The Best Ways to Fly to Frankfurt With Points and Miles [Step-by-Step]
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Germany is an incredible country filled with history, beautiful architecture, unique food, and of course delicious beer! In Berlin you’ll see the Berlin Wall, Munich is known for Oktoberfest, Frankfurt is home to the European Central Bank, Cologne has the Cologne Cathedral, and the port city of Hamburg has canals and parks.
In this article, we’ll cover the best programs you can use to book award flights to Frankfurt, how to book the award flight itself, and how to earn enough miles for your next redemption.
Table of contents
Table of Contents
Best Programs to Use to Book Flights
Frankfurt airport (FRA) is one of the largest airports in Europe. With that said, U.S. travelers will find it relatively easy to fly from the U.S to Frankfurt.
Below we’ll dive into the best programs to use and how you can leverage the 5 transferable point programs, American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Citi ThankYou Rewards, and Marriott Bonvoy.
Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank
The Japan Airlines Mileage Bank program provides value to many destinations in Europe — including Frankfurt — across all cabin classes.
Japan Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance, which is great because Oneworld member airlines offer a number of flights to Europe from the U.S., though American Airlines is the only Oneworld member offering nonstop flights from the U.S. to Frankfurt. Flying with British Airways, Finnair, or Iberia will require a connection.
Book Awards With Japan Airlines
| Total trip distance (miles) | Until 11/19/18 Economy Class | From 11/20/19 Economy Class | Until 11/19/18 Business Class *1 | From 11/20/18 Business Class *1 | Until 11/19/18 First Class | From 11/20/18 First Class | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 – 4,000 | 25,000 | 25,000 | 48,000 | 48,000 | 72,000 | 72,000 |
| 2 | 4,001 – 8,000 | 40,000 | 40,000 | 80,000 | 80,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 |
| 3 | 8,001 – 10,000 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 80,000 | 85,000 | 110,000 | 110,000 |
| 4 | 10,001 – 12,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 110,000 | 110,000 | 160,000 | 160,000 |
| 5 | 12,001 – 14,000 | 70,000 | 70,000 | 110,000 | 115,000 | 160,000 | 165,000 |
| 6 | 14,001 – 20,000 | 90,000 | 90,000 | 120,000 | 120,000 | 170,000 | 170,000 |
| 7 | 20,001 – 25,000 | 120,000 | 120,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | 230,000 | 230,000 |
| 8 | 25,001 – 29,000 | 140,000 | 140,000 | 190,000 | 190,000 | 280,000 | 280,000 |
| 9 | 29,001 – 34,000 | 150,000 | 150,000 | 200,000 | 200,000 | 300,000 | 300,000 |
| 10 | 34,001 – 50,000 | 160,000 | 160,000 | 220,000 | 220,000 | 330,000 | 330,000 |
Japan Airlines uses a distance-based award chart. The amount of miles you’ll pay is driven by the total distance of your itinerary and the cabin class. We recommend using Great Circle Mapper to calculate the total mileage of your itinerary and then refer back to the award chart to see how many miles you’ll need.
Search for Oneworld award flight availability on the British Airways/Qantas websites, confirm that same availability on the Japan Airlines website, and then book the flight. If you can’t confirm availability on the Japan Airlines website, call the airline at 800-525-3663 to search for and book the award ticket.
Hot Tip: We recommend using the Qantas website to search for Oneworld availability because it has a monthly calendar view. American Airlines business class flights will likely not show up on the Qantas website so we recommend using British Airways to search for business class availability.
When you’re ready to book your flight, below are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for Oneworld round-trip flights to Frankfurt:
U.S. to Frankfurt — Round-Trip | ||
| Cabin Class | Oneworld | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 40,000-70,000 | $117+ |
| Business | 80,000-115,000 | $117+ |
Need help booking an award flight? Here’s our step-by-step guide to booking American Airlines business class.
