Before you head out for the holiday weekend, we’ve got a few questions that need answers. Like, do you really need a lie-flat seat on the way to Europe? What are EVA miles good for? And how do you transfer Avios between accounts? Have a safe and happy Independence Day, everyone! 🧨
💺 Do You Really Need To Fly Business Class To Europe?
Don’t get me wrong: I love a lie-flat seat as much as the next traveler. But after several trips to Europe this year, I’m starting to question whether business class is really worth it.
Most redeye flights to Europe, especially from the East Coast, are only six to eight hours from wheels up to wheels down. Even if you skip the meal service (which you paid a premium for, by the way), you’re still dealing with cabin lights, clanging dishes, and people moving through the aisles. By the time the service wraps up, you’ve typically got just three or four hours to sleep before breakfast and landing.
Then you arrive in Europe early in the morning, hours before your hotel room is ready, and spend the day wandering around in a jet-lagged haze.
The result? You’re still just as tired as the person sitting 15 rows behind you … and you spent thousands of dollars (or points) more.
That’s why I’ve recently shifted my focus to the middle of the plane and the premium economy cabin when I want to splurge for some extra comfort … especially when I can find a good upgrade price.
It’s the perfect fit for travelers who want something a little more comfortable than an economy seat, but don’t want to go all-out on business class. On average, premium economy will cost 1.5x to 2X the price of a coach seat … but that’s (typically) still half the cost of business class. With it, you’re getting a bigger seat with a meaningful amount of recline, better food, and generally improved service.
The best part (at least right now)? Depending on your route, you can often score an upgrade from economy at a reasonable price.
To me, the biggest difference is the extra recline and leg room. I can survive in an economy seat on a redeye flight to Europe, but it’s usually a pretty tight squeeze. By contrast, there’s plenty of legroom for me to stretch out in premium economy. And on many airlines, you will find an elevated footrest and a much deeper recline that makes it actually feel like you’re leaning back to catch some better rest rather than sitting upright.
On my recent Delta Premium Select flight, I had 7 inches of recline, compared to 4 inches (or so) in the main cabin. That might not sound like much of a difference, but in practice, it made getting comfortable a whole lot easier.
Check out our guide on how to book Premium Economy for less
I skipped Delta One for a $399 upgrade to Premium Select on a recent flight to Copenhagen
If you are insistent on flying business class, I would recommend doing it on the way back from Europe instead.
On average, these flights are an hour longer than flights to Europe. They also fly during the day, so you can actually enjoy everything business class has to offer, and you can still take a lie-flat nap without the pressure of needing to rush to sleep.
Going forward, I plan to save my miles (and money) for business class on longer flights – like a 10-plus hour jaunt to Asia or Africa – where that splurge becomes more practical and I really get a chance to enjoy it. My level of comfort gets exponentially more important on routes like that.
But for a 7-hour overnight to London or Paris? Premium economy is all I need.
Unless it’s a milestone trip where the flight is a part of the experience, I’d rather save my money (or points) for a great hotel, put it towards a fun activity, or most likely … use it on my next great adventure.
One final note: Premium economy isn’t always that much cheaper than business class. Since many (or at least some) companies won’t allow their employees to book business class, the airlines often jack up premium economy fares on business-heavy routes. Because of that, it’s worth checking all the different fare classes and upgrade offers before you book.
– Kyle Thomas, Thrifty Traveler Content Creator
🤝 Deal of the Day: Premium Economy to Europe for 30k Points
Heat scale (out of 3): 🔥
Why we love it: Air France/KLM Flying Blue’s monthly promo rewards sales offer solid sales on its award flights from North America to Europe, and this month’s have something extra awesome for travelers looking for a Premium Economy recliner on their next trip abroad.
This month, you can fly premium economy from Chicago (ORD) or Los Angeles (LAX) to Amsterdam (AMS) or Paris (CDG) (and beyond to Europe) for just 30,000 FlyingBlue miles each way!
Start your search at FlyingBlue’s Promo Rewards site!
– Gunnar Olson, Thrifty Traveler Premium deal analyst
🎙️ New Pod Just Dropped!
