The Best Ways To Fly to Greece With Points and Miles

Key Takeaways

• Greece is easily accessible from the U.S. with nonstop and 1-stop flight options, served by airlines in the Oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam alliances.
• You can search for award flights on programs such as Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, American Airlines AAdvantage, ANA Mileage Club, and Asiana Airlines Asiana Club.
• A return flight to Greece from the U.S. could cost as little as 45,000 miles plus taxes and fees.

Located in southeastern Europe with its fifth-century B.C. capital in Athens, Greece is a mountainous country with the longest coastline in the Mediterranean. The country is known for historic sites, such as the Acropolis and Parthenon, as well as picturesque island beaches, like those found at Santorini and Mykonos.

The main airport in Greece is Athens International (ATH). For this post, we’ll focus on how to fly to Athens from the U.S. using a variety of point and mile options.

Best Programs To Use To Book Flights

The great thing about Greece is that it’s easy to get there from the U.S. You have both nonstop and 1-stop options helping to limit the amount of travel time.

We recommend searching for flights as far out in advance as possible to have the best award availability. The only scenario where you’ll want to search close to your departure date is for first class Lufthansa flights, whose award flights are typically released within 2 weeks of the departure date.

Greece is served by airline partners in the Oneworld, Star Alliance, and SkyTeam alliances. In addition, non-alliance airlines like Emirates offer flights from the U.S. to Greece.

It’s important to note that all award pricing in this article is round-trip. Depending on the program, you can cut the award price in half if you only need a one-way flight.

Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan

The Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program is known for having sweet spots with its airline partners. Alaska Airlines is now in the Oneworld alliance and also has individual partnerships with airlines.

When flying to Athens, you have the option to fly its partners in American Airlines, Aer Lingus, British Airways, Condor, Emirates, Finnair, and Icelandair. When weighing fuel surcharges, award costs, and routing options, American Airlines is the partner we recommend.

Hot Tip: In addition to its sweet spots, Alaska Airlines is also known for the ability to book a stopover on one-way award flights. 

When you’re ready to book a flight, here are a couple of examples of seasonal flights that you can book to Athens (ATH):

• Chicago (ORD) – Athens (ATH) for 45,000 Alaska miles in American Airlines economy
• Philadelphia (PHL) – Athens (ATH) for 115,000 Alaska miles in American Airlines business

You’ll want to follow these steps when the Alaska Airlines miles are in your Mileage Plan account:

1. Head to the Alaska Airlines website.
2. Search for your routing, dates of travel, cabin class, and number of passengers.
3. Click the flight that you want, click Add To Cart, and then click Next.
4. Book the award ticket and pay the taxes and fees with a credit card.

Earning Alaska Mileage Plan Miles

Alaska Airlines only has 1 partnership with a transferable point program in Marriott Bonvoy, making it hard to earn Alaska Airlines miles. In addition to its partnership with Marriott Bonvoy, Alaska Airlines offers co-branded Bank of America credit cards that earn miles directly with your credit card spend.

For those of you looking to transfer Marriott Bonvoy points to Alaska Airlines, the point transfers take 2 days at a 3:1 ratio.

We cover the large number of Marriott credit cards available in our detailed guide.

Bottom Line: Earning Alaska Airlines miles is ideal because you can book a stopover on one-way flights and the Mileage Plan program has a number of sweet spots that open up a ton of value for your miles. 

American Airlines AAdvantage

In addition to using Alaska Airlines miles to fly American Airlines to Greece, you can use American Airlines’ own miles for these flights. What’s great about using American Airlines miles for flights to Europe is that the AAdvantage program has off-peak pricing for economy flights.

The AAdvantage program also allows you to use miles to fly British Airways and Iberia to Greece. Due to the fuel surcharges when flying British Airways, Iberia is the only partner airline flight we recommend.

Hot Tip: You’ll want to search for Iberia flights on the British Airways website and then call American Airlines at 800-433-7300 to book the flight. 

