Takeoff: A Points and Miles Podcast by 10xTravel

How to Fly Business Class to Italy Using Points and Miles

Mar 11, 2026
Tips for scoring business class to Italy using points and miles, from nonstop routes to creative partner bookings. Discussion of sweet spots across programs like Flying Blue, Lifemiles, Virgin Atlantic, Alaska, and Delta partner pricing. Repositioning tricks, cautionary notes about mixed-cabin and high-fee fifth-freedom routes, and timing tactics for peak-season award searches.
Ask episode
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
INSIGHT

Nonstops Can Cost Far More In Points

  • Direct nonstop award flights can be outrageously priced while one-stop options may be far cheaper in points.
  • Emily found Denver nonstop to Rome priced at 200K while routes with Zurich layovers were ~80K in business.
ADVICE

Filter Out Mixed Cabin Results

  • When searching Aeroplan or Air Canada, enable the filter to exclude mixed-cabin itineraries to avoid paying business-class prices for long-haul economy seats.
  • Emily cautions mixed-cabin results often list inflated business redemptions that have economy long-hauls.
ANECDOTE

Parents Overdid Lounge Food On Emirates Red Eye

  • Emily booked her parents on Emirates JFK–Milan and they spent lounge time eating and drinking, then stayed awake on the plane instead of sleeping.
  • The trip illustrates how late lounge time can spoil a red-eye sleep strategy.
Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode
Get the app