🗞️ Amazing Hawaii Points Deals, Delta Highs & Lows and Other News
🌺 Gunnar and Kyle brag about gettin’ booksy before diving into a busy week of news: The single best redemption using Southwest miles, translating an airline CEO’s infuriating airfare comments, applaud a true sicko’s way of transferring points to Hilton, and more.
Tune in now on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts!
🧐 Why I’m Giving a Taiwanese Carrier’s Miles a Hard Look
I’ve got a serious soft spot for EVA Air (pronounced EE-VEE-AY). Some might call it an obsession…
But it’s warranted. EVA Air business class remains my favorite flight of all time. Qsuites and ANA’s the Room might be fancier, but there’s just something special about EVA – and no, it’s not just the Hello Kitty flights.
I was starting to worry that my third time flying EVA a few years back would be my last: Like many other airlines, the Taiwanese carrier has gotten incredibly stingy with releasing business class award space to partners like Air Canada Aeroplan, Avianca LifeMiles, and others. It was once a sure thing to book two seats eight-plus months in advance, but that’s borderline nonexistent now.
Enter EVA’s own quirky (and terribly named) mileage program: Infinity MileageLands.
Much like United is doing with its Polaris business class seats and Singapore Airlines has done for years, EVA is hoarding all that precious business class inventory for its own members. So while you can’t book EVA business for 75,000 Aeroplan points these days, you can book for 75,000 … Infinity MileageLands miles – OK, last time I’m using that name, I swear.
Now, a word of warning: EVA’s mileage program is not for the faint of heart. It’s quirky to an extreme, with a tough-to-use website and some major hurdles for booking for more than one passenger. The guys at Frequent Miler have a great guide walk through the ins and outs of the booking process.
So why is EVA’s program-that-shall-not-be-named suddenly on my mind? Capital One just rolled out a first-of-its-kind 30% transfer bonus to EVA, meaning the usual subpar transfer ratio is almost 1:1.
Through July 31, that means:
- You could transfer 77,000 Capital One Miles to EVA and book a business class flight from the West Coast
- Or transfer 82,100 miles – Capital One allows you to transfer in increments of 100, which I love – and book those flights departing from Chicago-O’Hare (ORD), Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW), or the East Coast
Citi ThankYou points also transfer to EVA on a 1:1 basis … but my current balance of 843 ThankYou points won’t get me very far.
It’s starting to feel like my Capital One balance might be looking similar soon.
– Kyle Potter, executive editor & EVA Air fanboy
📡 On Our Radar
Welcome to On Our Radar – a weekly look at the news and trends we’re watching lately!
☀️ Sun vs. ⛷️ Ski: Fun New Winter Routes to Watch
This week, On Our Radar is devoted to all the fun routes airlines are testing this winter. The summer route announcements always get all the love, but I’m loving what the airlines are offering us this winter – whether you like the snow, the sun, or both!
🎿 Ski Routes to Watch
Minneapolis (MSP) & New York (JFK) to Vail (EGE) – Last year, Delta operated both of these routes just during the holiday season, but they’re both on the schedule on Saturdays through the end of March this time around. Skip the I-70 rat race and fly straight to Vail!
Charlotte (CLT) to Aspen (ASE) – This route also debuted last year and apparently went well enough to make it a daily route for American Airlines this winter. Given AA’s extensive network from CLT, this should help East Coasters get to the slopes.
Other Fun Delta Ski Routes Returning this Winter:
- Boston (BOS) – Bozeman – 3x weekly
- MSP – Steamboat (HDN) – 2x weekly
- MSP – Jackson Hole (JAC) – 2x weekly
- JFK – BZN – Weekly
- Los Angeles (LAX) – Sun Valley (SUN) – Weekly
- Seattle (SEA) – Sun Valley – Weekly
- New York (LGA) – Salt Lake City (SLC) – Weekly
- Atlanta (ATL) to Bozeman (BZN) – Now 9x weekly (was daily)
Thrifty Traveler Premium members should check their inboxes for an incredible way to book all of these Delta routes using Air France/KLM Flying Blue or Virgin Atlantic points for this winter. You won’t get a better deal on these flights than right now!
