With the rising cost of airfare – there is only one real solution to vacation travel to the US – use free tickets. Since I know many readers of this blog have 100,000’s of miles sitting in their accounts, I decided to summarize the options available for using them for trips to the States (including all the way to Hawaii!).
And, since I am a “method blogger”. I decided to report my emotions, memories and experiences of the search process. I called all the relevant airlines to find free tickets to the states. I challenged myself by trying to find space for travel this summer. And I did.
So, use the following to plan your free trip. Remember the four universal rules of booking free tickets:
1. Best to book exactly 330 days in advance.
2. Must be flexible with dates
3. Be creative with routings
4. Don’t call ElAl
If you read this blog for the frequent flyer info – there are some good posts about Turkish Airlines and its partnership with American, how to get a free ticket just by signing up for a Visa card, free travel on British, Continental leaving Delta for United and the Star Alliance, yet another AA change, another post on ELAL and more.
|
Mileage Program |
Airlines (leaving Israel) |
Miles for Economy Ticket |
Summer Availability |
Total Price |
US Destinations |
|
ElAl |
ElAl |
1400 points (1800 LA) |
Fuggetaboutit |
New York, Miami, LA |
|
|
United |
Air Canada, |
75,000 |
Limited |
$94 |
All US |
|
American Airlines AAdvantage |
American Airlines, ElAl, British, |
75,000 (AA award) or 90,000 (One World Award) or 40,000 if |
Nope, even if you are willing to fly via Amman. No advanced level. |
$76 |
All US on AA award. 14,000 actual miles on OneWorld |
|
Delta SkyMiles |
Delta, Air France, |
80,000 (90,000 on Continental) |
Yes – only at Skysaver level |
$35 |
Mainland US |
|
Continental OnePass |
Same as Delta |
70,000 |
Yes – only at EasyPass level |
$33 |
Mainland US |
|
Israir |
NO PROGRAM |
|
|
|
|
Related Travel Guide Topics:
- Hotels in Manhattan and New York City
- Guided Tours in Manhattan and New York City
- Museums in Manhattan, Staten Island and New York City
- Fun facts about Manhattan and New York City
- Cool and Fun Things to Do in Manhattan and New York City
- Arts and Entertainment in Manhattan and New York City
- Architecture in Manhattan and New York City
Related Topics:
Filed under: ElAl, Flights, Frequent Flyer Miles, Great Deals, Perks and Tips | Tagged: AA Airlines, aadvantage, avis, Car Hire Usa, Extraodinary People, Flight Schedules, free tickets, Hawaii Travel, i-remember, in-flight, Life Flow, Price Drop, Research Diary, vacation plans
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