How do I join Alitalia MilleMiglia?

You can visit the link here to join.

Do I need to be an Alitalia MilleMiglia member to search for awards?

Actually, you don’t! This is a welcome change because many airlines require you to have a frequent flyer account with them to search awards. You can search for award space without being an Alitalia MilleMiglia member, but booking it will require an account.

How many Alitalia MilleMiglia miles do I have?

After you’ve logged in, you can visit this link to check your account balance.

When do Alitalia MilleMiglia miles expire?

Alitalia miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. You can extend them through any qualifying earning activity.

How many Alitalia MilleMiglia miles are required for a trip reward?

You can redeem as little as 12,000 Alitalia miles one-way for domestic Italy flights or flights wholly within Albania, Algeria, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Libya, Malta, Montenegro, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Serbia, Switzerland, and Tunisia. Better yet, you can get even more value by booking the same ticket, only round-trip for 20,000 miles.

Which credit cards can I use to earn Alitalia MilleMiglia miles?

You can earn Alitalia MilleMiglia miles by transferring from American Express Membership Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy. Amex has the best transfer ratio at 1:1, and Marriott is 3:1 with a 5,000 mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott points transferred.

How can I contact Alitalia MilleMiglia?

You can contact the Alitalia’s U.S. customer service center at 800-223-5730. You can also email them at customer.relationsNYC@alitalia.it, fax them at 212-903-3568, or mail Alitalia Customer Relations at P.O. Box 4485, New York, NY 10163-4485.

The 26 Best Ways to Redeem Alitalia MilleMiglia Miles [2023]

UPDATE: Alitalia ceased operations in 2021 and the MilleMiglia program ended in January 2023.

Alitalia’s frequent flyer program, MilleMiglia, has been subject to devaluations over the years, oftentimes huge ones at that. Alitalia is a SkyTeam alliance member. The Italian flag carrier, now renationalized as ITA (Italia Trasporti Aereo), offers a way to redeem miles for flights all around the world.

Additionally, Alitalia MilleMiglia is not nearly discussed as much as other SkyTeam frequent flyer programs like Air France/KLM Flying Blue and Delta SkyMiles, though there is still some potentially great value to be had.

The airline is headquartered in Rome, Italy and has faced financial turmoil for a long time. It is also owned 49% by Etihad Airways, which has invested significantly in Alitalia operations.

There are a ton of different options for redeeming Alitalia miles, but most of them provide poor value. Here are the best ways to extract tons of added value from Alitalia MilleMiglia miles.

Table of contents

The Pros and Cons of Alitalia MilleMiglia Miles
How to Boost Your Alitalia MilleMiglia Miles
The 26 Best Ways to Use Your Alitalia Miles
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

The Pros and Cons of Alitalia MilleMiglia Miles
How to Boost Your Alitalia MilleMiglia Miles
The 26 Best Ways to Use Your Alitalia Miles
Final Thoughts

The Pros and Cons of Alitalia MilleMiglia Miles

Alitalia’s basic pros are:

Great redemption prices on Alitalia flights
Transfer partner with Amex transfer partners and Marriott Bonvoy
You can book any SkyTeam partner flight
You can also book non-SkyTeam partners like Etihad
Round-trip pricing is cheaper than 2 one-way flights

Alitalia’s basic cons are:

Unattractive award pricing on partners
Devaluation on February 1, 2020 annihilates most of the value
The website is clunky and the call center is unhelpful
Difficult to predict what fuel surcharges will be prior to searching, as they change depending on the route

Alitalia’s routing rules are pretty simple. Award tickets must be used within 12 months of ticket issuance. Also, all award bookings are non-refundable unless it wasn’t used due to causes attributable to Alitalia or its partner airlines, but what exactly constitutes these causes is unclear.

Both one-way and round-trip tickets are allowed, and there are 2 award charts:

Alitalia table (used only on itineraries solely consisting of Alitalia flights).
Multi-carrier table (used for all partners and mixed airline tickets).

You are allowed 2 layovers and no stopovers. Mixed cabin flights are permitted. You can book open jaws, but only if the 2 cities are within the same award area. There are also no blackout periods for Alitalia award tickets, but there are blackout periods for partner flights.