🏖️ Sun Routes to Watch
Houston (IAH) and Washington-Dulles (IAD) to Cartagena, Colombia (CTG) – These two fun new United routes to the Colombian beach town will run three times a week.
Denver (DEN) to Turks & Caicos (PLS) – Denver never gets the new route love, especially to the Caribbean. But now Coloradans and travelers out west get a direct line to paradise once a week this winter.
Newark (EWR) to St. Croix (STX) – Color me shocked that this route didn’t already exist, but it’s true: This is United’s first foray into connecting NYC with this U.S. Virgin Island.
Washington (IAD) to Cabo (SJD) – This route operated very limited dates over the last few years, but now United is all in on connecting the Capital to Cabo four times a week this winter.
Charlotte (CLT) to Naples, Florida (APF) – What is APF, you ask? Apparently, it’s an airport in Naples, Florida, that is getting American service on a regional jet twice a day starting this winter. Naples travelers used to have to use Fort Myers (RSW), but not anymore.
Austin (AUS) to Fort Myers (RSW) – Speaking of RSW! Delta’s “hublet,” as I’ve started calling it, has a new line directly to Southwest Florida this winter.
While none of these routes are looking especially cheap or easy to book yet, all this new capacity will hopefully lead to fun flight deals in the coming months.
So … you decide: Sun or ski this winter?
– Gunnar Olson, flight deal analyst & travel reporter
🔄 How to Move Avios Between Airlines
Most loyalty programs won’t let you move a single mile to another airline. Avios is the rare exception.
British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, and Finnair all share Avios as a common currency – and you can shuffle points freely between all five accounts. That’s huge if you’re chasing Qatar Qsuites award space, trying to shave hundreds off an Aer Lingus nonstop to Ireland, or looking to squeeze extra value out of a transfer bonus that’s only live for one Avios program.
It also gives you more flexibility with bank points. Transfer Amex, Chase, Capital One, Citi, Bilt, or Wells Fargo points to one Avios program, then move them to another when it makes sense.
Here’s the abbreviated version of how to set it up:
- Create accounts with each Avios airline you want to use (even if you don’t have an immediate transfer in mind)
- Set up two-factor authentication on every single account – it’s mandatory, and the site won’t let you connect anything without it
- Head to Avios.com, pick your “from” and “to” programs, log in, and move your points
Sounds simple, but there are a couple of catches to know before you rely on this:
- The 30-day rule: New accounts need to be open for 30 days before you can transfer in or out. If you think you’ll need this someday, open your accounts now.
- Qatar’s ID verification: Sending Avios to Qatar requires uploading a photo ID for approval – and Qatar has also tightened up who can book award tickets for others, so double-check your Family & Friends List or My List setup before you count on booking for someone else.
Bottom line? Once your accounts are linked, moving Avios between these five airlines takes seconds. Just don’t wait until the week before you need it – between 2FA setup and Qatar’s verification step, this is a “do it now” project, not a “do it later” one.
Read more: Transferring Avios Between Accounts is Easy, But Beware of New Hurdles
– Jackson Newman, senior editor
✈️ Other Travel Tidbits
- 🍣 After nearly seven years away, American Airlines is restoring nonstop service between Chicago and Tokyo-Narita.
- 🖤 The $5,000-per-year, invite-only Amex Black card just added a $1,000 annual Resy credit. Serious question: Will cardholders even notice? (VFTW)
- 🇯🇵 Japan Airlines (JAL) plans to bring its bougie business class suites to new and existing Boeing 787 aircraft, starting in 2028. (Executive Traveller)
- 💺 JetBlue’s new first class recliners – formerly known as “Mini Mint” – will take to the skies later this year, with a full rollout expected by the end of 2027. (OMAAT)
- ✈️ Rove Miles just added Frontier Airlines as its newest 1:1 transfer partner, and it’s running a 25% transfer bonus through the end of the month. Before you laugh, Frontier miles can be kind of useful … in the right situation. (Rove)
- 🧑💻 Are you a points-and-miles traveler with a particular knack for booking luxe hotels for pennies on the dollar? We want you to join our Minneapolis-based team!
