The most effective methods to journey to London with factors and miles

Not solely is London a well-liked vacation spot, nevertheless it’s additionally an important connecting level for different locations in Europe and past. So, whether or not you need to go to London or use it as a connecting level, it’s possible you’ll be curious how one can journey to London with factors and miles.

London has 5 airports, however the one ones with service to and from the U.S. are Heathrow Airport (LHR) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW).

Now, let’s dive into how one can fly nonstop between the U.S. and London utilizing your factors and miles on a wide range of airways. Close to the tip of this information, I will additionally focus on lodges in London you possibly can guide with factors and among the finest journey rewards playing cards to have in your pockets when you’re in London.

E-book American Airways award flights to London

American Airways flies to LHR from the next cities:

• Boston
• Charlotte
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York — John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK)
• Philadelphia
• Phoenix
• Raleigh, North Carolina

You possibly can guide American Airways flights by the American AAdvantage program, however you may discover dynamic award charges. This may generally lead to good charges, however will usually lead to extraordinarily excessive award charges (particularly if you wish to fly in a premium cabin). Nonetheless, yow will discover award flights that observe the AAdvantage accomplice award chart in case your itinerary contains a number of segments operated by a accomplice, equivalent to Alaska Airways or British Airways.

American Airways does not share all of its award availability with its companions. But it surely’s value checking to see if you happen to can snag higher award pricing by reserving American-operated flights by a accomplice program. Alaska Mileage Plan generally is a good choice, particularly if you wish to guide premium economic system or business-class flights between the U.S. and London. You possibly can earn Alaska miles by transferring Bilt Rewards Factors and Marriott Bonvoy factors to Mileage Plan.

Etihad Visitor may be value contemplating if you wish to fly in enterprise class on American Airways. A one-way business-class flight on American Airways from New York to London prices 80,000 miles plus $33 when booked by way of Etihad. You possibly can earn Etihad Visitor miles by transferring American Specific Membership Rewards factors, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors and Marriott Bonvoy factors.

Associated: Learn how to earn miles within the American Airways AAdvantage program

E-book British Airways award flights to London

British Airways flies to LGW from Las Vegas, New York (JFK), Orlando and Tampa. The airline additionally flies to LHR from the next cities:

• Atlanta
• Austin
• Boston
• Chicago
• Cincinnati
• Dallas
• Denver
• Houston
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• Nashville
• New Orleans
• New York — JFK and Newark Liberty Worldwide Airport (EWR)
• Philadelphia
• Pittsburgh
• Phoenix
• Portland, Oregon
• San Diego
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Washington, D.C. — Baltimore/Washington Worldwide Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD)

The dangerous information about British Airways flights is that the taxes and charges will usually be extraordinarily excessive, and there is not any strategy to keep away from these taxes and charges if you wish to fly on a British Airways-operated flight. However, if you wish to redeem factors or miles for a British Airways flight between the U.S. and London — and are prepared to pay a whole bunch every means in taxes and charges — think about reserving with British Airways Membership Avios, American AAdvantage miles or Alaska Mileage Plan miles.

Alaska Mileage Plan affords compelling charges, particularly in premium economic system and enterprise class. However keep in mind the excessive taxes and charges, that are a lot greater on flights British Airways operates than on flights American Airways operates. You possibly can earn Alaska miles by transferring Bilt Rewards factors or Marriott Bonvoy factors to Mileage Plan.

If you wish to pay decrease taxes and charges, reserving by British Airways Membership could also be your best choice (particularly if yow will discover availability at off-peak charges). You possibly can select from a collection of totally different Avios-and-cash mixtures, which may allow you to pay considerably much less money if you wish to fly on a flight operated by British Airways. This is how one can earn Avios.

Lastly, you possibly can redeem American miles for a British Airways flight to Europe. Nonetheless, I hardly ever discover that doing so supplies good worth for the reason that taxes and charges are nonetheless normally too excessive for these award charges to be worthwhile in comparison with reserving a paid fare, utilizing a special loyalty program or flying on flights operated by a special airline.

Associated: Nice award availability however beware the taxes: British Airways enterprise class evaluation

E-book Delta award flights to London

Delta Air Traces flies to LGW from New York (JFK) and to LHR from the next cities:

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Detroit
• Las Vegas
• Minneapolis
• New York — JFK
• Salt Lake Metropolis
• Seattle

You possibly can, after all, guide Delta-operated flights to London with SkyMiles. Doing so gives you probably the most decisions, however you may usually see excessive charges since Delta makes use of dynamic award pricing for its personal flights. On the optimistic aspect, you should use Delta’s worth calendar to seek out the most effective award charge when you have versatile journey dates. There are many methods to earn Delta miles, together with transferring American Specific Membership Rewards factors or Marriott Bonvoy factors to SkyMiles.

Delta normally shares some, however not all, award area with its companions. So, it is also value checking Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership, which costs Delta-operated nonstop flights from London to the U.S. utilizing region-based charts with peak and off-peak charges. Nonetheless, Delta-operated flights from the U.S. to London do not appear to observe a broadcast award chart, and the taxes and charges could not make reserving economic system awards by Virgin Atlantic worthwhile.

