ANA now (tries to) require you to have a Mileage Balance to use the Partner Search !
Jun 17, 2010, 3:55 am
#16
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: Manchester, England
Programs: Bonvoy LT Plat, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, BMI Gold (RIP)
Posts: 8,017
Excellent work. Sherlock Holmes award for solving a mystery there! ^
Jun 17, 2010, 4:03 am
#18
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,293
One really cannot blame ANA for blacking this out, since someone has started running a Star Alliance script to search the engine.
A few determined Flyertalkers is one thing, but a publicly available 3rd party search tool is another.
A few determined Flyertalkers is one thing, but a publicly available 3rd party search tool is another.
Jun 17, 2010, 4:08 am
#19
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Scotland
Programs: BD Gold, BEAC Blue, MA Gold, FB Gold, Flybe useless exec card HH Gold SPG Plat
Posts: 177
^
Have a gold star! However, this workaround is unlikely to last long.
It's a bit mean on ANA's part - its not as if there is any marginal cost to them of us all using their website. That said, I would happily pay Ł10 a year for ANA if it was chargeable, and that is the equivalent cost of crediting a cheapo hotel stay, car hire, points transfer given it sets you up for 3 years.
Have a gold star! However, this workaround is unlikely to last long.
It's a bit mean on ANA's part - its not as if there is any marginal cost to them of us all using their website. That said, I would happily pay Ł10 a year for ANA if it was chargeable, and that is the equivalent cost of crediting a cheapo hotel stay, car hire, points transfer given it sets you up for 3 years.
Jun 17, 2010, 4:42 am
#20
Join Date: Mar 2009
Programs: UA, AA, BMI, MR, HH, PC
Posts: 806
If/when the well-spotted 4-step loophole closes then easiest way might be to change earning preferences for Marriott or Starwood hotels and then pop in for a coffee or something equally simple and wait for miles to credit before altering preferences qagain. This could work where earnings are per $ spent as opposed to per night stay. Obviously the latter will work too but will cost relatively more for your ANA access.
Jun 17, 2010, 4:44 am
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: London, UK and Southern France
Posts: 18,362
If/when the well-spotted 4-step loophole closes then easiest way might be to change earning preferences for Marriott or Starwood hotels and then pop in for a coffee or something equally simple and wait for miles to credit before altering preferences qagain. This could work where earnings are per $ spent as opposed to per night stay. Obviously the latter will work too but will cost relatively more for your ANA access.
Jun 17, 2010, 4:46 am
#22
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,389
Indeed, outside of Japan and without japanese language skills, car rental (AVIS, Hertz, Alamo, National, Dollar) and hotel expenses appear to be the easiest options:
http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/amc/referen...ther/rent.html
http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/amc/referen...hotel_dom.html
Overseas Options include Hong Kong, Thailand, France, South Korea
http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/amc/referen.../overseas_hkg/
http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/amc/referen...ther/rent.html
http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/amc/referen...hotel_dom.html
Overseas Options include Hong Kong, Thailand, France, South Korea
http://www.ana.co.jp/eng/amc/referen.../overseas_hkg/
Jun 17, 2010, 5:01 am
#23
Join Date: Sep 2001
Location: Philadelphia, PA, USA
Programs: UA 2P, AA LT Gold, Marriott LT Titanium
Posts: 3,159
I don't know what John Lewis is, but am intrigued about anything that gets a pound sterling of value per HH point - please elaborate!
Jun 17, 2010, 5:41 am
#25
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 1,389
To "buy" some ANA miles without leaving the house, Starwood is an option:
With SPG, as a Platinum member you can convert 1 mile only to ANA 1:1. For Gold members there's a minimum of 1500 miles, for non-status preferred members it's minimum 2500 miles.
500 miles cost 17.50 $, maximum cost without SPG status 5* 17.50 $ = 87.50 $, with status less.
Hilton: 100 $ for 10000 points = 1000 ANA miles.
Marriott: 125 $ for 10000 points = 1500 ANA miles
ICH Priority Club: 125 $ for 10000 points = 2000 ANA miles
With SPG, as a Platinum member you can convert 1 mile only to ANA 1:1. For Gold members there's a minimum of 1500 miles, for non-status preferred members it's minimum 2500 miles.
500 miles cost 17.50 $, maximum cost without SPG status 5* 17.50 $ = 87.50 $, with status less.
Hilton: 100 $ for 10000 points = 1000 ANA miles.
Marriott: 125 $ for 10000 points = 1500 ANA miles
ICH Priority Club: 125 $ for 10000 points = 2000 ANA miles
Jun 17, 2010, 6:09 am
#27
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BOS
Programs: BA - Blue > Bronze > Silver > Bronze > Blue
Posts: 6,812
What are the alternatives while I try and credit something to ANA?
- EF for UA and LX
- I recall seeing something about child M&M accounts not having to have a positive balance to search awards but the results are restricted to the LH group? (Can someone verify this)
- Aeroplan; though I seem to recall that this was more painful than the ANA tool
- Ringing the ICC
- EF for UA and LX
- I recall seeing something about child M&M accounts not having to have a positive balance to search awards but the results are restricted to the LH group? (Can someone verify this)
- Aeroplan; though I seem to recall that this was more painful than the ANA tool
- Ringing the ICC
Jun 17, 2010, 6:39 am
#28
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
ETA: TP and SK are also included in my most recent search this morning.
Last edited by sbm12; Jun 17, 2010 at 7:22 am
Jun 17, 2010, 6:45 am
#29
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
They also could have just locked out the account being used for that script or the IP address from which the high traffic is sourced. That would be a bit more cat-and-mouse but it won't be all that hard for the folks running the scripts to put 1000 miles in their account and keep on with their efforts.
Jun 17, 2010, 7:20 am
#30
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: London
Programs: SK Gold, ITA Executive, Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, Avis PC, IHG Platinum
Posts: 5,163