Booking Award Flights: Austrian Airlines Guide

Austrian Airlines is a popular choice for travellers seeking convenience and high-quality service. The airline is known for its unique offering of flights to far-flung locations, as well as major European cities like London, Frankfurt, and Paris. With Austrian's Miles & More programme, travellers can earn award miles and points towards achieving frequent flyer status, which comes with benefits such as business class check-in and lounge access. To book award flights with Austrian, travellers can use the Miles & More programme or other frequent flyer programmes like Avianca LifeMiles and United MileagePlus. It's recommended to search for award space around 6 to 7 months before departure, as Austrian Airlines typically doesn't make award space available more than 210 days in advance.

Using Avianca LifeMiles

Avianca LifeMiles is a great frequent flyer program that can be used to book Austrian Airlines flights. Avianca is a Colombian airline, and its LifeMiles program is transfer partners with a variety of rewards programs. You can transfer points from 10 loyalty programs, including American Express, Citi, Capital One, Bilt, and Marriott.

LifeMiles has some great perks, including transfer bonuses and incredible sales. One of the best features is the ability to book mixed-cabin awards and pay a lower number of points. For example, if you want to fly in business class for a long-haul flight but switch to economy for a shorter flight, the number of points will be distributed proportionally to the distance of each flight, and you'll pay fewer miles than if you were to book a premium cabin for the whole journey.

You can also use LifeMiles to book flights on all Star Alliance carriers, which include popular airlines such as United, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian, Turkish, ANA, Asiana, Copa, and many more. Additionally, you can book certain flights on Aeromexico, GOL, and Iberia.

To book Austrian Airlines flights using Avianca LifeMiles, follow these steps:

• Go to the LifeMiles website.
• Change the website's language to English by clicking the flag icon in the top-right corner and choosing English.
• Log in by clicking the "Log in" button in the top-right corner and entering your LifeMiles account details.
• Once logged in, click "Travel" in the top banner on the left-hand side.
• You'll see a dropdown menu near the top of the search box that says "Smart Search" by default.
• Use the LifeMiles award chart to find the best deals and take advantage of the sweet spots.

It's important to note that one of the challenges of booking flights with Avianca LifeMiles is finding available inventory. It's recommended to start by searching for flexible dates using United's website to find available saver inventory on your desired flights. Additionally, Avianca LifeMiles has one of the shortest expiration periods for miles, so be sure to keep an eye on that.

Using United MileagePlus

United MileagePlus is a great option for booking Austrian business class if you already have a lot of United miles. The program is attractive because of its absence of fuel surcharges, a simple booking interface, and the ability to earn miles quickly.

United MileagePlus is the frequent flyer program of United Airlines. You can use United MileagePlus miles to book award flights on United or their partners, including other Star Alliance airlines like Lufthansa, TAP Air Portugal, and ANA All Nippon Airways.

Here's how to book using United MileagePlus:

• Visit United's homepage and look for the search box.
• Toggle the checkbox that says "Book with Miles".
• Populate the search box with your desired origin and destination, and click "Find Flights".
• Scroll through the options and dates, and select the flight that works best for you.
• Redeem your miles and use a credit card to pay for any taxes and fees.

It is important to note that United MileagePlus uses a dynamic award pricing system, so award prices can fluctuate. Additionally, in the spring of 2023, the program underwent a devaluation, increasing the points cost of award tickets by about 30%. As a result, you may get more value by booking with another Star Alliance airline loyalty program, such as Air Canada's Aeroplan.

Using TAP Miles&Go

TAP Air Portugal is a Lisbon-based airline that has been in operation since 1946. It offers flights to more than 80 destinations in over 30 countries across Europe, Africa, North America, and South America. TAP Miles&Go is the airline's frequent flyer program, and it offers several ways to earn and redeem miles.

To earn miles, you can fly with TAP or other Star Alliance carriers and non-alliance partners. These include Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, All Nippon Airways (ANA), Asiana Airlines, Austrian Airlines, and Brussels Airlines. You can also earn miles through everyday purchases with TAP's credit cards or by subscribing to one of the Club TAP Miles&Go plans. Additionally, TAP has over 100 partners through which you can earn miles.

To redeem your miles, you can use them to book flights, upgrade to Business Class, or take advantage of other TAP extras. TAP Miles&Go offers award flights to more than 1,200 airports worldwide. For example, a nonstop TAP Air Portugal flight from Lisbon to Praia, Cape Verde, would cost 23,500 miles plus $63 in economy class. Alternatively, if you're looking for a long-distance flight within Asia, you can book an award flight between New Delhi and Tokyo-Haneda on Star Alliance members ANA or Singapore Airlines for 40,000 miles in economy class or 60,000 miles in business class (plus taxes and fees).

When booking with Austrian Airlines, you can earn and spend miles. To earn miles, simply book a flight with Austrian Airlines and provide your TAP Miles&Go number. Ensure that the name on your ticket matches the name registered in your TAP Miles&Go account and that the flight and fare are eligible for earning miles. If you forget to include your TAP Miles&Go number, you can claim your miles retrospectively through your TAP Miles&Go profile or by contacting the TAP Miles&Go Service Centre.

Using Star Alliance

Austrian Airlines is a key member of the Star Alliance, one of the world's largest global airline networks. This membership provides extensive benefits to frequent flyers, including access to a wide range of partner airlines and airport lounges worldwide.

The Miles & More program is Austrian Airlines' frequent flyer program, which is also Europe's leading frequent flyer and awards program. Members can earn award miles when they fly with Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, and SWISS, as well as selected partner airlines. These miles can be redeemed for air miles or non-cash rewards. Additionally, members receive privileges such as checking in at Business Class check-in and accessing the Business Class Lounge at many airports.

To book award flights using the Miles & More program, you can follow these steps:

• Download the Miles & More app to manage your bookings and receive extra award miles.
• Search for award space availability by using tools like AwardFares, which allow you to check across multiple loyalty programs and set up alerts for when new award seats become available.
• When you find your desired flight with award space available, log in to your Miles & More account and redeem your miles for the flight.

It is important to note that Austrian Airlines may not release award space more than 210 days before departure, so searching for availability within 30 to 210 days of your desired travel date is recommended. Additionally, keep in mind that there may be fuel surcharges associated with your booking, which can be significant.

Booking in advance

When it comes to booking award flights with Austrian, it's important to note that they don't typically make award space available more than 210 days before departure. So, if you're looking to book with miles, start your search around 6 to 7 months in advance. This will give you plenty of award availability options throughout the schedule. You can also set up alerts through AwardFares to track availability and receive notifications when new award seats become available.

If you're booking with Avianca LifeMiles, be aware that you may not receive any confirmation emails, which is common when booking with this programme. However, if you've selected your seats, you can be confident that your booking exists. It's also worth noting that the reservation and the ticket are two separate actions, especially with partner bookings.

To avoid disappointment, it's recommended to book award flights with Austrian Airlines online, as phone support with LifeMiles is reported to be poor. Additionally, keep in mind that there may be a $150 to $200 award change or cancellation fee per ticket, so be sure of your plans before booking.

By planning ahead and utilising the tools available, you can secure your desired award flight with Austrian Airlines and enjoy their renowned service and convenience.

Frequently asked questions