You cannot combine an award ticket with a Cash & Miles ticket. If you change your reservation and the new reservation costs fewer miles, then you’ll lose the difference. The no-show date change fee is $61 (€55) or 5,000 miles, and there is no before-departure date change fee.

If you want to change your destination, you’ll pay $61 (€55) or 5,000 miles for before departure changes, while you’ll pay $123 (€110) or 10,000 miles for no-show destination changes.

You can book many partners online, including Etihad, which is a big plus. Let’s take a look at how to quickly boost your Alitalia miles balance.

How to Boost Your Alitalia MilleMiglia Miles

Alitalia MilleMiglia miles can be transferred from American Express Membership Rewards at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott Bonvoy at a 3:1 ratio.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

The 26 Best Ways to Use Your Alitalia Miles

Before diving deep into the top Alitalia miles redemptions you can make, it’s important to talk about the actual process of using Alitalia miles. Alitalia’s online search engine is pretty robust; they can often display award availability on their partners all in one place.

If you’re searching for SkyTeam availability on Air France/KLM Flying Blue or Delta and can’t find the same availability on Alitalia, you’ll want to first confirm if it’s phantom award space. Then, you’ll want to call Alitalia at 800-223-5730 to make an award reservation. Be warned, however, as Alitalia MilleMiglia has a bad reputation for its subpar call center capabilities.

Remember to avoid booking award flights using Alitalia miles until you are certain of your travel dates and plans because these tickets are mostly nonrefundable.

Also, when you search online, you’ll want to avoid the “Flex” availability, which charges prices that are absolutely bonkers. These are huge numbers that are often 1 million miles or more in cost. Instead, only book awards that are in the Saver bucket.

Redemptions Flying Alitalia

Fly Alitalia Business Class From the U.S. to Italy (48,000 Miles)

The first and top redemption to use Alitalia miles is arguably the most useful for readers: flights from the U.S. to Italy in business class. Currently, you can book a one-way flight between the U.S. and Italy for only 48,000 miles in business class.

This is an area of phenomenal value as other carriers are charging upwards of 70,000-80,000 miles to fly to Europe. In fact, for the price of a one-way ticket on some other partners, you can get double the value by spending 80,000 Alitalia miles for a round-trip ticket, which represents tremendous value.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

Boston (BOS) – Rome (FCO) – good availability
Chicago (ORD) – Rome (FCO) – okay availability
Los Angeles (LAX) – Rome (FCO) – nearly impossible to book
New York City (JFK) – Rome (FCO) – decent availability
San Francisco (SFO) – Rome (FCO) – poor availability
Washington D.C. (IAD) – Rome (FCO) – good availability

Hot Tip: For more U.S. routes, explore our definitive guide to Alitalia’s direct routes from the U.S. to see all of your options.

Fly Alitalia Business Class on an Ultra Long-Haul Flight to South America (72,000 Miles)

Alitalia flies several ultra-long-haul flights, and these are all to South America. If originating in Italy, this is a great way to spend loads of time in their business class product. For 72,000 miles one-way or 120,000 miles round-trip, you can book Alitalia business class between Italy and Argentina, Chile, and Brazil.

Route through Argentina and Brazil to avoid fuel surcharges if that’s something you’re interested in.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

Rome (FCO) – Buenos Aires (EZE)
Rome (FCO) – Rio de Janeiro (GIG)
Rome (FCO) – Santiago (SCL)
Rome (FCO) – São Paulo (GRU)

When you consider that these flights are 12-15 hours in length, you can begin to imagine the tremendous value you can attain by booking these award tickets in business class.

Fly Alitalia Business Class from Italy to the Maldives (48,000 Miles)

Are The Maldives on your wishlist? Planning a trip to Italy and the Maldives? You can fly nonstop to Italy and then the Maldives with a convenient schedule using Alitalia miles. Flights from Rome (FCO) to Malé (MLE) are priced identically to flights from the U.S. to Italy.

Thus, you’ll pay 48,000 miles one-way for the Maldives flight in business class or 80,000 miles round-trip. This flight is 9-10 hours in length, so you could get lots of time relaxing in your fully lie-flat seat.