If you have enough American Airlines miles in your account, below are a couple of flight options to Athens (ATH) to consider booking:

• Boston (BOS) – Madrid (MAD) – Athens (ATH) for 45,000 American miles in Iberia economy
• Chicago (ORD) – Madrid (MAD) – Athens (ATH) for 115,000 American miles in Iberia business

To make the AAdvantage award flight booking process easier, we recommend using these steps:

1. Go to the American Airlines website.
2. Search for your routing, dates of travel, cabin class, and number of passengers.
3. Book the flight, and pay the taxes and fees with a credit card.

For Iberia award flights, follow these steps:

1. Go to the British Airways website.
2. Search for your routing, dates of travel, cabin class, and number of passengers.
3. Write down all of the flight information.
4. Call American Airlines at 800-433-7300 to book the flight.
5. Pay the taxes and fees with a credit card.

Earning American Airlines AAdvantage Miles

American Airlines miles are relatively easy to earn because it partners with Marriott Bonvoy and has a number of co-branded credit cards that can come with substantial welcome offers. By putting your spend on Marriott Bonvoy and American Airlines credit cards, you’ll be well on your way to booking your next award flight.

If you already have Marriott Bonvoy points and want to transfer them to American Airlines, the point transfer takes 2 days at a 3:1 ratio. With Marriott Bonvoy point transfers, you’ll receive a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 points that you transfer.

Bottom Line: Keep your eye on the American Airlines AAdvantage program as it’s highly likely the airline will move towards dynamic award pricing in the near term. This means that there will no longer be an award chart and instead, the award price will be tied to the cash cost of the flight. 

ANA Mileage Club

The ANA Mileage Club program is the first Star Alliance partner to keep your eye on. Mileage Club has a number of sweet spots, including partner airline flights, with one of those being flights between the U.S. and Europe.

Before getting too excited about the competitive award pricing shown above, it’s important to note that ANA partner flights must be booked round-trip. Another drawback is that the ANA search engine isn’t as easy to use as the United Airlines search engine.

Hot Tip: We recommend searching for Star Alliance partner flights first on United’s website, and then confirming the same award availability on the ANA website. 

There are a number of Star Alliance options that you can consider for flights between the U.S. and Greece. You’ll want to focus on LOT Polish, Singapore Airlines (economy), TAP Portugal, and United award flights. Austrian, Brussels, Lufthansa, and SWISS Air award flights have high fuel surcharges, so keep that in mind before booking your flights.

Below are a couple of options to consider when you have the required number of Mileage Club miles in your ANA account:

• Chicago (ORD) – Warsaw (WAW) – Athens (ATH) for 55,000 ANA miles in LOT Polish (ORD-WAW), Aegean economy (WAW-ATH)
• Newark (EWR) – Athens (ATH) for 88,000 ANA miles in United business

We recommend following these steps when you’re ready to book a flight with your ANA miles:

1. Start on the United website.
2. Search for your routing, dates of travel, cabin class, and number of passengers.
3. Confirm the same availability on the ANA website.
4. Book the flight.
5. Pay the taxes and fees with a credit card.

Earning ANA Miles

ANA is an Amex airline partner and Marriott Bonvoy, so the easiest way to earn ANA miles is to transfer your points from these programs to ANA. Unlike many airline programs, ANA doesn’t offer co-branded credit cards for the U.S. market.

If you have enough American Express and/or Marriott Bonvoy points to book a flight, the Amex point transfers take 2 to 3 days at a 1:1 ratio and Marriott Bonvoy point transfers take 7 days at a 3:1 ratio. With that said, below are best American Express credit cards that we recommend you should consider:

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

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The Platinum Card^® from American Express

The Amex Platinum reigns supreme for luxury travel, offering the best airport lounge access plus generous statement credits, and complimentary elite status.

Welcome Offer

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UP's Bonus Valuation*:

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See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

When it comes to cards that offer top-notch benefits, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better card out there than The Platinum Card^® from American Express.

Make no mistake — the Amex Platinum card is a premium card with a premium price tag. With amazing benefits like best-in-class airport lounge access, hotel elite status, and tremendous value in annual statement credits, it can easily prove to be one of the most lucrative cards in your wallet year after year.

