Not only is London a popular destination, it is also a great connection point for other parts of Europe and beyond. So whether you want to visit London or use it as a connection point, you may be curious how you can travel to London with points and miles.
There are five airports in London, but the only airports that serve to and from the United States are Heathrow Airport (LHR) and London Gatwick Airport (LGW).
Now, let’s dive into how to fly continuously between the United States and London using various airlines. At the end of this guide, I will also discuss hotels in London where you can book with points and some of the best travel reward cards when you are in London.
Book flights issued by American Airlines to London
American Airlines flies from the following cities to LHR:
- Boston
- Charlotte
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York – John Kennedy International Airport (JFK)
- Philadelphia
- Phoenix
- Raleigh, North Carolina
You can book flights from American Airlines through the US AADVANTAGH plan, but you will find dynamic reward rates. This can sometimes lead to good speeds, but it often leads to extremely high reward rates (especially if you want to fly in a premium cabin). However, if your itinerary includes one or more sections operated by a partner, such as Alaska Airlines or British Airways, you can find reward flights that follow the Aadvantage Partner Rewards Chart.
American Airlines does not share all its reward supply with its partners. However, it is worth checking if you can get better pricing through a partner program booking flights operated in the U.S. The Alaska mileage plan can be a great option, especially if you want to book a premium economic or business-grade flight between the United States and London. You can earn Alaska mileage by transferring Bilt Rewards points and Marriott Bonvoy index to the mileage program.
If you want to attend American Airlines’ business class, Etihad guests may also be worth considering. One-way business-class flights from New York to London from American Airlines, priced at 80,000 miles when booked through Etihad, plus $33. You can earn Etihad’s guest miles by transferring American Express membership bonus points, one mile, Citi Thanks Points and Marriott Bonvoy Points.
Related: How to Earn Miles in American Airlines Aadvantage Program
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Book a British Airways Award flight to London
British Airways flies to LGW from Las Vegas, New York (JFK), Orlando and Tampa. The airline also flies to LHR from the following cities:
- Atlanta
- Austin
- Boston
- Chicago
- Cincinnati
- Dallas
- Denver
- Houston
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- Nashville
- New Orleans
- New York – Kennedy and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR)
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Phoenix
- Portland, Oregon
- Santiago
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Washington, DC – Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) and Dulles International Airport (IAD)
The bad news about British Airways flights is that taxes and fees are often very high if you want to take flights operated by British Airways and cannot avoid them. However, if you want to redeem points or miles on a British Airways flight between the United States and London and are willing to pay taxes and fees in every way, consider booking with British Airways Club Avios, American Aadvantage Miles or Alaska Mileage Plan Miles.
The Alaska Mileage Program offers compelling prices, especially in premium economy and business class. But remember that high taxes and fees are much higher on flights operated by British Airways than American Airlines. You can earn Alaska mileage by transferring Bilt Rewards points or the Marriott Bonvoy Index Miles Program.
If you want to pay lower taxes, booking through the British Airways Club may be the best option for you (especially if you can find availability at off-peak tax rates). You can choose from a variety of different Avios and Cash combinations, which can make your cash significantly less if you want to fly a flight operated by British Airways. This is how you can earn Avios.
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British Airways
Finally, you can redeem US miles to fly to British Airways in Europe. However, I rarely find that doing so provides good value because these rates are usually still too high compared to booking paid fares, using a different loyalty program or flying on flights operated by another airline.
Related: Grand Prize Availability, But Beware of Taxes: British Airways Business Class Review
Book Delta Awards flights to London
Delta Airlines flying to LGW from New York (JFK) and the following cities:
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Detroit
- Las Vegas
- Minneapolis
- New York – Kennedy
- Salt Lake City
- Seattle
Of course, you can book flights operated by Delta, London via Skymiles. Doing this will give you the most options, but you will usually see high prices as Delta uses dynamic reward pricing using its own flights. On the positive side, if you have flexible travel dates, you can use Delta’s price calendar to find the best reward rate. There are many ways to earn Delta miles, including transferring American Express membership reward points to Skymiles.
Delta usually shares some, but not all, reward space with its partners. Therefore, it is also worth checking out the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, which uses a region-based chart with peak and off-peak speeds, uninterrupted flight from London to the United States. However, flights operating from the U.S. to London’s Delta do not seem to follow a published awards form, and taxes and fees may not receive a booking economic award through Virgin Atlantic.
