Which airlines include carrier-imposed surcharges on award flights to Italy?

Emirates, American Airlines, and Delta all impose some form of surcharges on flights to Italy.

What is the fewest number of miles you can use to book an economy class award flight to Italy?

Japan Airlines and Etihad require the fewest number of miles to fly economy, at 39,000-40,000 miles round-trip.

What is the fewest number of miles required to fly business class to Italy?

Japan Airlines requires the fewest number of miles to fly business class, at 63,000-80,000 round-trip.

What is the fewest number miles required to fly first class to Italy?

JAL requires the fewest number of miles to fly first class, at 100,000-120,000 miles round-trip. The route is between New York and Milan on Emirates.

The Best Ways to Fly to Italy With Points and Miles [2023]

Italy is a country with a combination of incredible food, welcoming people, and amazing sights to see. The country’s capital, Rome, is known for the Vatican, Florence is home Michelangelo’s “David,” Venice has its canals, and Milan is Italy’s fashion capital. In addition to these cities, Cinque Terre, the Italian Alps, Tuscany, Naples, the Amalfi Coast, and Sicily can’t be missed.

As with any popular destination, flights to Italy during certain times of the year can be expensive. The key is to use Google Flights to find when flight costs are low or use your points and miles to get there on the mega cheap!

Here are the best programs you can use to book award flights to Italy, how to book an award flight, and how to earn enough miles for your next redemption.

Table of contents

Best Programs to Use to Book Flights
Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank
- Book Awards With JAL
- Earning JAL Miles
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Book Awards With Cathay Pacific
- Earning Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Korean Air SKYPASS
- Book Awards With Korean Air
- Earning Korean Air Miles
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Book Awards With Virgin Atlantic
- Earning Virgin Points
Etihad Guest
- Book Awards With Etihad Guest
- Earning Etihad Guest Miles
Final Thoughts

Table of Contents

Best Programs to Use to Book Flights
Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank
- Book Awards With JAL
- Earning JAL Miles
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
- Book Awards With Cathay Pacific
- Earning Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
Korean Air SKYPASS
- Book Awards With Korean Air
- Earning Korean Air Miles
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club
- Book Awards With Virgin Atlantic
- Earning Virgin Points
Etihad Guest
- Book Awards With Etihad Guest
- Earning Etihad Guest Miles
Final Thoughts

Best Programs to Use to Book Flights

It’s important to note that award space in premium cabins on certain routes to Italy can be tough to find. Typically, you’ll want to search either close-in (meaning close to the date of travel) or far out in the award calendar (10-11 months ahead of travel).

Below you’ll find a number of programs that you can use to book an award flight. We’ll cover Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, Virgin Atlantic, and Etihad.

Japan Airlines (JAL) Mileage Bank

Emirates A380 Business Class - Snack — Emirates A380 Business Class. Image Credit: Cherag Dubash

The Japan Airlines Mileage Bank program offers a few options for flights from the U.S. to Italy. The airline is a member of the Oneworld alliance. This means that you can use Japan Airlines miles to fly a Oneworld airline partner to Italy. Japan Airlines also partners with Emirates, an airline that offers flights from the U.S. to Italy and Europe.

Book Awards With JAL

Oneworld

	Total Trip Distance (Miles)	Economy	Business Class	First Class
1	1-4,000	25,000	48,000	72,000
2	4,000-8,000	40,000	80,000	100,000
3	8,001-10,000	50,000	85,000	110,000
4	10,001 – 12,000	60,000	110,000	160,000
5	12,001 – 14,000	70,000	115,000	165,000
6	14,001 – 20,000	90,000	120,000	170,000
7	20,001 – 25,000	120,000	150,000	230,000
8	25,001 – 29,000	140,000	190,000	280,000
9	29,001 – 34,000	150,000	200,000	300,000
10	34,001 – 50,000	160,000	220,000	330,000