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Pros

• The best airport lounge access out of any card (by far) — enjoy access to over 1,400 worldwide lounges, including the luxurious Amex Centurion Lounges, Priority Pass lounges, Plaza Premium Lounges, and many more!
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Cons

• $695 annual fee (rates and fees)
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Card Highlights

• Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards^® Points after you spend $8,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
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• Receive either a $120 statement credit every 4 years for a Global Entry application fee or a statement credit up to $85 every 4.5 years for a TSA PreCheck^® (through a TSA official enrollment provider) application fee, when charged to your Platinum Card^®. Card Members approved for Global Entry will also receive access to TSA PreCheck at no additional cost.
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• $695 annual fee.
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Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

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Know if you're approved with no credit score impact

If you're approved and accept this Card, your credit score may be impacted.

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This is the best card for food lovers who dine out at restaurants (worldwide), order take-out and want big rewards at U.S. supermarkets!

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.

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UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$325

APR

See Pay Over Time APR

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The American Express^® Gold Card is a game-changer.

With this card, you can earn 4x Membership Rewards points at restaurants, up to $50,000 per calendar year, and you’ll also earn 4x Membership Rewards points at U.S. supermarkets on up to $25,000 per calendar year, then 1x.

There isn’t another card on the market that offers a 1-2 punch like this. Of course, there are several other benefits of the Gold Card as well, including extra monthly dining rewards and more.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 4x points per dollar at restaurants worldwide, up to $50,000 per calendar year; then 1x thereafter
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Cons

• $325 annual fee (rates and fees)
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Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 Membership Rewards^® points after you spend $6,000 on eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership.
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Financial Snapshot

• APR: See Pay Over Time APR
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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American Express Membership Rewards

If you’re a business owner, there are several Amex business credit cards that we recommend.

Bottom Line: Aeroplan and United Airlines have the ability to book one-way partner airline flights, so only consider using ANA miles if you’re interested in booking round-trip flights. 

Asiana Airlines Asiana Club

Asiana Airlines Asiana Club is a second Star Alliance program to consider. Asiana continues to fly under the radar but Asiana Club can provide value if you know how to use it.

The main downside with Asiana Club is that Star Alliance partner flights require a phone call to Asiana to book flights. In addition, you can’t use the Asiana Airlines website to search for Star Alliance airline partner flights.

Hot Tip: Like ANA, we recommend searching for Star Alliance partner airline flights on United’s website, and then calling Asiana to book the award flight. 

With the Asiana miles in your account, here are a couple of flights to Athens (ATH) that you can book:

• Boston (BOS) – Lisbon (LIS) – Athens (ATH) for 50,000 Asiana miles in TAP Portugal (BOS-LIS), Aegean economy (LIS-ATH)
• New York (JFK) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Athens (ATH) for 80,000 Asiana miles in Singapore Airlines (JFK-FRA), Aegean business (FRA-ATH)

Using Asiana Club is more challenging than other programs, so we recommend the steps below to help you book your flight:

1. Go to United.com to search for award availability.
2. Enter your route, travel dates, number of passengers, and cabin class.
3. Write down all the flight information, including flight numbers, dates, and times.
4. Call Asiana Airlines at 800-227-4262 between 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. PST Monday to Friday.
5. Tell the representative that you want to book a Star Alliance award flight.
6. Provide the flight numbers, travel dates, and any other flight information.
7. Once Asiana confirms the award space, provide them with your credit card to pay for taxes and fees.

Earning Asiana Miles

It’s not easy to earn Asiana Airlines miles because the airline only has 1 transfer partner in the Marriott Bonvoy program. If you have Marriott Bonvoy points, the transfer takes 10 days at a ratio is 3:1 and you’ll receive a 5,000-mile bonus when transferring 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points.

Avianca LifeMiles

The Avianca LifeMiles program is yet another Star Alliance airline program that you should consider using for flights to Greece. One of the best uses of Avianca miles is to book Lufthansa first or business class. You won’t have to pay fuel surcharges like you would with ANA and Asiana Airlines.

