Rove is a unique new loyalty program that allows members to earn and redeem miles on airfare and hotel bookings through its platform, as well as transfer miles to a handful of airline and hotel partners.
The program is a great option for those who might not want (or qualify for) a travel rewards credit card but still want to earn rewards on everyday spending.
Rove is free to join, and its miles are easy to earn. Plus, you can score 1,500 bonus miles when you sign up through TPG’s link.
With valuable and sometimes hard-to-earn programs among the 18 partner list of airlines and hotel programs, there are some terrific ways to redeem Rove miles for top value.
Fly to Germany from 88 Rove miles
Rove miles transfer to Miles & More, the loyalty program of Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian and other European airlines, at a 1:1 rate.
Miles & More is a quirky program in that it offers flights to Europe starting from just 88 miles one-way, flying Lufthansa in economy class, including from the West Coast on routes like San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Frankfurt Airport (FRA), onboard the Queen of the Skies, the Boeing 747 aircraft.
This astonishingly low price seems too good to be true. The catch? Taxes, fees and surcharges payable are high, around $400 each way, though with these rates available right across peak summer dates to Germany, this could still be a great way to save on pricey cash fares.
Related: Is Lufthansa premium economy worth it to Europe?
Excellent business-class availability to Japan
Japan is a popular destination for redeeming your points and miles right now, and you’ll want to aim for a lie-flat seat on the long journey across the Pacific.
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While Japan Airlines releases some premium cabin seats to partner programs like the American Airlines AAdvantage program, these can be difficult to find, especially over popular summer months.
A much easier way to book lie-flat seats to Japan with miles, including JAL’s fancy new Airbus A350 aircraft, is through Japan Airlines’ own Mileage Bank program.
Mileage Bank does have a requirement that accounts must be open for at least 60 days before you can redeem miles, so even if you’re just signing up for Rove today and haven’t earned any miles yet, it’s a great idea to also sign up for a Mileage Bank account for free online at the same time if you ever plan to go to Japan. Once that 60-day window is up, you can transfer miles from Rove to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank at a 1:1 rate.
Mileage Bank does price redemptions dynamically, though the top rates are far more reasonable than you’ll see through the likes of Delta SkyMiles. There is a handy award seat checker on JAL’s website that lets you easily view prices for any route, month by month. Looking at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) to Tokyo, you can see that most dates during the July peak summer travel season have business-class seats available for under 90,000 miles each way, per person.
Related: New first class, business class and the rest: Flying the Japan Airlines A350-1000 in all 4 cabins
Fly domestically within Japan from 4,500 miles
Once you’re in Japan, with so much of the country to see, you might be looking for domestic flights to cover as much ground as possible.
You can book flights on Japan Airlines from as low as 4,500 Rove miles one-way by transferring them to Japan Airlines Mileage Bank at a 1:1 rate, with sample routes as follows:
- 4,500 miles: Osaka to Tajima
- 5,500 miles: Tokyo to Nagoya
- 6,500 miles: Tokyo to Osaka
- 7,500 miles: Hiroshima to Tokyo
- 8,500 miles: Fukuoka to Okinawa (Naha)
- 9,500 miles: Sapporo to Hiroshima
- 10,500 miles: Tokyo to Ishigaki
Related: How to avoid the crowds while traveling in Japan
Business class to Europe from 60,000 miles on a wide range of Star Alliance and SkyTeam airlines
With the choice of Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France-KLM Flying Blue and SAS EuroBonus, you can book flights to Europe in business class on a wide range of airlines from as little as 60,000 Rove miles one-way.
Aeroplan offers partner awards on carriers, including Lufthansa, Swiss, TAP Air Portugal and LOT Polish, for 60,000 miles for journeys of under 4,000 miles, covering the Northeast of the United States to most of Western Europe.
Meanwhile, Flying Blue and EuroBonus offer flights from North America to Europe on Air France-KLM and Scandinavian Airlines, respectively, for as little as 60,000 miles each way in business class, plus taxes, fees and surcharges.
Related: Private suites and high-tech touches: What it’s like flying Air France’s new business class
The easiest way to find Lufthansa first class availability
You can book a Lufthansa first-class flight at the last minute with Aeroplan points; however, you need to be very flexible and book just a few days before departure.
A much easier way to find availability for first-class flights to Europe and beyond is to transfer your Rove miles to Lufthansa’s Miles & More program at a 1:1 rate. There, you can find great availability right across the 12-month schedule.
Rates start from 165,000 miles plus $600 in taxes, fees and surcharges one-way to Europe. If possible, try to connect through Frankfurt, where you can enjoy the iconic First Class Terminal and a tarmac ride to your aircraft, a truly bucket-list travel experience.
Fly within Northern Europe for 5,000 miles
Transfer your Rove miles to SAS EuroBonus at a 1:1 rate, and you can fly around Northern Europe from as little as 5,000 miles, including to remote but fascinating places like Svalbard, home to Longyearbyen Airport (LYR), the world’s most northerly airport, from Oslo Airport (OSL), where cash rates regularly exceed $300 one-way.
Related: From ice caves to Indigenous reindeer tours: 10 unique experiences to have in Norway
Wide open business class to Peru for 50,000 miles
You can transfer Rove miles to Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Club program at a 1:1 rate and book LATAM business class from Miami International Airport (MIA), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York nonstop to Lima’s Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) in Peru for just 50,000 miles each way and minimal taxes and fees.
Best of all, availability is easy to find; you may wish to use the handy Seats.aero tool to find availability across the next 12 months in just seconds.
Related: Stylish seats and friendly service: LATAM business class on the Boeing 767
From 32,000 miles for Delta Premium Select to Europe
Delta’s premium economy class, named Premium Select, can be very pricey to book with Delta’s own SkyMiles (think 200,000+ miles for a one-way flight to Europe).
You may see availability from time to time with Virgin Atlantic Flying Club, though it comes with massive carrier surcharges of $600 per leg.
But you may see the same options available through Rove transfer partner Air France-KLM’s Flying Blue program, with low miles, low taxes and fees and no surcharges, such as flying nonstop from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) to Dublin Airport (DUB) for just 32,090 plus $33.50 per person.
Bottom line
Rove is a surprisingly versatile program with transfer partners that open doors well beyond what most people expect from a new loyalty program.
Whether you want to fly lie-flat to Japan through Mileage Bank, grab a bargain economy seat to Germany via Miles & More or string together a Northern Europe itinerary from as little as 5,000 miles through EuroBonus, there are terrifically valuable ways to redeem your Rove currency.
Rove is free to join, and you can score 1,500 bonus miles when you sign up through TPG’s link.
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Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
