Nediag

Hey guys,

Any tips for finding a business award booking from SEA to LHR (preferred), or the main international Europe hubs for this coming Oct 2015?

Can't seem to find much luck around a departure during the middle of the month (Oct 16/17).

Looking for two seats in business (J), nonstop preferred but 1 or 2 stop doable, but looking to <15 hr travel time.

Been looking around UA, AA, AS, staralliance flight search without much results. Any advice? LHR is my main end destination point but I open it up to "europe" if there are other award location spots and I can figure out how to get the LHR once Im there.

Following miles:

• Chase UR: 240K
• AA: 116K
• Alaska Air: 200K
• UA: 98K

Thanks a lot for any advice or help!

KennyBSAT

There are a few TATL flights that are wide open for J awards in October:

ORD-CPH on SAS
IAH-IST on Turkish
YUL-BRU on Air Canada

With the number of combinations possible, UA.com gives up. Try one segment at a time.

acmys

Somebody in the blogger circle pointed this out as possible mistake availability, given the availability up to four in saver some days. I'm sure there won't be problems after booking it though since it's not an issue in terms of being a $300 flight.

Swiss was mentioned in the same post, so I would check there too.

flyertalker00156

Try looking from YVR

Gardyloo

I can see availability on AA SEA-xORD-LHR on the evening of 8/17, forcing an overnight at ORD, then the morning flight to Heathrow (which I really prefer as it nukes jetlag for me.) You could also take the Alaska redeye to ORD later that night (after midnight on the 18th) and connect to the same AA morning flight. The good thing is that ORD-LHR is on AA metal, hence no BA fuel surcharge malarkey. The savings in BA fuel fines will more than cover the cost of a hotel and a nice meal in Chicago should you choose a bed over an all-night flight on a 737.

Are you planning to fly back, cruise across the Atlantic, or immigrating? If you're coming back, when?

dukerau

10/17 shows two J seats available SEA-LAX-LHR all on DL, a hair over 15 hours travel time. Are you flying back in J? If so, you could use VA or KE miles to book on DL, pending return availability. I can't figure out why that route doesn't show up with AS miles (1 seat does, but not 2). Seems like it should.

Nediag

Hi all,

Thank you for the ideas and responses so far! I've looking at the various options and appreciate the multiple different options, including those that get me to the destination the quickest.

@Gardyloo/@dukerau: I am planning on returning back to SEA on 10/30 - 11/1 (open depending on flight availability), but will be intending to fly out of an airport in Italy (either Rome or Venice, etc.). For DL flights, I am assuming this makes using either KE/VA miles when its not a RT award booking tricky, no? Considering that I am looking for a J booking for 2 pax, I don't think I have enough for 2x RT J from North America to Europe. Hoping I could use a combination between all the miles above to do J both ways, but can compromise on economy back if it can't be done.

Gardyloo

I would assume (but not positive) that KE, like DL, would treat an open-jaw the same as a round trip, e.g. SEA-LHR//FCO-SEA, so I wouldn't be too concerned about wasting miles.

As for not having enough miles for 2 x RTs in J, no, you do. AA charges 50K miles per person one-way on North America < > Europe, so 200K altogether; Alaska varies slightly depending on carrier, but between AA and Alaska you have plenty of miles for 2 round trips in J, booked separately as one-ways.

If possible, try to avoid BA-operated long haul flights if using AA or AS miles, as you'll be socked with BA's nasty surcharges (used to be called "fuel surcharges" until they got sued big time) that can easily amount to several hundred dollars per person in each direction. Also try not to begin your return trip in the UK, where the British departure tax (air passenger duty) is also very pricey for premium cabin flights.