One major drawback with Avianca is the fact that it doesn’t have access to the same award availability as United and Air Canada, which may mean that you miss out on some flights.

Hot Tip: Before booking a flight with Avianca Lifemiles, keep in mind that Avianca charges a $25 award booking fee for one-way award flights, and that open-jaws and stopovers are not allowed.

For those of you who have Avianca Lifemiles, here are a couple of flight ideas to Athens (ATH):

• Houston (IAH) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Athens (ATH) for 174,000 Avianca miles in Lufthansa first (IAH-FRA), business (FRA-ATH)
• Miami (MIA) – Warsaw (WAW) – Athens (ATH) for 126,000 ANA miles in LOT Polish (MIA-WAW), Aegean economy (WAW-ATH)

The booking process with Avianca can be challenging, so use these steps to help make the process easier:

1. Go to Avianca LifeMiles.
2. Change the language as necessary by clicking on the flag icon in the top right corner and choosing English.
3. Click Log in on the top right corner using your LifeMiles number and password.
4. Click Fly at the top banner.
5. Type in your origin and destination airports, number of passengers, and cabin class.
6. Click Find Flights.
7. Click and select your flights.
8. Book the flight and pay the taxes and fees with your credit card.

Earning Avianca LifeMiles

American Express, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy partner with Avianca. These partnerships make it easy to earn Avianca LifeMiles that can then be used to book an award flight.

Before transferring any points, keep in mind that points transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio for American Express, Capital One, and Citi. Marriott Bonvoy point transfers take less than 24 hours at a 3:1 ratio. In addition, for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points that you transfer to Avianca, you’ll receive a 5,000-mile bonus.

Additional ways to earn Avianca LifeMiles is by putting your spend on its co-branded credit cards or by buying LifeMiles when a discount is offered.

Recommended Citi Cards

Citi Premier^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

*The information regarding the Citi Premier card has expired, and the card is no longer open to applicants.

Citi Premier^® Card

*The information regarding the Citi Premier card has expired, and the card is no longer open to applicants.

Welcome Offer

No offer available

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UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$0

Annual Fee

$95

APR

21.24% - 29.24% variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Citi Premier^® Card is an excellent option for anyone looking for an all-around travel rewards credit card. The card helps you earn points fast with great 3x bonus categories such as restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotels. Plus, it offers access to airline and hotel transfer partners, doesn’t charge foreign transaction fees, and has a reasonable annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 3x points at restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, airfare, and hotel purchases
• Access to Citi transfer partners
• Annual hotel credit

Cons

• $95 annual fee

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Card Highlights

• No welcome offer available
• Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Gas Stations, Air Travel and Other Hotels
• Earn 3 Points per $1 spent at Restaurants and Supermarkets
• Earn 1 Point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Annual Hotel Savings Benefit
• 60,000 ThankYou^® Points are redeemable for $600 in gift cards redeemable for $600 in gift cards or travel rewards at thankyou.com
• No expiration and no limit to the amount of points you can earn with this card
• No Foreign Transaction Fees on purchases

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 21.24% - 29.24% variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Citi ThankYou Rewards

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Cathay Pacific is our second Oneworld program to use in addition to American Airlines. There aren’t a ton of sweet spots within the Asia Miles program, but one potential one to mention is to use Asia Miles to fly Iberia.

Not all Cathay Pacific airline partners can be booked online, so that’s one major drawback to using Asia Miles. In theory, you should be able to book Iberia flights online. However, the booking process will likely not piece together the Iberia flights that you want. So you’ll want to call Cathay Pacific to book Iberia flights.

American Airlines is one of the Cathay Pacific airline partners that you can’t book online. Like Iberia, you’ll have to call Cathay Pacific to book American Airlines flights.

With that out of the way, it’s important to note that the Asia Miles program doesn’t have an award chart when you’re flying a Oneworld airline partner.

Hot Tip: To figure out the number of miles needed for an award flight, you’ll need to reference the Cathay Pacific Asia Miles Standard Award chart and add 5,000 miles to the award pricing shown in that chart.

