GoldCircle

Yep, that's the market based logic at work.

It effectively discriminates against people who don't live in hubs, or people who want to travel beyond hubs.

And it's not SQ, per se, its the logic being used by LH who control the loading of fares to the systems.

StokeFlyer

I am currently looking for Turkish airline 1st class redemption, any date in Decemeber is ok, to Tokyo NRT, or Shanghai PVG, or Hong Kong HKG, or even Beijing PEK, ANA tools show no availity at all for 1st class, business class seems plenty. I even checked other months, and no 1st class at all. Is it something wrong with the ANA tools or Turkish airline stops redemption for 1st class all together?

ikura

Turkish F class is soon no more, so that is probably the reason. I would look at other carriers.

StokeFlyer

Really? that would be such a shame, I really enjoyed my last experiene with them to NRT, amazing. Shocked that it will be no more.....

mmdpkaaa

Hi, i am wanting to book my first redemption and would really appreciate some help. I am wanting to travel on the 22/4/11 from either LBA or MAN. within my trip id like to visit Singapore/KUL/BKK or JKA. I have around 2weeks annual leave. Can anyone suggest a itinerary for this where i could spend 3 days or so in each place and have this all done on one redemption. Id like to travel business - can you also advise how many miles/cash/tax would be needed?
Any advice/help much appreciated.

florian

Hi,

so, I'm planning to fly my first ever TATL flight to OSCON in Portland.
The event is from the 25th - 29th of July 2011. So I'd like to arrive 1 or 2 days before that and leave on the 30th.

I was planning to do a redemption in C with Miles+Cash. I can fly from LHR or BRU.

So now my questions are:
What routing is the best?
What operating airline has the best C experience?
I saw BD has a codeshare flight from LHR to PDX, will I be forced to take this on an award flight?

Thanks already for your tips!

Florian

RAPC

My advice is not to worry about which airline to choose, but to worry about finding ANY routing to get to PDX. TATL flights can be hard to find these days, especially to the West Coast.

Work on finding any routing with availability and if you can find more than one option that works for you, then weigh that up, but I suspect you will be very limited in your options.

BA6501

You can't book codeshares on awards, and you wouldn't be forced to take BD.

taff_2003

I've just booked the same route for the end of June/early July 2011. You're into school holiday season so availability will be tight. Check the Star Alliance website for acceptable routes by entering your airport of departure and PDX. It'll give you options like LHR-LAX-PDX, LHR-YVR-PDX, etc. etc. Once you're armed with that information check ANA for availability and take whatever you can.

My advice would be to book your award as two one-ways on any airline you can, then closer to departure check for available seats on airlines with the nicer C-class cabins. You may get lucky and be able to grab a cancellation or late release.

Some airlines with lie-flat beds in C include:

Air New Zealand LHR to LAX
Swiss ZRH to SFO or LAX
Air Canada LHR to YVR

Given these airlines have the nicer C cabins, availability is tough at the best of times, let alone during school holidays. Therefore you can't afford to be fussy.

You'll need an onward connection on someone like United and, unless you're lucky, will have to sit in Y for that leg.

Best of luck!

jamespvg

^ ^ to the Air Canada service through YVR. It's the fastest way to London, and the connection is very easy. I like their inflight product, especially for a solo traveller. These seats can be hard to get though -- AC is stingy with its business class award availability. They tend to make seats available closer to the time. I second taff_2003's suggestion: book whatever you can now, and keep your eye out for better options. It's only £20 to change.

The LHR-PDX codeshare isn't really nonstop. It's a United flight LHR-ORD-PDX. Not recommended.

msmorley

Short answer, I suspect, is: School holidays.

Since LH withdrew the FRA-PDX route there's no longer a direct EU-PDX route, AFAIK*. This leaves you a choice of AC J via Toronto or Vancouver and various routes involving other jumping off points e.g. ORD/LAX/SFO/IAH etc.

AC J, seems very difficult to get hold of at the best of times. A quick look at EF for these dates suggests that you might be able to find a seat in Y on AC from LHR.

I'd recommend looking at trying to get an UA/LH/LX flight to LAX/SFO/ORD/LAS(?) if possible and trying to tack on a UA flight to PDX (which will need to be in Y - to avoid triggering F miles for the entire flight).


m.

* There is a UA flight but it's one of those flights where the flight number persists while all the passengers have to change planes (and terminals).

florian

So, I checked:
All without success. Sad times.

msmorley

As noted on your other thread (which I've now read ) It's going to be tough - a quick look at paid availability on those routes suggests that the airlines are confident of filling seats. I have in the past managed to snag a single NZ seat in July to form part of a LHR-LAX-PDX itinerary - that flight only opened up about 10 days before departure, though

m.

starflyergold

PDX redemption thread now merged

starflyergold
bmi forum Mod team

FlyerTalker7654

Hi guys,

If someone gets a spare minute would you mind checking the following out for me. Ive checked and cant seem to find any business class. There is only coach class or first class with UA and US (was looking at routes with CO but accept that we may have to fly coach).

Looking at 2 seats from SAN - ORF on 15th Sept

Then ORF - LHR from 26/27/28 Sept.

Any help would be appreciated.

Cheers ^