jfadool

I usually consider myself a fairly somewhat savvy traveler and flight booker however this reservation is kicking me around.

Details:
I am trying to get 2 first/business from GSP to HNL some time in February. I would love to fly the A330 from ATL to HNL on at least one direction. I have ~250k SkyMiles and my Fiancée has ~100k. She is FO I am a GM not sure that really matters.

From the searching I have done it looks like I can easily get one of us there on miles and then just out of pocket the other. However is there a better way of trying to do this? upgradable fares? pay with miles? really strange routings? book on a partner airline?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

rylan

You can upgrade from a K fare or higher, but the problem will be availability. If you are flexible you may be able to find some dates where the ATL-HNL leg has OP inventory... but you have to call and ask and agent to check. Some may be willing, while others not so much.

AKC6

The vaunted award booking engine often suggests some really strange routings without any prompting .

I've had some success with ATL-HNL Sunday outbound or Friday return (you're coming when others are going, and v.v.), but waiting is a gamble. When are you going, and how long are you (rather, y'all) comfortable waiting?

You might try Alaska Air through SEA, but reports are that its FC has gone downhill. But then DL's West Coast - HNL 767's are no great shakes, either.

Otherwise, you can try for a flatbed flight to or from ATL and the West Coast, but I'm with you--the A330 is worth trying for, especially the overnight return.

FlyDeltaJets87

Although I haven't personally flown ATL-HNL in F (I have twice in Y when it was operated using a 767-400), definitely try to go via ATL, especially for the return, if you can get FC, as this will be a BE equipped A330 with the lie-flat seats.

Finding even one ticket in "Low" (now "Saver"), may be difficult (but you can always try searching for just one ticket to see if any "Savers" show up, book it, then book the other in medium). Medium (now "Standard") is 80,000 miles each way, which may be more easy to find, amd would be 160,000 miles each, or 320,000 miles total (well, that's what it should be - how delta.com prices it out is always a different story). You can always look into have your fiance transfer you the miles you need ($0.01/mile plus a "transfer fee", I think $30 or $40).

Speaking from someone who tried that for their honeymoon last year (and now "Upgrade with miles" is becoming a crap shoot, with "married segment" logic playing a factor now), that option is likely to prove unsuccessful if OP wants to get confirmed into first class at the time of booking. DL doesn't release a lot of advance OP on this route. That's actually why I ended up on AA for my honeymoon (via DFW with the 767-300), as DL could only "wait-list" us. I didn't want to play upgrade roulette and get stuck in Y. Instead, we found a great P fare on AA and didn't look back.

jfadool

Well I was looking around and I pieced together a booking GSP>ATL>SFO>HNL then HNL>ATL>GSP on the return. It is pricing out at 135k miles per person so in a month I should have enough miles for both of us.

Side note: how are the 757s with the "Sleeper Seats" Its a 4x4 configuration on the SFO>HNL leg

rylan

Pretty lucky if they're using the BE equipment for SFO-HNL, as it is lightyears ahead of the standard domestic F... even if you get the recliner version and not the updated one with lay-flat seats.

AKC6

That's a great choice. You might even transfer a few miles into your account, so you'll be on the same PNR in case of IROP and you can grab the tix sooner.

The 75E seats SFO-HNL are the same seats that used to be on the A333, IIRC, lie-flat but angled slightly.

FlyDeltaJets87

If you're comfortable redeeming at that mileage rate, you might consider having your fiance transfer you the 20,000 or so miles you need (transferred miles usually post pretty quickly) so you can go ahead and lock in the price and book it and not risk the award level going up in the next month before you get the needed mileage.

happymommy

Just wanted to say good luck and keep up posted!

I'm also looking at the ATL- HNL (originating at BWI) for next summer, but for 4 award tickets it's almost as much as you're seeing (and that's coach going over)!

It is worth getting on the return for the flat bed seats for sure!

humanoid94

There are some really good fares from certain Caribbean airports to Hawaii (BDA, NAS, etc) that you can route via ATL and take the 330. I have seen fares in the $1200-$1500 range. You might want to think about a few days in the Caribbean followed by the Hawaiian islands. Most of the fares allow a stopover in Atlanta, so you could always have another Caribbean vacation several months later on the return.

jfadool

That's really interesting. I may have to do this.