Emirates

Total Trip Distance (Miles)	Economy	Premium Economy	Business Class	First Class
1-1,000	12,000	17,000	24,000	36,000
1,001-2,000	15,000	21,000	30,000	45,000
2,001-4,000	23,000	30,000	42,000	65,000
4,001-6,000	37,000	46,000	60,000	90,000
6,001-8,000	45,000	59,000	80,000	120,000
8,001-10,000	47,000	62,000	85,000	135,000
10,001-12,000	50,000	70,000	100,000	145,000
12,001-14,000	55,000	77,000	110,000	165,000
14,001-20,000	70,000	94,000	130,000	190,000
20,001-25,000	90,000	112,000	145,000	220,000
25,001-29,000	110,000	135,000	160,000	250,000
29,001-34,000	130,000	160,000	190,000	290,000
34,001-50,000	150,000	180,000	210,000	330,000

Japan Airlines uses a distance-based award chart. The program’s search engine has improved recently, however, you’ll still want to leverage other Oneworld partner websites to search for flights. The Japan Airlines partner award chart determines the mileage required based on the distance of the total award itinerary of each segment and the cabin class.

Use the British Airways or Qantas websites to search for Oneworld award flights, confirming that same availability on the Japan Airlines website, and then booking the flight. If you’re unable to confirm availability on the Japan Airlines website, you can call the airline at 800-525-3663.

Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for both Oneworld and Emirates round-trip flights to Italy:

Partner	Cabin Class	Miles	Taxes and Fees
Oneworld	Economy	50,000-70,000	$55+
Oneworld	Business	85,000-115,000	$55+
Emirates	Economy	45,000-47,000	$113
	Business	63,000-85,000	$1,132
	First	120,000-165,000	$1,132

Hot Tip: Need help booking this award? Here’s a step-by-step guide to booking Emirates business class.

Here are some examples of flights that you can book with Japan Airlines miles:

New York (JFK) to Milan (MXP) — Emirates
Philadelphia (PHL) to Rome (FCO) — American Airlines
Chicago (ORD) to Venice (VCE) — American Airlines (seasonal)

Earning JAL Miles

While not impossible, Japan Airlines miles are difficult to earn. Many airline programs have either co-branded credit cards with sizable sign-up bonuses or multiple transferable point program partners. JAL lacks in both areas.

The main way in the U.S. to earn Japan Airlines miles is by transferring Marriott points to Japan Airlines. For every 60,000 Marriott points that you transfer, you’ll receive 5,000 bonus miles.

For example, 60,000 Marriott points becomes 25,000 Japan Airlines miles. Before transferring Marriott points, keep in mind that points transfer at a 3:1 ratio and can take 7 days to transfer.

Recommended Marriott Cards

Bottom Line: Even after Japan Airlines’ November 2018 devaluation, the Mileage Bank program has value. Competitive award prices for Oneworld economy and business class flights makes this a program to keep in mind for flights to Italy.

Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

AA 777 Business Class — Use Cathay Pacific miles to fly American Airlines business class to Italy. Image credit: American Airlines

Cathay Pacific is another Oneworld member airline with redemption opportunities to Italy. The Asia Miles program uses a distance-based award chart when flying Cathay Pacific or its Oneworld airline partners.

Book Awards With Cathay Pacific

Asia Miles Standard Award

Cabin Class	Asia Miles Required by Distance Zone (One-Way)
	Ultra-Short	Short	Medium	Long-Type 1	Long-Type 2	Ultra-Long
	1-750 miles	751-2,750 miles	2,751-5,000 miles	5,001-7,500 miles	5,001-7,500 miles	7,501+ miles
Economy	7,500	10,000	22,000	30,000	30,000	42,000
Premium Economy	11,000	18,000	30,000	40,000	45,000	60,000
Business	16,000	25,000	45,000	65,000	70,000	85,000
First	25,000	40,000	70,000	100,000	110,000	125,000

