Fly Without the Fees: Airline Programs That Don't Add Fuel Surcharges to Award Flights

It's common to see posts on social media about “free” flights using airline miles and credit card points. In reality, there will always be some sort of out-of-pocket cost in the form of taxes, fees — or both.

Depending on the frequent flyer program you book through and the cabin you fly, the burden on your wallet can be minimal — or rather extreme. Much of that comes down to whether the program passes along fuel surcharges, also known as carrier-imposed fees.

Let's dive into which programs don't pass along these fees, as these programs can help you avoid carrier-imposed surcharges.

What Are Award Fees and Fuel Surcharges?

Some airline loyalty programs 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, the airline sets and retains these carrier-imposed charges.

If you look at the fare breakdown on your ticket confirmation, the fare code for these fees is typically “YQ” or “YR.”

For example, let's look at 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^®.

Screenshot of American Airlines ticket

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. Award tickets generally include mandatory government taxes and fees. These cover things like airport security fees — which are typically much lower than the carrier-imposed surcharges shown above.

Knowing which programs pass along these surcharges can help you avoid hundreds of dollars in added costs, particularly when booking multiple premium-cabin tickets.

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 more than 45 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 (roughly $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

Despite recent award price devaluations, Avianca LifeMiles can still be used to find good value awards. LifeMiles doesn’t add a booking fee to Avianca-operated awards, but partner redemptions incur a $25 charge per ticket.

You can transfer the following points to Avianca LifeMiles to book awards:

Allegiant Allways

Allegiant Allways Rewards does not add carrier-imposed surcharges or program booking fees, although applicable government taxes still apply. Also, Allegiant's program is somewhat limited in that the airline doesn't partner with other carriers or belong to an alliance.

Allways Rewards points cannot yet be used on Sun Country flights, even though Allegiant has completed its acquisition of Sun Country.

Frontier Airlines Frontier Miles

Frontier Miles also does not add carrier-imposed surcharges to award tickets. The airline doesn't belong to an alliance, but it does have one notable transfer partner: Marriott Bonvoy.

Rove also transfers to Frontier at a base 1:1 rate.

JetBlue TrueBlue

You won't pay anything other than ordinary taxes and fees for JetBlue TrueBlue bookings. Better yet, JetBlue points are relatively easy to collect and can provide solid value on partner redemptions, including flights on China Airlines.

The following currencies transfer to JetBlue TrueBlue:

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards is a simple program; earning Rapid Rewards points and redeeming them for Southwest flights is straightforward. The airline doesn't belong to an alliance, so your Rapid Rewards points are only good for flights on Southwest, for now.

Southwest says Rapid Rewards members will “eventually” be able to use their points on Icelandair flights, thanks to a recent partnership.

Anyway, 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 the 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 Atmos Rewards

Alaska Airlines is a member of Oneworld, and the Atmos Rewards program is a favorite of many — including yours truly. Without the program, I never would have 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.

Atmos Rewards charges a partner award fee of $20 per direction (recently increased from $12.50) when redeeming points for partner-operated itineraries. Note that, depending on the airline you fly with, your taxes and fees can add up quickly (looking at you, British Airways!).

Screenshot of Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines points 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 Atmos Rewards program to book an award ticket:

All Nippon Airways

ANA is well-loved, mainly because of its premium cabins and its unique frequent flyer program. You can book cost-effective awards on ANA itself and several Star Alliance carriers. However, if you want to lessen the burden on your wallet, you’ll need to determine which partner airlines impose surcharges and which do not.

• When you pay surcharges:
  • ANA flights and any partners that add surcharges
• When you don't pay surcharges:
  • United-operated flights, as well as flights on Air New Zealand, Avianca, SAS, and Singapore Airlines. Some LOT Polish flights may also have relatively low or no carrier-imposed surcharges, depending on the itinerary.

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 a few programs:

The British Airways Club

The British Airways Club passes along substantial carrier-imposed surcharges on British Airways flights, and those charges increased in December 2025. However, the amount depends on the operating carrier.

• When you pay surcharges:
  • High surcharges on British Airways and moderate charges on Iberia
• When you don't pay surcharges:
  • American Airlines and Alaska Airlines flights, plus domestic Qantas and Japan Airlines flights

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.

Related: How to Save up to $600 per Year on British Airways Avios Fuel Surcharges

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. Carrier-imposed surcharges on Flying Blue awards increased sharply in March 2026.

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

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club offers several valuable partner redemptions; overlooking the program can be costly. That being said, its system of when you will and won't pay surcharges is a bit complex. Its award surcharges also increased sharply in April 2026.

• When you will pay surcharges:
  • Long-haul ANA flights
  • Overseas Delta flights
  • International flights with Virgin Australia
  • Long-haul flights with South African Airways
  • All flights with Virgin Atlantic, Air France, KLM, SAS, Singapore, and Air New Zealand
• When you won't pay surcharges:
  • Domestic flights on Delta and Hawaiian Airlines
  • Domestic flights on ANA and Virgin Australia
  • Domestic and short-haul flights with South African Airways

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

For programs not covered above, check the taxes and fees before transferring points or completing an award booking. 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.

• Diversify your points and miles. 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.
• Compare prices before booking. You should be doing this anyway, but compare multiple award booking programs to find your best options. For example, booking a China Airlines award ticket through JetBlue costs just $5.60 in fees, but more than $240 with Flying Blue! Diversifying your points will help you since you have more options for choosing the program with the best combination of mileage cost and cash fees.
• 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.

Credit: Nick Fewings/Unsplash

Bottom Line

Sometimes, you'll just have to pay those fees. Trust me, I know this well as someone who frequently flies 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 given my specific travel constraints.

But many travelers can use this guide to identify departure cities and loyalty programs that keep the cash cost of an award ticket to mandatory taxes and fees.