How do I book flights with miles?

Booking a flight using frequent‑flyer miles is straightforward once you know the basic steps.

Steps to Book an Award Ticket

• Log in to your airline’s frequent‑flyer account or the partner program’s website.
• Choose the cabin class you want (economy, business, etc.) and enter your desired origin, destination, and travel dates.
• The system will display a calendar or list showing dates with award‑seat availability and any promotional mileage discounts.
• Select a flight that fits your schedule and proceed to the booking page.
• Pay the required taxes and fees (miles cover the fare, but taxes/fees are usually paid with a credit card).
• If the airline requires a phone reservation (e.g., some American Airlines or JAL bookings), call the airline’s reservation center to hold or confirm the ticket and then pay the taxes/fees.
• After the reservation is confirmed, add your frequent‑flyer number to the booking if it isn’t already attached, using the “manage my reservation” or similar tool on the airline’s website.

Tips and Common Mistakes

• Use miles directly on the airline that issued them or on a partner airline’s site; converting miles to cash, gift cards, or merchandise usually provides poor value.
• Avoid trying to earn additional miles on an award ticket—most programs do not credit miles or elite‑status points when the fare is paid with miles.
• For partner program bookings, you may need to call the operating carrier to add a connection or to finalize the reservation.
• Keep an eye on promotional mileage discounts (e.g., Air France/KLM “promo” awards) that can reduce the number of miles required for a given cabin.