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![The 18 Best Ways to Redeem Aeroflot Bonus Miles [2023]](https://upgradedpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Aeroflot.jpg?auto=webp&disable=upscale&width=1420&height=650&fit=crop)
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Note: As a result of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Aeroflot is currently experiencing many restrictions on airspace and may temporarily suspend flights.
Aeroflot is the flag carrier of the Russian Federation, also known as Russia. This airline is one of the oldest in the world, and it went through a tumultuous period near the end of the Soviet Union.
However, through an aggressive restructuring process, it has emerged stronger than ever as a publicly-traded company, and today, it controls most of the aviation market in Russia.
This airline joined SkyTeam in 2006, and as a result, it has enjoyed a prosperous growth trajectory, thanks to a robust network of alliance airlines extending the reach of Aeroflot around the world.
In this guide, we’ll be looking at Aeroflot’s frequent flyer program: Aeroflot Bonus. There are a lot of unique facets of the program, so we’ve got a lot of ground to cover.
We’ll walk you through the pros and cons of the program, as well as the top ways you can redeem Aeroflot Bonus miles for phenomenal value!
Aeroflot Bonus is considered one of the smaller frequent flyer programs, so its policies can be a bit confusing.
Here are the biggest pros of using Aeroflot Bonus miles:
Here are the biggest cons of using Aeroflot Bonus miles:
Aeroflot Bonus uses region-based award pricing for mileage redemptions, and it’s pretty easy to figure out how much your flight will cost using miles.
Let’s take a look at how much your awards will cost.
Aeroflot Bonus doesn’t publish an award chart — instead, you will have to use its mileage calculator to figure out how much an award redemption will cost.
This mileage calculator will also help you figure out how much upgrade costs are, if applicable.
For example, a nonstop business class flight between the U.S. and Russia will cost 35,000 miles in economy, 45,000 miles in comfort, and 55,000 miles in business.
If you’re not going to be booking an Aeroflot flight, you can book flights on a number of different airline partners.
Here are the airline partners you can book award flights on:
As a reminder, you’ll be charged separately for each segment, so you’ll probably want to stick to booking nonstop flights; otherwise, your award costs might skyrocket.
For example, if you book a nonstop business class flight from Los Angeles to Moscow, it would cost 55,000 Aeroflot Bonus miles. If you wanted to book a connecting flight in business class from Los Angeles to Moscow to Paris, your cost would shoot up to 25,000 plus 55,000 miles, which is 80,000 Aeroflot miles.
It’s pretty straightforward to figure out whether you can book an award online or if you have to pick up the phone.
You can only book Aeroflot-operated flights or flights on its subsidiaries using Aeroflot miles online.
You’ll notice that the online award search engine only offers Aeroflot results, so you’ll need to confirm award availability somewhere else.
After you’ve confirmed availability, you’ll want to pick up the phone and book the award flight there. The U.S. toll-free number is 866-879-7647.
So, if you’re planning on booking a flight on Air France, KLM, Delta Air Lines, or any other partner, you need to find availability and then call the toll-free phone number to book your award reservation.
One of the quirks about redeeming Aeroflot Bonus miles is that you have to follow a strange set of rules.
First and foremost, you can only redeem Aeroflot Bonus miles for award flights if you’ve had a paid Aeroflot ticket credited to your mileage account within the past 2 years.
You can book one-way or round-trip flights using Aeroflot Bonus miles, and a one-way flight is exactly 50% of a round-trip flight using miles.
If you decide to change your Aeroflot Bonus booking, the price you’ll pay will depend on how far out you’re trying to modify your booking and how much your award ticket costs in miles.
If you’re trying to refund a ticket that was redeemed with up to 50,000 Aeroflot bonus miles, you’ll pay €50 (~$61) up until the time of departure. After the time of departure (also known as a no-show), you’ll pay €100 (~$122).
For award tickets of over 50,000 Aeroflot miles, you’ll pay €100 (~$122) up until the time of departure. For no-shows on award tickets greater than 50,000 Aeroflot Bonus miles, you’ll pay €200 (~$245).
Your award miles should be redeposited within 30 days of paying the cancellation fee.
To change your reservation, including route changes, flight date changes, or flight number changes, you’ll need to pay €50 (~$61) up until the time of departure. After the time of departure including no shows, you’ll need to pay €100 (~$122).
Aeroflot Bonus doesn’t have any 1:1 transfer partners in the U.S. So while it’s not as easy as, say, Delta SkyMiles or Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer to earn miles, it’s still possible to do so with credit card spending.
In the rest of this guide, we’ll be walking you through our favorite, highest-value ways to redeem your Aeroflot Bonus miles.
