EVA Air’s Infinity MileageLands program offers a gateway to flights on EVA Air and its extensive network of Star Alliance partners. While not always the first program that comes to mind for points and miles enthusiasts, EVA miles can unlock significant value, especially for savvy travelers who understand how to leverage its unique partnerships and redemption rules.
EVA Air, a Taiwanese airline renowned for its exceptional business class – consistently ranked among the world’s best – serves as a major hub at Taipei’s Taoyuan International Airport (TPE). From Taipei, EVA Air provides access to key destinations across Asia, Europe, the U.S., and the South Pacific. As a member of the Star Alliance, the world’s largest airline alliance, EVA Air expands its reach even further, offering a wide array of travel possibilities through its Eva Mileage Partners.
Although EVA Air’s award redemption rates can be on the higher side compared to some programs, strategic use of eva mileage partners can lead to valuable award travel, particularly if you’re looking to utilize a substantial balance of miles. This guide will explore the most advantageous ways to redeem your EVA Air miles, focusing on maximizing value through eva mileage partners.
Understanding the EVA Air Miles Landscape: Pros and Cons
Before diving into specific redemption strategies with eva mileage partners, it’s crucial to understand the strengths and weaknesses of EVA Air’s Infinity MileageLands program. In many cases, frequent flyers might find greater flexibility and value within programs like Air Canada Aeroplan or by holding transferable points currencies like Capital One Miles or Citi ThankYou Points. These programs often offer more competitive redemption rates and broader partner access.
However, for those already accumulating EVA Air miles, or seeking to utilize specific program benefits, understanding the advantages and disadvantages is key to successful redemptions with eva mileage partners.
The primary advantage of Infinity MileageLands lies in its generous routing rules for round-trip award tickets. Travelers can take advantage of open jaws and up to two free stopovers on round-trip bookings. While one-way awards are available, they do not offer the same stopover and open-jaw flexibility. Furthermore, EVA Air stands out by offering no change fees for flight date modifications on award tickets, a valuable perk in today’s unpredictable travel environment.
Here’s a concise overview of the main pros and cons of using EVA Air miles with eva mileage partners:
Advantages of EVA Air Miles:
- Excellent Value for Intra-North Asia Flights: Regionally, EVA miles shine for flights within North Asia, offering competitive redemption rates.
- One-Way and Round-Trip Awards: Both types of award tickets are readily bookable, providing flexibility for various travel needs.
- Low to No Change Fees: Date changes on award tickets come without penalty, adding a layer of convenience.
- Transfer Partner of Major Programs: EVA Air partners with Citi ThankYou Rewards and Capital One Miles, allowing you to transfer points to boost your mileage balance and access eva mileage partners.
Disadvantages of EVA Air Miles:
- Costly Mileage Awards for Many Routes: Redemption rates outside of specific regions can be expensive compared to other programs.
- Fuel Surcharges on Awards: Similar to Air Canada Aeroplan, EVA Air passes on fuel surcharges on award tickets, increasing the overall cost.
- No Stopovers on One-Way Awards: The valuable stopover benefit is limited to round-trip itineraries.
Navigating EVA Air Infinity MileageLands for Partner Redemptions
EVA Air’s loyalty program, while not the most intuitive, provides access to the vast Star Alliance network. This means your EVA miles can be used to explore the world through eva mileage partners.
Key Tip: Booking EVA Air or UNI Air flights with miles can be done conveniently online. However, for flights operated by eva mileage partners within the Star Alliance, you’ll need to contact EVA Air customer service to complete your booking. It’s always wise to research Star Alliance award availability beforehand to streamline the phone booking process.
Exploring Star Alliance EVA Air Airline Partners
EVA Air’s membership in the Star Alliance opens doors to a wide range of eva mileage partners, offering flights to virtually every corner of the globe. These partners include some of the world’s leading airlines, expanding your redemption possibilities significantly.
| Star Alliance Partners |
|---|
| Aegean Airlines |
| Air Canada |
| Air China |
| Air India |
| Air New Zealand |
| ANA |
| Asiana Airlines |
| Austrian |
| Avianca |
| Brussels Airlines |
| Copa Airlines |
| Croatia Airlines |
| Egypt Air |
Generally, award bookings are possible on all listed eva mileage partners, subject to availability in the award inventory allocated to EVA Air.
EVA Air and Star Alliance Award Charts: Understanding Redemption Costs
EVA Air utilizes a region-based award chart for both its own flights (operated by EVA Air/UNI Air) and flights with eva mileage partners. It’s important to note that the regional definitions can differ slightly between EVA Air/UNI Air awards and Star Alliance partner awards. Notably, EVA Air’s own route network does not extend to Africa or the Middle East, hence those regions are absent in their award chart.