Earning Japan Airlines Miles
Japan Airlines miles are hard to earn due to two factors:
- Japan Airlines only partners with one transferable point program, which is Marriott Bonvoy
- Japan Airlines doesn’t offer a credit card with a meaningful sign-up bonus
The main way to earn Japan Airlines miles is by transferring points from Marriott Bonvoy. Before transferring your Marriott points, there are 3 things to keep in mind, 1) Marriott points transfer to Japan Airlines at a 3:1 ratio, 2) You’ll receive 5,000 bonus points when you transfer 60,000 Marriott points to an airline partner, and 3) Marriott points take 7 days to transfer to Japan Airlines.
With that said, here are the Marriott Bonvoy credit cards we recommend:
| Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card - Earn 100,000 Bonus Points after you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. Get automatic silver elite status each account anniversary year; and a free night award (valued up to 35,000 points) every year after account anniversary. Plus, earn up to 17X points per $1 at over 7,000 participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, and 2X points per $1 on all other purchases. Annual Fee is $95. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card - Earn 50,000 bonus points when you spend $1,000 on purchases in the first 3 months of account opening. Earn up to 14X points per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, earn 2X on other travel purchases, then 1x on all other purchases. A solid card for Marriott loyalists looking for a no-annual-fee card offering Marriott Bonvoy Silver Elite status. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card - Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 in purchases within the first 3 months. Plus, earn up to $200 in Statement Credits for eligible purchases at U.S. Restaurants within the first 6 months of Card Membership. Earn 6x per $1 at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels plus 3x at U.S. restaurants and flights booked directly with airlines. Annual Fee is $450. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Bonvoy Brilliant card, click here. |
| Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card - Earn 75,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points after you use your new Card to make $3,000 of eligible purchases within the first 3 months of Card Membership. Plus, earn up to $150 back in statement credits on eligible purchases made on your new Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership. This is a solid card for business owners who will get complimentary Marriott Bonvoy silver elite status. Annual fee is $125. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business Card, click here. |
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
The Cathay Pacific Asia Miles program can provide value, particularly when flying its Oneworld partner airlines. The Asia Miles program uses a distance-based award chart when flying.
Cathay Pacific is a member of the Oneworld alliance, so you can use your miles for flights on Cathay Pacific or its partner airlines. American Airlines will offer the quickest travel time to Europe because of its nonstop flights, however, British Airways, Finnair, and Iberia are other Oneworld partners that you can fly.
Book Awards With Cathay Pacific
| Award zone | Distance in actual miles | Required miles | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Economy Class | Business Class | First Class | ||
| 01 | 0 – 1,000 | 30,000 | 55,000 | 70,000 |
| 02 | 1,001 – 1,500 | 30,000 | 60,000 | 80,000 |
| 03 | 1,501 – 2,000 | 35,000 | 65,000 | 90,000 |
| 04 | 2,001 – 4,000 | 35,000 | 70,000 | 95,000 |
| 05 | 4,001 – 7,500 | 60,000 | 90,000 | 140,000 |
| 06 | 7,501 – 9,000 | 65,000 | 100,000 | 150,000 |
| 07 | 9,001 – 10,000 | 70,000 | 110,000 | 160,000 |
| 08 | 10,001 – 14,000 | 90,000 | 135,000 | 220,000 |
| 09 | 14,001 – 18,000 | 100,000 | 155,000 | 250,000 |
| 10 | 18,001 – 20,000 | 105,000 | 165,000 | 260,000 |
| 11 | 20,001 – 25,000 | 115,000 | 185,000 | 280,000 |
| 12 | 25,001 – 35,000 | 130,000 | 210,000 | 300,000 |
| 13 | 35,001 – 50,000 | 150,000 | 240,000 | 345,000 |
Cathay Pacific has a number of award charts. For flights to Frankfurt, you’ll use the Oneworld Multi-Carrier Award Chart. We recommend using Great Circle Mapper to calculate the distance of your flights.
Search for British Airways, Finnair, and Iberia flight availability on the British Airways/Qantas websites, confirm that same availability on the Cathay Pacific website, and then book the flight.
