Best Way to Use Points for Tix from US to Italy [Consolidated]
Dec 26, 2015, 5:12 pm
#136
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Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
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"One stopover max"
Do you mean, "one connection max"? A "stopover" and a "connection" are two very different things.
Finding two low-tier, Business Class award seats from the U.S. to Italy on the same flights may prove quite challenging in July. And it's not like you have so many points that you can afford to be choosy.
"One stopover max"
Do you mean, "one connection max"? A "stopover" and a "connection" are two very different things.
Finding two low-tier, Business Class award seats from the U.S. to Italy on the same flights may prove quite challenging in July. And it's not like you have so many points that you can afford to be choosy.
Dec 26, 2015, 5:41 pm
#137
Join Date: Mar 2014
Location: New York
Posts: 19
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"One stopover max"
Do you mean, "one connection max"? A "stopover" and a "connection" are two very different things.
Finding two low-tier, Business Class award seats from the U.S. to Italy on the same flights may prove quite challenging in July. And it's not like you have so many points that you can afford to be choosy.
"One stopover max"
Do you mean, "one connection max"? A "stopover" and a "connection" are two very different things.
Finding two low-tier, Business Class award seats from the U.S. to Italy on the same flights may prove quite challenging in July. And it's not like you have so many points that you can afford to be choosy.
Dec 26, 2015, 6:12 pm
#138
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 29,561
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Sorry, I mean "connection". If I'm unable to do business due to lack of points, any options for economy?
Just check the aa.com and united.com websites for low-tier award availability to the Italian airports you'd consider. Keep in mind that you can fly into one Italian airport and fly out of a different one, if need be. And AA, Aeroplan, and UA all offer one-way awards, so you can use miles from one program for the outbound, and miles for a different program for the return.
You might have some luck finding SAAver seats on AA's JFK-MXP and MXP-JFK nonstop flights, if MXP is an airport you'd consider.
I've alerted a Moderator to move your inquiry to another forum as you do not yet have any substantial amount of Amex MR points.
Originally Posted by flyerdesire
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"One stopover max"
Do you mean, "one connection max"? A "stopover" and a "connection" are two very different things.
Finding two low-tier, Business Class award seats from the U.S. to Italy on the same flights may prove quite challenging in July. And it's not like you have so many points that you can afford to be choosy.
"One stopover max"
Do you mean, "one connection max"? A "stopover" and a "connection" are two very different things.
Finding two low-tier, Business Class award seats from the U.S. to Italy on the same flights may prove quite challenging in July. And it's not like you have so many points that you can afford to be choosy.
You might have some luck finding SAAver seats on AA's JFK-MXP and MXP-JFK nonstop flights, if MXP is an airport you'd consider.
I've alerted a Moderator to move your inquiry to another forum as you do not yet have any substantial amount of Amex MR points.
Jan 31, 2016, 10:50 pm
#139
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Plat, Marriott Plat,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat
Posts: 901
FCO to LAX on Alitalia
I'm looking into transferring membership rewards to Alitalia for awards travel. Going AA in mid September to LHR and then will end the trip via other transportation in Rome end of the month. Rather than deal with the BA charges or multiple layovers and not ideal travel days I'd like to transfer miles to Alitalia and take the 10:10am direct flight to LAX, ideally Oct 2 2016. Can't make Alitalia's site show me awards, I assume due to no miles in my account, but don't want to transfer the 5K(it seems) to check unless it seems it would be possible to get good award travel and easy to transfer.
AA award is 50K miles, is one way FCO/LAX direct remotely possible at or near that for that far in advance?
Membership rewards says 48 hrs to post but tells me that it normally occurs near instantaneously and they are happy to be on the phone at that time, but who knows? Does Alitalia hold award travel with zero or 5K miles until membership rewards clears? Don't want to do in reverse and end up with 100K plus membership rewards transferred then being unusable in the future, I don't travel to Italy much at all.
Last question is Delta miles, have a ton, can they be transferred to Alitalia?
Thanks for the help!
AA award is 50K miles, is one way FCO/LAX direct remotely possible at or near that for that far in advance?
Membership rewards says 48 hrs to post but tells me that it normally occurs near instantaneously and they are happy to be on the phone at that time, but who knows? Does Alitalia hold award travel with zero or 5K miles until membership rewards clears? Don't want to do in reverse and end up with 100K plus membership rewards transferred then being unusable in the future, I don't travel to Italy much at all.
Last question is Delta miles, have a ton, can they be transferred to Alitalia?
Thanks for the help!
Feb 1, 2016, 6:05 am
#140
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,953
No, but Skymiles can be redeemed for travel on flight operated by Alitalia, or any other Skyteam carrier. I believe Delta will add a fuel surcharge if you book a trip which begins in Europe. Alitalia may also add a fuel surcharge. Research here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alita...llemiglia-635/
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/alita...llemiglia-635/
Mar 15, 2016, 2:01 pm
#141
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 4
MR transfer for Europe trip
Hi all,
Long time reader here in need of advice.
