Looking for some direction on using miles to visit daughter at end of year

We’re planning a trip to see our daughter in Italy over the Christmas/New Years holidays. Her husband is Army just outside VCE. Done this a couple times using UA to go over and AA to return. I have:

158,600 and
47,700 UA miles in each account

172,000 and
192,400 AA miles in each account

21,300 and
34,000 Delta miles in each account

88,000 UR points

67,278 American Express points

I can find good itinerary on UA (LH) to go on Dec. 14 DTW-FRA-VCE. I’ve done this before for my daughter.

The return isn’t so straightforward. Harder to find dates in Business. I’ve booked VCE-FRA-EWR-DTW with the idea I can adjust/cancel in 24 hours.

It's 70K miles each ticket in UA Business because they are using LH.

Here’s my questions:
1. I’ve read that UA allows stopovers and I may get another one way out of an itinerary. I’m asking for your help because I’m pinched with time to study this further as seats are disappearing for the holidays.

2. Should I be looking at other partners with these miles?

If you can send me in a direction to search I’d appreciate it. I have used Iberia with AA and LH with UA but haven’t explored a wide-range of partner options.

if they still have them, UA only allows a stopover on a RT, but it can be an open jaw. So, if the routing was allowed, you could continue to LAX on another day, for example. you have to call to get the stopover. the issue will likely be DTW, as it is not a normal routing for most UA flights. Ex., EWR-LAX probably doesn't route via DTW. You cannot backtack on a stopover. So you can't go VCE-FRA-EWR-LHR. I tried to work out the extra flight once and gave up.

Thanks for taking the time to write, Elaine. Those are details I didn't know but are good to know Yes I guess DTW will be a problem.

I'm so cheap I try to squeeze the most possibilities out of my miles. "Free" is always a nice bonus. When I think of what I'd look for I'm coming up blank Our situation is we don't have any plans or desires to go anywhere else besides Italy and our time in Florida and HHI from Feb. - April.

The Army keeps us guessing on what DD and SIL will be doing or where they will be after the beginning of the year.

IMHO, business class to Europe during Christmas for 70K each way doesn't sound too bad. But, you could fly home in coach, as it's not an overnight flight. For a daytime flight from Europe, I don't mind coach to save the miles.

elaine said:

IMHO, business class to Europe during Christmas for 70K each way doesn't sound too bad. But, you could fly home in coach, as it's not an overnight flight. For a daytime flight from Europe, I don't mind coach to save the miles.

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We've done that using AA since we're Gold and we get the comfort section.

Business is a treat

Ba have the open skied flights out of Paris that are also worth looking at