If we have responded to your booking request and asked you to agree to the terms of service, please read this carefully and submit the form at the bottom of the page.
How does this award booking service work?
Once you fill out the form and your parameters, I review it and make sure this is worth your money and my time. For example, if it is clear to that the type or amount of miles and points you have is not going to work for what you want to book, I will not collect any payments. I might even be able to make suggestions to achieve what you want by opening a new type of card.
If your request is something that is possible, I’ll have you review the parameters once again and we will exchange any other necessary details prior to initiating the search. After that, you will need to read and agree to the terms and conditions (below) and I’ll collect a nonrefundable fee to initiate the search process.
I’ll present any feasible options within your parameters. Since award availability can change in a matter of hours or even minutes, it is very important that I’m able to contact you and that you’re prepared to book as soon as possible. If you accept any of the options I present, I’ll collect the final fee and assist you with completing the booking. There are 2 options for completing the booking and you can find those details in the pricing section.
How much money will this save me?
It’s tough to say because a lot of people, myself included, wouldn’t actually be paying for these business class seats. So I think of it more in terms of maximizing the value of my hard earned points. But if you’re the type that does pay for business class, even better. This can absolutely save you money.
Here are a few ways to look at it:
It is not unheard of for a roundtrip business class ticket to Europe to cost $5,000 or more. Let’s say you have 500,000 Amex Membership Rewards points. If I’m able to help you book a $5,000 ticket for about 125,000 points and less than $200 in taxes and fees, I’d say that’s a pretty good use of the fee you’ll pay me (pricing info below).
Another way to look at it is 125,000 points at amextravel.com would only be worth $1250. I help you maximize your points by using transfer partners and leveraging airline partnerships.
Here are your alternatives:
- pay $5,000
- redeem your points at a less than stellar value (Booking through amextravel.com instead of using the transfer partner method I use would require 500,000 points if the ticket is $5,000)
- don’t book business class
- learn how to use transfer partners (which to be clear, I highly encourage, and I have several free blog posts teaching you how to do so! This booking service exists because some people simply don’t have the time to learn, and that’s okay too)
Pricing
Nonrefundable search fee: $30 for up to 2 passengers. $50 for 3 or more passengers.
Why is there a nonrefundable search fee? Searching for award space takes time and expertise. This fee compensates us for the time spent searching should you choose not to move forward with the booking.
If we do not find an itinerary that meets your given parameters (which is rare), this fee is still nonrefundable, however, you can request another booking within 3 months and we’ll waive this fee
Booking fees:
This payment is due before I release the booking instructions/schedule a call.
Pricing is subject to change, but any changes in pricing will be communicated prior to your deposit (the nonrefundable search fee).
These fees do not include the taxes and fees that are imposed by the airline program with which you book.
For multi-city and complicated itineraries, I’ll provide a custom quote prior to collecting your search deposit.
Roundtrip award tickets (or two one ways):
There are 2 options. See the “Booking your ticket” section below for more information.
Option 1: $100
I provide step by step instructions and support
I will send step by step booking instructions tailored to your itinerary. I’ll be accessible during normal business hours (9am-5pm EST M-F) for at least 2 business days after sending instructions should you need any support.
Option 2: $150
I do as much as possible without actually having your bank/frequent flyer login information.
We can schedule a call or zoom meeting and I’ll walk you through the entire process to finalize your booking. We can even screen share if needed.
Changes:
Again, these are our fees. Airlines may also collect change and cancellation fees and you will be responsible for these.
For voluntary changes on tickets The Miles Genie LLC assisted with booking, the rebooking fee is generally going to be $75. I cannot guarantee that I’ll be able to find award space on your new dates and/or route.
For involuntary changes (changes made by the airline), airlines may able to accommodate you on another acceptable itinerary. If not, I’ll work with you to try to find an acceptable outcome. Fees may be required.
Booking the ticket
The toughest part of award travel is finding the award seat availability, which is what I can do while you go about your life.
Due to the issues that can arise with multiple logins, 2 factor authentication, and for your own security, it is nearly impossible for me to finalize the booking without you. But I’m here to help you get it done as quickly and efficiently as possible!
The actual booking process may or may not be something you’re comfortable doing. This is why we have 2 options.
Some people find that step by step booking instructions (Option 1) are sufficient, while others prefer a consultation (Option 2). If this is your first time ever booking award travel, you may prefer the 2nd option.
If you choose option 2, I’ll do as much as possible without actually having your bank/frequent flyer login information. We can schedule a call or zoom meeting and I’ll walk you through the entire process to finalize your booking. We can even screen share if needed.
In some cases I may be able to expedite the process by setting up new frequent flyer accounts when needed and other things like that. The booking consultation itself usually will not take more than 30 minutes because by that point, I will have already done the hard part (searching).
Why do I have to pay extra for more than 2 passengers if it’s the same flight?
Because finding multiple seats on one flight is more work.
The more seats you need, the more difficult and time consuming it is on my end!
Why do we have a waiting list?
There may be times when we cannot take on any new bookings. When that happens, we will do our best to update the very top of this page and you’ll be able to get on the waiting list.
Searching for award space is time consuming. Before we ever officially launched the service, we had an overwhelming amount of inquiries (thank you all!).
We quickly realized that in order to give the level of service we strive to provide, we are going to have to limit the amount of requests we can take on each week. When we are able to take on any new bookings, those on the waiting list will get first dibs. We will contact you by email and you’ll have 48 hours to reply whether or not you still want to initiate the search process.
We appreciate your patience.