How to Reach Denmark Using Credit Card Points and Airline Miles

Denmark offers a vibrant cultural experience filled with fascinating sights, delicious cuisine, and engaging activities. Whether you're drawn to its distinctive architecture, lively art and design scene, or its emerging culinary landscape, you'll find plenty to enjoy.

Although it's the smallest country in Scandinavia, Copenhagen, Denmark's capital, is quite accessible from the U.S. While the number of flights has decreased since Norwegian Air reduced its U.S. routes, there are still direct flights from seven major U.S. cities, including New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C., along with numerous direct connections to other international hubs.

You can secure these flights affordably using points and miles. Here’s a guide to the best strategies for reaching Denmark with points and miles, allowing you to experience Danish hygge firsthand.

Summary

Currently, the only direct flights from the U.S. to Denmark are operated by Scandinavian Airlines (SAS).

This multinational flag carrier provides nonstop service to Copenhagen Airport (CPH) from several U.S. locations, including Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), Miami International Airport (MIA), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), and Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport (IAD).

Keep in mind that not all of these routes run daily, and the Miami route is seasonal. SAS is a member of the Star Alliance, allowing for easy connections with flights operated by United.

This summer, Delta will introduce seasonal service five times a week from JFK to Copenhagen, starting May 27.

For those preferring connecting flights, numerous options are available. Oneworld travelers can fly Finnair via Helsinki Airport (HEL), Iberia through Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), or British Airways via Heathrow Airport (LHR). SkyTeam travelers can choose Air France through Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) or KLM via Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS). Star Alliance flyers also have various options, such as Lufthansa through Frankfurt Airport (FRA) or Munich Airport (MUC), or Swiss via Zurich Airport (ZRH).

Star Alliance

Let's begin with Star Alliance, as it provides the most convenient flight options. Another advantage is the variety of loyalty programs available for booking. Below are the round-trip award costs:

* United does not disclose award charts, but the prices listed here represent the minimum you should anticipate when saver availability exists.

As you can see, booking through ANA is typically the most affordable option. However, there are a few important points to consider: you can only reserve round-trip awards. ANA imposes fuel surcharges on award tickets, which can be costly on partners like Lufthansa, particularly in premium cabins. Fortunately, SAS flights do not incur these fuel surcharges.

ANA tickets come with some added benefits, such as allowing both an open jaw and a stopover. For instance, this route from Chicago to Copenhagen and then to Stockholm costs just 55,000 miles plus $101 in taxes and fees—an outstanding value.

If you're seeking to book a one-way ticket or find yourself low on American Express points, another excellent choice is Turkish Miles&Smiles. This program offers competitive award rates and the option to book one-way awards.

Unfortunately, unless you’re flying with United or a few select partners, you’ll still be responsible for fuel surcharges, which can amount to several hundred dollars.

Conversely, if your primary objective is to avoid fuel surcharges, you should consider booking through Air Canada Aeroplan or Avianca LifeMiles. These programs feature reasonable award rates and do not impose fuel surcharges, enabling you to minimize your out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, Avianca offers discounts on mixed-cabin awards, potentially saving you miles on your bookings.

United also doesn’t impose fuel surcharges, though you may need to use more miles.

Oneworld

For Oneworld travelers, some of the top booking options are through American Airlines AAdvantage and Alaska Mileage Plan.

American generally charges the following amounts for round-trip awards to Denmark (or other European destinations):

• Economy: 45,000-60,000 miles.
• Premium economy: 80,000 miles.
• Business: 115,000 miles.
• First: 170,000 miles.

You may occasionally find even lower rates by booking a Web Special award. These can be a great option when saver availability is lacking and your travel dates are fixed. While these awards cannot be changed, you can cancel them and redeposit your miles at no charge.

Acquiring the miles necessary for a round-trip ticket is straightforward with the current offers available on American's cobranded credit cards. For example, the Citi® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) currently provides 50,000 bonus miles after spending $2,500 on purchases within the first three months of opening the account. Additionally, the CitiBusiness® / AAdvantage® Platinum Select® Mastercard® offers 65,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 within the first four months of account opening.

The details for the CitiBusiness cards have been gathered independently by Dinogo. The information on this page has not been reviewed or endorsed by the card issuer.

On the other hand, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan has varying award rates for its partners. For reference, Finnair awards will cost you 30,000 miles for economy and 70,000 miles for business class. Additionally, you can include a free stopover in Helsinki, Finnair's hub. Although it isn't part of the Oneworld alliance, you can use Alaska miles to book flights on Icelandair for 35,000 miles in economy or 55,000 miles in business class.