Oneworld Multi-Carrier Award Chart

Award Zone	Distance in actual miles	Required Miles
Award Zone	Distance in actual miles	Economy	Business Class	First Class
1	0-1,000	30,000	55,000	70,000
2	1,001 – 1,500	30,000	60,000	80,000
3	1,501 – 2,000	35,000	65,000	90,000
4	2,001 – 4,000	35,000	70,000	95,000
5	4,001 – 7,500	60,000	90,000	140,000
6	7,501 – 9,000	65,000	100,000	150,000
7	9,001 – 10,000	70,000	110,000	160,000
8	10,001 – 14,000	90,000	135,000	220,000
9	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

For Oneworld flights to Europe, Cathay Pacific uses distance-based award charts. If you’re flying a Oneworld partner to Italy, you’ll add 5,000 miles to the Asia Miles Standard Award Chart rate. If you’re flying 2 Oneworld airline partners to Italy, you’ll use the Oneworld Multi-Carrier Award Chart. The number of miles is determined by the distance and cabin class of your award flight.

Search for British Airways, Finnair, and Iberia award availability on the British Airways or Qantas websites, confirm the same availability on the Cathay Pacific website, and then book the flight.

If you’re wanting to search for American Airlines’ flights, you’ll need to search for American Airlines award availability on the British Airways or Qantas websites, and then call Cathay Pacific at 866-892-2598 to confirm availability and book the flight.

Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for Oneworld round-trip flights to Italy:

Cabin Class	Oneworld	Taxes and Fees
Economy	54,000-70,000	$55-$72
Business Class	90,000-140,000	$55-$72
First Class	150,000-220,000	$885*

*First class only on transatlantic segment

Hot Tip: Need help booking this award? Here’s a fantastic step-by-step guide to booking American Airlines business class.

Here are some examples of Oneworld flights that you can book with Cathay Pacific Asia Miles:

New York (JFK) to Rome (FCO) — American
Los Angeles (LAX) to Helsinki (HEL) to Milan (MXP) — Finnair
Miami (MIA) to Madrid (MAD) to Milan (MXP) — Iberia
Charlotte (CLT) to London (LHR) to Venice (VCE) — British Airways

Earning Cathay Pacific Asia Miles

Earning Asia Miles is made easier by the fact that Cathay Pacific partners with 3 transferable point programs in American Express, Chase, and Marriott. Cathay Pacific also has a co-branded credit card that offers a solid sign-up bonus.

If you’re looking to transfer points from 1 of these programs, keep in mind the transfer ratios and transfer times. American Express points transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio, Chase points transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott point transfers take 24 hours at a 3:1 ratio.

With that said, Amex and Chase points are more valuable since they transfer at a 1:1 ratio.

Recommended American Express Cards (Personal)

Business owner? See our list of the best Amex business credit cards.

Bottom Line: The Cathay Pacific Asia Miles program has a ton of moving parts. With its many award charts and the challenge of booking airline partners online, review the award charts and running award searches to familiarize yourself with the award pricing.

Korean Air SKYPASS

air france J — Use Japan Airlines miles to fly Air France business class. Image Credit: airfrance.com

Korean Air’s SkyTeam airline partner award pricing for flights to Europe is one of the most competitive you’ll find. With Delta and ITA providing transatlantic flights, the SKYPASS program opens up value with your Korean Air miles.

Book Awards With Korean Air

Route	Economy	Business Class	First Class
North America – North America	25,000	45,000	45,000
North America – Central America	35,000	75,000	75,000
North America – South America	50,000	110,000	110,000
North America – Europe	50,000	80,000	100,000
North America – Middle East, Africa	80,000	120,000	160,000
North America – Asia 1	80,000	140,000	180,000
North America – Asia 2	90,000	155,000	200,000
North America – Asia 3	100,000	170,000	230,000
North America – Oceania	110,000	185,000	260,000

Korean Air uses a zone-based award chart for its SkyTeam partner airline flights. This means that all SkyTeam flights between North America and Europe, regardless of the departing U.S. city, will require the same number of Korean Air miles.