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Virgin Atlantic Ocean
In theory, you can book premium carbines on Delta-operated flights to London using Flying Club, but the availability is limited. You can earn Virgin points by transferring Amex Member Rewards Points, BILT Points, One Mile, Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, Citi Thankyou Rewards Points, and Bonvoy Marriott Boint Points Flying Club.
Related: Which credit card should you use for Delta Airlines flights?
Book Blue Awards flights to London
JetBlue flies from Boston to LGW, and from Boston and New York (JFK International Airport) to LHR.
You can redeem flights to London at dynamic reward rates. For example, you can redeemed 88,800 points or pay $1,808 to purchase a one-way jet blue mint flight from New York to London during the day. However, overnight flights of mint will cost more on this specific date.
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JetBlue
There are many ways to earn JetBlue points, including transfer American Express membership bonus points, Citi Thanks Points, Chase Ultimate Bonus Points and Capital One Mile to TrueBlue. Unfortunately, you cannot book a Transatlantic JetBlue flight through any other airline’s loyalty program.
Related: JetBlue Plus Card vs. JetBlue Premier Card: Should You Go Medium or Advanced?
Book flights from Nordic to London
NATO Atlantic Airlines flies from New York (JFK), Orlando, Los Angeles and Miami to LGW. Unfortunately, Nordics don’t have their own loyalty program, nor other airlines can access Nordic rewards. Therefore, if you want to book a Nordic flight to London, you must book a paid rate. If you book through the credit card travel portal that provides Nordic flights, you can redeemed for transferable Nordic flights.
Related: Handling Numbers: Is it more expensive to book flights through the credit card travel portal?
Book United Airlines Awards flights to London
United Airlines flies from the following cities to LHR:
- Chicago
- Denver
- Houston
- Los Angeles
- New York – EWR
- San Francisco
- Washington, DC – IAD
As you might expect, you can redeem Miles Miles in Joint Operations for a joint flight to London. You will find a lot of usability, but with dynamic reward rates. So sometimes you find good deals and sometimes very high reward rates. But on the positive side, there are many ways to earn a unified mileage, including transferring Bilt Rewards points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points and Marriott Bonvoy index.
Air Canada is another option for redemption rewards for a unified flight to London. The reward rate for one-way joint operation flights between the United States and London is 35,000 points for the economy, 50,000 for the advanced economy and 60,000 for the business class. These are the starting rates (PDF link), but you will find that awards between the East Coast and London are usually priced at these rates. You can earn Aeroplan points by transferring Amex membership reward points, BILT reward points, one mile, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and Marriott Bonvoy points, but rewards for anything other than the economy are often limited.
Related: How to upgrade on United Airlines flights
Book a Virgin Atlantic Award in London
Virgin Atlantic Flying from the following cities to LHR:
- Atlanta
- Boston
- Las Vegas
- Los Angeles
- Miami
- New York – Kennedy
- Orlando
- San Francisco
- Seattle
- Tampa
- Washington, DC – IAD
Despite recent tax and fee increases, the best option for booking a Virgin Atlantic flight to London is usually the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club program. Although taxes and fees may be eye-catching, the economic classic rate for the reward tax rate is about 6,000 points, with a premium of 10,500 and a high-rise of 28,500.
On top of that, you can transfer AMEX Member Rewards Points, Bilt Rewards Points, Capital One Miles, Chase Ultimate Rewards Points, Citi Thankyou Rewards Points, and Marriott Bonvoy Points to the Flying Club.
Related: Find the Cheapest Saving Seats with Virgin Atlantic’s Bonus Seat Inspector
Best Points Hotels in London
London has multiple properties in every major hotel loyalty program. I usually redeem IHG points for a fourth night for free, my IHG a rewards credit card (see Fees & Fees) or redemption of Hyatt Point can benefit from the world of Hyatt Awards. However, here are some of the best hotels in London, and the price of the sample prize:
Take credit card to London
The official currency of the UK is the pound. When you use a card that does not charge foreign transaction fees and chooses to pay in pounds, you will get the best conversion rate you buy in the UK. Here are some of my favorite travel reward cards that do not charge foreign transaction fees:
Related: Dynamic Currency Conversion: What It Is And Why Should You Avoid It
Bottom line
Now you should be better at using points and miles to travel to London. Take stock of your points and miles, including transferable points and miles. Then check rewards and pricing through some of the programs mentioned through the airline you want to take and the date you want to travel.
Check the hotel prices before setting the date, as it can be very expensive in some periods in London. It’s wise to get the full cost of flights and hotels before booking.