American Airlines and Iberia are the 2 Cathay Pacific airline partners that we recommend for flights to Greece. British Airways is an option, however, the fuel surcharges are high and will eat up the value of your Asia Miles. With that said, here are the partner award flights to Athens (ATH) that you should consider:

• Boston (BOS) – Madrid (MAD) – Athens (ATH) for 54,000 Cathay Pacific miles in Iberia economy
• Boston (BOS) – Madrid (MAD) – Athens (ATH) for 100,000 Cathay Pacific miles in Iberia business

When you’re ready to book an award flight, reference the steps shown below during the booking process:

1. Head to the British Airways website.
2. Search for your routing, dates of travel, cabin class, and number of passengers.
3. Write down all of the flight’s details.
4. Call Cathay Pacific at 866-892-2598 to confirm award availability.
5. Book the flight and pay the taxes and fees with your credit card.

Earning Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

American Express, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy are all Cathay Pacific Asia Miles partners, making it easy to earn Cathay Pacific miles.

Before transferring any points to Cathay Pacific, keep the transfer ratios and transfer times in mind: American Express point transfers take 1 to 4 days at a 1:1 ratio, Capital One point transfers take 36 hours at a 1:1 ratio, Citi point transfers take 24 hours at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott Bonvoy point transfers take 5 days at a 3:1 ratio.

Another way that you can earn Cathay Pacific Asia Miles is by putting your spend on the co-branded credit cards from Synchrony Bank. The spend that you put on these cards will directly earn Cathay Pacific Asia Miles.

Recommended Capital One Cards (Personal)

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Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

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Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Get 2x miles plus some of the most flexible redemptions offered by a travel credit card!

Welcome Offer

Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$95

APR

19.99% - 29.49% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent Credit (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card is one of the most popular rewards cards on the market. It’s perfect for anyone in search of a great welcome offer, high rewards rates, and flexible redemption options.

Frequent travelers with excellent credit may benefit from this credit card that offers a lot of bells and whistles. And it offers easy-to-understand rewards earning and redemption.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x miles per $1 on hotels, vacation rentals, and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases
• Up to a $120 Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit

Cons

• $95 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Limited elite benefits

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Enjoy a one-time bonus of 75,000 miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day
• Earn 5X miles on hotels, vacation rentals and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Miles won't expire for the life of the account and there's no limit to how many you can earn
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®
• Use your miles to get reimbursed for any travel purchase—or redeem by booking a trip through Capital One Travel
• Enjoy a $50 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Lifestyle Collection
• Transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.49% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

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Capital One Miles

Terms Apply / Rates & Fees

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

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Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card

The Capital One Venture X card is an excellent option for travelers looking for an all-in-one premium credit card.

Welcome Offer

Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel.

75,000 miles

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,350

Annual Fee

$395

APR

19.99% - 29.49% (Variable)

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-840)

Why We Like This Card

The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card is the premium Capital One travel rewards card on the block.

Points and miles fans will be surprised to see that the Capital One Venture X card packs quite the punch when it comes to bookings made through Capital One, all while offering the lowest annual fee among premium credit cards.

Depending on your travel goals and preferences, the Capital One Venture X card could very well end up being your go-to card in your wallet.

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x miles per $1 on hotels and rental cars purchased through Capital One Travel
• 5x miles per $1 on flights and vacation rentals purchased through Capital One Travel
• 2x miles per $1 on all other purchases

Cons

• $395 annual fee (rates & fees)
• Does not offer bonus categories for flights or hotel purchases made directly with the airline or hotel group, the preferred booking method for those looking to earn elite status

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Card Highlights

• Earn 75,000 bonus miles when you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening, equal to $750 in travel
• Receive a $300 annual credit for bookings through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options
• Get 10,000 bonus miles (equal to $100 towards travel) every year, starting on your first anniversary
• Earn unlimited 10X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Travel
• Earn unlimited 2X miles on all other purchases
• Enjoy complimentary access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and the Partner Lounge Network
• Use your Venture X miles to easily cover travel expenses, including flights, hotels, rental cars and more—you can even transfer your miles to your choice of 15+ travel loyalty programs
• Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
• Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck^®

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 19.99% - 29.49% (Variable)
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Capital One Miles

 

Bottom Line: Cathay Pacific Asia Miles are easy to get a hold of because of Cathay Pacific’s partnerships with American Express, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy. 

