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The Definitive "How To Search for Low Tier Business Awards"

The Definitive "How To Search for Low Tier Business Awards"

Old Jul 28, 2012, 6:11 pm
  #1216  
 
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Originally Posted by roknroll
Add together one way low to S. Pacific and one way low from asia to N. America. The open jaw breaks apart the NZ and HKG. 75k+60k=135k. I also made the same mistake when I first looked at it, assuming it should be 150k.
I understand that 135k is the required number of miles at low level, my question was how was mtkeller able to convince the agent to price it as such, given that he/she started at 435k.
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Old Jul 28, 2012, 8:17 pm
  #1217  
 
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Originally Posted by michael_v
I understand that 135k is the required number of miles at low level, my question was how was mtkeller able to convince the agent to price it as such, given that he/she started at 435k.
I'm assuming that the low inventory was indeed there, just that each agent had various levels of competency in putting together the award. If done correctly it should have been 135k all along.
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Old Jul 29, 2012, 6:55 am
  #1218  
 
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Originally Posted by michael_v
I understand that 135k is the required number of miles at low level, my question was how was mtkeller able to convince the agent to price it as such, given that he/she started at 435k.
I never found an agent who could do it. I just clicked the Redeem button on DL.dumb, assuming I'd be amused/appalled to see how many miles DL.dumb wanted. Instead, DL.dumb gave me the proper 135K miles that no agent could come up with. This is the first instance I can think of where DL.dumb was able to price something properly that an agent couldn't. The only thing I can think of where an agent might have been involved was that my last call started with one agent who put me on hold. A few minutes later, there was a ring on the line and I started over with a new agent. Maybe, just maybe, that first agent who I lost did something behind the scenes to set the award level to 135K.

I think the big discover in all this is that there is a way for agents to see the pricing breakdown before ticketing, as I had an agent who told me exactly what was being charged for each portion. However, it seems not all agents were able/willing to do this. Still haven't had time to call about the taxes/fees. Hope to do that tomorrow.
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Old Jul 29, 2012, 8:41 am
  #1219  
 
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Originally Posted by mtkeller
I never found an agent who could do it. I just clicked the Redeem button on DL.dumb, assuming I'd be amused/appalled to see how many miles DL.dumb wanted. Instead, DL.dumb gave me the proper 135K miles that no agent could come up with. .
But how was delta.dumb able to find KE flights? Sorry for so many questions.
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Old Jul 29, 2012, 8:54 am
  #1220  
 
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Originally Posted by michael_v
But how was delta.dumb able to find KE flights? Sorry for so many questions.
DL.dumb didn't find them. I had agents put the whole thing on hold. The exact sequence was:
  • Hold NRT-ATL for seven days (awards originating in Asia can be held online for seven days)
  • Call in to have PVG-NRT and ATL-OMA added. Tried to add HKG-PVG on MU, but the flight I wanted that showed available in EF was not something the agent could acquire. Proceeded to ask about LAX-ICN-AKL and agent said LAX-ICN (KE18, the A380 flight) was not available. Thanked her and had award held while I considered options.
  • Called again and asked agent to check the KE flight again. She finds the space. Proceed to add OMA-SLC-LAX-ICN-AKL and agent finds an MU HKG-PVG flight she can get. Quoted 435K miles, then 390K, and then I need to go, so we keep it on hold. I can see all eight flights on DL.dumb.
  • Agent later in the day gets things down to 230K by pulling the enhanced elite availability in Y on OMA-SLC, but can't beat 230K (and won't call rates desk since she's been booking SkyMiles tickets for 14 years).
  • Agent starts and call semi-drops, with me being routed to another (I suspect non-elite) agent. Agent quotes me 310K and can't get anything better.
  • I realize hold time is now down to about zero, so I see what DL.dumb prices it at, and it gives me 135K + $700+ in taxes/fees.
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Old Jul 29, 2012, 9:46 am
  #1221  
 
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Amazing story. Thank you for taking the time to post!
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Old Jul 29, 2012, 5:09 pm
  #1222  
 
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Is there any possibility I can skip the first leg?
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Old Jul 29, 2012, 5:17 pm
  #1223  
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Originally Posted by superking

Is there any possibility I can skip the first leg?
By the rules, no. You already have an open jaw.

Might you get a nice agent at JFK to reinstate your itinerary after they cancel it due to the no show? Do you really want to risk it?

If you don't want to fly PHL-NYC on the award, cancel it off of both departure and return, and find another way to get back to PHL.
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Old Jul 29, 2012, 5:36 pm
  #1224  
 
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Originally Posted by 3Cforme
By the rules, no. You already have an open jaw.

Might you get a nice agent at JFK to reinstate your itinerary after they cancel it due to the no show? Do you really want to risk it?