Search for American Airlines availability on the British Airways/Qantas websites, and then call Cathay Pacific at 866-892-2598 to search for and book the award ticket.
Hot Tip: The Cathay Pacific Asia Miles website doesn’t show all Oneworld availability. For American Airlines flights, you’ll need to find award availability on British Airways/Qantas, and then call Cathay Pacific to book the award flight.
When you’ve located a flight that works for you, here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for Oneworld round-trip flights to Frankfurt:
U.S. to Frankfurt (FRA) — Round-Trip | ||
| Cabin Class | Oneworld | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 50,000-80000 | $158+ |
| Business | 100,000-150000 | $158+ |
Earning Cathay Pacific Miles
Cathay Pacific makes it easy to earn enough airline miles for your next award flight to Frankfurt. The airline partners with 4 of the 5 transferable point programs in American Express, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott. Cathay Pacific also offers a co-branded credit card with a respectable sign-up bonus.
With Cathay Pacific’s transfer partners, it’s important to know the transfer times and ratios. American Express transfers take 7 days at a 1:1 ratio, Capital One transfers take up to 36 hours at a 2:1.5 ratio, Citi transfers take up to 24 hours at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott transfers take 10 days at a 3:1 ratio.
All of that to say we recommend transferring Citi ThankYou points to Cathay Pacific first.
Alaska Airlines MileagePlan
Alaska Airlines provides value on a number of routes to Frankfurt. If you want to learn more about how valuable the MileagePlan program is, check out our best ways to use Alaska Airlines miles.
Alaska Airlines is not a member of an airline alliance, but instead has individual partnerships with airlines — including American Airlines, which offers nonstop flights to Frankfurt. British Airways, Condor, Emirates, Finnair, and Icelandair are Alaska Airlines’ additional airline partners that fly between the U.S. and Europe.
Book Awards With Alaska Airlines
| American Airlines | Each Way |
| Contiguous U.S. and Alaska to Europe | |
| Business or first class | 57,500 |
| First class | 85,000 |
| Contiguous U.S. and Alaska to Europe May 16 – Oct. 14 | |
| Coach | 30,000 |
| Contiguous U.S. and Alaska to Europe Oct. 15 – May 15 | |
| Coach | 22,500 |
| British Airways | Each Way |
| Contiguous U.S. and Alaska to Europe | |
| Economy | 32,500 |
| Premium coach | 42,500 |
| Business | 60,000 |
| First class | 70,000 |
| Condor | Each Way |
| Contiguous U.S. and Alaska to Europe | |
| Economy low | 25,000 |
| Economy medium | 30,000 |
| Economy high | 40,000 |
| Premium class | 45,000 |
| Business | 55,000 |
| Emirates | Each Way |
| Contiguous U.S. and Alaska to Europe | |
| Economy | 47,500 |
| Business | 105,000 |
| First Class | 180,000 |
| Finnair | Each Way |
| Contiguous U.S. and Alaska to Europe | |
| Economy | 30,000 |
| Business | 70,000 |
| Icelandair — Effective May 1, 2019 (award levels are changing) | Each Way |
| Contiguous U.S. and Alaska to Europe | |
| Economy (before May 1, 2019) | Starting at 27,500 |
| Economy (on or after May 1, 2019) | Starting at 35,000 |
| Business | 55,000 |
| Contiguous U.S. and Alaska to Iceland | |
| Economy (before May 1, 2019) | Starting at 22,500 |
| Economy (on or after May 1, 2019) | Starting at 30,000 |
| Business | 50,000 |
The airline partner that you fly will determine where you should search for an award flight. American Airlines, Condor, Emirates, and Icelandair award flights can be booked on the Alaska Airlines website. Search for Oneworld award flights on the British Airways/Qantas websites, confirm the same availability on the Alaska Airlines website, and book the flight.
Hot Tip: Alaska Airlines offers off-peak pricing for American Airlines economy flights from North America to Europe between October 15 and May 15.