Taxes and fees will run about $254 each way, which is usually significantly less than U.S. flights to Italy.

Fly Alitalia Business Class from Italy to India (48,000 Miles)

Travel Destinations on Miles and Points — Image Credit: turtix via Shutterstock

India is one of the most sprawling nations in the world. The growth it is poised to experience, along with the cultural/historical significance, makes it a hot tourist destination. If you’re flying from Rome, you can book flights to India for 48,000 miles in business class one-way or 80,000 miles round-trip.

Currently, Alitalia flies only to New Delhi (DEL) from Rome (FCO), so that’s the routing you’ll want to take. The 7-8 hour flight features lie-flat seats aboard the A330, which is a great way to get to India.

Fly Alitalia Business Class From Italy to Japan (72,000 Miles)

Travel Destinations on Points and Miles — Image Credit: jlhopes via Unsplash

Alitalia charges quite a bit for flights to North Asia, specifically Japan. However, it can still represent great value if you consider the fact that one-way tickets can cost upwards of $3,000. The 12-13 hour flight from Rome (FCO) to Tokyo-Narita (NRT) costs 72,000 miles for a one-way flight or 120,000 miles for round-trip in business class.

These flights are operated by the long-haul 777, and it’s a great way to try a solid business class product without having to pull your hair out searching for availability from the West Coast to Italy.

Fly Alitalia Economy Round-Trip Between the U.S. and Italy (50,000 Miles)

Nonstop Alitalia flights in economy can be extremely expensive. For example, tickets from Los Angeles (LAX) booked close to departure are in the thousands of dollars, which is infuriating.

Even so, you can pay 50,000 Alitalia miles + around $182 in taxes and fees to book a last-minute ticket in Alitalia economy to Italy. Remember that you don’t need to end in Rome; you can fly anywhere else within Italy as your final destination as long as it doesn’t violate the 2 layover limit as outlined in the routing rules.

Here’s are great examples of redemptions you can make:

Los Angeles (LAX) – Rome (FCO) – Naples (NAP)
Miami (MIA) – Rome (FCO) – Venice (VCE)

Redemptions Flying Alitalia Partner Airlines

Fly Etihad Business Class to Europe (100,000 Miles)

Etihad Airways Boeing 787-9 Business Class Flat-Bed. Image Credit: Greg Stone

Perhaps the best partner sweet spot of Alitalia MilleMiglia lies in their partner Etihad Airways. Sadly, you can’t book international first class flights using MilleMiglia, but you can experience Etihad business class by flying to Europe from their Middle East headquarters in Abu Dhabi (AUH).

Alitalia charges 100,000 miles for one-way flights between the U.S. and Europe in business class, and Etihad is no exception. So, you can fly east to Abu Dhabi (AUH) and then west to Rome. In all seriousness, you should complete your flight in its entirety because it means free business class.

Etihad has 2 long-haul business class products:

Business Studio on the 787 and A380.
Business Class on the 777-300ER.

You can try the Business Studio on flights from Washington, D.C. and New York City. Here are some great example routes you can take:

New York City (JFK) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Rome (FCO)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Milan (MXP)
Washington D.C. (IAD) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Rome (FCO)

Bottom Line: All in all, you can leverage Etihad’s position in the Middle East for connecting flights to Europe via Abu Dhabi more cheaply than flights directly to Abu Dhabi, which means you’ll get a free business class flight for fewer Alitalia miles.

Fly Etihad Business Class to the Middle East (120,000 Miles)

If you’re interested in trying out Etihad but don’t want to fly to Europe, you can fly from the U.S. to the Middle East and vice versa for 120,000 miles one-way in business class. Etihad’s route network within the U.S. is small, but they have amazing products, so give it a try!

Here is a great example route you can take:

Chicago (ORD) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)

Fly Etihad Business Class to The Maldives (120,000 Miles)

St Regis Maldives Beach Villa — Fly to The Maldives with Alitalia Miles. Image Credit: Marriott

In the spirit of odd award pricing, let’s talk about the Indian sub-continent. Alitalia includes the Maldives in the Indian sub-continent, but it is priced identically from North America as flights ending in the Middle East.