You might also consider a distance-based program like British Airways Avios, especially beneficial for travelers on the East Coast or those looking for short intra-Europe flights. However, longer distances will significantly increase your award cost. On the bright side, Avios are among the easiest miles to accumulate.

SkyTeam

Your primary options for booking SkyTeam awards to Denmark are through Delta SkyMiles or Air France-KLM Flying Blue. Both programs utilize dynamic award pricing, meaning redemption rates can vary greatly depending on the class of service and your travel dates.

Typically, awards booked through SkyMiles begin at 35,000 miles each way in economy and 120,000 miles for business class. Flights with partners like Air France and KLM are usually less expensive than those operated by Delta itself. You can easily enhance your SkyMiles balance by transferring points from American Express Membership Rewards or by using a cobranded Delta credit card.

In contrast, Flying Blue provides awards starting at approximately 21,500 miles for economy, 45,000 miles for premium economy, and 55,000 miles for business class. However, like Delta, these awards are dynamically priced and can frequently be much higher. Additionally, carrier-imposed surcharges tend to be steeper when booking through Flying Blue.

Be sure to check for Flying Blue's rotating Promo Rewards. These often allow you to secure flights in select service classes from certain cities to Europe at a discount of 25% or more off regular award rates. Also, remember that you can transfer points to Flying Blue from all major transferable points programs, including American Express Membership Rewards, Capital One miles, Citi ThankYou, and Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Accumulating airline miles

If you're planning a trip to Denmark and want to increase your mileage balance, focus on earning transferable credit card rewards like American Express Membership Rewards points, Chase Ultimate Rewards points, Capital One miles, and Citi ThankYou Rewards points. Many of these cards are featured on our list of top travel rewards credit cards, offering great flexibility. Instead of being tied to a single airline program, you can earn points that convert into various airline programs when it's time to book your flight.

Here are some of the top cards that earn flexible rewards:

• Chase Sapphire Reserve ($550 annual fee): Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. Enjoy 10 points per dollar on hotels, car rentals, and Chase Dining through the Ultimate Rewards portal; 5 points on flights booked via the portal; and 3 points on all other travel and dining purchases, plus a $300 annual travel credit, Priority Pass Select membership, and primary car rental coverage (among many other benefits).
• Chase Sapphire Preferred Card ($95 annual fee): Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. Earn 5 points per dollar on travel through Chase Ultimate Rewards, 3 points on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart, and wholesale clubs), 2 points on all other travel, and 1 point on everything else. Plus, enjoy valuable travel protections on your travel expenses.
• The Platinum Card® from American Express ($695 annual fee; see rates and fees): Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards Points after spending $8,000 in the first six months. Earn 5 points per dollar on airfare booked directly with airlines and enjoy perks like Priority Pass membership, Delta Sky Club access (Effective February 1, 2025: Eligible Platinum Card Members will receive 10 Visits per Eligible Platinum Card per year to the Delta Sky Club or to Grab and Go when traveling on a same-day Delta-operated flight), Centurion Lounge access, and over $1,400 in annual statement credits for prepaid hotels, Equinox, Clear Plus membership, select digital entertainment programs, incidental airline fees, and Uber rides. Enrollment is required for some benefits.
• Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card ($95 annual fee): Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months. Earn 2 miles per dollar on all purchases, redeemable directly for travel or transferable to various airline partners.
• Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ($395 annual fee): Earn 75,000 bonus miles after spending $4,000 in the first three months. Earn 10 miles per dollar on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, 5 miles on flights booked through Capital One Travel, and 2 miles on all other eligible purchases. Includes a $300 annual statement credit for bookings through Capital One Travel and complimentary access to Capital One lounges.
• Citi Premier® Card ($95 annual fee; see rates and fees): Earn 60,000 bonus points after spending $4,000 in the first three months. Earn 3 ThankYou points per dollar on air travel, hotels, gas stations, restaurants, and supermarkets, and 1 ThankYou point per dollar on all other purchases.

For more information on how these programs can help you book awards across major airlines, check out the following posts:

• Top options for redeeming Amex points: Star Alliance, Oneworld, SkyTeam.
• Top options for redeeming Chase points: Star Alliance, Oneworld, SkyTeam.
• Top options for redeeming Citi points: Star Alliance, Oneworld, SkyTeam.
• Top options for redeeming Capital One miles: Star Alliance, Oneworld, SkyTeam.
• Top options for redeeming Marriott points: Star Alliance, Oneworld, SkyTeam.

Final thoughts

Star Alliance provides the widest range of flight options to Denmark, with its member airline SAS serving as the country's national carrier. Oneworld and SkyTeam also offer numerous one-stop flight alternatives through airlines like Finnair and Air France. No matter which airline alliance you prefer or which flexible rewards you've accumulated, you'll find ample opportunities to reach Denmark using points.