EVA Air/UNI Air International Round-Trip Award Ticket Costs
| Destination | Economy Class | Premium Economy Class | Business Class/Premium Laurel Class/Royal Laurel Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan – Hong Kong / Macau | 20,000 miles | N/A | 50,000 miles |
| Within Asia (Includes Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia) (Excludes Taiwan – Hong Kong / Macau) | 35,000 miles | 40,000 miles | 50,000 miles |
| Between Asia and Oceania | 100,000 miles | N/A | 150,000 miles |
| Between Asia and America (Excludes Chicago, New York, Houston, and Toronto) | 100,000 miles | 110,000 miles | 150,000 miles |
| Between Asia and America (Includes Chicago, New York, Houston, and Toronto) | 110,000 miles | 120,000 miles | 160,000 miles |
| Between Asia and Europe | 100,000 miles | 110,000 miles | 150,000 miles |
EVA Air/UNI Air International One-Way Award Ticket Costs
| Destination | Economy Class | Premium Economy Class | Business Class/Premium Laurel Class/Royal Laurel Class |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taiwan – Hong Kong / Macau | 10,000 miles | N/A | 25,000 miles |
| Within Asia (Includes Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China, Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia) (Excludes Taiwan – Hong Kong / Macau) | 17,500 miles | 20,000 miles | 25,000 miles |
| Between Asia and Oceania | 50,000 miles | N/A | 75,000 miles |
| Between Asia and America (Excludes Chicago, New York, Houston, and Toronto) | 50,000 miles | 55,000 miles | 75,000 miles |
| Between Asia and America (Includes Chicago, New York, Houston, and Toronto) | 55,000 miles | 60,000 miles | 80,000 miles |
| Between Asia and Europe | 50,000 miles | 55,000 miles | 75,000 miles |
For redemptions with eva mileage partners, a more detailed regional breakdown is used, reflecting the broader global reach of the Star Alliance network. Understanding these zones is crucial for planning partner award travel.
| Zones | Origin / Destination |
|---|---|
| HONG KONG, MACAU | Hong Kong, Macau |
| CHINA | China |
| NORTH ASIA | Guam, Japan, Micronesia, Palau, Russian Far East, South Korea, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Saipan |
| SOUTH EAST ASIA | Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam |
| CENTRAL, SOUTH ASIA | Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan |
| SOUTH WEST PACIFIC | Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Niue, Norfolk Island, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, Vanuatu |
| NORTH AMERICA | Canada, USA (excluding Hawaii) |
| HAWAII, CENTRAL AMERICA | Bermuda, Caribbean, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hawaii, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Cuba, Belize, Haiti |
| SOUTH AMERICA | Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela |
| EUROPE | Albania, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Iceland, Turkey |
| MIDDLE EAST | Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen |
| NORTH AFRICA | Algeria, Canary Islands, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia |
| CENTRAL, SOUTH AFRICA | Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Congo, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe |
The following charts detail the round-trip award costs for eva mileage partners. One-way awards are priced at half the round-trip cost.
EVA Air Partner Award Chart
EVA Air Partner Award chart. Image Credit: EVA Air
EVA Air Partner Award Chart Continued
EVA Air Partner Award chart, continued. Image Credit: EVA Air
Important Note: Remember that while EVA Air and UNI Air flights can be booked online, reservations involving eva mileage partners must be made by phone. Contact EVA Air at 310-362-6600 for bookings within the U.S., or reach their Taiwanese headquarters at +886-2-25017899.
Key Award Redemption Rules for EVA Mileage Partners
When redeeming EVA miles with eva mileage partners, it’s essential to be aware of the specific rules governing Star Alliance award tickets. These rules dictate flexibility and potential itinerary options.
Here are the primary rules to keep in mind:
- Partial Ticket Changes: For partially used award tickets, date and flight number changes are permitted up to 3 days before departure, but carrier and route modifications are not allowed.
- Avoid Double Bookings: Duplicate reservations can lead to cancellation of your award booking.
- Round-Trip Stopovers: Round-trip awards include two stopovers – one outbound and one inbound. Stopovers and the turnaround point cannot be in the same country as the origin or final destination. Each round-trip award is limited to a maximum of six flight sectors.
- One-Way Restrictions: Stopovers are not permitted on one-way awards, which are limited to a maximum of three flight sectors.
- Open Jaw Flexibility: Only one open jaw is allowed per round-trip itinerary, and it must be within the same region as the turnaround point.
- Change Fee Policy: Date and flight number changes are free. Other changes, such as route or carrier, incur a $50 fee, waived for Silver, Gold, or Diamond Infinity MileageLands members.
- Ticket Validity: Award tickets are valid for one year from the date of issuance, with no extensions.
- Child and Infant Fares: Child tickets cost the same as adult tickets. Infant tickets are priced at 10% of the adult fare.