For example, Delta flights between Atlanta (ATL) and Amsterdam (AMS) or Detroit (DTW) and Rome (FCO) will cost you the same number of miles.

Search for SkyTeam partner airline flights on the Delta or Flying Blue (Air France or KLM) websites. When you find a flight that works, confirm the same award availability on the Korean Air website, and then book the flight. Another option is to locate award availability via the Delta or Flying Blue websites, and then call Korean Air at 800-438-5000 to book the flight.

Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for round-trip SkyTeam flights to Italy:

Cabin Class	SkyTeam	Taxes and Fees
Economy	50,000	~$461+
Business Class	80,000	~$461+

Hot Tip: Need help booking this award? Here’s our step-by-step guide to booking Delta business class.

If you’re looking to book a trip to Italy, below are some examples of SkyTeam flights to Italy that you can book with Korean Air miles:

Miami (MIA) to Madrid (MAD) to Milan (MXP) — Air Europa
Washington (IAD) to Paris (CDG) to Venice (VCE) — Air France
Detroit (DTW) to Rome (FCO) — Delta
Chicago (ORD) to Amsterdam (AMS) to Milan (MXP) — KLM

Earning Korean Air Miles

Korean Air has 1 transferable point partner in Marriott Bonvoy. In addition, Korean Air offers a co-branded credit card with a material sign-up bonus. For those looking to transfer Marriott points to Korean Air, the transfer time takes 7 days at a 3:1 ratio.

Bottom Line: Redemptions with the Korean Air SKYPASS program were made more challenging with the elimination of Chase as a transfer partner. As such, Marriott Bonvoy points are the primary way to earn points that can be transferred to Korean Air for an award flight.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

Delta One Suites A350-900. Image Credit: Stephen Au

Virgin Atlantic is a niche program that can be utilized for flights to Italy. Virgin Atlantic is not in an airline alliance and instead has individual partnerships with airlines. What’s great about this is that you can sometimes find out-sized value that you won’t find in an airline that’s a member of 1 of the 3 major airline alliances.

Book Awards With Virgin Atlantic

Delta Round-Trip
Route	Delta Main Cabin	Taxes and Fees	Business / First	Taxes and Fees
U.S. to Europe	60,000	$54+	100,000	$54+

Delta Round-Trip
Route (to/from UK)	Delta Main Cabin	Taxes and Fees	Delta One	Taxes and Fees
US East Coast (BOS, JFK,PHL)	20,000	$526	90,000	$1,288
US Central (ATL,DTW, MSP)	25,000	$526	95,000	$1,288
US West Coast (PDX,SLC)	30,000	$526	135,000	$1,288
Standard season travel dates: April 17 to June 21, 2018, and September 7 to December 12, 2019.

Air New Zealand Round-Trip
Route	Economy	Taxes and Fees	Business Class	Taxes and Fees
Los Angeles – London	50,000	$349	155,000	$349

You’ll use a zone-based award chart when flying Delta or Air New Zealand with Virgin Points. For Delta flights, the closer to Europe from the U.S. that you fly from, the fewer miles you’ll need. Air New Zealand only flies 1 route, so the amount of miles is either 55,000 for economy or 155,000 for business class.

Search for Delta flights on the Virgin Atlantic website, and then book the flight. If you’re not able to book the flight online, call Virgin Atlantic at 800-365-9500 to book the flight. You’ll use the United website to search for Air New Zealand flights. When you find a flight that works, call Virgin Atlantic to book the flight.

Here are the redemption rates and an estimate of the taxes and fees for round-trip Air New Zealand and Delta flights to Italy:

Cabin Class	Air New Zealand and Delta	Taxes and Fees
Economy	20,000-60,000	$461+
Business	90,000-155,000	$461+

Hot Tip: Redeeming Virgin Points to fly on Delta will work best if you’re flying non-stop. If your itinerary requires a connecting flight or stopover, you will be charged additional miles for each segment.

