Award charts, surcharges and transfer bonuses change often, so check the live price before you move points.
To fly business class with points, earn a transferable points currency (Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi or Bilt), find a saver business seat on the route you want, then transfer your points to the airline program that sells that seat for the fewest miles and the lowest fees. Done that way, a lie-flat seat to Europe costs 45,000 to 75,000 points one-way, and Japan starts at 52,500. The most important rule is to find the seat before you transfer.
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Quick answer
- The method: pick the route, search for saver space, choose the cheapest program, transfer, book. Five steps.
- Europe: from 45,000 (Flying Blue Promo Rewards) or 60,000 (Aeroplan, no fuel surcharges) one-way.
- Japan: 52,500 on ANA via Virgin Atlantic from the West Coast, or 60,000 on JAL via AAdvantage.
- Biggest mistakes: transferring before you find a seat, and booking through a program with high fuel surcharges.
- Best cards: Chase Sapphire Preferred, American Express Gold or Capital One Venture X.
Free tool: see what your Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi or Bilt points become at every airline and hotel, with live transfer bonuses at kritdeals.com/transfer-calculator, or in the free KritDeals app for iPhone and Android.
How to fly business class with points, step by step
1. Pick the route and the airlines that fly it
Start with where you want to go, then list the airlines that fly there and their alliance. A US to Tokyo trip, for example, has ANA and United (Star Alliance), JAL and American (oneworld) and Delta (SkyTeam). Each alliance opens a different set of programs. Our alliances guide explains who partners with whom.
2. Find saver business space
Partner programs can only book seats the airline releases as "saver" award space. Search with a tool like seats.aero or point.me, or on airline sites that show partner space: United's site for Star Alliance, and American's, British Airways' or Qantas's for oneworld. Space usually opens about 330-355 days before departure, and more often appears in the last two weeks. Be flexible by a few days, and search for one seat at a time if two don't show.
3. Choose the program with the lowest total cost
The same seat can cost very different amounts in different programs. Compare both the miles and the cash fees. Aeroplan, for example, adds no fuel surcharges on partner flights, while British Airways adds hundreds of dollars on its own long-haul flights. Check the program's chart and confirm the price on its site.
4. Transfer the points
Only now move points from your bank to the airline. Most transfers are instant, but some take days (Amex to ANA can take up to four), and transfers can't be reversed. Check the ratio too: most are 1:1, but Capital One to JAL is 4:3 and Amex to Cathay is 5:4. Banks run transfer bonuses of 20-30% from time to time, which cut the cost.
5. Book right away
Saver seats can disappear while points are moving. Book as soon as the points land. If you're booking by phone (Virgin Atlantic on ANA is phone-only), have the flight numbers and dates ready.
The best business-class awards from the US
One-way, per person, at saver prices as of October 2026.
| Destination | Program | Airline | Points one-way | Fees | Transfer from |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe |  Flying Blue Promo Rewards |
Air France, KLM | from 45,000 (60,000 standard) | about $200-300 | Chase, Amex, Capital One, Citi, Bilt, Wells Fargo |
| Europe |  Air Canada Aeroplan |
Lufthansa, Swiss, United and others | 60,000 (under 4,000 mi) / 75,000 (4,001-6,000 mi) | low; no fuel surcharges | Chase, Amex, Capital One, Bilt |
| Europe |  Turkish Miles&Smiles |
 United |
about 45,000 | low | Capital One, Citi, Bilt |
| Japan |  Virgin Atlantic Flying Club |
ANA | 52,500 West / 60,000 East | ANA fuel surcharges | Chase, Amex, Citi, Bilt, Wells Fargo |
| Japan |  American AAdvantage |
JAL | 60,000 (nonstop JAL) | low | Citi |
| Japan |  Atmos Rewards |
JAL | 60,000 (Seattle) / 75,000 | low + $20 partner fee | Bilt |
| Asia | Air Canada Aeroplan |
ANA, EVA, others | 55,000 (under 5,000 mi) / 85,000 | low; no fuel surcharges | Chase, Amex, Capital One, Bilt |
| Hawaii | Air Canada Aeroplan |
United |
from 25,000 West / 35,000 East | about $5.60 + booking fee | Chase, Amex, Capital One, Bilt |
| Hawaii | Atmos Rewards |
Alaska, Hawaiian | from 30,000 West / 60,000 East | $5.60 | Bilt |
| South America | Air Canada Aeroplan |
United, Copa, Avianca and others | 40,000 / 50,000 / 60,000 by distance | low; no fuel surcharges | Chase, Amex, Capital One, Bilt |
| South America | Atmos Rewards |
American |
from 50,000 (e.g. Miami or New York to Sao Paulo) | low + $20 partner fee | Bilt |
A few notes:
- Europe: Aeroplan's under-4,000-mile band covers most East Coast flights to Western Europe. West Coast and many Midwest flights fall in the 75,000 band. Flying Blue Promo routes change every month, and recent business-class promos from the US have been limited. See Flying Blue business and Aeroplan business to Europe.