Etihad Guest

Etihad is not in an airline alliance; instead, it has partnerships with individual airlines that allow you to use Etihad Guest miles to book an award flight on that airline partner. The Etihad Guest program is full of sweet spots, including flights between the U.S. and Europe, and the U.S. and Africa.

Hot Tip: One main downside with using Etihad Guest miles is that you’ll have to call Etihad to book a partner award flight. From personal experience, the Etihad Guest agents are competent making the booking process relatively easy.

Etihad offers 2 different types of options for flights to Greece with a couple of ideas shown below. You can fly to Athens (ATH) nonstop on American Airlines with lower fees or fly Brussels or Royal Air Maroc with higher fees and fewer miles than American Airlines would require for business class.

• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Brussels (BRU) – Athens (ATH) for 44,000 Etihad miles in Brussels economy
• Miami (MIA) – Casablanca (CMN) – Athens (ATH) for 88,000 Etihad miles in Royal Air Maroc business

The booking process is different depending on the partner that you fly. Here are the steps for each option:

1. Search for flights:
   1. Go to the British Airways website for American Airlines flights.
   2. Go to the United website for Brussels Airlines flights.
   3. Go to the Royal Air Maroc website for Royal Air Maroc flights.
2. Search for your routing, dates of travel, cabin class, and number of passengers.
3. Write down all of the flight details.
4. Call Etihad at 877-690-0767 to confirm award availability.
5. Book the flight and pay the taxes and fees with your credit card.

Earning Etihad Guest Miles

It’s easy to earn Etihad Guest miles because the airline partners with American Express, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott Bonvoy. The points and miles that you earn in each of these programs can be transferred directly to Etihad to book an award flight.

It’s important to keep the transfer ratios and transfer times in mind before transferring any points or miles: American Express points transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio, Capital One point transfers take 36 hours at 1:1 ratio, Citi point transfers take 6 days at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott Bonvoy point transfers take 5 days at a 3:1 ratio.

Etihad doesn’t currently offer credit cards for the U.S. market, so you’ll want to earn points and miles in these programs and then transfer them to Etihad.

Bottom Line: Etihad Guest is a program that you can use to fly its partner airline flights, including American Airlines, at competitive award prices. 

Iberia Avios

Our third Oneworld Alliance airline program to consider is Iberia. It’s a program travelers in the U.S. may be familiar with as you can use Iberia Avios (miles), similar to British Airways Avios, to book American Airlines flights.

Hot Tip: The primary difference when booking American Airlines flights with Iberia versus British Airways is that Iberia requires you to book round-trip partner airline flights. 

When booking flights to Greece using Iberia Avios, you’ll want to book Iberia’s own flights. You do have the option to book Oneworld partner airline flights. However, Iberia offers the best option when taking into account fuel surcharges, award pricing, and routing.

Flights options to Athens (ATH) that you can book include:

• Boston (BOS) – Madrid (MAD) – Athens (ATH) for 85,000 Iberia Avios in Iberia business
• Miami (MIA) – Madrid (MAD) – Athens (ATH) for 51,000 Iberia Avios in Iberia economy

Once the Iberia Avios are in your account, follow the steps below when you’re ready to book an award flight:

1. Go to the Iberia website.
2. Search for your routing, dates of travel, cabin class, and number of passengers.
3. Book the award flight and pay the taxes and fees with your credit card.

Earning Iberia Avios (Miles)

American Express, Chase, and Marriott Bonvoy partner with Iberia, making it easy to earn Avios to book an award flight.

