary to add some nuance to this view because there are situations where Economy Class redemptions can make sense. I’m going to lay out some general principles first, before diving into specific examples.

During peak periods or for last minute travel

If you’re trying to book a ticket for last minute travel, or during peak periods like Christmas/Chinese New Year, you’ll be amazed how much budget or Economy Class tickets can cost.

On the other hand, award redemptions (at least for frequent flyer programs in this part of the world) always cost the same, regardless of how far ahead you book or when you’re looking to travel. Therefore, there may be periods where you get a higher than usual cents per mile figure even if you redeem your miles for Economy Class.

On routes where fuel surcharges are minimal/non-existent

Economy Class redemptions rarely make sense on routes where fuel surcharges and taxes are significant, because the amount of cash you’ll pay on a redemption can approximate the cost of a revenue ticket.

Suppose I want to redeem my KrisFlyer miles for an Economy Class ticket to London on Turkish Airlines. I’d pay not only 76,000 miles, but S$779 of cash– the main culprits being Turkish Airlines’ insane fuel surcharge (S$495.80) and the UK’s long haul Air Passenger Duty (S$136.50).

Paying S$779 of cash on a “free” ticket is hard to stomach, especially when revenue Economy Class fares start from S$872. My 76,000 miles are basically saving me about S$90- a raw deal if I ever saw one!

It’s an extreme example, of course, but it simply illustrates how high fuel surcharges and taxes can negate the advantage of redeeming Economy Class awards (because you’re still on the hook for them anyway).

In contrast, on routes where fuel surcharges are modest or non-existent, Economy Class redemptions can lead to bigger cash savings.

When your travel plans aren’t finalized

Although it may be tempting to buy the cheapest Economy Class tickets, these tend to be non-refundable and aren’t an option if you haven’t firmed up your plans.

To avoid paying expensive refundable fares, it may be worth booking an Economy Class award that at least allows cancellations for a small fee.

When Economy Class awards go on sale

Frequent flyer programs may run Economy Class award sales from time to time. This could be a regular feature, like KrisFlyer’s monthly Spontaneous Escapes, or ad-hoc , like British Airway’s ongoing 50% off Avios awards sale. Not every discounted Economy Class award represents a great deal, but they’re worth taking note of nonetheless. 

So with those general principles in mind, here’s some Economy Class sweet spots you might consider.

KrisFlyer

KrisFlyer’s main advantage when it comes to Economy Class redemptions is that it does’t impose fuel surcharges on Singapore Airlines/SilkAir awards. It doesn’t mean that all Economy Class redemptions on KrisFlyer are great value, but certainly makes them more feasible than on other frequent flyer programs.

To  South Africa and Turkey on Singapore Airlines

Singapore to the Middle East and Africa is a well-known sweet spot on the KrisFlyer chart, allowing you to fly almost 28 hours for a mere 50,000 miles.

All three routes are operated by the A350-900, and while Economy Class is Economy Class, at least you’ll get a more modern seat and IFE system. It gets even better on the odd occasion where these destinations go on 30% off during Spontaneous Escapes.

Within India on Vistara

India has no shortage of budget flights, but if you want something a bit nicer without breaking the bank, consider Vistara. A joint-venture of SIA and Tata Sons, this boutique airline offers much superior service and equipment to the dreaded Air India.

It also helps that their intra-India awards start at just 7.5K KrisFlyer miles with minimal taxes, less than the 12.5K on Air India. Plus, you’ll also save on therapy costs.

Within North America on Alaska Airlines

For flights within North America (i.e. Canada, Mexico, and the USA), consider redeeming KrisFlyer miles for Alaska Airlines. Redemption rates range between 7.5-12K miles for a one-way Economy Class award, there are no fuel surcharges, and airport taxes are minimal.

This is even better than the 12.5-17.5K miles you’d have to pay if you redeemed United Airlines awards via the Star Alliance partner chart.

British Airways Executive Club

British Airways Executive Club is a transfer partner of Citibank and AMEX, and despite the recent Avios devaluation, remains the go-to program for short-haul, direct flights in Economy Class.

