MilesBuzz! - Need assistance booking award - confused

Hello Flyers,

I'm a newbie to booking award travel, I've been collecting for a while. I need to get to Russia in September for adoption purposes (we are adopting two kiddos), and would GREATLY appreciate some help here to book two tickets on super savers hopefully.

Here is my itinerary:

Depart 09/14 or 09/15
Return 09/19, 09/20, or 09/21

Flying out of SFO - San Francisco, CA.

To: Moscow, Russia ( SVO or DME )

My mileage balances:

United - 140k
Delta - 220k
AMEX MR - 60k
US Airways - 55k
AA - 37k

United is giving me 85k RT, but Delta is 125k per RT. Please any advise how to get to Russia best?

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If there is availability, AA would be 30K miles one way; so you could use AA miles in one direction, and UA miles in the other.

How would I check on AA? Should I use ExpertFlyer too?

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You can use aa.com to check availability via LHR, using BA for the LHR-DME segment. But if you want to avoid using BA because of the fuel surcharges, call AA, and they can check availability on AY and S7.

You can also try Aeroflot out of LAX with Delta miles

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Note that AA charges a $75 close-in booking fee, for award tickets booked less than 21 days in advance. Not sure if UA or DL has a similar fee.

I believe UA treats Russia as part of Europe, in which case you can go RT in Y for 60,000 per passenger, if Saver Awards are available. You would also get a one free stopover and also an open jaw.

Do you guys use ExpertFlyer? That's what everyone seems to be recommending

Do you guys use ExpertFlyer? That's what everyone seems to be recommending
A lot of us use the KVS Tool. http://www.kvstool.com/

It's a more "raw" interface and depends on the airlines' own search engines for results but it works pretty darned well.

Do you guys use ExpertFlyer? That's what everyone seems to be recommending

A lot of us use the KVS Tool. http://www.kvstool.com/

It's a more "raw" interface and depends on the airlines' own search engines for results but it works pretty darned well.

Which one you use depends very much on what you're looking for in a tool and what types of data sources you want. A recent podcast episode talked about them, comparing those two and a few others (http://pointshoarder.com/2012/08/23/pointshoarder-9-reward-tools-and-routing-methods/).

Nearly all of the data served up by KVS is publicly available for free. So if you don't want to pay for it you don't have to. Most of the data on EF comes from paid contracts with GDSes and other proprietary sources. That actually limits the data in some ways and enhances it in others.

If you're just looking for award searches there are a few other tools available, too. If you want *A (via United) or OW (via Qantas) searches and alerts for free there's always my tools (http://www.wandr.me/). AwardNexus.com, FliSea.com and a few others are out there, too. Each has its benefits and limitations.

I can see a *A itinerary on the 15th for the outbound. It is not pretty (SFO-DEN-FRA-VKO with an 8 hour layover in FRA or SFO-DEN-FRA-DUS-VKO getting in 5 hours earlier) but it is available.

Hello Flyers,

I'm a newbie to booking award travel, I've been collecting for a while. I need to get to Russia in September for adoption purposes (we are adopting two kiddos), and would GREATLY appreciate some help here to book two tickets on super savers hopefully.

Here is my itinerary:

Depart 09/14 or 09/15
Return 09/19, 09/20, or 09/21

Flying out of SFO - San Francisco, CA.

To: Moscow, Russia ( SVO or DME )

My mileage balances:

United - 140k
Delta - 220k
AMEX MR - 60k
US Airways - 55k
AA - 37k

United is giving me 85k RT, but Delta is 125k per RT. Please any advise how to get to Russia best?

Both AA and UA book award travel on a one-way basis (e.g., a saver award USA-Europe is 60,000 [AA 40,000 in off-season], so it's 30,000 [or 20,000] each way). Among other things, this makes it possible to use AA miles in one direction and UA in the other. The UA website is better than AA's as far as checking for award travel on partner airlines is concerned. I suggest visiting the UA website and looking for saver award travel on LX, LH, SK and OS. For many AA partners, you will need to call to check availability, but you can at lease check the schedules online so you know what flights (IB, AY, AB) you would be interested in.

For many AA partners, you will need to call to check availability, but you can at lease check the schedules online so you know what flights (IB, AY, AB) you would be interested in.
Or just set up an account on the Qantas site and search there, calling in once you have found the open inventory. :-:

I booked 2 RT from SFO-SVO in business for 100k each on Delta, flying through CDG.

Or just set up an account on the Qantas site and search there, calling in once you have found the open inventory. :-:

+1 In addition to Qantas, I also use BA, but they have both given me problems at times...this way I have multiple tools to check space.

