Robbyb03

ATL to AMS, last week of April, for 62.5K each, non stop, on Delta metal. Finding anything "cheap" to Barcelona or Madrid was unbelievably difficult so we decided to spend a few days in Amsterdam then go to Paris for a few days before flying back in Economy Comfort for 30K each.

HaleiwaFlyer

4/29-5/16/2016. HNL-NRT-DPS and reverse coming back. Using Delta 767 HNL to NRT, and Garuda 777 on NRT to DPS leg. Option of using A330 on Delta legs.

155,000 Skymiles + 77 USD fee. I was looking at this reward for awhile, and was always around 280-380k Skymiles. I checked again tonight and picked it up at 155k Skymiles.

pgh234

Mainland US to DPS is fairly easy to find at 140k r/t connecting through ICN...I thought Hawaii to DPS should be cheaper (I do not have the old award charts at the moment)

Either way...GA is great!

mattp1987

I think the majority here would say that the Delta One seats are more spacious on the A330. You may want to change that if you still can. However, I'd probably make the decision based on timing more than aircraft type.

HaleiwaFlyer

I thought it would have been cheaper coming from HNL instead of the mainland, but it seems HNL gets minimal to no discounts on award tickets to Asia compared to mainland.

Thanks for the tip on the seat space (never though about it in the past), but chose an earlier arrival to NRT to go explore.

Thanks much.

RealHJ

It seems that you really like overpaying.

That is 50K one way normal price for O (J), so 100K return (used to be 35K one way, 70K return, but with the new jacked up rates is now 50K).

Why not just fly KE or CI HNL-NRT in O instead of DL and then price it out at 50K normal price? DL flights are now practically never available in normal O, or for that matter even X, anymore. Key is to avoid flying DL.

Or go CI or CI+GA via TPE or go MU or MU+GA via PVG. That will be all normal 50K price also.

KE via ICN is no longer an option, as Delta is completely blocking KE51/52 and KE53/54 two daily HNL-ICN flights, in both O and X, as of January 1. But, even with that gone, you still have HNL-NRT/KIX/TPE/PVG-DPS routing options for most direct and if you take less direct then even more, all at 50K one way in O.

You can also have up to 4 flights, so you could easily add up to three 20h~23h59m hour stopovers with smart routing, if you pick flights where that so works out (and so is certainly possible - e.g. you could have a <24h stopover in Japan, Korea and China or Taiwan here in each direction, if such a thing appeals to you, I mean).

What used to be 35K one way (70K return) in O (J) last year is now 50K one way (100K) return. That is indeed way overpriced now. But, there is no reason why you would ever pay more than 100K for this RT - that is just overpaying for no reason.

Key is to look at it segment by segment. Dullta.com will rarely give you sensible results if you search O&D there; it'll purposefully only give you the drastically overpriced options involving DL flights at SkyHigh levels or broken fares, and often it'll give you much more roundabout routing (at a higher price), while not even giving you the more direct and normal price routing, even though the flights are wide open and available. Search segment by segment the various routing options (HNL-NRT/NGO/KIX/FUK/TPE/PVG, and then onwards) and then call to book. Do not pay more than 100K for this round trip in business.

mattp1987

I picked up IAD-DTW-MUC and SAT-DTW-MUC for one passenger each (same DTW-MUC flight) during the first week of Oktoberfest. Delta metal for 62.5k SMs + $5.60. Sure, it's a 767 with the "coffin" seats, but it allows us to each take a single connection and be on the same TATL flight in flat beds.

I'm tempted to change it to AF IAD-CDG-MUC because DL.com is showing the new 777s on that route, but it's too far out to know if that will change and I'd have to buy one cash ticket SAT-IAD unless I can talk an agent into piecing it all together (but still 3 connections either way). Would you make that change?

Force951

AF LAX-CDG-VIE in business on the 777, booked 2 1 ways for 62.5k + fees each. 3/9/16

seychellesbound

DTW-LHR DL
FCO-DTW DL

Booked as R/T with open jaw for 125K in Business per person to avoid EOS of ~$300

sig05

JAX-ATL-LHR r/t for 125k SM each plus $314. Booked in VS Upper Class for Oct. 2016.

burbanite

I wouldn't call this a "success" as I had to book one week out to get to see my mother quickly. Two seats in J this coming Friday, LAX-SYD rtn, 510k SM...

Beats paying for it I guess and the miles were earned on the company dollar so there's that.

hnewman

2x In J MSP-JFK-NCE 125K NCE-AMS-MSP 62.5K Aug/Sept 2016. $118. The MSP-JFK-NCE came down from 197K so I jumped on it. I do not see it going down much more on the day I want to travel given what I have seen.

Denolloyd

4x in J SEA-HKG at 70k each next March. We originate in FL, and booked 4x in F for MCO-SEA the same day for 25k. Unfortunately, with married logic, the fare was 105k when priced together. Tried HUCA a few times, no luck in combining as per my previous method. A week after booking I found 1x for MCO-SEA-HKG at 70k, but as I'm not PM or higher, DL will not waive the $150 change fee. Stinks, but so it goes... Working on the return separately.

NoStressHere

Can not imagine who reads this thread with over 4,000 posts, but....


Recently had no problem getting BIZ from CDG-JNB on AF at 65,000 each.

Also, got ICN-DTW-BNA for 70,000 each in Biz/First

Serious dent in miles for both of us.

gooselee

DTW-PVG-AKL/MEL-PVG-DTW in August. 2 J seats at 160k each RT. MU for the PVG<>AUS/NZ legs, but DL 747s for the TPACs.

Found and booked on DL.com.

Pretty excited for the trip. We'll use an Amex cert or something to position from ATL to DTW. Only frustrating part was the whole KE only releasing one seat on every flight. Saw plenty of availability on the A380 for 1 pax, but not 2, thus the PVG routing for MU. Oh well.