Let’s get into all the best ways you can redeem your Aeroflot Bonus miles!
One of our top Aeroflot Bonus sweet spots is to book business class flights between the U.S. and South America!
That’s because you can access very attractive pricing for one-way business class itineraries when booking with Aeroflot Bonus miles.
Most frequent flyer programs charge anywhere from 35,000 and 45,000 miles each way, but you can book one of these flights for as little as 30,000 miles one-way!
What better way to experience a quality business class product than Delta’s award-winning business class? Most of these flights won’t have Delta One Suites, but these new seats are actually very similar.
Here are a few example redemptions you can make:
Aeroflot recently stunned the aviation world when it released pictures of its brand-new A350 business class suites. This represents a huge upgrade over its older business class product that didn’t have direct aisle access.
These new suites have sliding doors, lots of storage space, and plenty to love about them. So how do you fly on them? It’s going to be difficult.
Aeroflot saves most of the business class award availability for its own Aeroflot Bonus members, so you’ll have excellent award availability access if you redeem Aeroflot Bonus miles.
Furthermore, Aeroflot has just 1 of these planes in its fleet right now, and there’s no specific route it flies on reliably.
Here are a few possible routes and the associated redemption costs:
Bottom Line: Remember that you can only book Aeroflot Bonus award flights if you’ve taken a paid Aeroflot flight eligible for Aeroflot Bonus mileage accrual within the last 2 years.
If you’re thinking of trying out Delta’s flagship business class product, you’re in for a treat in Delta One Suites. Delta has invested heavily in flights to China, and you can savor a refined business class experience on Delta One Suites.
You’ll have a private pod to yourself, complete with Westin Heavenly bedding, tasty catering, a TUMI amenity kit, and excellent in-flight entertainment selections.
Interestingly, Aeroflot Bonus prices flights from the U.S. to China as cheaper than flights from the U.S. to South Korea or Japan, despite China being farther than the 2 other countries.
Remember that you can’t add an onward connecting flight to a smaller city nearby and keep the same price — each segment is charged individually.
Here are some great example routes you can take:
Aeromexico is Mexico’s flag carrier airline. Although its fleet is mostly a set of narrowbody aircraft, this SkyTeam partner actually has some excellent widebody planes for long-haul flights!
The planes contain excellent reverse herringbone seats that are high-tech and very private. However, these planes are reserved only for a handful of flagship routes.
The seats also represent a significant upgrade over the older business class seats that didn’t have direct aisle access at every seat and were in a 2-2-2 configuration.
With this seat, you can expect an ample amount of storage space, plush bedding, a fantastic amenity kit, tasty food options, and warm service.
Here are some example routes you can book:
Air Europa is a small airline headquartered in Madrid and operates a petite network of flights compared to its fellow alliance members. However, it now offers flights on its new 787-9 aircraft.
Air Europa has chosen to equip these awesome aircraft with reverse herringbone business class pods, which is a huge upgrade compared to its older seats.
Here are some example routes you can book:
Air France is one of the most famous airlines in Europe. As one of the largest SkyTeam airlines, it represents some of the most phenomenal experiences you can take in business class.
The service is refined, the food is superb, the seats are comfortable, and the amenities are great. The challenge is finding the right seats on Air France. Air France’s business class seats are dramatically different, depending on which plane you’re flying on.
If you’re flying on the 777 with 4 classes (first, business, premium economy, and economy), you are in for a treat!
Here are some great example redemptions you can make:
If you’re interested in flying an awesome business class product to one of the most popular places in Asia, check out China Airlines business class to Taipei.
China Airlines is actually a misnomer because it’s the flag carrier of Taiwan. But its business class is one of our favorites because of its beautiful cabin finishes, comfortable reverse herringbone seats, delicious catering, solid amenity kits, and incredible service.
And while it’s not quite to the level of its fellow Taiwanese competitor airline EVA Air, it is a convenient way to enjoy a quality business class seat nonstop to Taipei.
Here are a few example redemptions you can make:
China Southern was formerly in the SkyTeam alliance, but the Guangzhou-based airline left in favor of individual partnerships.
This airline is the only non-alliance partner that Aeroflot currently has. Luckily, this airline is extremely useful if you want to take convenient nonstop flights to South China.
China Southern is one of the world’s largest airlines, and it happens to be the only Chinese operator of the A380 superjumbo aircraft. If you want to fly on business class product and value a nonstop schedule over spectacular amenities, then look no further than China Southern.