Earning Virgin Points

Virgin Atlantic partners with 4 transferable point programs in American Express, Citi, Chase, and Marriott. The airline also has a co-branded credit card with a decent sign-up bonus.

For those wanting to transfer points from Amex, Citi, Chase, and/or Marriott, it’s important to know the transfer times and ratios.

American Express points transfer in 1-2 days at a 1:1 ratio, Chase points transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio, Citi points transfer in 2 days at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott point transfers take 24 hours at a 3:1 ratio.

In short, Chase tends to get you the most value given the 1:1 ratio. Here are some Chase cards that earn transferable miles:

Recommended Chase Cards (Personal)

Business owner? See our list of the best Chase business cards.

Bottom Line: Virgin Atlantic Flying Club Virgin Points are easy to earn. By partnering with 4 programs and having credit cards that earn Virgin Points with your credit card spend, you’ll have more than enough miles for your next award flight.

Etihad Guest

The Etihad Guest program is one that you can use if you’re looking to fly select airline partners to Italy. Etihad is not a member of an airline alliance. Instead, it has individual partnerships similar to Virgin Atlantic. With that said, you can use Etihad miles to book award flights on American Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Royal Air Maroc.

Book Awards With Etihad Guest

American Airlines Round-Trip
Region	North America
	Economy Off-Peak	Economy Peak	Business Class	First Class
Europe	40,000	60,000	100,000	125,000
Economy Off-Peak: May 15 to October 15.

Brussels Airlines Round-Trip
Origin	Destination	Economy	Business
New York (JFK)	Brussels	54,000	88,000
Toronto (YYZ)	Brussels	54,000	88,000
Washington (IAD)	Brussels	54,000	88,000

Brussels Airlines Round-Trip
Origin	Destination	Economy	Business Class
Brussels	Milan (MXP)	10,000	18,000
Brussels	Rome (FCO)	14,000	24,000
Brussels	Venice (VCE)	14,000	24,000

Royal Air Maroc One-Way
Distance Travelled	Economy	Business Class
2,001 and above	22,000	44,000

Etihad uses a zone-based award chart for American Airlines and Brussels Airlines and a distance-based award for Royal Air Maroc. The Etihad website doesn’t allow you to book these partner flights online, so you’ll need to find space elsewhere and then call Etihad Guest at +1-0-877-690-0767 to book the flight.

Use the British Airways or Qantas websites to search for American Airlines award flights. Brussels Airlines flights can be found by searching on the United website. For those looking to fly Royal Air Maroc, search for flights using Expert Flyer or call Etihad Guest to search for the award flight.

The taxes and fees should be close to those shown in the chart below, but confirm with Etihad Guest over the phone.

Cabin Class	American Airlines*	Taxes and Fees
Economy	40,000-60,000	$55-$72
Business	100,000	$55-$72

*Non-stop only flights

Cabin Class	Brussels Airlines**	Taxes and Fees
Economy	64,000-68,000	$178+
Business	106,000-112,000	$178+

**Requires 2 separate award flights

Cabin Class	Royal Air Maroc	Taxes and Fees
Economy	44,000	$476
Business	88,000	$476

Hot Tip: Etihad is a program to use if you’re familiar with booking award flights. The inability to search for and book award flights on the Etihad website makes redeeming award flights with its airline partners more challenging.

Here are some examples of flights that you can book with Etihad Guest miles:

Philadelphia (PHL) to Rome (FCO) — American
New York (JFK) to Brussels (BRU) to Milan (MXP) — Brussels Airlines
Washington (IAD) to Casablanca (CMN) to Venice (VCE) — Royal Air Maroc

Earning Etihad Guest Miles

Etihad makes it relatively easy to earn its miles by partnering with 4 transferable point programs in American Express, Capital One, Citi, and Marriott. The airline doesn’t offer a credit card for the U.S. market, so earning points that can be transferred directly to Etihad is the best way to earn Etihad miles.

