Edinburgh (EDI) is the third-busiest UK airport and sees direct US service from JFK (Delta seasonal), Newark (United seasonal), and Boston (JetBlue seasonal). Outside the May-October window, the only direct option is JetBlue's seasonal Boston-Edinburgh service. For most of the year, awards route through London Heathrow, Reykjavik, or Dublin.
Award routings: best paths in 2026
| Routing | Mile cost (each way business) | Cash YQ |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Delta JFK-EDI on Flying Blue Promo Reward | ~75,000-90,000 Flying Blue | ~$310 |
| Direct United EWR-EDI on MileagePlus saver | ~60,000-77,000 (dynamic) | ~$5.60 |
| Direct JetBlue BOS-EDI via TrueBlue | ~25,000-40,000 TrueBlue (Mint dynamic) | ~$30 |
| Via LHR (BA) on Avios — separate ticket EDI-LHR via Avios short-haul | ~9,000-13,000 Avios + main fare | ~$200 (BA YQ) |
| Via KEF (Icelandair) on Alaska Mileage Plan (post-March 2021 Oneworld) | ~50,000-65,000 Alaska | ~$50 (Icelandair YQ low) |
| Via DUB (Aer Lingus) on Avios | ~25,000-40,000 Avios | ~$80-$120 (Aer Lingus YQ low) |
The "fly to Heathrow, then short-haul" play
For travelers anchored on Avios (BA Executive Club, Iberia Plus, or Aer Lingus AerClub), the cheapest path to Edinburgh is often:
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- Book a US-LHR business award on Avios (~50,000-85,000 Avios + £400+ YQ)
- Book a separate LHR-EDI Reward Flight Saver award (~9,000 Avios + £1)
The catch: the £400+ YQ on the trans-Atlantic Avios award is the dealbreaker. Most points travelers should book the trans-Atlantic via a different program (Aer Lingus AerClub, AAdvantage, or LifeMiles via Lufthansa-LHR-EDI) and use Avios only for the short-haul Edinburgh segment.
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Hotels in Edinburgh on points
- The Caledonian (Waldorf Astoria): ~85,000-95,000 Hilton points/night.
- The Balmoral (Marriott Luxury Collection): Category 8, ~85,000 Bonvoy points/night.
- Sheraton Grand Edinburgh: Category 6, ~50,000-60,000 Bonvoy points/night with One Spa next door.
- Hilton Edinburgh Carlton: Standard tier, ~60,000-80,000 Hilton points/night.
- Crowne Plaza Edinburgh - Royal Terrace: ~40,000-55,000 IHG points/night.
The Icelandair-via-Reykjavik sleeper
Icelandair joined the Alaska Mileage Plan partner ecosystem (Alaska is now part of Oneworld since March 2021, but Icelandair remains a non-alliance partner). Booking US-KEF-EDI on Alaska Mileage Plan at 50,000-65,000 miles each way business class with low Icelandair YQ is a sleeper sweet spot — especially because Icelandair allows free stopovers in Reykjavik for up to 7 days.
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The catch: only Bilt Rewards transfers to Alaska Mileage Plan among the major flexible-points currencies. Marriott Bonvoy 3:1 with the 5,000-mile bonus per 60,000 transferred is the next path.
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Bottom line
For summer travel (May-October), book direct US-Edinburgh awards via Delta (Flying Blue Promo Reward) or United (MileagePlus saver). Off-season, the cleanest path is Aer Lingus via Dublin on Avios, or Icelandair via Reykjavik on Alaska Mileage Plan. Avoid Avios trans-Atlantic awards on BA metal — the £400+ YQ destroys what would otherwise be a competitive mile cost.
Search Edinburgh award flights on Pointify →
Last verified by the Pointify research team on May 1, 2026, against current Flying Blue, MileagePlus, JetBlue TrueBlue, Avios, and Alaska Mileage Plan award rates. Direct US-Edinburgh service is seasonal; verify schedule and award space before transferring miles.
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