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It's common to see posts on how to get a “free” flight using airline miles and credit card points. However, the reality is that there will be some sort of out-of-pocket cost in the form of taxes, fees and surcharges, or both.
Depending on the frequent flyer program you book through and what cabin you fly, the burden on your wallet can be minimal — or rather extreme. And this largely depends on whether your program of choice passes on fuel surcharges or extra carrier-imposed fees.
Let's dive into what programs don't add fees or surcharges to award flights, as these programs will save you a bundle on your next award booking.
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What Are Award Fees and Fuel Surcharges?
Some airlines charge fees when you use your miles to book award flights — often called fuel surcharges or “carrier-imposed” fees. These are different from ordinary or government-imposed taxes, which aren't optional. Instead, these are optional fees that are kept by the airline.
If you look at the fare breakdown on your ticket confirmation, the shortcode for these fees is “YQ” or “YR.”
For example, let's look at an example of an award fare for a flight from Phoenix (PHX) to Milan (MXP) for two, with transatlantic travel on British Airways in business class. This specific award was booked through American Airlines AAdvantage®.
To summarize what you see above, you'd need to pay $758.20 per person out of pocket for that one-way business class ticket to Milan — on top of all the AAdvantage miles you'll shell out. That's far from a “free” flight!
Of this $758.20 out-of-pocket cost, $700 is for “carrier-imposed fees.” To clarify, these aren't government taxes or fees; they're charges directly from the airlines. All award flights booked with all airline programs will have mandatory taxes and fees. These cover things like airport security fees — all of which are far more minimal than the carrier-imposed surcharges detailed above.
Knowing which programs pass along these surcharges (and which don't) is the key to saving you and your family thousands on your next award trip.
Airline Loyalty Programs That Don’t Add Surcharges to Award Flights
If we had to guess, most award travelers would prefer to avoid steep carrier-imposed surcharges. So, which frequent flyer programs don't pass these fees on to customers? Let's take a look.
Air Canada Aeroplan
The Air Canada Aeroplan program ditched surcharges on award bookings in 2020. Now, you can book flights on 50 carriers with Aeroplan points without paying carrier-imposed surcharges. Aeroplan is a great option for booking Star Alliance awards. Just note that you'll pay a CA$39 (~$28) partner booking fee per person on each award booking.
If you want to build up your Aeroplan balance to book low-fee awards, the following currencies currently transfer to Aeroplan:
Avianca LifeMiles
Avianca LifeMiles is one of my favorite programs, due to its sweet spots and how easy it is to collect LifeMiles. You can use the program to book incredibly cheap awards, especially on Lufthansa and other Star Alliance carriers whose own programs tack on carrier-imposed surcharges. That said, booking an Avianca award is fee-free, but partner redemptions incur a $25 per ticket charge.
You can transfer the following points to Avianca LifeMiles to book awards:
Allegiant Allways
There are no surcharges or fees added to awards booked with Allegiant Allways rewards. However, Allegiant's program is somewhat limited in that the airline doesn't partner with other carriers or belong to an alliance.
Frontier Airlines Frontier Miles
Frontier Airlines also restrains itself by not charging carrier-imposed fees to award flyers. The airline doesn't belong to an alliance, but does have a notable transfer partner: Marriott Bonvoy.
JetBlue TrueBlue
You won't pay anything other than ordinary taxes and fees for JetBlue TrueBlue bookings. Better yet, JetBlue points are easy to collect and are worth a lot towards partner redemptions on carriers like Qatar Airways.
The following currencies transfer to JetBlue TrueBlue:
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards
Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards is a simple program; earning points and redeeming for free Southwest travel is a piece of cake. The airline doesn't belong to an alliance and doesn't have any partners, so your Rapid Rewards points are only good for flights on Southwest. And if you need to top off your account, the following currencies transfer to Rapid Rewards:
United Airlines MileagePlus
The United Airlines MileagePlus program has several strengths. Among these, it's one of few major airline programs where you can easily accumulate lots of miles and book awards without wallet-damaging carrier-imposed surcharges. United belongs to the Star Alliance, meaning you can use MileagePlus miles to book travel on several carriers.
If you need to stock up on MileagePlus miles, transfer the following currencies to United:
Airline Loyalty Programs That Sometimes Add Surcharges to Award Flights
Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan
Alaska Airlines joined Oneworld in March 2021, and the Mileage Plan program is a favorite of many — including yours truly. Without the program, I would've never been able to fly in Cathay Pacific First to Hong Kong for my honeymoon! However, depending on which airline you're flying, you may pay surcharges.
Alaska Mileage Plan charges a partner award fee of $12.50 per direction when using your miles to fly on flights with anyone but Alaska Airlines. Below is an example of a one-way flight from Phoenix to London using Alaska miles. Note that depending on the airline you fly, your taxes and fees can add up quickly (looking at you, British Airways!).
Alaska Airlines miles have traditionally been hard to earn outside of flying or credit cards. That said, you can transfer a few different types of points and miles to the Mileage Plan program to book an award ticket:
All Nippon Airways (ANA)
ANA is well-loved, mainly because of its premium cabins and its unique frequent flyer program. You can book cost-effective round-trip awards on ANA itself and several Star Alliance carriers. However, if you want to lessen the burden on your wallet, you'll need to navigate which levy surcharges and which don't.
