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We’re trying something new! Our award booker posts will answer a reader’s specific award booking question and show folks exactly how to find and book a similar trip.
We can’t wait to answer your questions and get you Big Travel with your hard-earned miles & points!
If you’d like us to consider your question, please leave a comment on this post and we’ll try to help you out! The more details you can provide (types and amounts of miles & points you have, number of passengers, routing, time of year, etc.) the better. We can’t promise we’ll get to everyone, but we’ll do our best to solve as many award booking challenges as we can.
Today’s question comes from Kardin, who commented on Facebook:
My husband and I would like to travel to Ireland for 7 to 10 days in Business or First Class from the Washington, DC area. We’d love a stop in Iceland, but realize the limits on that. Really hoping to show him the power of points on this one (so he doesn’t use them on Amazon again!). We have 230,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points, 350,000 American Airlines miles, 150,000 United Airlines miles, and 1.5 million AMEX Membership Rewards points.
Hey Kardin! The good news is you have more than enough points for the 2 of you to travel to Iceland and Ireland in Business or First Class!
Even better – you have multiple flight options.
Start by Booking Award Flights to Iceland
Icelandair flies non-stop from Washington, DC (Dulles) to Reykjavik, Iceland, but doesn’t offer lie-flat First or Business Class on its flights.
And because you want to show your husband the good life, we’ll book you on Delta flight from New York (JFK) to Reykjavik. This requires a short stop in New York City, but its worth it for Delta Business Class.
Even though you don’t have Delta miles, Delta is an AMEX Membership Rewards transfer partner. So you’ll be able to move points from AMEX to Delta to book this flight!
Step 1. Search for Available Award Seats on the Delta Website
Link: Delta.com
Link: How to Use Delta Award Search
First, navigate to Delta.com and sign-in with your Delta frequent flyer account and password.
Then click “Using your miles” and enter your flight search information. Use “WAS” for Washington, DC, because that will search for flights from both Dulles and Reagan National airports. Include your travel dates and select 2 adults.
Choose “Delta Premium Select” (Business Class) from the “Show best fares for“ drop-down menu.
Then, select the date that best fits your schedule from the calendar view below. The lowest-priced saver awards should cost 54,000 Delta miles per person.
Find the flight that best fits your needs and click on it. Delta may show more routings than just Washington, DC to New York (JFK) to Reykjavik, so scroll until you find it!
Once you’ve found available award flights, you’ll want to quickly transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points to Delta to make the booking.
Step 2. Transfer AMEX Membership Rewards Points to Delta
Link: American Express Membership Rewards
Link: How to Transfer AMEX Membership Rewards Points to Travel Partners
You can transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points to Delta at a 1:1 ratio, and transfers are typically instant.
For 2 one-way, Business Class award flights from the US to Reykjavik, you’ll need a total of 108,000 Delta miles (54,000 miles X 2 people.
To get started, navigate to American Express’ website and sign-in.
Look to the right-hand corner of the screen and click “Explore Rewards“.
Scroll down and click “Transfer Points“.
Scroll down and select “Delta“.
Fill out all forms on the page. It’ll ask you to verify your credit card info and add your Delta number to your account.
Then choose how many points you’d like to transfer (108,000 for both of you) and press “confirm“!
Note: Because you’re transferring miles to a US airline, you’ll have to pay an excise fee of 0.06 cents per point to complete the transfer.
Once you see the Delta miles in your account, go back to your award search and book your flights to Iceland!
Next, Find Flights From Iceland to Ireland
You have 2 options for flights from Iceland to Ireland: Icelandair or WOW Air.
These airlines aren’t part of an alliance. Technically, Icelandair is a partner of Alaska Airlines, but this route is not eligible to book with miles.
Depending on which Chase Ultimate Rewards-earning card you have, you will get between 1 and 1.5 cents per point in value toward your ticket.
Here’s how to book a flight from Iceland to Ireland with your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.
Step 1. Go to the Chase Website
Link: Chase.com
Link: Step-by-Step Guide: How to Book Travel With the Chase Travel Portal
To book your flights with Chase Ultimate Rewards points, navigate to Chase’s website and login to your Chase account. Then scroll to the bottom of the page and “Ultimate Rewards“.
At the top of the screen, click “Travel“. Then click “All Travel“ from the drop-down menu.
On the search screen, enter your flight details (Reykjavik to Dublin, one-way, 2 adults) and travel date, then click “Search“.
You’ll be shown a list of flights. Pick the flight that best suits your needs and click ““Select“.
2. Redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards Points for Your Tickets
Once you’ve verified your departure date and flight times, click “Begin Checkout“.
Your points will automatically be used to cover the cost of the flight (but you can choose to use fewer points and cover only some of the cost of the flight). Again, verify all details and click “Next“.
Then, enter all passenger information and click the “Save and Continue” button at the bottom of the screen.
Scroll to the bottom of the window and click “Complete Checkout“. Your flight is now booked!
If you would rather save your Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, you can also book this flight with cash instead!
Finally, Book Flights From Dublin Back to Washington, DC
Link: Sweet Spot: Fly to Ireland From 6 US Cities for Only 26,000 British Airways Avios Points Round-Trip
Aer Lingus flies non-stop between Dublin and Washington, DC (Dulles) year-round, and you can redeem British Airways Avios points to book this flight.
Lie-flat Business Class seats cost just 50,000 British Airways Avios points one-way during off-peak times, and 60,000 points during peak season. And you can transfer both American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards points to British Airways at a 1:1 ratio.
However, you’ll have to call British Airways to book the ticket. Before calling, it’s easiest to check for available award seats on the United Airlines website.
Step 1. Search on the United Airlines Website
Link: United Airlines
Navigate to the United Airlines website and enter your route and dates in the “Book Travel“ section of the homepage.
Be sure to check the “Search Award Travel“ box at the bottom of the form, then click “Search“.
Look for tickets operated by ASL Airlines Ireland that list available saver awards and note the dates and flight numbers.
Note:. Aer Lingus subcontracts certain flights between the US and Ireland to ASL Airlines, but they’re still Aer Lingus flights.
Step 2. Contact British Airways to Book
Call British Airways Executive Club at 800-452-1201 and tell them the dates and flight numbers you’d like to book. They’ll confirm the flights and that you are able to book them with British Airways Avios points.
Note: British Airways may try to charge a phone booking fee. Kindly ask to have it waived because you can’t book the award online.
American Express Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer instantly to British Airways, so you can transfer them while you’re on the phone with an agent.
To transfer AMEX Membership Rewards points to British Airways, the steps are similar to transferring points to Delta.
And here are step-by-step guides on how to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to travel partners like British Airways.
Bottom Line
Getting to Iceland and Ireland is a relatively simple process when you have a stash of transferable Chase Ultimate Rewards and AMEX Membership Rewards points!
In this case, Kardin’s best bet for travel with her husband includes:
- Transferring AMEX Membership Rewards points to Delta for Business Class flights to Reykjavik (via New York)
- Redeeming Chase Ultimate Rewards points for inexpensive coach flights on Icelandair between Reykjavik and Dublin
- Moving Chase Ultimate Rewards or AMEX Membership Rewards points to British Airways to book Business Class flights on Aer Lingus back to Washington, DC
Consider traveling during off-peak times to find the most award seats (and lower prices with British Airways, too!).
Have a wonderful trip, Kardin! Let us know what you decide to book!
Have an award you want to book? Leave a comment below and your question may be featured in our award booking series!