American Express is offering a 25% transfer bonus to Alitalia MilleMiglia through October 31.
Alitalia has an awesomely good award chart for many destinations as I’ve covered in the past. Here are some of their business class partner redemption rates:
- North America-North Asia 90,000 miles roundtrip
- North America-Southeast Asia 95,000 miles roundtrip
- North America-India 100,000 miles roundtrip
- North America-Southern South America 75,000 miles roundtrip
- North America-Tahiti 90,000 miles roundtrip
To be sure Alitalia’s telephone agents are downright awful. Routing rules aren’t super tough but also aren’t generous, you can have three flights in each direction and open jaws have to be in the same region. A stopover is permitted on partner awards but your stay in the stopover city has to be shorter than at your destination. They add fuel surcharges to awards.
For Alitalia flights one way awards are 60% the cost of a roundtrip. They also offer extra miles awards for additional (not last seat) availability.
I would not transfer unless you’re going to redeem these miles right away. I’d expect that the program will be devaluing in the next couple of years.
What routes from New York is Alitalia flying it’s new (or retrofitted) business class seats?
Also, does Alitalia fly direct from New York to anywhere outside of Europe?
Are there any destinations in Asia or South America (you point to those regions as having low mileage requirements) that Alitalia flies a direct flight to?
North America-Israel (treated as part of Europe) 80K RT, so 64K with Amex bonus
I recently received an offer to transfer Amex Membership Awards Points to Avios with a 50% bonus. Would that be a better deal than the 25% bonus on Alitalia in your opinion? I don’t like BA’s business class, but I assume I can use Avios with One World partners?