What this means for Etihad travelers originating from the U.S. is that you can tack on a business class flight on Etihad from Abu Dhabi to the Maldives for the same price as a flight terminating in Abu Dhabi. Here’s a great example route you can take:

Los Angeles (LAX) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Malé (MLE)

Although all of Etihad’s flights from Abu Dhabi to the Maldives feature recliner business class, you’ll find that these tickets are outrageously expensive in cash, often hitting $2,000 one-way. Economy is equally ridiculous at around $700 one-way for a 4-hour flight.

Fly Etihad Business Class to Southern Africa (120,000 Miles)

To extract tons of additional value from our final Etihad redemption, you can book flights from the U.S. to Central and Southern Africa using Alitalia miles. On Etihad, this means a connecting flight via Abu Dhabi (AUH).

Currently, you can fly to:

Johannesburg, South Africa (JNB)
Khartoum, Sudan (KRT)
Lagos, Nigeria (LOS)
Mahe, Seychelles (SEZ)
Nairobi, Kenya (NBO)

Flying to either the Seychelles or Johannesburg would represent the best value both in terms of cash price and distance flown. When you consider the fact that you’re effectively getting a 6-8 hour flight in a top business class product for free, you’ll similarly understand our enthusiasm.

Here are some great example routes you can book one-way for 120,000 Alitalia miles:

Chicago (ORD) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Lagos (LOS)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Johannesburg (JNB) (24 hours in business class!)
New York City (JFK) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Mahe (SEZ)
Washington D.C. (IAD) – Abu Dhabi (AUH) – Nairobi (NBO)

Bottom Line: Overall, Etihad Airways redemptions on Alitalia are a great way to get lots of value from the Italian frequent flyer program.

Fly Air France Business Class From the U.S. to Southern Africa (120,000 Miles)

If you want to fly to South Africa but don’t want to fly on Etihad through the United Arab Emirates, you’ll be pleased to learn that you can book Air France business class for the same price. Air France is an excellent airline with a top-tier business class product (for the most part), so you’ll be satisfied with the onboard offerings.

Whether you are looking for comfortable bedding, privacy, great food, or just a top business class seat overall, Air France has got you covered. You can book Air France from the U.S. to Central and Southern Africa in business class for 120,000 Alitalia miles. Here are some great example routes you can take:

Detroit (DTW) – Paris (CDG) – Cape Town (CPT)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Paris (CDG) – Luanda (LAD)
San Francisco (SFO) – Paris (CDG) – Mauritius (MRU)
Washington D.C. (IAD) – Paris (CDG) – Johannesburg (JNB)

Fly Air France Business Class From Paris to South America (120,000 Miles)

Want to take the long way from Europe to South America? You can fly from Paris to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, or Uruguay for 120,000 miles. If this is something that interests you, you can try Air France or KLM business class on these example routes:

Amsterdam (AMS) – Buenos Aires (EZE)
Amsterdam (AMS) – Fortaleza (FOR)
Amsterdam (AMS) – Rio de Janeiro (GIG)
Amsterdam (AMS) – São Paulo (GRU)
Paris (CDG) – Buenos Aires (EZE)
Paris (CDG) – Fortaleza (FOR)
Paris (CDG) – Rio de Janeiro (GIG)
Paris (CDG) – Santiago (SCL)
Paris (CDG) – São Paulo (GRU)

Award availability is excellent far in advance on all of these routes, which is phenomenal. You’ll get anywhere from 10-15 hours in business class by flying on these routes.

Fly Aeromexico Business Class From the U.S. to Northern South America (40,000 Miles)

Although you can fly from the U.S. to Mexico for 40,000 miles in business class, why not extend that to Northern South America for free? That way, you’ll travel longer in business class and get a free flight out of it. Here are some great example routes you can take:

Los Angeles (LAX) – Mexico City (MEX) – Quito (UIO)
New York City (JFK) – Mexico City (MEX) – Lima (LIM)

Fly Saudia Business Class From the U.S. to South Africa via Saudi Arabia (120,000 Miles)

Interesting in flying a unique airline? Saudia, or Saudi Arabian Airlines, is an excellent way to savor ultra-long-haul flights. You can book flights to the Middle East for 120,000 miles one-way, or continue on to Central and South Africa for the same price, getting a free 7-hour flight in business class! Just remember, there’s no alcohol served on Saudia flights.