Below are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for Alaska Airlines round-trip partner flights to Frankfurt:
| U.S. to Frankfurt (FRA) — Round-Trip | ||
| Cabin Class | Alaska Partners | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy off-peak | 45,000-50,000 | $158+ |
| Economy | 60,000-95,000 | $158+ |
| Business | 110,000-210,000 | $158+ |
| First | 140,000-360,000* | $1,141+ |
*Emirates flies first class between New York (JFK) and Milan (MXP), and Newark (EWR) and Athens (ATH).
Earning Alaska Airlines Miles
Alaska Airlines miles are much easier to earn than JAL miles. They can be earned by:
- Transferring points from Marriott Bonvoy
- Spending on Alaska Airlines credit cards
- Using the Alaska Airlines shopping portal and dining program
- Spending with Alaska Airlines travel partners
Before transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to Alaska Airlines, keep in mind the transfer ratio and transfer time. Marriott point transfers take 2 days at a 3:1 ratio.
Etihad Guest
Etihad Airways is similar to Alaska Airlines in that the program can be used in niche circumstances for flights to Europe. Etihad has partnerships with individual airlines, so the number of miles you’ll need will be driven by the partner award chart that you’re using.
Etihad is not a member of an airline alliance, however, the airline has a number of valuable airline partnerships. For example, using Etihad to fly American Airlines to Frankfurt can result in receiving a ton of value with your Etihad miles.
Book Awards With Etihad
American Airlines
| Region | North America One-Way | |||
| EO | EP | B/F | P | |
| Europe | 20,000 | 30,000 | 50,000 | 62,500 |
Brussels Airlines
| Origin | Destination | Economy One-Way | Business One-Way |
| Brussels (BRU) | New York (JFK) | 27,000 | 44,000 |
| Brussels (BRU) | Toronto (YYZ) | 27,000 | 44,000 |
| Brussels (BRU) | Washington (IAD) | 27,000 | 44,000 |
Etihad uses a zone-based award chart for its airline partners with flights to Europe. American Airlines offers nonstop flights to Frankfurt. If you fly Brussels Airlines, you will need to book another flight to get to/from Frankfurt from Brussels.
Search for American Airlines award availability on the British Airways/Qantas websites. Brussels Airlines award flights can be found on United/Aeroplan. When you find an award flight on either airline that works for you, call Etihad Guest at 877-690-0767 to confirm award availability and book the flight.
Hot Tip: Etihad offers off-peak pricing for American Airlines economy flights from North America to Europe. Off-peak pricing is between October 15 and May 15.
Here are the redemption rates, taxes, and fees for American Airlines and Brussels Airlines round-trip partner flights to Europe/Frankfurt:
| U.S. to Europe/Frankfurt — Round-Trip | ||
| Cabin Class | American Airlines / Brussels Airlines | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy off-peak | 40,000 | $75+ |
| Economy | 54,000-60,000 | $75+ |
| Business | 88,000-100,000 | $75+ |
Earning Etihad Miles
Etihad has 4 transferable point program partners in American Express, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott. If you’re interested in earning points in these programs, check out our credit card recommendations below.
Before you transfer your points from these programs to Etihad, keep in mind that American Express transfers are instant at a 1:1 ratio, Capital One transfers take 36 hours at a 1:1 ratio, Citi transfers take 6 days at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott transfers take 5 days at a 3:1 ratio.
With that said, we recommend transferring Amex points to Etihad first for your next redemption.
