Table of Contents
TL;DR
- ANA Mileage Club prices round-trip business class between the U.S. and Europe at 100,000 miles, one of the cheapest Star Alliance routes using points for that cabin.
- Virgin Atlantic Flying Club unlocks ANA First Class from the West Coast to Japan for 145,000 points round-trip, versus a cash fare that often tops $20,000.
- Avianca LifeMiles charges no fuel surcharges, pricing Star Alliance business class to Europe from roughly 69,000 to 93,000 miles each way.
- Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles offers some of the cheapest domestic Star Alliance routes using points, including United business class for 22,500 miles each way.
- Air Canada Aeroplan skips fuel surcharges too, and its 5,000-point stopover is now the closest replacement for United’s discontinued Excursionist Perk.
Star Alliance is the largest global airline alliance, linking 26 member carriers across more than 190 countries, which means the same seat can often be booked through several different frequent flyer programs, each charging a different number of miles.
That gap between programs is exactly where the best Star Alliance sweet spots live, and it’s what makes certain Star Alliance routes using points so much cheaper than others. Here’s a program-by-program breakdown of where that value shows up in 2026, and how to compare your options before committing a single mile.
Why Star Alliance Routes Using Points Deliver Outsized Value
Because Star Alliance member airlines share reciprocal award access, a Lufthansa or ANA flight can usually be booked through several partner programs, not just the airline actually operating the plane. That structure is what makes certain Star Alliance routes using points so much cheaper than buying the same ticket outright, or even than booking it through the operating airline’s own program.
A few factors decide how good a specific redemption is:
- Whether the booking program still uses a published, zone-based chart rather than dynamic pricing that moves with cash fares.
- Whether the program passes along carrier-imposed fuel surcharges, which can add hundreds of dollars to an otherwise cheap award.
- Whether the seat is bookable through partner programs at all. Singapore Airlines, for example, keeps its Suites and first-class Saver space reserved almost entirely for its own KrisFlyer members.
- Which region and season you’re flying, since most Star Alliance charts price differently for North America to Europe than for North America to Asia or Oceania.
Programs like ANA Mileage Club, Turkish Miles&Smiles, and Avianca LifeMiles have held onto fixed, published pricing longer than most U.S. carriers, which is exactly why they show up so often on lists of the best Star Alliance routes using points.
ANA Mileage Club: The Benchmark for Star Alliance Routes Using Points
ANA Mileage Club still publishes one of the most generous award charts in the industry, and even after an April 2024 devaluation, its Star Alliance award chart remains a benchmark for Star Alliance routes using points.
| Route | Cabin | Round-Trip Miles |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. to Japan (ANA metal) | Business | 100,000 to 110,000, depending on season |
| U.S. to Japan (ANA metal) | First | 150,000 to 200,000, depending on season |
| U.S. to Europe (Star Alliance partners) | Business | 100,000 |
| U.S. to Europe (Star Alliance partners) | Economy | 55,000 |
| U.S. to Hawaii | Business | 85,000 |
One catch worth flagging: ANA requires partner awards, including those to Europe on United, Lufthansa, Air Canada, and Turkish Airlines, to be booked round-trip. One-way bookings are only available on flights ANA itself operates. That structural quirk is part of why ANA Mileage Club consistently ranks among the best Star Alliance routes using points for travelers willing to commit to a full round-trip itinerary.
Virgin Atlantic to ANA: A Different Way to Book the Same Star Alliance Routes Using Points
Virgin Atlantic Flying Club has a separate, zone-based award chart specifically for booking ANA-operated flights, and it produces one of the most consistently cited Star Alliance routes using points in the entire hobby: ANA First Class between the U.S. and Japan.
| Departure Region | Cabin | Round-Trip Points |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. West Coast to Japan | Business | 105,000 |
| U.S. West Coast to Japan | First | 145,000 |
Cash fares in ANA’s Star Alliance first class suite regularly exceed $20,000 round-trip, which makes this one of the strongest cents-per-point redemptions among all Star Alliance routes using points, when award space is available. The tradeoff is that saver-level ANA first-class seats are limited and tend to disappear quickly once released, so flexibility on dates and a willingness to check availability often are essential.
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles: Budget-Friendly Star Alliance Routes Using Points
Turkish Miles&Smiles doesn’t get the attention that ANA or Aeroplan do, but its region-based chart holds some of the cheapest domestic Star Alliance routes using points available to U.S. travelers.
| Route Type | Cabin | Miles (Each Way) |
|---|---|---|
| Domestic U.S. on United | Economy | 15,000 |
| Domestic U.S. on United | Business | 22,500 |
| Domestic Star Alliance outside the U.S. | Economy | 10,000 |
| Domestic Star Alliance outside the U.S. | Business | 15,000 |
| Newark to Honolulu on United | Business | 40,000 |
The Newark-to-Honolulu business-class redemption stands out in particular, since it puts a lie-flat seat within reach for a fraction of what most U.S. carriers charge for the same route. Turkish miles are relatively easy to accumulate too, since Citi, Capital One, and Bilt Rewards all transfer at a 1:1 ratio.