I am planning a one month trip to Germany and Italy in September and October for my partner and I out of SFO. I'm looking to book in biz class. I have 400K MR points. My goal is to fly into Berlin (but flexible on other German airports) and out of Rome or Naples.
I've been coming up short on decent options and hoping someone might have an idea of something I might have overlooked.
I've looked at:
Aeroplan (flights are multiple classes, not preferred, but there are some options - the flights are 110K pp and $500+)
BA - site keeps crashing on me, unable to check Avios
AA - (transferring MR to Avios) - 100K pp + $1100 and up (due to London connection)
Iberia - can only check round trip, no multiple layovers
Alitalia - flights out of LAX, not SFO
Flying Blue - no flights out of Italy
I have also have 70K Chase preferred, and 170K on UA (silver).
If I'm posting in the wrong thread, please let me know but wasn't sure since I had so many possibilities of flight programs to transfer to.
Thanks!
Long time reader here in need of advice.
I am planning a one month trip to Germany and Italy in September and October for my partner and I out of SFO. I'm looking to book in biz class. I have 400K MR points. My goal is to fly into Berlin (but flexible on other German airports) and out of Rome or Naples.
I've been coming up short on decent options and hoping someone might have an idea of something I might have overlooked.
I've looked at:
Aeroplan (flights are multiple classes, not preferred, but there are some options - the flights are 110K pp and $500+)
BA - site keeps crashing on me, unable to check Avios
AA - (transferring MR to Avios) - 100K pp + $1100 and up (due to London connection)
Iberia - can only check round trip, no multiple layovers
Alitalia - flights out of LAX, not SFO
Flying Blue - no flights out of Italy
I have also have 70K Chase preferred, and 170K on UA (silver).
If I'm posting in the wrong thread, please let me know but wasn't sure since I had so many possibilities of flight programs to transfer to.
Thanks!
Mar 15, 2016, 2:27 pm
#142
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,878
Do you mean Chase Sapphire Preferred when you wrote Chase preferred?
If so, for the outbound, transfer to UA for a total of 240k UA, and fly LH to FRA.
For the return, can you fly out of MXP? If so, perhaps Emirates via JFK?
If so, for the outbound, transfer to UA for a total of 240k UA, and fly LH to FRA.
For the return, can you fly out of MXP? If so, perhaps Emirates via JFK?
Last edited by Troopers; Mar 15, 2016 at 2:37 pm
Mar 15, 2016, 2:49 pm
#143
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 4
Yup, I did mean Sapphire, thanks for catching that.
120K seems a bit much for 2 passengers each OW or is that typical? My partner has 100K on UA as well, so we could look at that option.
MXP is a bit too far north as we are planning on Amalfi Coast (but not definite at this point). Rome is probably our limit. I haven't looked at Emirates though - never flown it.
120K seems a bit much for 2 passengers each OW or is that typical? My partner has 100K on UA as well, so we could look at that option.
MXP is a bit too far north as we are planning on Amalfi Coast (but not definite at this point). Rome is probably our limit. I haven't looked at Emirates though - never flown it.
Mar 15, 2016, 3:22 pm
#144
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: SFO
Posts: 3,878
Yup, I did mean Sapphire, thanks for catching that.
120K seems a bit much for 2 passengers each OW or is that typical? My partner has 100K on UA as well, so we could look at that option.
MXP is a bit too far north as we are planning on Amalfi Coast (but not definite at this point). Rome is probably our limit. I haven't looked at Emirates though - never flown it.
120K seems a bit much for 2 passengers each OW or is that typical? My partner has 100K on UA as well, so we could look at that option.
MXP is a bit too far north as we are planning on Amalfi Coast (but not definite at this point). Rome is probably our limit. I haven't looked at Emirates though - never flown it.
Mar 17, 2016, 4:40 pm
#145
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: San Francisco
Programs: UA Silver
Posts: 4
I think I've decided to transfer 120K + $200 from MR to Aeroplan and fly on UA Economy to simplify my plans and reduce the amount of stress of trying to find biz class flights. This way I can still have my SFO-TXL, MXP-SFO (decided to change our return to Milan) all on one ticket each.
I figured then we could pay to upgrade to economy plus as I don't want to wait until check-in to see if we get the upgrade. Will I be able to pay to upgrade to UA E+ on an Aeroplan transfer to UA?
I figured then we could pay to upgrade to economy plus as I don't want to wait until check-in to see if we get the upgrade. Will I be able to pay to upgrade to UA E+ on an Aeroplan transfer to UA?
Hi all,
Long time reader here in need of advice.
I am planning a one month trip to Germany and Italy in September and October for my partner and I out of SFO. I'm looking to book in biz class. I have 400K MR points. My goal is to fly into Berlin (but flexible on other German airports) and out of Rome or Naples.
