ANA Award - Phantom Awards?
Jul 16, 2017, 9:20 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Posts: 41
ANA Award - Phantom Awards?
Hi All,
I am looking to book a roundtrip business class flight from IAD-AKL for June 2018. Right now I am seeing award availability for a good number of days for 120,000 roundtrip miles. I plan on transferring in AMEX membership rewards points, but I have heard people talk about phantom award space on ANA. None of the trips I see have a "Waitlisted" sign on the top corner of the flights.
Just want to check if this means I am clear to transfer points in and book online, or is it necessary for me to call in to ANA to confirm availability. If anyone has experience with booking an award flight and it not being available, I'd like to hear!
Thanks!
I am looking to book a roundtrip business class flight from IAD-AKL for June 2018. Right now I am seeing award availability for a good number of days for 120,000 roundtrip miles. I plan on transferring in AMEX membership rewards points, but I have heard people talk about phantom award space on ANA. None of the trips I see have a "Waitlisted" sign on the top corner of the flights.
Just want to check if this means I am clear to transfer points in and book online, or is it necessary for me to call in to ANA to confirm availability. If anyone has experience with booking an award flight and it not being available, I'd like to hear!
Thanks!
Jul 22, 2017, 8:19 pm
#2
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: IAH
Programs: Marriott Plat, Hyatt Globalist, DL Plat, UA Silver
Posts: 4,043
If you're checking the space on ANA's site than you're okay. If you're checking on UA than yes phantom is possible and it's happened to me before.
Always go by NH's site.
Always go by NH's site.
Jul 22, 2017, 10:00 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: Marriott LT Plat; WoH Exp; AS Gold; AA Plat
Posts: 369
Hi All,
I am looking to book a roundtrip business class flight from IAD-AKL for June 2018. Right now I am seeing award availability for a good number of days for 120,000 roundtrip miles. I plan on transferring in AMEX membership rewards points, but I have heard people talk about phantom award space on ANA. None of the trips I see have a "Waitlisted" sign on the top corner of the flights.
Just want to check if this means I am clear to transfer points in and book online, or is it necessary for me to call in to ANA to confirm availability. If anyone has experience with booking an award flight and it not being available, I'd like to hear!
Thanks!
I am looking to book a roundtrip business class flight from IAD-AKL for June 2018. Right now I am seeing award availability for a good number of days for 120,000 roundtrip miles. I plan on transferring in AMEX membership rewards points, but I have heard people talk about phantom award space on ANA. None of the trips I see have a "Waitlisted" sign on the top corner of the flights.
Just want to check if this means I am clear to transfer points in and book online, or is it necessary for me to call in to ANA to confirm availability. If anyone has experience with booking an award flight and it not being available, I'd like to hear!
Thanks!
Jul 30, 2017, 10:58 pm
#5
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
Just booked a Round Trip F SFO-NRT for 150,000 mils through ANA.
Was looking at UA, but combination of incomplete inventory (relative to ANA offerings to their members) and high number of miles required made me look elsewhere.
Virgin Atlantic looked ideal - much lower cost (in transferred MR points), but did not have access to the same inventory as ANA members.
Opened an ANA account, transferred 150,000 MR points, waited ~36 hours, and then fortunately inventory was still available for ANA members for my desired flight.
I would not pay $20,000 for this ticket, but I feel like I got a fair deal at 150,000 MR points.
Was looking at UA, but combination of incomplete inventory (relative to ANA offerings to their members) and high number of miles required made me look elsewhere.
Virgin Atlantic looked ideal - much lower cost (in transferred MR points), but did not have access to the same inventory as ANA members.
Opened an ANA account, transferred 150,000 MR points, waited ~36 hours, and then fortunately inventory was still available for ANA members for my desired flight.
I would not pay $20,000 for this ticket, but I feel like I got a fair deal at 150,000 MR points.