For those looking to transfer points to Etihad, it’s helpful to know the transfer times and transfer ratios. American Express points transfer instantly at a 1:1 ratio, Capital One points transfers take 36 hours at a 1:1 ratio, Citi point transfers take 6 days at a 1:1 ratio, and Marriott point transfers take 5 days at a 3:1 ratio.

We recommend transferring American Express points first for your next award flight.

Bottom Line: Etihad is an under-the-radar program providing value if you know where to look. Its partnerships with American Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Royal Air Maroc are great to leverage if you’re looking to fly from the U.S. to Europe.

Final Thoughts

Italy is a country that has a rich history and offers tons of diverse experiences. From the mountainous regions in the north to the vineyards in Tuscany to the beautiful coastal cities in the south — Italy has it all!

The key to getting to experience the country is knowing how best to leverage your points and miles with the programs that offer the best redemptions. With several programs at your disposal, you have more than enough ways to fly in a cabin class that makes sense for you.

What may be noticeably absent from this article is the ability to fly on an award ticket from the U.S. to Europe, and then buy a ticket on a low-cost carrier from that city to Italy. This is certainly an option too — and one that we recommend if you don’t mind a connection and spending a small amount of cash on a cheap flight.

The information regarding the Chase Freedom Unlimited® 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.
For rates and fees of the Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of the American Express® Business Gold Card, click here.
For rates and fees of the Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.

8 comments

Aleks August 9, 2018
I looked on Delta’s website & it doesn’t show availability nor options for LAX-FCO direct on Alitalia. It is also showing 280k miles just one way on Delta with stops in DTW. How would I check availability & how many miles it’d be to fly direct LAX-FCO?
- Michael McHugh August 15, 2018
  Hi Aleks
  Delta or Flying Blue (KLM / Air France) will be the best sites to use to check SkyTeam availability.
  Korean Air charges 50k RT in economy and 80k RT in business class for SkyTeam (Delta, Alitalia) flights to Europe.
Arlyne Feintuch December 1, 2019
I have approx 14,000 miles on Delta but over 180,000 points to transfer from my Chase Sapphire credit card. Which is the best airline to book 3 coach tickets for next September?
- Jarrod West December 2, 2019
  Hi Arlyne,
  Where exactly are you hoping to travel to?
Rich January 23, 2020
Headed to Florence in October from the North East USA –
I have tons of Amex Points – I want to use them to cover the flights
Two questions:
1. What is the best city to fly into (I don’t like connections)
2. If you could chose your favorite airline to fly first class, which would you pick? And – Is there a path from Amex points to that airline?
- Stephen Au January 23, 2020
  Rich,
  1. For nonstop flights, Rome is the easiest city to fly into, followed by Milan.
  2. First class doesn’t exist on flights to Italy with the exception of New York City (JFK) – Milan (MXP) on Emirates first class.
  I’d recommend you start your search early.
  However, if you feel like you’d get value from an ultra-personalized points wealth management and travel concierge to to truly optimize your points and miles, please feel free to contact me directly at [email protected] to inquire about a monthly subscription service.
drz October 11, 2022
From the east coast (CLT, ATL), preferably with Citi TU or Chase UR pts – any recommendations on the cheapest airport in Italy to fly into? I’ve heard Milan (MXP) might be cheapest, but I’m not really interested in visiting there, so I’d have to take a train to Florence, Rome, Tuscany, etc. Or is it worthwhile to check into Rome routes?
- Jarrod West October 12, 2022
  Hi DRZ,
  If you are planning to use airline transfer partners via your Chase UR and Citi TYP, most programs will charge roughly the same number of miles to most of those Italian cities. The key here will be locating award availability for your dates. That said, if you are flexible with when you travel, and what airport you fly into, then you will stand a good chance at locating multiple options that might work well for you.

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