You’ll want to keep these guidelines in mind before transferring any points as the transfer times and ratios across the programs are different: American Express point transfers take 2 days at a 1:1 ratio, Chase points transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott Bonvoy point transfers take 24 to 36 hours at a 3:1 ratio.

For those transferring Marriott Bonvoy points to Iberia, remember that you’ll receive a 5,000-mile bonus for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points that you transfer.

Iberia also offers a co-branded Chase credit card that allows you to earn Iberia Avios with your spend. The Avios that you earn can then be used to book an award flight. A combination of the Iberia co-branded credit card and these Chase credit cards will ensure you have enough Avios to book your next award flight:

Recommended Chase Cards

BEST BEGINNER CARD

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Preferred^® Card

A fantastic travel card with a great welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 bonus points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$95

APR

20.74% - 27.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Good to Excellent (670-850)

Why We Like This Card

The Chase Sapphire Preferred^® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance. With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
• 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
• 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)

Cons

• $95 annual fee
• No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
• Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2027.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 20.74% - 27.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

U.P. Rating 

The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Apply Now(at Chase's secure site)

Chase Sapphire Reserve^®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

Welcome Offer

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

60,000 points

UP's Bonus Valuation*:

$1,200

Annual Fee

$550

APR

21.74% - 28.74% Variable

Credit Recommended

Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO^®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.

Excellent (740-850)

Why We Like This Card

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve^® is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access, with excellent point earning and redemption options.  Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

Pros & Cons

Pros

• 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
• 10x points on Lyft purchases through March 31, 2025
• 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025

Cons

• $550 annual fee
• Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status

Read Full Review

Card Highlights

• Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
• $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
• Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
• Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
• 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
• Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $120 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck^®
• Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Coverage, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
• Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

• APR: 21.74% - 28.74% Variable
• Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Bottom Line: U.S. travelers should turn to Iberia when looking to book American Airlines flights. The award rates can be lower than what you’ll find when using British Airways to book American Airlines flights. 

Japan Airlines Mileage Bank

A fourth Oneworld Airline partner to consider using for flights to Greece is the Japan Airlines Mileage Bank program. Award pricing in the Mileage Bank program continues to be competitive, especially for those looking to book a luxurious experience on Emirates.

Japan Airlines uses a distance-based award chart so we recommend that you calculate your distance first, and then use the mileage calculated to see how many miles you’ll need to use in the Japan Airlines Oneworld and Partner airline award charts.

Hot Tip: Great Circle Mapper is the site we use and recommend if you need to calculate the distance of your flight. 

For those looking to use Japan Airlines miles for flights to Athens (ATH), American Airlines and Emirates will be your 2 best options. Here are a couple of routes to show you what’s possible to book:

• Chicago (ORD) – Athens (ATH) for 110,000 Japan Airlines miles in American Airlines business
• Newark (EWR) – Athens (ATH) for 135,000 Japan Airlines miles in Emirates first

When the time comes to book your flight, we recommend using the steps below as you go through the process:

1. Search for flights:
   1. Head to British Airways for American Airlines flights.
   2. Head to Emirates for Emirates flights.
2. Enter your travel dates, origin and destination airports, number of travelers, and desired class of booking.
3. Confirm the same award availability on the Japan Airlines website.
4. Book the award flight and pay the taxes and fees.

Earning Japan Airlines Miles

Japan Airlines only has a partnership with Marriott Bonvoy, so earning Japan Airlines miles isn’t easy. On top of that, Japan Airlines doesn’t offer a co-branded credit card to the U.S. market that has a sizeable welcome offer.

For those of you who have Marriott Bonvoy points and are looking to transfer them to Japan Airlines, the transfer time takes 2 days at a 3:1 ratio. It’s also important to remember that for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points that you transfer, you’ll receive a 5,000-mile transfer bonus.

Bottom Line: Japan Airlines requires the least number of miles to fly Emirates to Athens. You can use Alaska Airlines miles, however, the number of Alaska Airlines miles that you’ll need to book an Emirates flight is significantly more. 

Korean Air SKYPASS

The lone SkyTeam partner making our list is the Korean Air SKYPASS program. The award costs are competitive, however, fuel surcharges and the difficulty in earning SKYPASS miles lowers the overall value.