Aug 8, 2017, 4:07 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: Watergate
Posts: 94
What? I was about to take advantage of VA's rates. They don't have the same ticketing ability? I know the VA site doesn't show ANA stuff but the agents can't even book for you?
Aug 14, 2017, 5:34 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: San Francisco Bay Area
Posts: 5,825
"What ANA award availability does Virgin Atlantic have access to?
While you can’t search or book ANA awards using Virgin Atlantic miles online, Virgin Atlantic should have access to the same award availability as all of ANA’s other partner airlines. So perhaps the easiest website to use for searching availability is United’s, though if you prefer you can use ANA’s website, Aeroplan’s website, etc."
http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...tic-miles-ana/
Aug 15, 2017, 10:22 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sunny AZ
Programs: HH Diamond, Sixt Platinum, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott/SPG Gold .....
Posts: 3,213
Mar 15, 2018, 11:34 pm
#9
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 5
Hi there, I currently have 1 F ticket LAX-NRT (28 APR) with a return HND-LAX (12 MAY) and 1 ticket for my wife in Y, same itinerary, both whichi used VS miles for. I am trying to change her flight to J just on the outbound because i see availability. Expert Flyer shows a seat, as does ANA's own site. However, VS cant see it and i also see nothing on UA website. I really don't want to call Virgin every day. I thought maybe they were only looking one way, which ANA doesnt allow for awards, but did some hypothetical round trips with my outbound and still nothing! Any ideas on where else to look to see true J availability or anything else i should say to the Virgin reps when i call?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Mar 16, 2018, 1:52 pm
#10
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Worldwide
Posts: 12,949
Hi there, I currently have 1 F ticket LAX-NRT (28 APR) with a return HND-LAX (12 MAY) and 1 ticket for my wife in Y, same itinerary, both whichi used VS miles for. I am trying to change her flight to J just on the outbound because i see availability. Expert Flyer shows a seat, as does ANA's own site. However, VS cant see it and i also see nothing on UA website. I really don't want to call Virgin every day. I thought maybe they were only looking one way, which ANA doesnt allow for awards, but did some hypothetical round trips with my outbound and still nothing! Any ideas on where else to look to see true J availability or anything else i should say to the Virgin reps when i call?
As the moment, the only Partner Award Availability on that flight is in Y, so VS Agents are correct:
[KVS Tool 8.8.4/Diamond - Awards/AC-StarAlliance/CA-Auto]
Code:
LAX Los Angeles Intl CA US [KLAX]
NRT Tokyo Narita Intl JP [RJAA]
SAT 28 Apr 2018 | 1 Seat
Carrier Flight From Depart To Arrive A/C St Award Availability
--------- ------ ---- -------- ---- -------- --- -- ------------------
UA 32 LAX 11:40 NRT 15:20 +1 789 0 YS+
NH 5 LAX 12:35 NRT 16:25 +1 77W 0 YS+
