The perfect methods to journey to London with factors and miles

Not solely is London a preferred vacation spot, nevertheless it’s additionally an awesome 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, you might 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 top of this information, I am going to additionally focus on accommodations in London you may e book with factors and a number of 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’ll be able to e book American Airways flights by means of the American AAdvantage program, however you may discover dynamic award charges. This could generally end in good charges, however will usually end in extraordinarily excessive award charges (particularly if you wish to fly in a premium cabin). Nonetheless, you will discover award flights that comply with the AAdvantage companion award chart in case your itinerary contains a number of segments operated by a companion, reminiscent of Alaska Airways or British Airways.

American Airways would not share all of its award availability with its companions. Nevertheless it’s price checking to see should you can snag higher award pricing by reserving American-operated flights by means of a companion program. Alaska Mileage Plan generally is a good choice, particularly if you wish to e book premium financial system or business-class flights between the U.S. and London. You’ll be able to earn Alaska miles by transferring Bilt Rewards Factors and Marriott Bonvoy factors to Mileage Plan.

Etihad Visitor may additionally be price 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 through Etihad. You’ll be able to earn Etihad Visitor miles by transferring American Specific Membership Rewards factors, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou Rewards factors and Marriott Bonvoy factors.

Associated: Tips on 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 unhealthy information about British Airways flights is that the taxes and costs will usually be extraordinarily excessive, and there is no strategy to keep away from these taxes and costs 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 lots of every manner in taxes and costs — take into account reserving with British Airways Membership Avios, American AAdvantage miles or Alaska Mileage Plan miles.

Alaska Mileage Plan presents compelling charges, particularly in premium financial system and enterprise class. However bear in mind the excessive taxes and costs, that are a lot greater on flights British Airways operates than on flights American Airways operates. You’ll be able to earn Alaska miles by transferring Bilt Rewards factors or Marriott Bonvoy factors to Mileage Plan.

If you wish to pay decrease taxes and costs, reserving by means of British Airways Membership could also be your best choice (particularly if you will discover availability at off-peak charges). You’ll be able to select from a number of totally different Avios-and-cash combos, which might allow you to pay considerably much less money if you wish to fly on a flight operated by British Airways. Here is how one can earn Avios.

Lastly, you can redeem American miles for a British Airways flight to Europe. Nonetheless, I not often discover that doing so supplies good worth because the taxes and costs are nonetheless often too excessive for these award charges to be worthwhile in comparison with reserving a paid fare, utilizing a unique loyalty program or flying on flights operated by a unique airline.

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

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’ll be able to, in fact, e book Delta-operated flights to London with SkyMiles. Doing so offers you essentially 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 utilize Delta’s value calendar to search out the perfect award price you probably 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 often shares some, however not all, award house with its companions. So, it is also price 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 comply with a broadcast award chart, and the taxes and costs could not make reserving financial system awards by means of Virgin Atlantic worthwhile.

You’ll be able to theoretically e book premium-cabin awards on Delta-operated flights to London utilizing Flying Membership, however availability is proscribed. You’ll be able to 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’ll be able to redeem JetBlue TrueBlue factors for flights to London at dynamic award charges. For instance, you can redeem 88,800 factors or pay $1,808 for a one-way JetBlue Mint flight from New York to London in the course of the day. However an in a single day flight in Mint would value far 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 may’t e book transatlantic JetBlue flights by means of 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 would not have its personal loyalty program, and no different airline applications have entry to Norse award availability. So if you wish to e book a Norse flight to London, you could e book a paid price. You possibly can redeem transferable factors for paid Norse flights should you e book by means of a bank card journey portal that provides Norse flights.

Associated: Crunching the numbers: Is it costlier to e book flights by means of 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 count on, you may 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 an alternative 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 financial system, 50,000 in premium financial 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’ll be able to 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 financial system tends to be restricted.

Associated: Tips on 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 current will increase in taxes and costs, your best choice for reserving Virgin Atlantic flights to London will often be the Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership program. Though the taxes and costs 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 may 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 search out the most affordable Saver seats

Finest factors accommodations in London

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

Bank cards to carry to London

The official forex of the UK is the pound sterling. You will get the perfect conversion price for purchases in the UK once you use a card that does not cost overseas transaction charges and choose to pay in kilos sterling. Here is a take a look at a few of my favourite journey rewards playing cards that do not cost overseas transaction charges:

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

Backside line

Now, try 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 means of a number of the applications talked about primarily based on the airways you’d wish to fly and the dates you need to journey.

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