Hey {{first name | reader}},

Happy Monday!

Today we are going back to one of my favorite things to write about: award availability you can actually book right now.

I spent some time searching this weekend and found two opportunities that I think are particularly useful. One gets you from the US to South America on LATAM. The other gets you from Australia to Singapore on one of my favorite airlines in the world. And both have plenty of availability, which is not always the case with good business class awards.

Here's what's inside today's post:

If you are planning a trip to South America from the US, this is one worth knowing about.

I am seeing LATAM business class from Miami to Santiago for 95,000 Virgin points plus $41 in taxes one-way.

And there is quite a bit of availability. On some dates I am seeing as many as five business class award seats on the same flight, which is unusual and makes this particularly interesting for couples and families traveling together.

Virgin Atlantic has a fixed partner award price for LATAM flights between North America and Chile or Brazil: 95,000 Virgin points one-way in business class. Fixed pricing is always good to see because it means you know exactly what you are getting before you start searching.

And remember the Virgin points sale we discussed last week? At the best sale pricing, Virgin points can be purchased for around $12 per 1,000 points.

So the math looks like this:

95,000 points at $12 per 1,000 = $1,140 Taxes = $41 Effective total: around $1,181

That is a very good price for a nonstop business class flight from Miami to Santiago.

One important thing: look for the 787-8

If you have multiple LATAM flights available on your dates, look specifically for one operated by the Boeing 787-8.

LATAM has been completing a major retrofit of its Dreamliner fleet, and the refurbished 787-8s feature the airline's new Premium Business suites, but not all 787-9s have been retrofitted yet. The cabin is in a 1-2-1 layout, every seat has direct aisle access, the seats convert into fully flat beds, and the suites have sliding privacy doors.

It is a huge improvement over LATAM's older business class product, and it makes the airline much more competitive with the better international business class cabins out there.

So when searching Miami to Santiago, do not just look at the mileage price. Check the aircraft too. If you can combine 95,000 Virgin points with the new LATAM suite, that is the version worth booking.

The second one is a completely different part of the world.

I am seeing Singapore Airlines business class from Melbourne to Singapore for 52,500 Aeroplan points plus around CA$152 in taxes, with the example I found on July 22, 2027.

This is a nonstop flight of almost eight hours, and 52,500 points for that much time in Singapore Airlines business class is very good value.

Here is the math:

Aeroplan points can sometimes be purchased during better sales for around $12.70 per 1,000 points.

52,500 points at $12.70 per 1,000 = $667 Taxes = around CA$152, roughly $112 USD Effective total: around $779

For an almost eight-hour Singapore Airlines business class flight, that is a redemption I really like.

And the airline matters here

Singapore Airlines business class is one of those products I am almost always happy to book.

It may not always have the newest seat in the world, but the overall experience is incredibly consistent. The service is excellent, the food is good, the lounges in Singapore are among the best in Asia, and the airline has built its entire reputation around doing the basics extremely well every single time. That reliability is worth something.

For a daytime flight of nearly eight hours from Melbourne to Singapore, this is exactly the kind of redemption where Aeroplan points shine.

And this brings up something I always want people to remember: you do not need Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer miles to fly Singapore Airlines. Just like you do not need LATAM Pass miles to fly LATAM. Knowing which partner program offers the best price for the airline you want to fly can make a massive difference to the total cost.

For Miami to Santiago, search directly through Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and look for LATAM-operated flights. If you have a choice between aircraft types, prioritize the refurbished 787-8 with the new business class suites.

For Melbourne to Singapore, search through Air Canada Aeroplan and look specifically for the nonstop Singapore Airlines flight at 52,500 points.

And as always: confirm the award seat is available before transferring or purchasing any points. Award availability can disappear at any time.

But right now, both of these are very good examples of why understanding airline partnerships matters so much.

You can use Virgin points to fly LATAM to Chile. You can use Canadian Aeroplan points to fly Singapore Airlines between Australia and Singapore.

And in both cases, you can potentially get there for dramatically less than you would expect to pay for the business class ticket in cash.

That is the fun part.

Catch you in the clouds,

Tomi from Points Master

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