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So, you’ve got a stash of credit card points, and you’re ready to book that dream trip. But wait—why is that Delta flight to Europe asking for a gazillion SkyMiles? Before you rage-quit your travel plans and settle for a staycation, let us introduce you to a magical concept that can make your points stretch way further: ✨airline alliances✨

What Are Airline Alliances?

Airline alliances are like exclusive friend groups, but instead of sharing the daily hot goss 🤫, they share flight routes and loyalty program benefits. When an airline is part of an alliance, you can book flights with one airline but use the points from another.

There are three major airline alliances:

Star Alliance (United, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, etc.)
Oneworld (American Airlines, British Airways, Qatar Airways, etc.)
SkyTeam (Delta, Air France/KLM, Virgin Atlantic, etc.)

These alliances exist so airlines can work together on routes, making travel smoother for passengers. But for us, the real magic is in booking flights for fewer points. 🪄🎩

Why Should You Care?

Because it can save you a ridiculous amount of points.

Let’s say you’re trying to book a Delta flight to Europe using SkyMiles. Delta’s pricing system is… let’s just say, generous—to the airline, not to you. 😬

But here’s a trick: instead of booking directly through Delta, check out its alliance partners like Virgin Atlantic or Air France/KLM. The exact same flight may be available for way fewer points.

Real-Life Example: Delta vs. Virgin Atlantic

Let’s take look at the example below ⬇️

Notice anything in particular?? 👀 This is the exact same flight (Flight DL2035) from Atlanta to Orlando. Yet, the pricing is dramatically different. On the left, you’ll see the award flight as it’s listed on Delta’s website, versus the right image, which shows the same flight as it’s listed on Virgin Atlantic’s website.

This is one of the easiest ways to maximize your credit card points—always check the alliance partners first before booking directly through your airline’s program. You just may end up with two tickets for the price of one! 🥳

*Book this flight for 15k miles on Delta’s website… or book it for HALF the cost on Virgin’s website!*

Airline Alliance Sweet Spots

To really drive this home, here are some of the best ways to take advantage of alliances — this is not an exhaustive list, but a really great place to get you started:

1. Flying United? Check Air Canada or Avianca First

United is part of Star Alliance, meaning you can book its flights using points from Air Canada Aeroplan or Avianca LifeMiles—often for fewer miles than United itself charges.

⬆️ *Book the exact same United Flight UA480 on United for 15k miles or AirCanada for 12.5k miles…*

2. Use British Airways Avios for American Airlines Flights

American Airlines miles are typically harder to earn, since none of the major banks transfer directly to AA’s AAdvantage program. However, British Airways is a transfer partner of Capital One, Chase Ultimate Rewards, American Express Membership Rewards— making them easier to earn and a great way to snag those AA flights!
Oneworld members share availability, so you can book American Airlines flights using British Airways Avios.
Shorter domestic flights (like West Coast to Hawaii) can be an especially great deal!

3. Book United Domestic Flights Using Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles

One of the best hidden gems in points and miles is booking United Airlines domestic flights using Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles.
You can fly anywhere in the U.S., including Hawaii, for just 10,000 miles one-way in economy or 15,000 miles in business class—which is significantly cheaper than what United typically charges!
How? Turkish Airlines and United are both part of the Star Alliance, and Turkish has some of the best partner award rates for domestic U.S. flights.

💡 Tip: Booking via Turkish Airlines' website can be a bit clunky, and sometimes you’ll need to call to book. But with savings this good, it’s worth the extra step!

*Turkish Airlines’ Domestic Flight award chart as of February 12, 2025. (credit:* *Turkish Airlines*)

4. Book Qatar Airways Qsuites with American Airlines or Alaska Airlines

Qatar Airways is part of the Oneworld alliance and their Qsuites business class seat is famous for a reason— the hype is real! Qatar Airways Qsuites is consistently awarded “Best Business Class” year after year and you can make it happen on points!
Flying from the U.S. to the Middle East? 70,000 American Airlines miles or 70,000-85,000 Alaska Airlines miles could get you in one of the most luxurious business class cabins in the world.

*Sitting in Qatar’s Qsuite was a literal *pinch me* moment and we still cannot believe we booked it using points!*

Things to Keep in Mind When Using Airline Alliances

Before you start booking flights, here are a few things to keep in mind when using airline alliances:

1. Award Availability Isn’t Guaranteed

Just because two airlines are in the same alliance doesn’t mean every single flight is available for partner bookings. Airlines only release a certain number of award seats to their alliance partners. So, while Delta might have seats available for its own SkyMiles members, that doesn’t mean those same seats will show up when searching with Virgin Atlantic or AirFrance-KLM.

💡 Tip: Always check multiple partner airlines to see which one offers the best availability and pricing. If you don’t see the flight you want, check back later—airlines sometimes release more award seats closer to departure.

2. You Can’t Mix and Match Airline Points

Unlike cash, airline points don’t work like a universal currency. Each airline loyalty program operates separately, even within an alliance, meaning you can’t use one airline’s miles to book directly through another airline’s program.

For example, if you want to book a United flight through Air Canada’s Aeroplan program, you can’t use United miles—you need Aeroplan miles. The same applies to other airline partnerships; you must use the currency of the airline program you’re booking through.

💡 Tip: If you don’t have miles with a partner airline, no worries! Many flexible travel rewards credit cards allow you to transfer points to different airline programs. Our favorites for flexible cards are:

Having flexible points gives you more booking options and helps you take advantage of the best award prices, no matter which airline is operating the flight.

If you want more options on our favorite flexible travel rewards credit cards, head to our Best Credit Cards page to see all our favorites in one place!

All information about Chase Sapphire Preferred® Credit Card has been collected independently by Parks on Recreation. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.

3. Watch Out for Fees and Surcharges

Not all airline programs charge the same fees on award bookings. Some airlines (we’re looking at you, British Airways and Lufthansa 👀) love to slap hefty fuel surcharges on their award tickets. This means you could end up paying hundreds of dollars in fees, even when using points.

💡 Tip: Before transferring points and booking a flight, always check the total cost—including taxes and fees. In some cases, using a different partner airline within the same alliance can reduce those costs.

For example, instead of booking British Airways flights via British Airways Avios (which often have high fees), check if you can book the same flight through American Airlines AAdvantage for lower out-of-pocket costs.

How to Book Flights Using Alliance Partners

Find the flight you want on Google Flights (or your airline’s website).
Check alliance partner websites to see if the same flight is available for fewer points.
Transfer your credit card points (from Chase, Amex, Citi, or Capital One) to the airline program offering the best deal.
Book and celebrate your point-saving genius.

:::Cue dramatic slow clap for your newfound airline alliance mastery:::

Bottom Line ⤵️

Using airline alliances is one of the easiest ways to get more value out of your points—it’s like when you and your bestie have an unspoken agreement to always share fries—airlines also have partnerships that let you use your points more efficiently, but most travelers never even think to check. Now that you’re in on the secret, you’ll never overpay for a flight again.

Got questions? Send us an email or tag us on Instagram when you book your first alliance partner flight—we’ll be over here toasting your point-saving success. 🍾✈️

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Editorial Disclosure: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.

Maximize Your Credit Card Points with Airline Alliances