Recommended Amex Cards (Personal)
| The Platinum Card® from American Express - There's currently a new welcome bonus offer of This is our #1 card for accessing 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Priority Pass (enrollment required). We leverage ~$3,000+ in benefits and perks from the card every year. Terms Apply. For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum card, click here. |
| American Express® Gold Card - This card has a new welcome bonus of We love using this card as it earns 4x points at Restaurants worldwide, including takeout and delivery, plus, earn 4X points for Uber Eats purchases too, and 4x points at U.S. supermarkets (up to $25,000 per calendar year; then 1x. Terms Apply). There's no better card in our opinion if you eat out and/or shop at supermarkets regularly; and you'll have access to many benefits and perks. For rates and fees of the Amex Gold card, click here. |
Recommended Miles-Earning Capital One Cards (Personal)
| Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card - This card is packed with lots of benefits and perks. Earn 100,000 bonus miles when you spend $20,000 on purchases in the first 12 months from account opening, or still earn 50,000 mile sign up bonus once you spend $3,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening. We recommend this as a no-brainer card if you even semi-regularly stay at hotels. |
| Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card - This is an excellent card for those looking to earn 1.25x miles per $1 on every purchase. With a 20,000 mile sign up bonus (worth $200 toward travel) after spending $500 within the first 3 months and no annual fee, it's a strong choice. |
American Airlines AAdvantage
American Airlines is one of the big 3 U.S. airlines (along with United Airlines and Delta Air Lines). Award flights offered by American won’t rank near the top in terms of value, so the key here is to use your miles when the cost of a flight is high.
American Airlines is a member of the Oneworld alliance. This means that you can use American Airlines miles to fly American Airlines, British Airways, Finnair, and Iberia to Europe and/or Frankfurt.
Book Awards With American Airlines
American Airlines Contiguous 48 U.S. States and Canada to Europe
| MileSAAver Off Peak | MileSAAver | AAnytime Level 1 | AAnytime Level 2 | |
| Main Cabin | 22,500 | 30,000 | 47,500 | 65,000 |
| Business / First | – | 57,500 | 110,000 | 135,000 |
| First | – | 85,000 | 140,000 | 175,000 |
Oneworld
| To: | Main Cabin Off Peak | Main Cabin | Business / First | First |
| Europe | 22,500 | 30,000 | 57,500 | 85,000 |
American Airlines uses zone-based award charts to determine the number of miles required. The award charts are driven by 3 factors: 1) zones you’re flying to and from, 2) cabin class, and 3) dates of travel. What’s unique about the American Airlines award charts is that you can fly to Europe in economy at off-peak prices.
American Airlines award flights can be booked on the American Airlines website. Search for Oneworld award flights on the British Airways/Qantas websites, confirm the same availability on the American Airlines website, and then book the award flight. Another option is to call American Airlines at 800-433-7300 to search for and book an award flight.
Hot Tip: When flying American Airlines’ own flights, its award program offers off-peak pricing in economy to Europe. The off-peak dates are January 10 to March 14 and November 1 to December 14.
Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for American Airlines and Oneworld round-trip flights to Frankfurt:
| U.S. to Europe/Frankfurt — Round-Trip | ||
| Cabin Class | American Airlines/Oneworld | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy off-peak | 45,000 | $193+ |
| Economy | 60,000 | $193+ |
| Business | 115,000 | $193+ |
| First | 170,000 | $193+ |
Earning American Airlines Miles
American Airlines partners with 1 transferable point program in Marriott Bonvoy. In addition, the airline offers a number of ways to earn enough miles for your next trip to Frankfurt that include:
- AA co-branded credit cards (with large sign-up bonuses!)
- Spend with partner hotels and car rental companies
- American’s shopping portal
For those looking to transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to American Airlines, point transfers take 2 days at a 3:1 ratio.
Asiana Airlines Asiana Club
Asiana Airlines is an under-the-radar program that has valuable redemptions to Europe if you know where to look. The Asiana Airlines Asiana Club program uses a zone-based award chart when flying its airline partners.
Asiana Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance, so you can also use your miles for flights on partner airlines. Star Alliance airline partners that fly to Europe from the U.S. include Air Canada, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Swiss Air Lines, TAP Portugal, and United Airlines.
For those looking to fly nonstop, Lufthansa and United are your 2 options.
Book Awards With Asiana Airlines
| (Miles, Based on Round-Trip | ||||
| Origin | Destination | Economy | Business | First |
| North America | Europe | 50,000 | 80,000 | 100,000 |
Asiana uses a zone-based award chart to determine the number of miles required. The zones you’re flying to and from and the cabin class will determine the number of Asiana miles that you’ll need.
