American Express Membership Rewards = 1.6 Million points
Chase Sapphire Reserve = 1.06 Million points
However, by utilizing Award Expert we would instead shop the redemption price by using those same points but transferring them to frequent flyer programs. Award tickets use frequent flyer miles to pay for the ticket but offer a better value when compared with cash.
Depending on the flight, we will often find the award options available for the trip, confirm there is award space available (seats open for the booking process) and then optimize the flights to minimize taxes, fees, and fuel surcharges.
For the same price as the example above, American Express has a transfer partner in Virgin Atlantic which offers first class partner airline award prices from the US to Japan for 110,000 points each plus less than $100 in taxes and fees. To fly two people, it would use just 220,000 American Express Membership Rewards points and about $200 plus a service charge of $350/ticket.
For less than $1,000 total plus 220,000 miles, the same $16,000 tickets could be purchased with enough points left over to do the same trip another seven more pairs of roundtrips in first class with miles left to spare.
Few other travel agencies offer award bookings to their clients, and no other agency has an exclusive arrangement with Award Expert and its 15 years of experience for some of the most notable clients in the world.
Award Expert is an excellent service for travelers looking to make the most of their rewards miles and save money on airfare. With Award Expert’s comprehensive award search, lowest price guarantee, award booking assistance, award flight tracking, and award flight alerts, travelers can quickly find and book the best available award flight. We help you take your frequent flyer miles to the next level.