Swiss first-class awards now bookable with United miles, but there's a catch
If you've dreamed of flying in Swiss' highly rated first class, we have good news.
Related: Swiss Perfection: A Review of Swiss First Class on Its Flagship Boeing 777-300ER
Flying first class on Swiss typically requires paying cash or holding elite status with Miles & More from Lufthansa Group (which owns Swiss) for the privilege of booking a first-class ticket using miles.
But now, United MileagePlus members can book Swiss first-class award tickets. That said, there are some big caveats you should be aware of. This news was first reported by Live and Let's Fly.
How to book Swiss first class with United miles
The biggest thing to know about booking Swiss first-class award tickets with United miles is that they're only bookable within three days of departure. In turn, you can only use this for last-minute award tickets.
Additionally, only connecting itineraries show first-class awards on United's website. You can't book a flight directly from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Geneva Airport (GVA) as a Swiss first-class award. However, you can book JFK to Munich International Airport (MUC) via GVA. The JFK-GVA flight would be in the Swiss first-class cabin, with the second flight in business class since there's no first-class cabin on that flight.
This example award costs 121,000 United miles, plus $32.60 in taxes and fees.
Right now, Swiss first-class awards are not showing on other Star Alliance partner websites, such as Air Canada Aeroplan or Avianca LifeMiles.
Caution: We've seen this before with sad news in the end
It's also worth pointing out that over the past five years, we've seen Swiss first class become available for brief periods using partner miles. On some occasions, Swiss canceled those bookings, claiming it was a mistake.
Until now, the only guaranteed way to book Swiss first class with partner miles has been the airline's three-hour flight between Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) and Buenos Aires, Argentina's Ezeiza International Airport (EZE).
This route is a continuation of the route between Sao Paulo and Zurich and is open to partner award bookings regularly. It doesn't require booking only a few days in advance.
Finally, there's no guarantee that this isn't a glitch on United's website. These awards could go away at any time, so book quickly if you see something you want to fly.
Bottom line
If you're flexible and longing to try Swiss first class, you can book it using United miles — at least, for now. Just remember that you can only book connecting tickets and you must book within three days of departure. But even then, award space can be tough to come by.
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The Capital One Venture X Business Card has all the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card has to offer and more. It offers an incredible welcome bonus and requires an equally impressive spend to qualify. In addition, the card comes with premium travel perks like annual travel credit. (Partner offer)Pros
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- In addition, the card comes with many premium travel perks such as an annual $300 credit for bookings through Capital One Business Travel.
- Business owners are also able to add employee cards for free.
Cons
- The card requires significant spending to earn the welcome offer.
- Another drawback is that the annual travel credit can only be used on bookings made through Capital One Business Travel.
- LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Earn up to 400K bonus miles: 200K miles when you spend $30K in the first 3 months, and an additional 200k miles when you spend $150k in the first 6 months
- Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, everywhere—with no limits or category restrictions
- Earn 10X miles on hotels and rental cars and 5X miles on flights and vacation rentals booked through Capital One Business Travel
- With no preset spending limit, enjoy big purchasing power that adapts so you can spend more and earn more rewards
- Empower your teams to make business purchases while earning rewards on their transactions, with free employee and virtual cards. Plus, automatically sync your transaction data with your accounting software and pay your vendors with ease
- Redeem your miles on flights, hotels and more. Plus, transfer your miles to any of the 15+ travel loyalty programs
- Every year, you'll get 10,000 bonus miles after your account anniversary date. Plus, receive an annual $300 credit for bookings made through Capital One Business Travel
- Receive up to a $120 credit for Global Entry or TSA PreCheck®. Enjoy access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide, including Capital One Lounge locations and Priority Pass™ lounges, after enrollment
- Enjoy a $100 experience credit and other premium benefits with every hotel and vacation rental booked from the Premier Collection
- This is a pay-in-full card, so your balance is due in full every month