Search for Star Alliance award availability on the Aeroplan/United websites, and then call Asiana Airlines at 800-227-4262 to confirm the award flight is available and book the flight.
Hot Tip: The Asiana Airlines website doesn’t allow you to search for Star Alliance award flight availability. Instead, use the Aeroplan/United websites.
Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for both Star Alliance round-trip flights to Frankfurt:
| U.S. to Frankfurt — Round-Trip | ||
| Cabin Class | Lufthansa | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 50,000 | $497 |
| Business | 80,000 | $1,183 |
| First | 100,000 | $1,183* |
| U.S. to Europe/Frankfurt — Round-Trip | ||
| Cabin Class | Star Alliance | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 50,000 | $160+ |
| Business | 80,000 | $160+ |
| First | 100,000* | $1,800* |
*Singapore Airlines and Swiss Airlines first class can only be booked with each airline’s own miles respectively.
Earning Asiana Airlines Miles
Asiana Airlines offers a couple of ways to earn its miles for your next award flight to Frankfurt. The airline partners with 1 transferable point program in Marriott Bonvoy. Asiana also has co-branded credit cards that earn Asiana miles with your credit card spend.
If you decide to transfer Marriott points to Asiana, transfers take 10 days at a 3:1 ratio. Keep this in mind as you’ll need to be flexible on the dates of your travel as you wait for your points to transfer.
Air Canada Aeroplan
Aeroplan lets you book award flights with all members of the Star Alliance for some excellent value. This means that you can book Air Canada, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Swiss Air Lines, TAP Portugal, and United Airlines to Europe and/or Frankfurt.
Book Awards With Aeroplan
Search for Star Alliance award flight availability on the Aeroplan website and then book the flight. Alternatively, you can search for award availability on the United website, confirm the same availability on the Aeroplan website, and then book the flight. You can also call Aeroplan at 800-361-5373 to search for and book the flight.
Hot Tip:Aeroplan doesn’t show Singapore Airlines award availability. Instead, use the Singapore Airlines/United websites to find business class award space, and then call Aeroplan to book the ticket. Singapore Airlines first class flights can only be booked with Singapore Airlines miles.
Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for Star Alliance round-trip flights to Europe and/or Frankfurt:
| U.S. to Europe/Frankfurt — Round-Trip | |
| Cabin Class | Star Alliance |
| Economy | 80,000 |
| Business | 140,000 |
| First | 240,000* |
*Singapore Airlines and Swiss Airlines first class can only be booked with their own airline miles respectively.
Earning Aeroplan Points
Aeroplan offers a couple of ways to earn airline points for your next award flight to Frankfurt. The airline partners with 3 transferable point programs in Amex, Capital One, and Marriott. In addition, Air Canada offers a co-branded credit card where you earn miles directly with your credit card spend.
Before transferring your points to Aeroplan, keep in mind the transfer times and ratios. American Express transfers are instant at a 1:1 ratio, Capital One transfers are instant at a 2:1.5 ratio, and Marriott transfers take 5 days at a 3:1 ratio. With that said, we recommend transferring Amex and Capital One points/miles to Aeroplan first.
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
The Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer program receives its fair share of attention because of the premium product offered by Singapore Airlines. KrisFlyer uses a zone-based award chart when flying Singapore Airlines or its partner flights.
Singapore Airlines is a member of the Star Alliance. So you can use Singapore Airlines miles for Singapore Airlines or Star Alliance partner flights to Europe and/or Frankfurt. Star Alliance airline partners with flights to Europe include Air Canada, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, SAS, Singapore Airlines, Swiss Air Lines, TAP Portugal, and United Airlines.
Book Awards With Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines
| ZONE 11: Europe | |
| ZONE 13: U.S. (East Coast and Houston) | |
| Economy | 45,000 |
| Premium economy | 94,000 |
| Business | 144,000 |
| First | 172,000 |
Star Alliance
| Origin | |||
| Europe | |||
| Destination | Economy | Business | First |
| North America | 90,000 | 184,000 | 281,000 |
Virgin Atlantic
| Origin | |||
| Europe | |||
| Destination | Economy | Premium Economy | Upper Class |
| North America | 50,000 | 130,000 | 170,000 |
The number of KrisFlyer miles you’ll need is based on the zones of your travel and your cabin class. Simply refer to the award charts above to see the number of miles required.
