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[Expired] [Award Alert] Business Class Availability to Spain From 45k Miles

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With a degree in media and journalism, Stella has been in the points and miles game for more than 6 years. She most recently worked as a Corporate Communications Analyst for JetBlue. Find her work in ...
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Update:

The offer mentioned below has expired and is no longer available.

Want to redeem your points and miles to get to Europe in lie-flat seats? Starting at just 45,000 miles per person, you can fly from multiple U.S. cities to Spain’s capital. Here’s what we’re seeing from January to October 2025.

Award Deal — Details

These flights are operated by Oneworld airlines, including American Airlines and Iberia. If you’re willing to add a connection, you also can find flights on British Airways, though those come with a massive increase in taxes and fees. The American and Iberia routes can get you to Madrid nonstop.

The best pricing on these awards comes from the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program, which starts at 45,000 miles per person in business class, regardless of which airline you fly.

  • Class: Business
  • Route: Boston (BOS), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), or Washington D.C. (IAD) to Madrid (MAD)
  • Cost: As low as 45,000 miles plus $19 in taxes and fees
  • Travel Dates: January 2025 to October 2025
  • Award Seats: Up to 2 passengers per route in business or 9 passengers in economy

If you’re flying from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) or further west, you’re better off booking through American Airlines AAdvantage at 57,500 miles per person, as Alaska’s pricing will be higher for these longer distances. From the East Coast, 55,000 miles per person is standard, though you can get that down to 45k on the shortest distances, such as flights from Boston (BOS).

Alaska miles redemption BOS MAD on Iberia business
Image Credit: Alaska Airlines

How To Book

A handful of dates are available each month, and you can use the Alaska Airlines award calendar to find them quickly.

AlaskaAwardSearch
Image Credit: Alaska Airlines

It’s also possible to use a tool like Seats.aero to see options from multiple airports at once.

SeatsAeroSearch
Image Credit: Seats.Aero

If you need more Alaska Airlines miles, you can earn them with a business or personal credit card or using transfers from Bilt Rewards, Hawaiian Airlines, or Marriott Bonvoy.

If you’re booking through American AAdvantage, you can still transfer points from Marriott. You also can earn American Airlines miles in other ways, such as dining out, shopping online, or through multiple credit cards.

It’s also possible to book directly with Iberia Plus. If you can find off-peak dates, you can fly between Madrid and the East Coast for as few as 34,000 Avios per person in business class. It’s one of the best award sweet spots in existence. However, it can be challenging to find these awards. On peak dates, you’ll pay 50,000 Avios for the same flight out of Boston — the same flight Alaska Airlines is charging 45,000 miles for.

Iberia award booking BOS MAD
Image Credit: Iberia

You can transfer points to Iberia from American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Wells Fargo Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, as well as Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio. You also can transfer Avios between Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Qatar Airways, and Finnair — freely and instantly at a 1:1 ratio.

Hot Tip:

If you don’t want to burn all of your points on a single redemption, a great strategy would be to redeem your Avios for business class flights to Europe and premium economy on the daytime return to the U.S. There are plenty of award seats in premium economy to/from Madrid.

Final Thoughts

Flying over the ocean in business class is more comfortable and can help you arrive feeling more rested. If the fantastic museums, nightlife, and restaurants of Madrid are calling your name, there’s award availability with Oneworld airlines from January to October 2025.

Stella Shon's image

About Stella Shon

With a degree in media and journalism, Stella has been in the points and miles game for more than 6 years. She most recently worked as a Corporate Communications Analyst for JetBlue. Find her work in The New York Times, USA Today, and more.

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