UA 495 LAX 05:45 DEN 09:05 753 0 YS+
-> UA 143 DEN 12:35 NRT 15:20 +1 788 0 YS+
UA 393 LAX 07:50 DEN 11:18 752 0 YS+
-> UA 143 DEN 12:35 NRT 15:20 +1 788 0 YS+
UA 1431 LAX 14:07 HNL 17:00 753 0 YS+
-> UA 903 HNL 10:15 +1 NRT 13:25 +2 777 0 CS+
OZ 201 LAX 12:10 ICN 17:35 +1 388 0 FS+ CS+ YS+
-> OZ 108 ICN 18:50 +1 NRT 21:10 +1 321 0 YS+
UA 414 LAX 06:48 SFO 08:22 738 0 YS+
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 NRT 14:35 +1 77W 0 YS+
UA 1294 LAX 08:20 SFO 10:08 738 0 YS+
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 NRT 14:35 +1 77W 0 YS+
UA 460 LAX 16:27 SFO 17:57 738 0 YS+
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 +1 NRT 14:35 +2 77W 0 YS+
UA 481 LAX 17:55 SFO 19:24 320 0 YS+
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 +1 NRT 14:35 +2 77W 0 YS+
UA 283 LAX 19:53 SFO 21:23 738 0 YS+
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 +1 NRT 14:35 +2 77W 0 YS+
UA 398 LAX 22:55 SFO 00:25 +1 738 0 YS+
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 +1 NRT 14:35 +2 77W 0 YS+
AC 551 LAX 06:55 YVR 09:44 320 0 CS+
-> AC 3 YVR 13:25 NRT 15:15 +1 789 0 YS+
AC 557 LAX 17:55 YVR 20:41 319 0 CS+
-> AC 3 YVR 13:25 +1 NRT 15:15 +2 789 0 YS+
AC 579 LAX 20:55 YYC 01:03 +1 320 0 CS+
-> AC 9 YYC 12:50 +1 NRT 14:35 +2 763 0 YS+
UA 325 LAX 22:56 LAS 00:13 +1 738 0 FS+
-> UA 728 LAS 05:45 +1 SFO 07:19 +1 320 0 YS+
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 +1 NRT 14:35 +2 77W 0 YS+
UA 5675 LAX 06:15 SAN 07:14 E7W 0 YS+
-> UA 593 SAN 08:18 DEN 11:40 320 0 YS+
-> UA 143 DEN 12:35 NRT 15:20 +1 788 0 YS+
UA 1568 LAX 18:47 SAN 19:40 738 0 FS+
-> UA 2235 SAN 06:20 +1 SFO 07:59 +1 320 0 YS+
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 +1 NRT 14:35 +2 77W 0 YS+
UA 1568 LAX 18:47 SAN 19:40 738 0 FS+
-> UA 662 SAN 07:51 +1 SFO 09:31 +1 738 0 YS+
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 +1 NRT 14:35 +2 77W 0 YS+
Code:
LAX Los Angeles Intl CA US [KLAX]
NRT Tokyo Narita Intl JP [RJAA]
SAT 28 Apr 2018 | 1 Seat
Carrier Flight From Depart To Arrive A/C St Award Availability
--------- ------ ---- -------- ---- -------- --- -- ------------------
NH 175 LAX 11:35 NRT 15:25 +1 77W FS@ CS@ YS+
UA 32 LAX 11:40 NRT 15:20 +1 789 YS+
NH 5 LAX 12:35 NRT 16:25 +1 77W FS@ CS+ YS+
UA 495 LAX 05:45 DEN 09:05 753 YS+
-> UA 143 DEN 12:35 NRT 15:20 +1 788
UA 393 LAX 07:50 DEN 11:18 752 YS+
-> UA 143 DEN 12:35 NRT 15:20 +1 788
OZ 201 LAX 12:10 ICN 17:35 +1 388 YS+
-> OZ 108 ICN 18:50 +1 NRT 21:10 +1 321
UA 414 LAX 06:48 SFO 08:22 738 YS+
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 NRT 14:35 +1 77W
UA 1294 LAX 08:20 SFO 10:08 738 YS+
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 NRT 14:35 +1 77W
UA 325 LAX 22:56 LAS 00:13 +1 738 YS+
-> UA 728 LAS 05:45 +1 SFO 07:19 +1 320
-> UA 837 SFO 11:30 +1 NRT 14:35 +2 77W
UA 198 LAX 12:50 PVG 17:45 +1 789 YS+
-> NH 940 PVG 13:20 +2 NGO 16:45 +2 737
-> NH 338 NGO 07:40 +3 NRT 08:50 +3 763
UA 398 LAX 22:55 SFO 00:25 +1 738 YS+
-> UA 993 SFO 06:20 +1 SEA 08:35 +1 738
-> NH 177 SEA 13:20 +1 NRT 15:40 +2 789
Mar 17, 2018, 1:19 pm
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Worldwide
Posts: 12,949