Dilemma keep waiting Korean or abandon hope?
Mar 22, 2015, 11:53 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 18
Dilemma keep waiting Korean or abandon hope?
My wife and I tried to book for our first time with Korean this week. But we've gotten really stuck and are not sure how to proceed or to abandon all hope.
We want to fly to and from Paris and had no problem with Korean finding and holding for us a pair of seat going from SEA to CDG (even the highly desirable only non-stop flight from SEA to CDG going) BUT we can't get *any* flight back! Been calling Korean every day and asking them for any flight at all even 2 stop flights from Paris to Seattle for a two week period of late May/early June and he keeps telling us there is nothing. And he says call again on Monday but if we can't find a return flight then we probably have to abandon the only FF tickets we can book that are non-stop and go to (shutter) United and pay another 10,000 miles each (barely have enough there) and have to do 1 or 2 stops which we hate as somehow because of my last name TSA says I keep getting flagged for extra screenings which really slows down international connections for flights with stops and plane changes.
Anyone have advise or knowledge of how Delta operates in these releases of FF seats to Korean? When we call and ask them to check for any flights at all no matter the stops CDG to SEA for 2+ weeks of dates in a very short time (seconds) they say there is nothing. Is there anyway to check this myself online? Would we have better luck trying to fly to Vancouver BC instead of SEA?
We want to fly to and from Paris and had no problem with Korean finding and holding for us a pair of seat going from SEA to CDG (even the highly desirable only non-stop flight from SEA to CDG going) BUT we can't get *any* flight back! Been calling Korean every day and asking them for any flight at all even 2 stop flights from Paris to Seattle for a two week period of late May/early June and he keeps telling us there is nothing. And he says call again on Monday but if we can't find a return flight then we probably have to abandon the only FF tickets we can book that are non-stop and go to (shutter) United and pay another 10,000 miles each (barely have enough there) and have to do 1 or 2 stops which we hate as somehow because of my last name TSA says I keep getting flagged for extra screenings which really slows down international connections for flights with stops and plane changes.
Anyone have advise or knowledge of how Delta operates in these releases of FF seats to Korean? When we call and ask them to check for any flights at all no matter the stops CDG to SEA for 2+ weeks of dates in a very short time (seconds) they say there is nothing. Is there anyway to check this myself online? Would we have better luck trying to fly to Vancouver BC instead of SEA?
Mar 23, 2015, 6:54 am
#3
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,642
Unclear exactly what your options are. Do you only have Skypass miles to use? You mention the United option, but perhaps that is using UA points? Or these are all Chase points being transferred?
If I was committed to take the trip and had one way just like I wanted it, I'd book the one way and book my return separately, on a different airline if necessary.
If I was committed to take the trip and had one way just like I wanted it, I'd book the one way and book my return separately, on a different airline if necessary.
Mar 23, 2015, 5:56 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 18
An update and some more info for those who might be interested *or I really hope can give some useful advise in our situation*.
Yes, I only have Chase points to transfer. Pertinent rules we have to abide by are Korean rules saying
Partner awards must be booked for roundtrip travel
In addition to the destination you’re allowed two stopovers on a partner award (one in each direction)
You can mix SkyTeam carriers on an award, including Korean Air
The nations of departure and arrival cities must be identical (meaning you can do an open jaw between New York and Los Angeles, for example, but not between New York and Toronto)
So on Korean it has to be RT and it can't be departing from SEA and returning Vancouver CA.
The day I posted here and didn't get a response for that day I emailed directly a number of bloggers who do FF blogs I read and got responses from them all. They were telling me to check online with AirFrance and Delta for what FF tickets would work (and one said to look for R fares on Delta but although we both looked all over on details of the flights we never saw where these codes are...although when I looked online for info on R codes it seems to be a first class code and we want to fly coach/economy). I spent a long time doing that and writing down all the flight numbers and days as we can return in a 2 week period...but it's all pointless because,
every time I call Korean always sends me to the same Skypass clerk (or has him call us back) so it seems you get assigned someone. The someone we have is difficult to understand in English and will not check flights by number (we both have asked him a few times) but he will only let us tell him the two week dates and he says he will check....but only 2 airports (why I don't know).