- Japan: AAdvantage reportedly charges 80,000 when an American or Alaska connection is added, so book JAL nonstops. Our Fly to Asia guide has more options.
- Hawaii: most "first class" seats to Hawaii are wide recliners. Lie-flat seats exist only on some widebody flights, so check the seat map. More in our Los Angeles to Hawaii guide.
- South America: Aeroplan prices by distance. Miami to Bogota falls in the 40,000 band, and New York to Buenos Aires in the 60,000 band.
For first-class showpieces like ANA First and Singapore Suites, see our best sweet spots.
Common mistakes
- Transferring before you find space. Transfers are one-way. If the seat disappears, your points are stuck in a program you may not want.
- Ignoring fuel surcharges. British Airways adds $600-$1,000+ on a long-haul business award on its own flights. Virgin Atlantic's own business surcharges rose to about $586 one-way from the US to London in 2025, and Virgin passes on ANA's surcharges too. Aeroplan, AAdvantage on JAL and Turkish on United keep fees low.
- Only searching the airline's own site. United, American and Delta price their own awards dynamically, often at 80,000-150,000+ in business. A partner program can book the same saver seat on a fixed chart for far less.
- Booking connections on per-segment programs. Some programs price each flight separately, so a connection can cost much more than a nonstop. AAdvantage also reportedly charges more for JAL with a connection.
- Forgetting Chase Freedom points need a Sapphire or Ink Business Preferred. Freedom and Ink Cash or Unlimited points have to move to one of those accounts before they can transfer.
- Paying points for a cheap fare. If a business fare is on sale for $1,500, 75,000 points is only 2 cents each. Compare with our point valuations first.
Best cards to fly business class with points
You want a card that earns a transferable currency with strong airline partners. Airline cards lock you into one program.
| Card | Points | Top business-class partners | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chase Sapphire Preferred / Reserve | Ultimate Rewards | Aeroplan, Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic, United | Beginners; instant transfers |
| American Express Gold / Platinum | Membership Rewards | ANA, Aeroplan, Flying Blue, Virgin Atlantic | The only route to ANA miles |
| Capital One Venture X | Capital One miles | Aeroplan, Flying Blue, Turkish, EVA | Flat 2x on everything |
| Citi Strata Premier | ThankYou | AAdvantage, Turkish, Flying Blue, JAL | JAL business via AAdvantage |
| Bilt Palladium | Bilt Points | Atmos, Aeroplan, Flying Blue, Turkish | The only bank route to Atmos |
We value Chase, Amex and Bilt points at 2.0 cents, Capital One miles at 1.85 cents and Citi points at 1.8 cents. A 60,000-point business seat to Europe that sells for $4,000 returns over 6 cents per point. Holding two currencies, such as Chase and Citi, opens nearly every program in the table. Welcome offers change, so check each card page.
FAQ
How do people fly business class with points? They earn transferable bank points, search for saver business seats, and transfer the points to whichever airline partner prices that seat lowest. Most don't use the airline's own miles at all.
How many points do I need for a business class round trip to Europe? About 90,000-150,000 points, plus $150-$550 in taxes and fees, depending on the program and your city.
What's the best card to fly business class with points? For most people, the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Amex Gold. Both earn points that transfer to Aeroplan, Flying Blue and Virgin Atlantic. Add a Citi Strata Premier if you want JAL through AAdvantage.
Related guides
- Fly to Europe with points
- Fly to Asia with points
- Best points sweet spots
- Aeroplan business to Europe
- ANA business to Japan
- Transfer partners chart
- Best travel credit cards
Award prices and availability change daily. Find a bookable seat before you transfer points, because transfers can't be reversed.