For a comprehensive list of terms and conditions, refer to the EVA Air website.
Around the World (RTW) Travel with Star Alliance via EVA Mileage Partners
EVA Air also facilitates complex Around the World (RTW) award tickets on Star Alliance eva mileage partners. These tickets allow for extensive global itineraries under specific conditions:
- Maximum Sectors: RTW tickets are limited to a maximum of 10 flight sectors in total.
- Ticket Validity: RTW tickets are valid for one year from issuance, without extensions.
- Directional Travel: Travel must proceed in a single direction, crossing both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and returning to the origin country.
- Example Itinerary: Taipei (TPE) – Tokyo (TYO) – Los Angeles (LAX) – New York (NYC) – London (LON) – Frankfurt (FRA) – Singapore (SIN) – Bangkok (BKK) – Taipei (TPE)
- Limited Backtracking: Backtracking is only allowed within the same defined region (U.S., Europe/Africa, or Asia/Oceania).
- Minimum Trip Duration: The total travel period must exceed 10 days.
- Stopover Limits: A maximum of 7 stopovers are permitted.
- City and Country Restrictions: Only one departure per city and one international departure and arrival per country are allowed.
Boosting Your EVA Air Miles Balance for Partner Redemptions
While earning EVA Air miles directly might not be as straightforward as with other airline programs, there are effective ways to accumulate miles, particularly through transferable point programs. Leveraging credit card partnerships is a key strategy to enhance your EVA miles balance and unlock redemptions with eva mileage partners.
Major transferable point currencies like Citi ThankYou Rewards and Capital One Miles offer transfers to EVA Air Infinity MileageLands. This provides a significant avenue for accumulating EVA miles by earning points through everyday spending and credit card bonuses.
Explore guides on maximizing earnings with Citi ThankYou Rewards Points, Capital One miles, and dedicated strategies for earning EVA Air miles to strategically grow your balance for future redemptions with eva mileage partners.
Top Redemption Sweet Spots with EVA Mileage Partners: 27 Expert Strategies
EVA Air miles offer numerous redemption opportunities, especially when utilizing the extensive network of eva mileage partners. Strategic use of routing rules, round-the-world tickets, and specific partner sweet spots can unlock exceptional value. Remember, bookings involving eva mileage partners require phone reservations.
Here are 27 of the best ways to maximize your EVA Air miles, focusing on partner redemptions:
1. Capitalize on Round-Trip Routing Rule Flexibility
The generous routing rules for round-trip itineraries are a prime advantage of EVA miles. These rules, especially beneficial for intra-region travel, include:
- Two stopovers on round-trip tickets (one outbound, one inbound).
- Stopovers and turnaround points outside the origin or destination country.
- Maximum of 6 sectors per round-trip award.
- One open jaw allowed, within the same region as the turnaround point.
The key to maximizing value is to analyze regional definitions and creatively plan itineraries that hop between countries within a region, taking advantage of stopovers and open jaws. Regions with numerous geographically diverse countries offer the greatest potential for maximizing stopover benefits.
Consider these regions for maximizing routing rules:
- North Asia
- South West Pacific
- Hawaii, Central America
Example: North Asia Round-Trip Redemption
For a North Asia round-trip in economy class, you can leverage stopovers and open jaws for extensive regional exploration:
- Chuuk (TKK) – Guam (GUM) – Tokyo (NRT), Seoul (ICN) – Palau (ROR) – Chuuk (TKK) via Guam (GUM) for 30,000 miles in economy.
EVA Air North Asia Award
Maximize value with stopovers and open-jaws on EVA Air award bookings. Image Credit: Great Circle Mapper
Example: South West Pacific Round-Trip Redemption
Explore the South West Pacific with an itinerary maximizing stopovers:
- Apia (APW) – Auckland (AKL) – Melbourne (MEL), Sydney (SYD) – Nadi (NAN) – Apia (APW)
EVA Air South West Pacific Route
Explore 4 cities in the South West Pacific for a great value with EVA Air miles. Image Credit: Great Circle Mapper
This itinerary, offering extensive travel within the South West Pacific, could cost just 35,000 miles in economy or 55,000 miles in business class, representing exceptional value. Creativity in itinerary planning within defined regions is key to unlocking these hidden gems.
2. Embark on a Round-the-World (RTW) Adventure
Circle the globe on a single plane ticket with a Round-the-World award. Image Credit: Star Alliance
Round-the-World (RTW) awards through Star Alliance eva mileage partners, booked using EVA miles, present an incredible opportunity for extensive global travel. While the rules are detailed (see above), careful planning can yield remarkable value.
RTW award costs with EVA miles are: 180,000 miles in economy, 325,000 miles in business class, and 480,000 miles in first class. Business class often strikes the best balance of value and comfort for RTW travel.
