Chicago to Dublin in Premium Economy for 35,000 Points

The points and miles internet has a real thing for lie-flat business class. Suites with doors. A caviar course. Some sort of pajama situation.

I'm not there yet. What I want is a seat that reclines more than a few degrees, a footrest, and to land in Ireland without my knees filing a formal complaint. (I’m Gen X. Those knees love complainin’.)

Premium economy is the cabin for people like me. And right now, it's Chicago to Dublin for 35,000 points.

Travel Details

Airline: American Airlines
Route: Chicago (ORD) → Dublin (DUB)
Seat class: Premium Economy
Points price: 35k points, one-way
Cash price: Around $1,000 for this fare
Dates: Availability was showing in late July when this went out, with more dates in August and September... check the calendar for the highlighted dates
Fees: About $25.60 in taxes and fees for the one-way flight. Other fee: $20 non-refundable partner award fee, charged per person each way when you book a partner airline through Atmos Rewards

Why This Deal Is Amazing

At that $1,000 cash value, you're looking at about 2.78 cents per point. That's not quite our "epic value" tier (that label starts north of 4 cents around here), but it's well past the 1.5 cents most people use as their "yes, that was a good use of points" line... and it's in a cabin that costs real money to buy outright.

Here's the part I like better than the math. The same American Airlines seat, on the same plane, costs 43k to 55.5k miles if you book it with American Airlines AAdvantage. Booking it through Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards instead runs 35k. That’s up to 20,500 points saved for choosing a different door into the same flight.

That's because Atmos still publishes an actual award chart, priced by region and distance instead of whatever the airline feels like charging that day. Chicago to Dublin is roughly 3,660 miles, which lands in a band where premium economy prices predictably. No glitch, no mistake fare... just a chart doing its job.

Thinking about making it a round trip? It’s worth checking the return dates too... just know the taxes and fees run closer to $67 on the return leg, so factor that into your math.

How to Book

With Points: This fare books through Alaska Airlines Atmos Rewards, the program formerly known as Mileage Plan. Fair warning, though... Atmos has almost no transfer partners. Bilt Rewards moves over at 1:1 and is by far the cleanest path in.

Citi ThankYou Points transfer to AAdvantage, but check your own card first... annual-fee Citi travel cards move at 1:1, while the no-annual-fee versions transfer at 1:0.7. That difference matters a lot here.

Chase Ultimate Rewards and American Express Membership Rewards do not transfer to Atmos at all.

Whichever route you take, find the seat before you transfer anything. Transfers are one-way streets.

Maximize Your Booking

Make the most of your rewards by using a card that earns bonus points on flights, like:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card — Earn 2x points on all travel purchases

• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card — Earn 5x miles on flights through Capital One’s travel booking site

• American Express® Gold Card —  Earn 3x points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App™, or purchased directly from airlines

• Chase Sapphire Reserve® — Earn 4x points on flights booked direct

• American Express Platinum Card® — Earn 5x points on flights booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel® (up to $500,000 per calendar year, then 1x)

Pro Tip

Atmos lets you take a free stopover on international one-way awards, which is a genuinely great rule and one most programs don't offer. So if Dublin is one stop on a bigger trip instead of the whole trip, that same 35k can get you two cities... worth playing with before you book the simple version.