SkyTeam - European Stop-over for *A and Skyteam awards

Does anyone have any creative ideas for coordinating a trip using *A and skyteam award tickets?
We will be traveling Nyc/Phl to Tlv and want to stop in a European city for a few days. I cannot seem to find any one city that serves as a stop for both alliances to Tlv.
Most of the tickets will be Skyteam and two members of the party will be *A.
Thanks in advance.

It really depends on the rules of the programs in question as the stopover rules vary by carrier, not by alliance. But you will not get everyone on non-stops from both alliances since their hubs are in different places.

Since the stopovers typically have to be in the airline's hub city, I really don't see how this is going to work - at least on any nonstop flights out of TLV. None of the *A and ST airlines share a hub and don't think it would work by adding a connecting flight somewhere.

Best thing would probably try to get to 2 hubs fairly close together and have someone fly (or train) to the other city. For example, someone could fly BD out of TLV to LHR and the other person fly AF to CDG. Then meet up in one of the 2 cities. Doesn't look like any of the ST hubs (CDG, FCO, or AMS) are all that close to any *A cities though.

I am actually interested in doing it ex-usa on the way to TLV. I guess Iwas hoping for a stop over city on one of the alliances that can be reached via a two city stop on the second alliance, if possible. Right now it looks like using Brussels and Amsterdam would work if we were to meet up....

Since the stopovers typically have to be in the airline's hub city,
And this is why I was saying that it depends on the carrier. CO does not enforce that at all for their stopovers.

And this is why I was saying that it depends on the carrier. CO does not enforce that at all for their stopovers.

and conversely, I don't think AF-KL ever allow stopovers on award tickets (they allow open jaws within a zone though which can be useful too, and single tickets for 1/2 the miles 'price' of a return which is great).

If you are using DL or CO miles on AF, AZ, or KL you should be able to take 1 stopover either coming or going. I have taken a stopover in CDG before when flying AF - using DL miles.

From www.continental.com:
Stopovers: One free stopover allowed along the most direct route

From www.delta.com:
One stopover is allowed per Award.

From www.continental.com:
Stopovers: One free stopover allowed along the most direct route

They really do not enforce the "most direct route" bit on CO. That, or they think that Southhampton, UK is on the most direct route from IST to NYC. But I think it is the former, not the latter. ;)

Thanks for all the advice. Question- on a JFK-TLV flight on KLM,AF, or AZ, does the European gateway count as the stop or are you saying some will allow another stop in addition to the official stop-over on that route?

Thanks for all the advice. Question- on a JFK-TLV flight on KLM,AF, or AZ, does the European gateway count as the stop or are you saying some will allow another stop in addition to the official stop-over on that route?

It depends on the program from which the miles are taken.

Thanks again. Right now it looks like I'll be using AZ Millemiglia, so I will try to clarify what their rules are.

6.10 For each Reward, a maximum of two (2) involuntary transfers at intermediary airports between the point of departure and destination are allowed. Stop overs are not allowed. For travel itineraries that require the use of more than one SkyTeam Airline company, view the appropriate Sky Team Rewards table available on the Internet website www.alitalia.com and/or in the Guide.

full text here (http://www.alitalia.com/en_en/millemiglia/newmillemiglia08/regulations08.htm)

{speculation mod on}

Can't one route it like PHL (a *A hub)->Skyteam hub->*A hub->TLV? Or JFK (a ST hub)->*A hub in Europe->Skyteam hub->TLV?

Say, US from PHL to CDG, then fly LH via MUC to TLV? Does that give you a stopover in Paris in whatever *A FFP you're trying to use? The other party would fly Skyteam via CDG

Or DL from JFK to LHR (stopover) then fly AF via CDG to TLV? The other party would fly *A via LHR

{speculation mod off}

{speculation mod on}

Can't one route it like PHL (a *A hub)->Skyteam hub->*A hub->TLV? Or JFK (a ST hub)->*A hub in Europe->Skyteam hub->TLV?

Say, US from PHL to CDG, then fly LH via MUC to TLV? Does that give you a stopover in Paris in whatever *A FFP you're trying to use? The other party would fly Skyteam via CDG

Or DL from JFK to LHR (stopover) then fly AF via CDG to TLV? The other party would fly *A via LHR

{speculation mod off}

This is more like the creative idea I was looking for,apoivre!!! Do you see any way to route through Switzerland? I will have to double check if the airline will allow this kind of routing on an award ticket, though.

You mean something like JFK-DL-ZRH-AF-CDG-AF-TLV? :D