Search for and book Singapore Airlines award flights on the Singapore Airlines website. Use the United Airlines/Aeroplan websites to search for Star Alliance award flights, confirm the same availability on the Singapore Airlines website, and then book the flight.
Virgin Atlantic award flights can be found on the Aeroplan website. When you find a flight that works, call Virgin Atlantic at 800-742-3333 to confirm the award availability and book the flight.
Hot Tip: Singapore Airlines first class award availability departing from the U.S. will be difficult to find. If you’re looking to fly Singapore Airlines first class, consider flights arriving into the U.S. or other Singapore Airlines flights around the world.
Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for Singapore Airlines round-trip nonstop flights to Frankfurt:
| New York (JFK) to Frankfurt (FRA) — Round-Trip* | ||
| Cabin Class | Singapore Airlines | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 45,000 | $160 |
| Premium Economy | 94,000 | $160 |
| Business | 144,000 | $160 |
| First | 172,000 | $160 |
*Singapore Airlines also flies from Houston (IAH) to Manchester
| U.S. to Europe/Frankfurt — Round-Trip | ||
| Cabin Class | Star Alliance | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 90,000 | $160+ |
| Business | 184,000 | $160+ |
| First | 281,000 | $1,183+ |
Earning Singapore Airlines Miles
Singapore Airlines makes it easy to earn its miles for an award flight redemption. The airline partners with all 5 transferable point programs: American Express, Capital One, Citi, Chase, and Marriott. The airline doesn’t have a co-branded credit card but has quite a few travel partners that allow you to earn points when you spend with them.
With its 5 transferable point program partnerships, it’s helpful to know the transfer times and ratios. American Express transfers take 1-2 days at a 1:1 ratio, Capital One transfers take 36 hours at a 2:1.5 ratio, Chase transfers are instant at a 1:1 ratio, Citi transfers take 2 days at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott transfers take 6 days at a 3:1 ratio. In short, we recommend transferring Chase points to Singapore Airlines first.
ANA Mileage Club
ANA is another Asian program that can provide value for flights to Europe and/or Frankfurt. The ANA Mileage Club program uses a zone-based award chart when flying ANA or its partner airline flights.
ANA is a member of the Star Alliance. As previously mentioned, the Star Alliance offers a number of flights to Europe. However, if you’re looking for the quickest route, Lufthansa and United Airlines are the 2 airline partner with nonstop flights.
Book Awards With ANA
| Class of Service | Destination | |
| Departure Point | Europe (Zone 7) | |
| North America (Zone 6) | Economy | 55,000 |
| Business | 88,000 | |
| First | 165,000 |
ANA uses a zone-based award chart for its partner airline flights. The number of miles that you’ll need is based on your zones of travel, cabin class, and travel dates.
Search for Star Alliance award flights on the United Airlines website, confirm the same availability on the ANA website, and then book the flight.
Hot Tip: ANA requires you to book round-trip partner award flights, so you’ll only be able to search that way on ANA’s website. The United Airlines website allows you to search for one-way flights making the award search process easier.
When you’ve found a route that works for you, below are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for round-trip Star Alliance flights to Frankfurt:
| U.S. to Europe/Frankfurt — Round-Trip | ||
| Cabin Class | Star Alliance | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 55,000 | $160+ |
| Business | 88,000 | $160+ |
| First | 165,000 | $1,183+ |
Earning ANA Miles
ANA offers several ways to earn ANA miles for your next award flight to Frankfurt. The airline partners with 2 transferable point programs in American Express and Marriott. ANA also offers a co-branded credit card with a small sign-up bonus.
If you’re transferring points from one of these programs, know that American Express transfers take 3 days at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott transfers take 7 days at a 3:1 ratio. With that said, we recommend transferring Amex points to ANA first.