Korean Air uses a zone-based award chart meaning it’ll cost the same number of miles no matter what route you fly from the U.S. to Greece. For example, you’ll need the same number of SKYPASS miles to fly from New York (JFK) nonstop to Athens (ATH) as you will to fly from Detroit (DTW) through Amsterdam (AMS) to Athens (ATH).

Hot Tip: The SKYPASS search engine is challenging to use so we recommend using Air France, Delta, and KLM to search for SkyTeam award flights. 

When you have the required number of SKYPASS miles for a flight to Athens (ATH), here are a couple of SkyTeam partner airline flights that you can book:

• Detroit (DTW) – Amsterdam (AMS) – Athens (ATH) for 80,000 Korean Air miles in KLM business
• New York (JFK) – Athens (ATH) for 50,000 Korean Air miles in Delta economy

The booking process is straightforward with Korean Air by using these steps:

1. Go to Air France, Delta, or KLM.
2. Enter your travel dates, origin and destination airports, number of travelers, and desired class of booking.
3. Confirm the same availability on Korean Air or call Korean Air 800-438-5000 to confirm availability.
4. Book the flight online or over the phone.
5. Pay for the taxes and fees with a credit card.

Earning Korean Air SKYPASS Miles

With only 1 transferable point program partner in Marriott Bonvoy, it’s not easy to earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles. If you have enough Marriott Bonvoy points for this redemption, keep in mind that the transfer ratio is 3:1 and points take 7 days to transfer from Marriott Bonvoy to Korean Air.

Another way to earn Korean Air SKYPASS miles is to sign up for a Korean Air credit card. The welcome offers on these co-branded credit cards can be up to 45,000 Korean Air miles helping you to earn the miles that you need.

Bottom Line: The Korean Air SKYPASS lost a ton of value when its partnership with Chase Ultimate Rewards ended. Outside of flying Korean Air or SkyTeam partner airline flights, the main way to earn Korean Air miles is through Marriott Bonvoy.

United Airlines MileagePlus

United’s MileagePlus program doesn’t feature a fixed award chart. Instead, it prices its flights according to the cash cost of your ticket, though its Saver level awards are semi-fixed.

Hot Tip: It’s important to note that you can book both Star Alliance and United flights for ~60,000 miles. If you’re looking to fly business class, you’ll need ~120,000 miles to fly United and ~140,000 miles to fly a Star Alliance airline partner. 

The Star Alliance has a number of European-based airline partners, so here’s a couple of routes to Athens (ATH) that you should consider:

• Newark (EWR) – Athens (ATH) for 120,000 United miles in United Airlines business
• Washington, D.C. (IAD) – Vienna (VIE) – Athens (ATH) for 60,000 United miles in Austrian economy

When you have enough United Airlines miles in your account, the booking process you’ll want to follow is:

1. Go to the United website.
2. Enter your travel dates, origin and destination airports, number of travelers, and desired class of booking.
3. Select the flight that you want.
4. Pay the taxes and fees with a credit card to book your flight.

Earning United Airlines MileagePlus Miles

United Airlines is both a Chase transfer partner and a Marriott Bonvoy partner, so you’ll have no problem earning United Airlines miles. Each partner has a number of personal and business credit cards; the points that you earn in each program can then be transferred directly to United.

If you’re transferring points from Chase, the points transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio. If you’re transferring points from Marriott Bonvoy, the point transfers take 2 days at a 3:1 ratio. Marriott Bonvoy point transfers have a bonus of 10,000 points for every 60,000 Marriott Bonvoy points transferred.

Another way to earn United miles is by applying for its co-branded credit cards from Chase. When you put your spend on these credit cards, you will earn United Airlines miles.

Final Thoughts

Greece is a popular destination with a rich history and so much to offer. Its location also makes it a great place to jumpstart a trip to Northern Africa, the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and West Asia.

We recommend earning transferable points when planning your next trip to Greece. That way you have the most flexibility when the time comes to book your flight.