Tip for First Class RTW: First class availability is more limited than business class on international routes. Focusing on business class increases your chances of securing award seats for your RTW trip.
Example Business Class RTW Itinerary:
- New York (JFK) – Tokyo (TYO) on ANA
- Tokyo (TYO) – Taipei (TPE) on EVA Air
- Taipei (TPE) – Bangkok (BKK) on THAI Air
- Istanbul (IST) – Johannesburg (JNB) on Turkish Airlines
- Johannesburg (JNB) – Frankfurt (FRA) on Lufthansa
- Frankfurt (FRA) – Zurich (ZRH) on Lufthansa (intra-Europe)
- Zurich (ZRH) – New York (JFK) on SWISS International Air Lines
This comprehensive itinerary could be booked for 325,000 miles, plus applicable surcharges, offering a truly exceptional use of EVA miles for a dream trip. The ability to change flight dates for free (and other changes for a nominal $50 fee) adds flexibility to RTW planning.
First Class RTW Considerations:
For those seeking a first-class RTW experience, focus on airlines with strong first-class products within the Star Alliance: ANA, Lufthansa, and THAI Airways. SWISS first class is generally inaccessible via partner awards, and Singapore Airlines premium cabins are best booked using KrisFlyer miles.
3. Turkish Airlines Business Class: U.S. to Europe for 65,000 Miles
Turkish Airlines 777-300ER business class
Turkish Airlines 777-300ER business class offers a comfortable transatlantic experience. Image Credit: Turkish Airlines
Given EVA Air’s practice of passing on fuel surcharges, minimizing surcharges is key to maximizing value. Turkish Airlines stands out as a partner with relatively low fuel surcharges on transatlantic routes from the U.S. to Europe. Business class fuel surcharges on these routes are around $310, significantly lower than many competitors.
Turkish Airlines serves numerous North American cities with direct flights to Istanbul (IST), including:
- Atlanta (ATL)
- Boston (BOS)
- Chicago (ORD)
- Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW)
- Havana (HAV)
- Houston (IAH)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- Mexico City (MEX)
- Miami (MIA)
- Montréal (YUL)
- Newark (EWR)
- New York (JFK)
- San Francisco (SFO)
- Seattle (SEA)
- Toronto (YYZ)
- Vancouver (YVR)
- Washington, D.C. (IAD)
At 65,000 miles for a one-way business class ticket (often retailing for $3,300+), this redemption offers a value of nearly 5 cents per mile, a strong return. While Turkish Airlines’ hard product isn’t industry-leading, it provides comfortable lie-flat seats, excellent catering, and generally good service.
4. LOT Polish Business Class: U.S. to Europe for 65,000 Miles
LOT Polish Airline
LOT Polish Airlines offers a lesser-known but valuable transatlantic business class option. Image Credit: LOT
LOT Polish Airlines, another Star Alliance eva mileage partner, also offers relatively reasonable fuel surcharges, around ~$285 on transatlantic routes. Based in Warsaw (WAW), LOT operates nonstop flights from several North American cities:
- Chicago (ORD)
- Los Angeles (LAX)
- New York (JFK)
- Toronto (YYZ)
Additionally, routes to/from Krakow (KRK) are available from:
- Chicago (ORD)
- New York (JFK)
While LOT Polish’s route network is smaller than Turkish Airlines, it’s known for decent food and beverage offerings, good service, and those lower fuel surcharges. The business class hard product is a 2-2-2 configuration, lacking some privacy, but the nonstop flights to Poland can be a worthwhile time-saver.
5. United Airlines Transcontinental Polaris Business Class Within the U.S. (29,000 Miles)
United Polaris Boeing 767-300
United Polaris offers lie-flat seats on select transcontinental routes. Image Credit: Victoria M. Walker
United Airlines’ Polaris business class, available on transcontinental routes between Los Angeles (LAX)/San Francisco (SFO) and Newark (EWR), can be booked for 29,000 EVA miles each way. These flights feature lie-flat seats and the enhanced Polaris experience.
United Polaris offers Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, technologically advanced seats, and improved dining, albeit with somewhat compact seat dimensions. For detailed information, explore comprehensive reviews of United Polaris.
6. United Airlines Polaris Business Class to the Middle East (67,500 Miles)
United Polaris 787-10 rear cabin view
Experience United Polaris on long-haul routes like Newark to Tel Aviv. Image Credit: Stephen Au
For a longer-haul Polaris experience, consider flights to Israel. United Polaris is offered on routes like:
- Newark (EWR) – Tel Aviv (TLV)
- San Francisco (SFO) – Tel Aviv (TLV)
These routes, typically operated with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, can be booked for 67,500 miles each way in Polaris business class, a reasonable price for up to 14 hours of lie-flat comfort.
7. SWISS Business Class: U.S. to Europe for 65,000 Miles
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