Here’s a great example route you can take:

Los Angeles (LAX) – Jeddah (JED) – Johannesburg (JNB)
New York City (JFK) – Jeddah (JED) – Mauritius (MRU)
Washington D.C. (IAD) – Riyadh (RUH) – Addis Ababa (ADD)

Fly Saudia Lie-Flat Business Class Seats on Regional Flights (48,000 Miles)

Visit Saudi Arabia using Alitalia miles. Image Credit: Al Arabiya English

If you already find yourself in the Middle East and want to spend Alitalia miles to get a lie-flat seat, look no further than Saudia. For 48,000 miles, you can fly one-way in flat beds on the A330, 787, and even the A320!

Here are some great example routes you can take with lie-flat beds on select frequencies:

Jeddah (JED) – Abu Dhabi (AUH)
Jeddah (JED) – Dubai (DXB)

Fly Saudia Lie-Flat Business Class Seats on Regional Flights (48,000 Miles)

Saudia A320 Business Class — Fly on Saudia’s A320 lie-flat business class on select flights between Saudi Arabia and Europe. Image Credit: Saudia

If you want to use Alitalia miles to get a lie-flat seat to Europe on the narrow-body A320, look no further than Saudia.

Here are some great example routes you can take with lie-flat beds on select frequencies:

Jeddah (JED) – Frankfurt (FRA)
Jeddah (JED) – Geneva (GVA)
Jeddah (JED) – Milan (MXP)
Jeddah (JED) – Munich (MUC)
Jeddah (JED) – Rome (FCO)
Jeddah (JED) – Vienna (VIE)

Fly Business Class Within Southeast Asia (48,000 Miles)

Southeast Asia is a large area as defined by Alitalia MilleMiglia. The constituent territories are:

Cambodia
China (XiamenAir and China Eastern headquarters)
Hong Kong
Guam
Indonesia (Garuda Indonesia headquarters)
Laos
Malaysia
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Northern Mariana Islands
Palau
Philippines
Saipan
Singapore
Taiwan (China Airlines headquarters)
Thailand
Vietnam (Vietnam Airlines headquarters)

You can spend 48,000 miles one-way for flights within Southeast Asia, and connecting flights are included.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

Beijing (PEK) – Bali-Denpasar (DPS) on Garuda Indonesia
Koror (ROR) – Taipei (TPE) – Chengdu (CTU) on China Airlines
Shanghai (PVG) – Jakarta (CGK) on Garuda Indonesia
Urumqi (URC) – Changsha (CSX) on Xiamen Airlines

Fly Korean Air Business Class From the U.S. to Mongolia (100,000 Miles)

Korean Air Business Class Bed — With direct aisle access and a lie-flat bed, you can rest peacefully when flying business class on Korean Air. Image Credit: Korean Air

Flying from the U.S. to Mongolia is often an expensive endeavor. Cash flights are extremely expensive an economy, and get only worse in business class. Luckily, Korean Air operates nonstop flights from Seoul to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia’s capital.

Further, you can spend Alitalia miles at the same rate as flights to North Asia and get a free flight to Mongolia. This is great deal when you consider that the flight to Mongolia is also in lie-flat seats!

Here are some great example routes you can take:

Atlanta (ATL) – Seoul-Incheon (ICN) – Ulaanbaatar (ULN)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Seoul-Incheon (ICN) – Ulaanbaatar (ULN)
New York City (JFK) – Seoul-Incheon (ICN) – Ulaanbaatar (ULN)
San Francisco (SFO) – Seoul-Incheon (ICN) – Ulaanbaatar (ULN)

Fly Business Class from the U.S. to the Maldives (120,000 Miles)

Want to take a transpacific flight to the Maldives instead of transatlantic? You can fly from Shanghai or Colombo, but Colombo doesn’t offer nonstop flights to the United States so your best option for a one-stop flight is via Shanghai.

