21 Travel Hacks Only Frequent Flyers Know (and You Should Too)

12. Check Airline ‘Partner Award’ Options

While frequent flyers know about transferring miles between airline alliances, casual travelers often overlook the beauty of “partner awards.” If you collect miles in one airline’s program, check if that airline’s alliances or partnerships let you redeem flights on another carrier at more favorable rates. For instance, your American Airlines miles might unlock a Japan Airlines flight at lower mileage thresholds. This can lead to surprising cost savings and open routes otherwise priced higher directly through your primary airline. Some alliances even allow booking multi-city itineraries for the same or a slightly increased mile rate, stretching your redemption further. The trick is to consult alliance award charts or phone agents for hidden sweet spots—these deals aren’t always displayed front-and-center online. By carefully exploring partner-award redemptions, travelers can enjoy first-class cabins or lesser-known routes for far fewer points or miles than if they’d stuck to a single carrier’s booking engine.