We’ll explain why direct in just a bit, but first, here’s their distance-based award chart:

Just by eyeballing the prices for short-haul Economy Class awards, you can already see why this program can have tremendous value- awards start at just 4K miles! But there’s one important caveat- Avios prices awards by segment, so if you’re flying X->Y->Z, the distance from X->Y will be measured and priced, before being added to the price of Y->Z.

Let’s say you’re flying from SIN-PNH via KUL on Malaysia Airlines, for example. The total distance flown is 826 miles, which you might think costs 9K Avios. However, because of how Avios prices, you’ll pay for SIN-KUL (184 miles= 6K Avios) + KUL-PNH (642 miles= 6K Avios) =12K Avios total.

The upshot is that the sweet spots for Avios only apply for direct flights, because once you have a layover, much of the value disappears.

Regional awards from Singapore on Malaysia Airlines, Cathay, and Qantas

Since you’re limited to direct flights only, there aren’t that many options out of Singapore. Where options exist, however, they’re on fairly popular routes like Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Perth.

It’s important to emphasize that some of these awards may not make sense all the time, especially to Kuala Lumpur or Bangkok. If you can get deep discount budget flights, it’s not worth spending the miles. However, if you’re booking last minute and prices have gone crazy, then this may be a viable option.

Intra-Europe on BA, Aer Lingus, Iberia, S7, and Finnair

Awards for intra-Europe Economy travel start from 4-6K miles, depending on the carrier and when you fly. This is much lower than KrisFlyer’s 12.5K miles minimum for Economy Class travel within Europe. You’ll obviously want to be aware of budget flight options and fuel surcharges, but there are many scenarios where you can get great value redemptions here.

Domestic Australia/trans-Tasman on Qantas

If you’re flying within Australia through KrisFlyer, you’d have to pay 11-20K miles for Economy awards on Virgin Australia. However, Avios awards on Qantas can be almost 50% less at 6-13K miles. You won’t have to deal with fuel surcharges on domestic Qantas redemptions.

Domestic Japan on JAL

Avios awards for domestic Japan flights will cost 6-9K miles, a bargain compared to KrisFlyer’s flat 12.5K for ANA domestic Japan flights. You won’t have any pesky fuel surcharges to deal with, and taxes are almost non-existent. I paid S$7 of cash for an Osaka-Itami to Tokyo-Haneda award.

Etihad Guest

Etihad Guest is a transfer partner of Citibank and Standard Chartered. Even though it’s not part of any alliance, it’s got a veritable harem of redemption partners, which opens up some interesting options.

Flying around Eastern Europe on Air Serbia

I know we covered intra-Europe awards with Avios, but for those venturing around Eastern Europe in particular, Air Serbia could be the right choice for you. This is especially the case if oneworld does not operate direct flights between your origin and destination.

Within South America on GOL

If your travels ever take you to Brazil, GOL awards can be excellent value. It’s a no-frills carrier, but if you’re just concerned with getting from Point A to B, then 3K miles awards from Sao Paulo to Rio are definitely the way to go.

Asia Miles

Asia Miles is a transfer partner of AMEX, BOC, Citibank, DBS, HSBC, Maybank and UOB. The recent devaluation was hard on Business and First Class travelers, but those who liked flying at the back of the plane were in for a treat, because all Economy redemptions either stayed the same price or decreased in cost.

To North Asia on Cathay Pacific

Assuming you’re willing to take a one-stop option, you can get some very good value Economy awards from Singapore to North Asia.

Okinawa is just about at the tip of Cathay’s 2,750 miles distance band, and a round-trip journey to Japan for 20K miles is hard to beat. You could even cheat on the theme and do it in Business Class for 50K miles, allowing you to enjoy the Cathay Pacific lounges in Singapore and Hong Kong, and a flat-bed seat from Singapore to Hong Kong.

Conclusion

As much as I firmly believe that everyone should be saving up their miles for a First or Business Class trip, I’ll begrudgingly acknowledge that “never redeem miles for Economy” is more a guideline than a commandment. In certain situations, routes and frequent flyer programs, Economy Class awards can still be a good option.

What other Economy Class sweet spots do you know of? Feel free to chip in!