You can’t underestimate the power of a 1 stop flight, especially when you consider normal routes take upwards of 36-40 hours to get to the Maldives. You can either fly Delta or China Eastern across the Pond. Unless you’re flying on Delta One Suites, you’re better off flying on China Eastern business class.

This one-way itinerary will cost 120,000 miles in business class.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

Atlanta (ATL) – Shanghai (PVG) – Malé (MLE) on Delta One and China Eastern business class
Chicago (ORD) – Shanghai (PVG) – Malé (MLE) on China Eastern business class
Detroit (DTW) – Shanghai (PVG) – Malé (MLE) on Delta One Suites and China Eastern business class
Honolulu (HNL) – Shanghai (PVG) – Malé (MLE) on China Eastern business class
Las Vegas (LAS) – Shanghai (PVG) – Malé (MLE) on Delta One and China Eastern business class
Los Angeles (LAX) – Shanghai (PVG) – Malé (MLE) on Delta One Suites and China Eastern business class
New York City (JFK) – Shanghai (PVG) – Malé (MLE) on China Eastern business class
San Francisco (SFO) – Shanghai (PVG) – Malé (MLE) on China Eastern business class
Seattle (SEA) – Shanghai (PVG) – Malé (MLE) on Delta One and China Eastern business class

Fly KLM Business Class From the U.S. to Central and Southern Africa (120,000 Miles)

KLM Business Class Seating — Image Credit: KLM

KLM currently flies nonstop to:

Accra, Ghana (ACC)
Cape Town (CPT)
Johannesburg (JNB)
Lagos, Nigeria (LOS)
Luanda, Angola (LAD)
Kigali, Rwanda (KGL)
Nairobi, Kenya (NBO)
Mauritius (MRU)
Mount Kilimanjaro (JRO)

By flying into Amsterdam (AMS) nonstop from the U.S., you can continue onto any of these destinations for a total of 120,000 Alitalia miles one-way.

Here are some great example routes you can take:

Boston (BOS) – Amsterdam (AMS) – Johannesburg (JNB)
Chicago (ORD) – Amsterdam (AMS) – Lagos (LOS)
Houston (IAH) – Amsterdam (AMS) – Luanda (LAD)
Las Vegas (LAS) – Amsterdam (AMS) – Mount Kilimanjaro (JRO)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Amsterdam (AMS) – Kigali (KGL)
Miami (MIA) – Amsterdam (AMS) – Accra (ACC)
Minneapolis (MSP) – Amsterdam (AMS) – Nairobi (NBO)
New York City (JFK) – Amsterdam (AMS) – Cape Town (CPT)
San Francisco (SFO) – Amsterdam (AMS) – Mauritius (MRU)

Fly Virgin Australia Business Class From the U.S. to Oceania (120,000 Miles)

Virgin Australia 777 the business Cabin — Virgin Australia business class. Image Credit: Greg Stone

Flying on Virgin Australia is an excellent way to spend your time in the air. It ranks with the best international business class airlines in the world, so you should definitely try it out when you have the chance.

Virgin Australia’s sole routes to the United States consist of nonstop flights to Los Angeles and Honolulu. If you’re settled on flying Virgin Australia and trying out their awesome business class product, you can pay 120,000 Alitalia miles one-way.

Here are a few great example redemptions you can make:

Honolulu (HNL) – Brisbane (BNE)
Honolulu (HNL) – Sydney (SYD)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Brisbane (BNE)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Melbourne (MEL)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Sydney (SYD)

Fly Air Serbia Business Class Nonstop From the U.S. to Serbia (100,000 Miles)

Interestingly, Air Serbia is a partner of Alitalia. If you have a hankering to fly to Belgrade, Serbia, then Air Serbia actually has a single non-stop flight from New York City (JFK) for 100,000 Alitalia miles. This 8-10 hour flight (depending on which direction you’re flying) will cost $400 in taxes and fees one-way.

Nevertheless, the A330-operated flight is the only nonstop to Serbia from the United States. With a herringbone product, it definitely is one of the more interesting and unique products out there. Still, lie-flat seats and a convenient schedule make this a must-consider.