I booked 2 RT from SFO-SVO in business for 100k each on Delta, flying through CDG.

What fare code do you use on ExperFlyer to search for business class? 100k wow, Delta.com was giving me 125k in COACH RT.

I've never ever flown business, don't want to give up more miles/$ for a few hours...

What fare code do you use on ExperFlyer to search for business class? 100k wow, Delta.com was giving me 125k in COACH RT.

I've never ever flown business, don't want to give up more miles/$ for a few hours...

You were looking at peak economy, and he was looking at low business.
http://dmn.delta.com/skymiles/direct/charts/us49/

To be honest, I find business/first is more than just the few hours on a plane. Not only is your plane ride a better experience, but it becomes an extension of your vacation. Rather than dreading the flight there and back, I now look forward to flights like this...especially first class. Additionally, I find that where there is a significant time difference, that flying in a premium cabin increases the amount of time I have to enjoy at my destination because I'm spending less time adjusting to the time difference thanks to a good sleep on the flight. Of course, one has to decide whether that is also true for them and/or if it's worth it vs. more trips in economy.

Try these:

12 Sep DL30 via JFK (6:20 AM - 9:55 AM); 19 Sep DL31 SVO to SFO via JFK (11:40 AM to 7:36 PM) for 90,000 plus $53.74. All bookings were in Economy. Go to DL website and plug in those informations. Good luck and fly safe!

Review Itinerary

You selected these flights:
Outbound
Wed 12 Sep 2012
|
6:20am
SFO
to
9:55am
SVO
|
1-stop
|
Delta 30

Show Details
6:20am

SFO

9:55am
13SEP

SVO

1-stop 16 h 35 m

JFK Change Planes

Delta 30
Economy

Return
Wed 19 Sep 2012
|
11:40am
SVO
to
7:36pm
SFO
|
1-stop
|
Delta 31

Show Details
11:40am

SVO

7:36pm

SFO

1-stop 18 h 56 m

JFK Change Planes

Delta 31
Economy

In-Flight services and amenities may vary and are subject to change.

Award Tickets cannot be redeposited or changed within 72 hours of scheduled flight departure time.

Total Miles required: 90,000

Total purchase price including Taxes/Carrier-imposed Fees (USD) : $ 53.74

Duplicated entry

Ya thanks, I called Delta yesterday and got 2 tix for 60k SFO-MSP-IAD-AMS-SVO and back on KLM. 60k per ticket, thanks guys!!!

Ya thanks, I called Delta yesterday and got 2 tix for 60k SFO-MSP-IAD-AMS-SVO and back on KLM. 60k per ticket, thanks guys!!!

^ enjoy!

Ya thanks, I called Delta yesterday and got 2 tix for 60k SFO-MSP-IAD-AMS-SVO and back on KLM. 60k per ticket, thanks guys!!!

That's a good deal, especially on relatively short notice. I had a very pleasant economy award flight on KLM (IAD-AMS-STR) a couple of years ago. Enjoy your trip!

So I had the bulk of the Delta miles in my account, but my wife has like 90K in her account too. For the next trip, I may have to utilize both accounts, how would that work? I don't want us to be put on separate flights, is it easier booking with an agent with one Delta account where the miles come from?

What fare code do you use on ExperFlyer to search for business class? 100k wow, Delta.com was giving me 125k in COACH RT.

I've never ever flown business, don't want to give up more miles/$ for a few hours...

There is a STICKY in DL forum specifically address the HOW TO search for low level business class award on PARTNERS. Go there, read the post 1 several times, read the last couple months of posts and I am sure you would be able to learn something, and eventually find yourself a nice 100K award in business to Europe.

You can use the same concept to search for coach award.

The lowest coach award RT to Europe would always be 60k right? See I'd rather fly more, instead of in business. 40k extra miles for a few hours of comfort, personally to me is not worth it...

What fare code do you use on ExperFlyer to search for business class? 100k wow, Delta.com was giving me 125k in COACH RT.
You don't use EF for that search. ;)

Then what to use for that search?

You don't use EF for that search. ;)

There is a STICKY in DL forum specifically address the HOW TO search for low level business class award on PARTNERS. Go there, read the post 1 several times, read the last couple months of posts and I am sure you would be able to learn something, and eventually find yourself a nice 100K award in business to Europe.

You can use the same concept to search for coach award.

Congrats, but how are you bringing the kids back in that itenerary?

This is the first of three trips, we bring them back on the 3rd trip. That one will obviously have much less stops!

Congrats, but how are you bringing the kids back in that itenerary?