Avianca LifeMiles: Surcharge-Free Star Alliance Routes Using Points
Avianca LifeMiles has one advantage that separates it from almost every other Star Alliance program: it doesn’t pass along carrier-imposed fuel surcharges on partner awards. That alone can save hundreds of dollars on carriers like Lufthansa and SWISS, which are notorious for high surcharges when booked through other programs.
| Redemption | Miles (Each Way) |
|---|---|
| Star Alliance business class, U.S. to Europe | 69,000 to 93,000 |
| Star Alliance business class, U.S. to Colombia | From 16,000 (economy) |
LifeMiles also runs frequent mileage sales, sometimes discounting purchased miles by more than half, which can make an already competitive redemption even cheaper. Combined with the lack of fuel surcharges, that’s why LifeMiles regularly appears on rankings of the best Star Alliance routes using points for transatlantic business class.
Air Canada Aeroplan: Flexible Star Alliance Routes Using Points
Aeroplan is one of the most widely used programs for Star Alliance routes using points, mainly because of two features: it doesn’t charge fuel surcharges on most partner awards, and it lets you add a stopover to a one-way award for just 5,000 additional points.
That stopover feature became even more valuable after United eliminated its own Excursionist Perk, which had let MileagePlus members add a free extra segment to an award itinerary, for new bookings as of August 21, 2025. Aeroplan’s stopover isn’t free, but 5,000 points is a small price for turning one ticket into visits to two different cities, and it currently has no direct equivalent among competing Star Alliance programs.
Aeroplan transfers in from American Express Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Capital One, all at a 1:1 ratio, which makes it one of the more accessible ways into Star Alliance business class for U.S. cardholders.
One Route Star Alliance Points Can’t Always Unlock: Singapore Suites
Not every Star Alliance seat is reachable through every partner program, and Singapore Airlines is the clearest exception. Singapore Suites and first-class Saver award space, available only on the airline’s A380 fleet, is reserved almost entirely for Singapore’s own KrisFlyer members. United MileagePlus, Avianca LifeMiles, and other Star Alliance partner programs generally can’t access that inventory at the Saver level, even though Singapore Airlines is a Star Alliance member.
If Singapore Suites is the goal, KrisFlyer is the only realistic path, and it’s worth noting as an exception among Star Alliance routes using points, since most other premium-cabin awards in the alliance are bookable through multiple partner programs.
How to Compare Star Alliance Routes Using Points Before You Book
Because the same seat can price differently depending on which program you book through, the smartest approach is to check availability and pricing across more than one option before transferring any points, since transfers are typically final and can’t be reversed.
Search live award space across ANA, Turkish, Aeroplan, and other Star Alliance partners on Flightpoints first, so you know a seat actually exists before moving a single mile.
Once you’ve found a route, run it through Flightpoints’ points calculator to see exactly how many miles or points a specific booking will cost.
Conclusion
The best Star Alliance routes using points aren’t secret, but they do require comparing programs rather than defaulting to whichever one you happen to have the most miles in. ANA Mileage Club and Virgin Atlantic both unlock exceptional value in ANA’s cabins, Avianca LifeMiles and Turkish Miles&Smiles keep costs down with surcharge-free or cheap domestic pricing, and Aeroplan’s stopover feature fills the gap United left behind. Once you’ve picked a route, set up instant, unlimited alerts on Flightpoints so you’re notified the moment saver-level award space opens up.
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Get Flightpoints ProFAQs
Q: What are the best Star Alliance routes using points right now?
A: ANA Mileage Club’s Star Alliance partner chart, which prices U.S.-to-Europe business class at 100,000 round-trip miles, and Virgin Atlantic’s ANA First Class redemption at 145,000 points round-trip from the West Coast, are two of the most consistently strong Star Alliance routes using points available in 2026.
Q: Which Star Alliance program has no fuel surcharges?
A: Avianca LifeMiles and Air Canada Aeroplan both skip carrier-imposed fuel surcharges on most partner awards, which is a major reason they’re favored for Star Alliance routes using points on carriers like Lufthansa and SWISS that otherwise charge steep surcharges.
Q: Can I still use United’s Excursionist Perk on Star Alliance routes using points?
A: No. United discontinued the Excursionist Perk for new award bookings as of August 21, 2025. Air Canada Aeroplan’s 5,000-point stopover is now the closest available alternative for adding an extra segment to an itinerary.
Q: Why does ANA require round-trip bookings for partner awards?
A: ANA Mileage Club’s rules require Star Alliance partner awards, including flights on United, Lufthansa, and Air Canada, to be booked round-trip rather than one-way. One-way pricing is only available on flights ANA operates itself.
Q: Can I book Singapore Suites with any Star Alliance program’s miles?
A: Generally no. Singapore Suites and first-class Saver award space is reserved almost entirely for Singapore Airlines’ own KrisFlyer members, making it one of the few Star Alliance routes using points that isn’t realistically accessible through most partner programs.
Q: Is Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles worth using for U.S. domestic flights?
A: Yes, particularly on United. Turkish prices domestic U.S. business class at 22,500 miles each way and economy at 15,000 miles each way, both of which undercut what many U.S. programs charge for the same routes.