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
Virgin Atlantic is a niche award program that works great for nonstop Delta flights to Frankfurt. The Flying Club program uses a zone-based award chart when flying Delta to Europe/Frankfurt.
Virgin Atlantic isn’t a member of an airline alliance but instead has individual airline partnerships similar to Etihad. Delta is its airline partner with flights to Frankfurt from a select number of U.S. cities.
Book Awards With Virgin Atlantic
| Route | Delta Main Cabin | Business / First |
| From U.S. to Europe | 60,000 | 100,000 |
Virgin Atlantic and Delta have 1 award chart that you’ll use, but unfortunately, it’s no longer available on the Virgin Atlantic website. However, the award chart above shows the number of miles that you’ll need to pay.
You can typically search for Delta award flights on the Virgin Atlantic website. In this case, Frankfurt isn’t a city that you search flights to or from the U.S. Instead, search for Delta flights on the Delta/Flying Blue websites, and then call Virgin Atlantic at 800-365-9500 to confirm the flight availability and book the flight.
Hot Tip: Virgin Atlantic is an excellent program to use for those looking to fly Delta Air Lines for fewer miles than you’ll see on the Delta website.
When you’ve found a Delta flight that works for you, below are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for Delta round-trip flights to Frankfurt:
| U.S. to Frankfurt — Round-Trip | ||
| Cabin Class | Delta | Taxes and Fees |
| Economy | 60,000 | $51 |
| Business | 1000,000 | $51 |
Earning Virgin Points
Virgin Atlantic is another program that makes it easy to earn its airline points for your next award flight to Frankfurt. The airline partners with American Express, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott. Virgin Atlantic also offers a co-branded credit card with a respectable sign-up bonus.
Before transferring points to Virgin Atlantic, it’s important to know the transfer times and ratios. American Express transfers take up to 2 days at a 1:1 ratio, Chase transfers are instant at a 1:1 ratio, Citi transfers take up to 2 days at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott transfers take 1 day at a 3:1 ratio. We recommend transferring Chase points to Virgin Atlantic first.
Final Thoughts
Flying to Frankfurt in a premium cabin can be a great way to start off your European vacation. The airport also offers long-haul flights across the world, making this city an ideal jumping off point to Asia, Africa, and the South Pacific.
With Lufthansa based in Germany, Singapore Airlines flying nonstop to Frankfurt from New York (even in their Suites class!), and the major U.S. airlines flying nonstop to Frankfurt, you have plenty of ways to find an award flight to Frankfurt!
The information regarding the Capital One® Venture® Rewards Credit Card, and Capital One® VentureOne® Rewards Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Business™ American Express® Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant™ American Express® Card, click here.
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.
The Virgin Atlantic miles needed for JFK – FRA in Premium Economy (130k) or Business (170k) seem really high when compared to economy (50k). These are not listed on the SA awards chart on the Virgin Atlantic website, leading to me believe that premium redemptions were not available.
https://www.virginatlantic.com/za/en/flying-club/partners/airlines/singapore-airlines.html
(From this I was expecing 80k for Business – a great value redemption.)
Where did the miles you’ve included here come from?
Hi Ric,
If you’re looking to redeem Virgin Atlantic miles to fly on Singapore Airlines, we recommend referencing this chart https://www.virginatlantic.com/us/en/flying-club/partners/airlines/singapore-airlines.html Round-trip economy flights between the US-Germany (JFK-FRA) are 50,000 miles. Round-trip economy flights between the US-UK (IAH-MAN) are 60,000 miles.
If you’re looking to use Singapore Airlines miles to fly on Virgin Atlantic, we recommend referencing this chart https://www.singaporeair.com/saar5/pdf/ppsclub_krisflyer/charts/SQMI_AwardChart.pdf Round-trip flights are 50,000 miles in economy, 65,000 miles in premium economy, 100,000 miles in business class. The award chart pricing shown in the article (130k, 170k) was incorrect. The pricing has now been upated.
Thanks for pointing this out Ric!