This happens to be a solid sweet spot because flights to China are priced lower than flights to South Korea and Japan. Here are some great example redemptions you can make:
If you’re planning on flying to Shanghai, you can book yet another solid business class seat between the U.S. and China for an affordable price.
Normally, Delta One Suites would be preferable over China Eastern business class. However, Delta One Suites availability can be hard to access as Delta restricts award availability much more than you might expect.
That’s where China Eastern comes in as a reliable offering — but its business class soft product can leave a lot to be desired because its service, bedding, food, and amenities are often lackluster compared to Delta One Suites.
Nevertheless, if your plans are inflexible and you can’t access Delta One Suites to Shanghai, you can book China Eastern business class pretty handily.
Here are a few great example redemptions you can make:
KLM is the flag carrier of the Netherlands. Although the business class product doesn’t consistently get the same high marks as its fellow subsidiary Air France, it’s a great way to fly nonstop to the Netherlands in style.
Depending on what plane you’re flying on, you might find reverse herringbone seats in a 1-2-1 configuration (on 787-9 aircraft), warm Dutch service, a fun experience overall, and a bed to sleep on.
Here are some great example redemptions you can make:
One of the most unique flights you can book in the SkyTeam portfolio is Kenya Airways’s nonstop business class flight between the U.S. and its capital city, Nairobi (NBO).
Flying to Africa is a time-consuming effort, but if you’re able to get your hands on one of these business class flights, you’ll be able to conveniently fly there and arrive well-rested.
This can cut down an itinerary of 19+ hours to 13 to 14 hours! And actually, you’ll enjoy some of the best redemption rates out there when using Aeroflot Bonus miles!
If this sounds good to you, check out this example redemption you can make:
We talk a lot about flying business class because that’s where you would get a majority of the value out of your miles.
Still, there are a couple of stellar ways you can get outsized value from your miles in economy flights.
Aerolíneas Argentinas operates a network of flights to/from Argentina, and although its business class product is something you should avoid, you can redeem Aeroflot miles to get expensive economy tickets for almost free!
We’d recommend using miles for tickets that would otherwise be way too expensive to book using cash. Here are a few great example redemptions you can make:
Vietnam Airlines is an up-and-coming airline, thanks to a rapidly growing economy and solid overall service.
Although Vietnam airports are known for having chaotic ground experiences, you’ll enjoy a comfortable business class product in the sky. Vietnam Airlines operates lie-flat business class seats on many regional flights, so this is an excellent way to try a spacious business class product even on a short flight.
Here are some great example redemptions you can make:
Czech Airlines has traditionally struggled as an airline, but it has a niche position as a regional airline offering convenient flights to the Czech Republic’s capital city, Prague.
If this fits your travel needs, you can actually redeem Aeroflot Bonus miles at a decent value to book economy flights that would otherwise be quite expensive when using cash.
Here are a few example redemptions you can make:
If you’re interested in flying from North Asia to Southeast Asia, you should consider flying on SkyTeam alliance partner Garuda Indonesia.
Even though Garuda Indonesia is most famous for offering an unbelievable first class product, its business class also quite special.
You’ll enjoy staggered business class seats that are fully lie-flat in a 1-2-1 configuration on specific routes. And one of the best ways to redeem Aeroflot Bonus miles is on these example routes:
One of our favorite business class products is Korean Air business class. If you’re lucky enough, you might be able to book an Apex Suites product that is offered on select Korean Air aircraft.
Otherwise, the business class product would be slightly less private and possibly not have direct aisle access. Even then, business class on Korean Air is a treat because of the warm service and delicious in-flight catering.
Here are some example redemptions you can book:
XiamenAir is one of the most niche airlines you can fly. Offering mostly point-to-point routes from second-tier cities in China, this airline is one that you might not be aware of.
XiamenAir, however, is also known to be the best Chinese airline offering the highest-quality business class experience out there.
Here are some great redemptions you can make on XiamenAir business class:
Our very last great way to redeem Aeroflot Bonus miles is on flights to the Middle East. SkyTeam doesn’t have a whole lot of ultra-long-haul options for flights to the Middle East.
While Middle East Airlines is an option for regional flights, it’s not immediately clear who the best airline to fly is on itineraries to the Middle East.
Saudia offers a nonstop schedule from a few U.S. international gateways to Saudi Arabia in a comfortable business class product. Just remember that Saudia doesn’t serve alcohol because it’s a “dry” airline.
Here are a few example routes you can book on Saudia and excellent redemption prices:
Aeroflot Bonus operates a unique frequent flyer program. Although there are numerous hoops to jump through if you want to redeem Aeroflot miles for award flights, the benefits can be worth it.