You possibly can theoretically guide premium-cabin awards on Delta-operated flights to London utilizing Flying Membership, however availability is restricted. You possibly can earn Virgin factors by transferring Amex Membership Rewards factors, Bilt factors, Capital One miles, Chase Final Rewards factors, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors and Marriott Bonvoy factors to Flying Membership.

Associated: Which bank card do you have to use for Delta Air Traces flights?

E-book JetBlue award flights to London

JetBlue flies to LGW from Boston and to LHR from Boston and New York (JFK).

You possibly can redeem JetBlue TrueBlue factors for flights to London at dynamic award charges. For instance, you possibly can redeem 88,800 factors or pay $1,808 for a one-way JetBlue Mint flight from New York to London throughout the day. However an in a single day flight in Mint would value way more on this particular date.

There are many methods to earn JetBlue factors, together with transferring American Specific Membership Rewards factors, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors, Chase Final Rewards factors and Capital One miles to TrueBlue. Sadly, you possibly can’t guide transatlantic JetBlue flights by another airline loyalty program.

Associated: JetBlue Plus Card vs. JetBlue Premier Card: Do you have to go mid-tier or premium?

E-book Norse flights to London

Norse Atlantic Airways flies to LGW from New York (JFK), Orlando, Los Angeles and Miami. Sadly, Norse does not have its personal loyalty program, and no different airline applications have entry to Norse award availability. So if you wish to guide a Norse flight to London, you should guide a paid charge. You could possibly redeem transferable factors for paid Norse flights if you happen to guide by a bank card journey portal that gives Norse flights.

Associated: Crunching the numbers: Is it costlier to guide flights by a bank card journey portal?

E-book United Airways award flights to London

United Airways flies to LHR from the next cities:

• Chicago
• Denver
• Houston
• Los Angeles
• New York — EWR
• San Francisco
• Washington, D.C. — IAD

As you’d anticipate, you possibly can redeem United MileagePlus miles for United-operated flights to London. You will discover loads of availability, however at dynamic award charges. So, you may generally discover good offers, and generally discover terribly excessive award charges. However on the optimistic aspect, there are many methods to earn United miles, together with transferring Bilt Rewards factors, Chase Final Rewards factors and Marriott Bonvoy factors to MileagePlus.

Air Canada Aeroplan is another choice when redeeming rewards for a United-operated flight to London. Award charges for a one-way United-operated flight between the U.S. and London begin at 35,000 factors in economic system, 50,000 in premium economic system and 60,000 in enterprise class. These are beginning charges (PDF hyperlink), however you may discover awards between the East Coast and London are sometimes priced at these charges. You possibly can earn Aeroplan factors by transferring Amex Membership Rewards factors, Bilt Rewards factors, Capital One miles, Chase Final Rewards factors and Marriott Bonvoy factors, however award availability in something however economic system tends to be restricted.

Associated: Learn how to get upgraded on United Airways flights

E-book Virgin Atlantic award flights to London

Virgin Atlantic flies to LHR from the next cities:

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York — JFK
• Orlando
• San Francisco
• Seattle
• Tampa
• Washington, D.C. — IAD

Regardless of latest will increase in taxes and charges, your best choice for reserving Virgin Atlantic flights to London will normally be the Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership program. Though the taxes and charges will be eye-wateringly excessive, award charges begin at round 6,000 factors in Economic system Basic, 10,500 in Premium and 28,500 in Higher Class.

Better of all, you possibly can switch Amex Membership Rewards factors, Bilt Rewards factors, Capital One miles, Chase Final Rewards factors, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors and Marriott Bonvoy factors to Flying Membership.

Associated: Use Virgin Atlantic’s reward seat checker to seek out the most cost effective Saver seats

Greatest factors lodges in London

London has a number of properties in each main resort loyalty program. I normally redeem IHG factors to get a fourth evening free, a perk of my IHG One Rewards Premier Credit score Card (see charges and charges) or redeem Hyatt factors to profit from the World of Hyatt award chart. However, here is a fast have a look at among the finest lodges in London, alongside pattern award pricing:

Bank cards to convey to London

The official foreign money of the UK is the pound sterling. You will get the most effective conversion charge for purchases in the UK while you use a card that does not cost international transaction charges and decide to pay in kilos sterling. This is a have a look at a few of my favourite journey rewards playing cards that do not cost international transaction charges:

Associated: Dynamic foreign money conversion: What it’s and why it is best to keep away from it

Backside line

Now, you ought to be higher geared up to make use of factors and miles to journey to London. Take inventory of your factors and miles, together with your transferable factors and miles. Then, examine award availability and pricing by among the applications talked about primarily based on the airways you’d prefer to fly and the dates you need to journey.

Examine resort charges earlier than you set your dates, as some intervals will be very dear in London. It is good to get the all-in value of your flights and lodges earlier than reserving.