Today I asked him to check CDG to SEA and CDG to SFO and he says nothing. I then asked him to please check one more as I thought maybe its the leaving from CDG that's the problem. Long pause on the other end. Finally he said slowly ok. So I asked him to check the same two weeks but leaving from Brussels (a suggestion of one of the bloggers) instead. He said a bit later he did and nothing. I said I'd call him tomorrow which I'll try to do even though I'm on a tight schedule business trip the rest of the week. It's so frustrating. And my wife is worried we won't get any FF tickets on United later on if we keep calling this Korean clerk and waiting. I know United doesn't charge $75 booking fee until 21 days out so I'm thinking we can wait until under 22 days before we leave in late April....but then I haven't used FF miles to Europe in 15 years so I may be wrong in thinking we can still get United FF flights until 22 days before departure.
Any feedback on this from those with more knowledge than I about Europe FF flights using United or how to deal with Korean (or abandon all hope?)?
Yes, I only have Chase points to transfer. Pertinent rules we have to abide by are Korean rules saying
Partner awards must be booked for roundtrip travel
In addition to the destination you’re allowed two stopovers on a partner award (one in each direction)
You can mix SkyTeam carriers on an award, including Korean Air
The nations of departure and arrival cities must be identical (meaning you can do an open jaw between New York and Los Angeles, for example, but not between New York and Toronto)
So on Korean it has to be RT and it can't be departing from SEA and returning Vancouver CA.
The day I posted here and didn't get a response for that day I emailed directly a number of bloggers who do FF blogs I read and got responses from them all. They were telling me to check online with AirFrance and Delta for what FF tickets would work (and one said to look for R fares on Delta but although we both looked all over on details of the flights we never saw where these codes are...although when I looked online for info on R codes it seems to be a first class code and we want to fly coach/economy). I spent a long time doing that and writing down all the flight numbers and days as we can return in a 2 week period...but it's all pointless because,
every time I call Korean always sends me to the same Skypass clerk (or has him call us back) so it seems you get assigned someone. The someone we have is difficult to understand in English and will not check flights by number (we both have asked him a few times) but he will only let us tell him the two week dates and he says he will check....but only 2 airports (why I don't know).
Today I asked him to check CDG to SEA and CDG to SFO and he says nothing. I then asked him to please check one more as I thought maybe its the leaving from CDG that's the problem. Long pause on the other end. Finally he said slowly ok. So I asked him to check the same two weeks but leaving from Brussels (a suggestion of one of the bloggers) instead. He said a bit later he did and nothing. I said I'd call him tomorrow which I'll try to do even though I'm on a tight schedule business trip the rest of the week. It's so frustrating. And my wife is worried we won't get any FF tickets on United later on if we keep calling this Korean clerk and waiting. I know United doesn't charge $75 booking fee until 21 days out so I'm thinking we can wait until under 22 days before we leave in late April....but then I haven't used FF miles to Europe in 15 years so I may be wrong in thinking we can still get United FF flights until 22 days before departure.
Any feedback on this from those with more knowledge than I about Europe FF flights using United or how to deal with Korean (or abandon all hope?)?
Mar 24, 2015, 8:24 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: IND
Posts: 2,005
Since you keep comparing with UA and being sensitive to $75 fee, I just want to remind you that KE charges YQ, which is $516 per person, per roundtrip, as of today.
One other thing you can try is to call KE office in Korea, not in US. They are more professional. Try google voice as it won't cost that much. You're not assigned to one person, but that person is likely the only one in charge.
One other thing you can try is to call KE office in Korea, not in US. They are more professional. Try google voice as it won't cost that much. You're not assigned to one person, but that person is likely the only one in charge.