- When you pay surcharges:
- ANA flights and any partners that add surcharges
- When you don't pay surcharges:
- Short-haul flights with LOT Polish and United Airlines, as well as all flights with Air New Zealand, Avianca, SAS, and Singapore Airlines
You can transfer a few currencies to ANA to top off your account to book an award ticket:
American Airlines AAdvantage®
The American Airlines AAdvantage program is one of the most versatile. You can easily collect AA miles through several avenues and redeem them for flights on nearly two dozen airlines. Some of those partners are cheaper to redeem on than others, though.
- When you pay surcharges:
- High surcharges on British Airways and moderate charges on Iberia
- When you don't pay surcharges:
- All other partners, including AA's own flights
Several credit cards offer AAdvantage miles through sign-up bonuses and on everyday spending. But if you need a few extra, you can transfer from two programs:
British Airways Executive Club
British Airways charges surcharges across the board. However, this (and the extent of the fees) depends on the carrier you fly on.
- When you pay surcharges:
- High surcharges on British Airways and moderate charges on Iberia
- When you don't pay surcharges:
- American Airlines, Alaska Airlines, domestic Qantas, domestic JAL
If you find an award you like but need a few extra Avios, consider initiating a transfer from one of the many British Airways partners.
Delta Air Lines SkyMiles
Delta SkyMiles are easy to accumulate thanks to an expansive Delta card lineup. However, when you go to redeem those miles on SkyTeam partner airlines, on Delta itself, or on its non-alliance partners, you may or may not pay surcharges.
- When you pay surcharges:
- Delta, Air France, KLM, ITA, and Virgin Atlantic flights originating in Europe, plus flights on Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air Europa, China Eastern, China Southern, Czech Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Air Tahiti Nui, China Airlines, and TAROM
- When you don't pay surcharges:
- When the flight itself doesn't have surcharges, plus flights on Aerolineas Argentinas, Garuda Indonesia, Kenya Airways, Korean Air, Saudia, and Vietnam Airlines
Need some extra SkyMiles to book an award? Delta offers transfers from the following programs:
Flying Blue (Air France & KLM)
There are some great sweet spots in the Flying Blue program, but it's one of the programs that tends to have high award surcharges on many flights. There are some flights without the big fees, though — even on fellow SkyTeam carriers.
- When you pay surcharges:
- On all carriers except Delta and Aeromexico.
- When you don't pay surcharges:
- Delta and Aeromexico flights
Flying Blue miles are easy to earn, so take advantage of the following transfer opportunities if you need to stock up on miles:
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
The Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program is a fan favorite, and for good reason. If you want to book the airline's famous first class seats, you must book using KrisFlyer miles. However, you will pay surcharges on some of its partner airlines — including select Star Alliance carriers.
- When you pay surcharges:
- Any partners that add their own fees
- When you don't pay surcharges:
- Singapore Airlines flights and any partners that don't add fees
If you're short on the miles necessary to book an award, transfer the following currencies to KrisFlyer:
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
There are some great things about Flying Club, and overlooking the program can be costly. That being said, its system of when you will and won't pay surcharges is a bit complex.
- When you will pay surcharges:
- Long-haul ANA flights
- International flights with Virgin Australia
- Long-haul flights with South African
- All flights with Virgin Atlantic, Air France, KLM, SAS, Singapore, and Air New Zealand
- When you won't pay surcharges:
- All flights on Delta and Hawaiian Airlines
- Domestic flights on ANA and Virgin Australia
- Domestic and short-haul flights with South African
And if you need to stock up on Virgin points to book awards, transfer the following currencies to Flying Club:
How To Avoid Airline Fuel Surcharges
Any airline program not mentioned above should be considered one that adds surcharges to award flights. Now, you're probably wondering what you should do as part of your overall award travel strategy. Here's how to use this information to your advantage.
- Mix up your points and miles earnings. This gives you the greatest flexibility in booking because you can compare award costs for not only how many miles you might need but also the cash component on that ticket. This is where flexible/transferable points become so valuable.
- Be sure to price compare. You should be doing this anyway, but compare multiple award booking programs to find your best options. Diversifying your points will help you since you have more options to move between points A and B to save money.
- Tread carefully with partners. A great example is Singapore Airlines, which charges no surcharges for its own flights but passes on surcharges from its partners like Lufthansa.
- Understand what your miles and points are worth. We have a guide to average redemption values for what your points are worth. Compare this to increased cash costs for award fees. Maybe you could pay 10,000 more miles but save money on the cash part of your fare. Knowing what your points and miles are worth can help you decide which you'd prefer to spend.
Bottom Line
Sometimes, you'll just have to pay those fees. Trust me, I know this well as someone who frequently flies between Phoenix and Europe on British Airways! At the end of the day, I've grown to stomach these extra costs as part of my quest to fly in premium cabins due to my specific travel restraints.
But, for many others, you can use this guide to position yourself in the right city to take an award flight with just taxes and no carrier-imposed surcharges.
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