Fly China Southern Business Class Nonstop From the U.S. to Oceania (120,000 Miles)

China Southern is a former member of the SkyTeam alliance. With Alitalia miles, you can still fly on China Southern, just as a non-alliance partner. If you’re using Alitalia MilleMiglia, nothing about redeeming miles for China Southern flights is changing, so that’s a big plus.

There’s a particularly nice redemption sweet spot where you can spend 100,000 Alitalia miles to fly from the U.S. to Oceania via China. Here are some great example routes you can take:

New York City (JFK) – Guangzhou (CAN) – Melbourne (MEL)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Guangzhou (CAN) – Perth (PER)
Los Angeles (LAX) – Guangzhou (CAN) – Sydney (SYD)
San Francisco (SFO) – Guangzhou (CAN) – Adelaide (ADL)

Access Central Asia From the U.S. via Moscow by Flying Aeroflot Business Class (120,000 Miles)

Aeroflot’s business class doesn’t necessarily win any awards, but what they do have is nonstop flights to most of Central Asia. Because of its strategic focus on this area, the Central Asian energy sector is particularly connected with Russia thanks to countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. If you spend 120,000 Alitalia miles, you’ll be able to fly in business class from the U.S. to Central Asia via Moscow (SVO).

Also, fuel surcharges from Aeroflot aren’t that bad, around $300 each way. Here are some great example routes you can take:

Los Angeles (LAX) – Moscow (SVO) – Osh, Kyrgyzstan (OSS)
Miami (MIA) – Moscow (SVO) – Tashkent, Uzbekistan (TAS)
New York City (JFK) – Moscow (SVO) – Almaty, Kazakhstan (ALA)
Washington D.C. (IAD) – Moscow (SVO) – Baku, Azerbaijan (GYD)

Fly Garuda Indonesia Business Class From Indonesia to North Asia (60,000 Miles)

Garuda Indonesia’s business class is pretty good, especially when you consider how underrated the airline is overall. You can spend 60,000 Alitalia miles to fly between Indonesia and South Korea or Japan on Garuda Indonesia business class.

Here’s the example routes we’re talking about:

Bali-Denpasar (DPS) – Osaka (KIX)
Bali-Denpasar (DPS) – Seoul-Incheon (ICN)
Bali-Denpasar (DPS) – Tokyo-Narita (NRT)
Jakarta (CGK) – Nagoya (NGO)
Jakarta (CGK) – Osaka (KIX)
Jakarta (CGK) – Seoul-Incheon (ICN)
Jakarta (CGK) – Tokyo-Haneda (HND)

Try Kenya Airways Lie-Flat Business Class Seats within Central and South Africa (60,000 Miles)

Kenya Airways has had a relatively rocky history. Their corporate structure has alternated between publicly owned, privatized, and it is currently a hybrid of the 2. Nonetheless, the SkyTeam partner operates flights to/from its capital in Nairobi, Kenya.

With one of the most diverse route networks for intra-Africa flights, you can save a bundle of cash by using Alitalia miles for Kenya Airways flights in business class around Africa.

You’ll spend 60,000 miles each way for business class flights within Central and Southern Africa. But, you can spend 60,000 miles more each way if you originate from the United States.

When you consider Kenya Airways’ sole flight to America is an ultra-long-haul flight nearly 15 hours in length from New York City (JFK), it’s hard to imagine why you wouldn’t tack on 60,000 miles more for tons more time in business class. Plus, with a convenient schedule, you’ll be able to fly to tons more destinations in Africa with only 1 stop!

Here is a great example route you can take:

New York City (JFK) – Nairobi (NBO) – Johannesburg (JNB) on the 787

Final Thoughts

All in all, there are loads of different and unique ways to use Alitalia miles. First, you saw the strong value redemption, using Alitalia miles for Alitalia business class flights.

Next, you learned more about Etihad Airways and how you can strategically leverage backtracking to get extra value or even the same miles through throwaway ticketing, also known as hidden city ticketing or skiplagging.

Finally, you explored the top airlines to fly on, along with the best routes for cost-effective redemption of Alitalia miles.

For rates and fees of the Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Gold Card, click here.