I've been coming up short on decent options and hoping someone might have an idea of something I might have overlooked.
I've looked at:
Aeroplan (flights are multiple classes, not preferred, but there are some options - the flights are 110K pp and $500+)
BA - site keeps crashing on me, unable to check Avios
AA - (transferring MR to Avios) - 100K pp + $1100 and up (due to London connection)
Iberia - can only check round trip, no multiple layovers
Alitalia - flights out of LAX, not SFO
Flying Blue - no flights out of Italy
I have also have 70K Chase preferred, and 170K on UA (silver).
If I'm posting in the wrong thread, please let me know but wasn't sure since I had so many possibilities of flight programs to transfer to.
Thanks!
Long time reader here in need of advice.
I am planning a one month trip to Germany and Italy in September and October for my partner and I out of SFO. I'm looking to book in biz class. I have 400K MR points. My goal is to fly into Berlin (but flexible on other German airports) and out of Rome or Naples.
I've been coming up short on decent options and hoping someone might have an idea of something I might have overlooked.
I've looked at:
Aeroplan (flights are multiple classes, not preferred, but there are some options - the flights are 110K pp and $500+)
BA - site keeps crashing on me, unable to check Avios
AA - (transferring MR to Avios) - 100K pp + $1100 and up (due to London connection)
Iberia - can only check round trip, no multiple layovers
Alitalia - flights out of LAX, not SFO
Flying Blue - no flights out of Italy
I have also have 70K Chase preferred, and 170K on UA (silver).
If I'm posting in the wrong thread, please let me know but wasn't sure since I had so many possibilities of flight programs to transfer to.
Thanks!
Mar 17, 2016, 5:03 pm
#146
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Miami, Mpls & London
Programs: AA & Marriott Perpetual Platinum; DL & HH Gold
Posts: 48,953
Aeroplan does not transfer anything to United Airlines. Aeroplan arranges the flights, and you redeem the number of miles which Aeroplan specifies.
I would ask the question in this thread in the UA forum, but specify that the award ticket will have been issued by Aeroplan, not by MileagePlus:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...lus-award.html
I would ask the question in this thread in the UA forum, but specify that the award ticket will have been issued by Aeroplan, not by MileagePlus:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/unite...lus-award.html
May 28, 2016, 3:51 pm
#147
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 19
Hope it's OK to piggyback on this thread. I am planning way ahead for a June 2017 trip to Italy for 3. With more than 800K MR points, hoping to find 3 biz tickets into FCO and out of VCE (preferably). Dates are flexible. We're in Raleigh, NC, so will have to get to ATL, JFK, IAD, etc. for flight. Hoping to avoid another connection if possible. Transferring to Delta seems the easiest, assuming availability. Any other options or strategies I should explore? I want to be able to jump on these tix as soon as they become available this summer. Many thanks in advance.
May 28, 2016, 6:40 pm
#148
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Plat, Marriott Plat,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat
Posts: 901
Seems your doing the opposite of my fall trip. I used AA miles before the devaluation, obviously AA miles aren't doable with MR. I know Emirates has a fifth freedom route(I think that's what it's called) JFK to Milan that has very cheap fares showing all the time(like $400-500 RT). I know you want to use miles and I'm not positive Emirates is a MR partner. But if is, possibly join their program, purchase tix in Econ and use miles to upgrade? MR is (I think still is) giving bonus miles for Etihad and others, not sure that can help but I know some programs can have partners, say Etihads program can fly you on Delta, probably for less points(just and example). I'm sure it's difficult and time consuming to do this but could be very rewarding. Alitalia I think is a Delta partner, probably only way to get nonstop from east coast to FCO...
May 28, 2016, 7:15 pm
#149
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA, UA, BA, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 2,074
Hope it's OK to piggyback on this thread. I am planning way ahead for a June 2017 trip to Italy for 3. With more than 800K MR points, hoping to find 3 biz tickets into FCO and out of VCE (preferably). Dates are flexible. We're in Raleigh, NC, so will have to get to ATL, JFK, IAD, etc. for flight. Hoping to avoid another connection if possible. Transferring to Delta seems the easiest, assuming availability. Any other options or strategies I should explore? I want to be able to jump on these tix as soon as they become available this summer. Many thanks in advance.
ANA miles (88k per person round trip in J): no fuel surcharges on United flights
There isn't really a good play for Oneworld 1-stop itineraries as they'd require flying BA or AA with fuel surcharges. Iberia could work with 2 stops but if you're entertaining 2 stop options there's a lot more to look at.
May 29, 2016, 9:53 am
#150
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 19
Thanks, Jonesdds. Emirates and Ethidad are both transfer partners of MR so will look into those options. I know Emirates has some hefty surcharges but would love to fly that Milan-Jfk route! I'm less familiar with Ethidad but will check it out.