I am going to need to book one way tickets for my family of 4 from London to Rome next June. I called AA to see what I could do with miles, and the mileage requirement isn't bad (10K each) but by the time you add all the BA fees, it's over $100 per ticket. It looks like EasyJet flies cheaper (out of Gatwick--$60). This may be something everyone else already knows, but it was a surprise to me. Is it really not a good option to use miles for flights within Europe?
I would think it is rarely a good option to use miles for one-way tickets.
I would save the miles and take the cheaper flights.
Thanks all! I have not used the discount airlines in Europe before--when should I be looking to book tickets for a June flight? Do prices vary a lot depending on how far in advance you are?
Yeah, use the discount airline. 10k miles has a cash value of about $200 or so, by which I mean that if a ticket is less than $200 it is generally not worth using them.
Some budget airlines have luggage weight restrictions. You might want to check the requirements for the airline you are considering before booking a flight.
...and check to ensure that the airline goes to a major airport, or that you are aware of the transportation options. Read their size, weight and carry-on rules(only one piece of any type of carry-on will be allowed, etc.)