8 comments

David Brent May 29, 2020
Europe in J for 48,000 miles has been gone for quite a while now.
Barbara Mitzner October 12, 2021
I currently have 300,000 MilleMiglia miles. How can I use them?
- Stephen Au October 12, 2021
  It depends on where you want to go. You’ll want to read this article in-depth to figure out how much it will cost to book a flight using MilleMiglia miles.
Bradford Francis December 28, 2021
It appears that it’s no longer possible to use MilleMiglia for award flights. Is this accurate?
- Stephen Au December 28, 2021
  Hi Bradford,
  While Alitalia is rebranding as ITA, redemptions may not be possible.
Jad February 15, 2022
Hi Stephen,
I have 315,000 MilleMiglia miles set to expire in March 2022. I called the center to figure out what I should do and they recommended that I exchange my miles for MM FLY VOUCHERS. If I do that, my miles are worth a little less than 950 Euros in voucher value. That seems like a very bad exchange rate. Any idea on how I can use my MilleMiglia miles to book flights using my miles and not this absurd voucher exchange option. I appreciate your advice.
- Stephen Au February 15, 2022
  Hi Jad,
  Unfortunately, with the airline being restructured as ITA, its frequent flyer program isn’t fully functional yet. I don’t see any other alternative than to accept the voucher, sadly.
  - Jad Essayli February 19, 2022
    Thank you for the information Stephen

The Pros and Cons of Alitalia MilleMiglia Miles

How to Boost Your Alitalia MilleMiglia Miles

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

The 26 Best Ways to Use Your Alitalia Miles

Redemptions Flying Alitalia

Fly Alitalia Business Class From the U.S. to Italy (48,000 Miles)

Fly Alitalia Business Class on an Ultra Long-Haul Flight to South America (72,000 Miles)

Fly Alitalia Business Class from Italy to the Maldives (48,000 Miles)

Fly Alitalia Business Class from Italy to India (48,000 Miles)

Fly Alitalia Business Class From Italy to Japan (72,000 Miles)

Fly Alitalia Economy Round-Trip Between the U.S. and Italy (50,000 Miles)

Redemptions Flying Alitalia Partner Airlines

Fly Etihad Business Class to Europe (100,000 Miles)

Fly Etihad Business Class to the Middle East (120,000 Miles)

Fly Etihad Business Class to The Maldives (120,000 Miles)

Fly Etihad Business Class to Southern Africa (120,000 Miles)

Fly Air France Business Class From the U.S. to Southern Africa (120,000 Miles)

Fly Air France Business Class From Paris to South America (120,000 Miles)

Fly Aeromexico Business Class From the U.S. to Northern South America (40,000 Miles)

Fly Saudia Business Class From the U.S. to South Africa via Saudi Arabia (120,000 Miles)

Fly Saudia Lie-Flat Business Class Seats on Regional Flights (48,000 Miles)

Fly Saudia Lie-Flat Business Class Seats on Regional Flights (48,000 Miles)

Fly Business Class Within Southeast Asia (48,000 Miles)

Fly Korean Air Business Class From the U.S. to Mongolia (100,000 Miles)

Fly Business Class from the U.S. to the Maldives (120,000 Miles)

Fly KLM Business Class From the U.S. to Central and Southern Africa (120,000 Miles)

Fly Virgin Australia Business Class From the U.S. to Oceania (120,000 Miles)

Fly Air Serbia Business Class Nonstop From the U.S. to Serbia (100,000 Miles)

Fly China Southern Business Class Nonstop From the U.S. to Oceania (120,000 Miles)

Access Central Asia From the U.S. via Moscow by Flying Aeroflot Business Class (120,000 Miles)

Fly Garuda Indonesia Business Class From Indonesia to North Asia (60,000 Miles)

Try Kenya Airways Lie-Flat Business Class Seats within Central and South Africa (60,000 Miles)

Final Thoughts

Frequently asked questions

How do I join Alitalia MilleMiglia?

Do I need to be an Alitalia MilleMiglia member to search for awards?

How many Alitalia MilleMiglia miles do I have?

When do Alitalia MilleMiglia miles expire?

How many Alitalia MilleMiglia miles are required for a trip reward?

Which credit cards can I use to earn Alitalia MilleMiglia miles?

How can I contact Alitalia MilleMiglia?

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