onlysuites

I agree with others though. Wait till the last few days when the offer often increases.

mlqsko

Availability too In good ol' times we played LM, it is the opposite now.

Lonsinla

Does anyone know why when I select a first class ticket search from LA to Singapore in Nov, there is ticket availability but only for mixed cabin tickets eg First on the first leg First on Asiana from LA to Seoul and Economy on the second leg from Seoul to Singapore. The miles required is also around 100k which doesnt make sense. Is it a web site error or is it really a separate first economy class ticket for 100k miles. Thanks

Maayan

An F ticket from North America to South Asia is 99K. If you search for F and LM can come up with an itinerary that has at least one leg in F, it offers it to you, at the F price. I see the same with AA, UA, etc.

JohnnyColombia

I have been playing with searches this week and I found plenty of flights USA to SIN with Y seats as far as Tokyo and then the last leg in F.

On the whole it is a positive thing because previously, said you wanted to go BOG MAN in F then you could not go on LH because there is no F between FRA and MAN, but obviously if you are using 99K LMs then the point is not to fly as far as NRT from EWR in UA Y.

If it throws up more options and adds in short segments in lower cabins where no F exists then I think everyone is agreed that it's better than before

Lonsinla

That's the thing. If you end up paying the same in terms of miles for a full first class ticket (am able to price the entire leg in F from Singapore to LA) It doesn't make sense to have the return leg half in first and half in economy. At least business can be offered. When you search separately, I can find business and first tickets but it's only when I do a direct ticket from LA to Singapore, the economy and first combo is the only one available.

onlysuites

Yeah can be annoying. But better I guess.

Lonsinla

Can I ask how much do they usually increase it by towards the end?

imverge

Depending how slow sales are, they typically have an additional bonus of 10%-25%.

This is why you shouldn't buy until the very end (unless you need to travel last minute) as they will not apply the bonus retroactive.

JohnnyColombia

I guess on your dates business is not available but economy is. Although it throws up some silly combinations such as we have both mentioned, I am pleased that it offers all options rather than none because F is not available all the way. Say I can go IAD to NRT on NH1 in F (which is often available) and then connect to ICN also on NH but in Y, then that is something I can decide myself whether I want to get. It saves me having to buy a separate ticket and it gives me the long stretch in very comfortable NH F class.

The algorithm is not sophisticated enough to know that no sane minded person would by MIA IAD NRT in F for 99K LMs with only MIA to IAD in F. I am pleased it offers all conceivable options though and lets us choose for ourselves.

I do wonder how many people have spent lots of LMs on flights though without noticing that they are in economy.

Lonsinla

lol. I would be so pissed to find that out after travelling like a king in first for the initial leg! I can fly ANA first and united economy....what a combination right?

TheBOSman

This is quite similar to how Alaska's booking engine is set up. United will do the same on some awards, particularly shorter distance ones (as an example, AUS-IAH-BOS, AUS-IAH in F saver and IAH-BOS in economy saver, but charge F! ). AA's will also do as described above on rare occasions.

Guvner067

Qantas do the same thing. You try to book an award MEL>LAX in J and it comes back with a "Business Class" award available but drill down and its MEL>SYD in J and then SYD > LAX in Y.

onlysuites

Yep.

SingaporeDon

But remember none of the SIN credit cards are Foreign Currency Charge free, so you will end up paying anywhere from 2.5% to 3.5% more in credit card fees for the transaction