Part II–The Golden Key to Unlocking Lucrative Miles & Points: How to Use FCF’s Sweet Redeems to Save Up to 92% on First Class Flights (When You Don’t Have Any or Enough Miles or Points)

Fasten your seatbelts: You’re about to learn the fastest and easiest way to book tickets up to 92% off – every time.

Last month we gave you an overview of our precious Sweet Redeems, the amazing way to unlock the protein from your miles and points.

This month we’re going a little deeper to cover special features that make these deals work for you, such as:

• How anyone — with or without any miles or points — can save up to 92% on First Class flights
• How anyone — with or without any miles or points — can save up to 66% on Business Class flights
• How to know the best airlines to transfer your points to for opportunities most don’t know about

My favorite ticketing strategy and the one I personally use more than any other…

FCF’s Sweet Redeems Integrates
Mileage Purchase Options
(and Sales to save even more)

The No Miles, No Problem section of FCF’s Sweet Redeems (see screengrab below) gives you the lowdown on which airlines are offering access to these deals by purchase miles, which anyone can do, or buying points, which Amex Membership Rewards members can do.

Mileage sales and bonus deals are also integrated into FCF’s Sweet Redeems’ summary section along with the related costs, the expiration date of the promo, and a link to where you can purchase enough miles. Here’s more about buying miles, one of my all-time favorite strategies. See how much you can save by purchasing the number of miles or points needed for the award compared to the everyday published fare, so you can easily see if it makes sense to buy a normal published fare or buy the miles for an award ticket.

Amex EXAMPLE:
A) BUY Points (If you don’t have enough)
B) Transfer AMEX POINTS to Virgin Atlantic Miles
C) REDEEM VIRGIN MILES for All Nippon First Class

Now for the FCF Hat Trick to:
book ALl Nippon First Class
with Virgin Miles
acquired via Buying Amex points…

Or you may want to buy miles from United when it runs a sale on miles to use with All Nippon First Class.

How Do I Know Which Miles or Points to Buy?

I’m so glad you asked. The Access Deal With Cash section compares the various mileage and points currencies you can purchase to land huge savings. As you can see in the screengrab below, you may have an Amex card, which allows you to buy up to 500,000 points a year, or you may want to buy miles from United instead, which anyone can do.

Oh by the way, when’s the best time to buy miles? When there are transfer bonuses or the miles are on sale.

FCF’s Sweet Redeems Integrates Transfer Bonuses

Why are FCFs Sweet Redeems sometimes unusually low-priced? Because we include details about which airlines and airline transfer partners are offering a mileage transfer bonus promotion, including the expiration date of the promo and a link to the transfer partner so you can purchase and/or transfer those miles.

Buy and/or Transfer MILES & POINTS with Major AIRLINES
& POINTS PROGRAMS

FCF’s Sweet Redeems covers buy and transfer points deals with Amex and: All Nippon, Air Canada, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Delta, Emirates, Etihad, Singapore, Qantas, and Virgin Atlantic.

Amex offers bonuses periodically when transferring points to: British Airways, Iberia, Air France/KLM, and Virgin Atlantic.

FCF covers points transfer deals with Chase to: Air Canada, Air France/KLM, British Airways, Emirates, Iberia, Singapore, United, and Virgin Atlantic.

FCF covers transfer points deals with Citi to: Air France/KLM, American, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Etihad, Qantas, Qatar, Singapore, Turkish, and Virgin Atlantic.

Examples of the Potential Savings

American Business Class: Save 54% / $3,568

Cathay Pacific First Class: Save 92% / $31,433

Emirates First Class: Save 48% / $6,512 Business Class: Save 30% / $1,032

Iberia Business Class: Save 49% / $2,727

Japan Airlines First Class: Save 81% / $16,373 Business Class: Save 66% / $5,867

Qatar Business Class: Save 55% / $4,346

United Business Class: Save 63% / $5,533

United Business Class Mileage Upgrades: Save up to 70% / $4,200

Strategy Stacking:
Save Even More Time & Money
by Combining These Cool Hacks

This is a quick travel treasure-trove of links to relevant FCF special reports where you can “stack the strategies,” including:

• One of the best ways to get in the upgrade game, overnight: How to Get Around Buying Miles Maximum Limits
• Getting Free Tickets Beyond the Nonstop Bridge flight
• Connection Widget makes more deals doable
• Beginner’s Guide: how to play the “buy miles to fly in style” strategy
• Details on transferring miles and points partnerships: For SkyTeam, for oneworld, for Star Alliance, and for non-alliance airlines
• Six Plays to Consider when there’s only one mileage seat available
• Which airlines will lend you the time to either buy or transfer the miles needed
• FCF recommends booking your future travel now and using miles to do it. More on that here: Pro Tips and Tricks on Booking Mileage Tickets Way in Advance and How to Strike While the Iron is Hot
• If you do have flexibility, don’t play into the airlines’ hands. Be an opportunity traveler instead, and let them play right into yours.
• Why One-Way Awards Can Make or Break a 50% to 90% Off Business or First Class Deal
• Mining for Miles Availability: 10 Common Mistakes Most Travelers Make
• Emirates First Class awards are still attainable. More on that here: FCF’s Perspective On Emirates Award Changes and How You Can Still Save Up to $9,454 / 58%

PS: Let us know about your success story (there’s a reward for that), and how you think our Sweet Redeems could be even better (a reward for that, too).