Who wants to be a mileage millionaire? There is no shortage of frugal travelers who would not want one million miles to fly in luxury to their favorite destinations around the world. Thanks to Star Alliance, that possibility may be a contest away.
To celebrate their 20th anniversary, the world’s oldest airline alliance is thanking their loyal flyers by giving away 21 million airline miles – one million miles from each of their member programs. To be in the running to earn one of the grand prizes, enter on the Star Alliance website. The final prizes will be given away in September 2017.
As I have opined before, Star Alliance may be the world’s most exhaustive airline alliance, despite their issues with earning miles aboard United Airlines. With an incredible reach around the world, a million miles on any one of the airlines could go far towards traveling in luxury cabins. Some of our favorite redemption options include flying in Lufthansa First Class, or the very nice Singapore Airlines Suites.
While United MilagePlus may have challenges for domestic passengers, using these miles for international trips can be an exercise in frugal flying. Business class flying on Star Alliance partners can go for between 75,000 and 80,000 MileagePlus miles one way, granting access to some of the most elusive premium products from around the world. For those who want to try United’s new international product, flying international in Polaris business class starts at just 57,500 miles, which includes access to the exclusive Polaris Lounge at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Those who pair their entry with a points-earning card, like the United MileagePlus Explorer Credit Card from Chase, could make their miles go even further. Cards that bear Ultimate Rewards points, like the Chase Sapphire Preferred or the Chase Ink Business Preferred Credit Card, can also be transferred to United MileagePlus as well, giving travelers more opportunities to see the world at a low price.
While winning the million miles can certainly be a boon, it can also come at a challenge as well. As I learned when exploring alternate loyalty programs in the Star Alliance program, using miles in other programs may not be a straightforward process. For instance, making a booking in Aegean Airlines requires multiple steps to get free flights. Those who have the patience to navigate the process may be able to unlock cheap fares – but have to navigate each step flawlessly.
Overall, the 21 frugal flyers who ultimately win each of the million mile prizes will be in for many exciting travel adventures around the world. Like everything, travelers can’t win if they don’t play – so why not enter to win? With a free entry, one entry could lead to a ton of adventures.
If you do decide to enter the contest, I wish you the best of luck. Should you win a million miles to fly Star Alliance carriers around the world, be sure to share your adventures here – and share your best tips for redeeming all of those miles for travel around the world!
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com
Written by Frugal Travel Guy @ http://www.frugaltravelguy.com