Originally Posted by
mnredfox
1. Moondog's advice is solid, head on, and should be listened to by all seasoned FTers
2. That being said, moondog, I feel that the OP may not obviously have as much experience as you in this type of transactions purchasing and using US miles, so maybe something not as straightforward as say you or I are used to.
3. Is AA and DL still having their battle? I was seeing ridiculous fares MIA-PVG for around $500 for weeks on end March-May...
Regarding points 1 and 2, the way I see it, the downside risk to him is no more than the cost of a short term ANX or Expertflyer subscription (or zero if he is willing to tolerate ANA),
as long as he doesn't buy the miles until after he as a reservation in hand.
Basically, there are only two areas in which his lack of experience could (possibly) hamper his efforts:
1) the research front... we're here to help
2) communicating with the US people in a smooth manner (i.e. divulging just enough info and knowing when to hang up and call back in order to reach a different agent)
While I know many of have invested oodles of time into these matters in order to become good at the game, this stuff isn't rocket science.