Some of Aeroflot’s most interesting sweet spots are flights from the U.S. to South America, flights between the U.S. and China, and flights between the U.S. and the Middle East, all in business class.
There are a couple of economy redemptions for solid value, but these are few and far between compared to the value of premium cabin flights.
Hopefully, you found this in-depth guide useful to help you figure out the best ways to redeem Aeroflot Bonus miles for top value!
We’ve written a definitive guide on earning Aeroflot Bonus miles, but some of the ways to earn miles are to fly on SkyTeam airlines and credit your activity to Aeroflot or to shop with Aeroflot’s retail partners.
Aeroflot partners with all SkyTeam airlines as well as China Southern Airlines.
It depends on what you’re trying to redeem them for. If you want to book an Aeroflot flight using miles, you can do this completely online. If you want to book, say, a Delta or Air France flight using miles, you have to first find availability and then call Aeroflot at 866-879-7647.
You can get Aeroflot miles by flying with Aeroflot, flying with Aeroflot’s partners, spending on Russian Aeroflot credit cards, and shopping with Aeroflot’s numerous partners. There are tons of ways, but these are just a few of them.
Aeroflot’s U.S. customer service hotline is 866-879-7647. This is the best way to contact them.
Aeroflot has a few flights to the U.S. These are all flying to/from Russia’s capital city, Moscow (SVO). The cities offering Aeroflot flights are Los Angeles (LAX), Miami (MIA), New York (JFK), and Washington, D.C. (IAD).
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Stephen is an established voice in the credit card space, with over 70 to his name. His work has been in publications like The Washington Post, and his Au Points and Awards Consulting Services is used by hundreds of clients.
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4 comments
Alexander Shkrebelo
January 07, 2021
Guys, you are completely wrong!
1. Most Aeroflot bonus miles for award tickets mentioned in the review are incorrect! LAX-MOW-CDG in J-class with SU/AF = 60 000 miles, not 80 000. BOS-FCO with AZ in J = 60 000 miles not 75 000. MIA-AMS in J with KL = 60 000 not 65 000.
2. You can only book award flights if you’ve taken a paid Aeroflot flight eligible for Aeroflot Bonus mileage accrual within the last 2 YEARS, not 2 months.
3. Aeroflot NEVER charge miles by segments. I’m an Aeroflot Bonus GOLD member (SkyTeam Elite Plus level) and pay 55 000 miles + taxes for a one-way Business ticket between any EU city to any US city. For example, an award ticket SEA-LAX-MOW-OSL in Business with Delta and Aeroflot will be 55 000 miles + taxes total.
4. Moreover, you can combine any SkyTeam partner airlines with a maximum of 8 segments in one ticket!
5. Using Aeroflot miles you can fly for example from any EU city to any South America city thru any US city with no extra charge. In this case, every segment should cost in miles less than the route from the point of origin to the final destination. For example, WAW-MOW-NYC-EZE in Business with Aeroflot and Delta is fine for 70 000 miles + taxes as EU-South America award ticket.
6. As a Gold Aeroflot Bonus member you can use D-, I- and Z- revenue classes to get a Business award ticket for yourself only. As an Aeroflot Platinum member you can even use C-class revenue codes + 2 companions and have a waiver for any fees for award tickets.
Stephen Au
January 19, 2021
Hi Alex,
I understand all of your points here.
However, the communication from Aeroflot (official policy) is very different from what you may experience personally.
1. The Aeroflot spending calculator can be found here: https://www.aeroflot.ru/milescalculator/app/ru-en/spend
2. Thanks for this correction! I’ve fixed this.
3. According to the official terms and conditions, this isn’t the case. If you personally have a different experience, you can use it to your advantage as long as it lasts!
Thank you for your feedback!
Alexander
January 25, 2021
Hi Stephen,
Just double-checked the calculator … you were right but …
– Looking for f.e. DEL-MIA in Business you have to pay 110,000 miles with SU … not bad, isn’t it? Or 60000 miles with SU-partner – DL, AF, AZ, KL, etc. Try to use the “Partners’ Award” button on the calculator page.
– You can find f.e. HEL-PPT in Business for 75,000 miles with dozen multi-carrier combinations with 8 segments limitation
– How about YVR-SCL in Business for 37,500?
Actually, for many long-haul routes, Aeroflot has two different award-tables and you can check it using the website calculator with “Aeroflot Award” or “Partners’ Award” options.
Stephen Au
January 25, 2021
Hey Alexander,
Thanks for reading!
Yep, most of the best ways to redeem Aeroflot Bonus miles is with partners as outlined in this guide.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Any thoughts or questions? Comment below!
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