If you don't want to fly PHL-NYC on the award, cancel it off of both departure and return, and find another way to get back to PHL.
Thanks. I think I might try to fly in on December 14th and spend a night/half of the day in NYC.
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Old Jul 29, 2012, 9:49 pm
  #1225  
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Originally Posted by mtkeller
DL.dumb didn't find them. I had agents put the whole thing on hold. The exact sequence was:
  • Hold NRT-ATL for seven days (awards originating in Asia can be held online for seven days)
  • Call in to have PVG-NRT and ATL-OMA added. Tried to add HKG-PVG on MU, but the flight I wanted that showed available in EF was not something the agent could acquire. Proceeded to ask about LAX-ICN-AKL and agent said LAX-ICN (KE18, the A380 flight) was not available. Thanked her and had award held while I considered options.
  • Called again and asked agent to check the KE flight again. She finds the space. Proceed to add OMA-SLC-LAX-ICN-AKL and agent finds an MU HKG-PVG flight she can get. Quoted 435K miles, then 390K, and then I need to go, so we keep it on hold. I can see all eight flights on DL.dumb.
  • Agent later in the day gets things down to 230K by pulling the enhanced elite availability in Y on OMA-SLC, but can't beat 230K (and won't call rates desk since she's been booking SkyMiles tickets for 14 years).
  • Agent starts and call semi-drops, with me being routed to another (I suspect non-elite) agent. Agent quotes me 310K and can't get anything better.
  • I realize hold time is now down to about zero, so I see what DL.dumb prices it at, and it gives me 135K + $700+ in taxes/fees.
+1 for your persistence
-1 to DL for making you jump through so many hoops
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Old Jul 30, 2012, 8:00 am
  #1226  
 
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And def post it in the award ticket success thread. That's one of the better awards I have seen redeemed. How much was the ticket AKL-HKG? Or are you using a one way award on another airline? That's a loooong flight for to purchase a coach ticket on, and probably not cheap!
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Old Jul 30, 2012, 10:03 am
  #1227  
 
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Originally Posted by roknroll
And def post it in the award ticket success thread. That's one of the better awards I have seen redeemed. How much was the ticket AKL-HKG? Or are you using a one way award on another airline? That's a loooong flight for to purchase a coach ticket on, and probably not cheap!
I'll post in the award success thread once I get a chance to call about taxes/fees, since I know there's too much YQ/YR on there right now.

Plan #1 to close the OJ is 45K AA miles for QF J to SYD from somewhere in NZ and then on from SYD to HKG in F on the A380. In the event that inventory disappears before I get my AA bonus miles, I'll go with Plan #2: Transfer MR points to SQ and redeem for F on AKL-SIN-HKG with SQ, since they don't yet fly Suites aircraft to AKL and there are aircraft with non-Suite F doing SIN-HKG.
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Old Jul 31, 2012, 4:37 pm
  #1228  
 
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SEA-->NBO Award Flight Issues

I posted in the main thread and think it probably should have been moved here, so here's my dilema:

I am trying to book an award flight to Africa and had a quick question. Currently there is not award availability showing for Seattle (SEA) to Nairobo (NBO) for the dates I want, and that is the response I get from the phone sales agent as well. However, when I look at Delta for SEA to AMS I find availability, and then when I look at Air France's Flying Blue I find economy classic award availability for 25,000 miles from AMS to NBO (flight KL565).

Likewise on the return segment I find Air France availability through their Flying Blue calendar for Classic Business award availablity for 50,000 for NBO (KQ104) --> LHR (KL1030) ---> AMS.

Why would the agent not be able to see these seats?

The 'classic' award fares on Air France's website are bookable through Delta correct?

Any help?
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Old Aug 1, 2012, 3:13 pm
  #1229  
 
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Was this correct?

or could it have been done better?
Any advice will save me some bother next time;

After getting a subscription to EF, I searched KLM and found the BE award ORD-AMS-FCO-AMS-ORD at 100k skymiles.
Then I called DL to book the award for Mrs. dd.

I asked whether we could add MSP-ORD to the outbound and ORD-MSP to the inbound, but the rep wanted an additional 25k skymiles.

So, I had to make separate paid reservations for MSP-ORD-MSP.

Is this normal practice?

Or did they rep do something wrong.

I do know that there is 1 stop at FCO only, no stopovers at ORD or AMS.

Now this caused other problems: baggage fees for MSP-ORD + fees for EC seats.


Any help?
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Old Aug 1, 2012, 4:17 pm
  #1230  
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MSP-ORD-AMS-FCO fits within the MPM of the fare and does not exceed the segment limit. With no stopovers that should have priced as a 100K r/t Business award with all segments in low band.

Last edited by 3Cforme; Aug 1, 2012 at 5:52 pm
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