Honeymoon help
May 15, 2012, 1:16 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: Mucci, BA, Hilton.
Posts: 1,158
Honeymoon help
Hello All,
Following on from Mclovin' and Swanhunter on the romantic theme I need a little help booking my flights for the honeymoon.
A bit of background. Getting married next June 14th. Ideally looking to leave LHR the week after flying into SFO and out of LAS some 14-18 days later. Again pretty flexible. I have 200k avios or so to spend and want to fly CW.
My questions are as follows:
Am I deluded in thinking I will get CW seats on these routes in the height of summer or what are my chances?
How would I go about this? Will I have to be up at 3am to get the seats as soon as they are released?
For arguments sake say I get the CW seat flying out sometime between 17-20 June do I have to wait 1-4 July until I can book the return flight?
I do understand the only way to guarantee the seats is to pay the full price. I have these miles and would like to use them. Basically if I can't get the reward seats it will be WT for us, but the cost of these is usually about the same as booking reward seats in CW.
Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated.
Following on from Mclovin' and Swanhunter on the romantic theme I need a little help booking my flights for the honeymoon.
A bit of background. Getting married next June 14th. Ideally looking to leave LHR the week after flying into SFO and out of LAS some 14-18 days later. Again pretty flexible. I have 200k avios or so to spend and want to fly CW.
My questions are as follows:
Am I deluded in thinking I will get CW seats on these routes in the height of summer or what are my chances?
How would I go about this? Will I have to be up at 3am to get the seats as soon as they are released?
For arguments sake say I get the CW seat flying out sometime between 17-20 June do I have to wait 1-4 July until I can book the return flight?
I do understand the only way to guarantee the seats is to pay the full price. I have these miles and would like to use them. Basically if I can't get the reward seats it will be WT for us, but the cost of these is usually about the same as booking reward seats in CW.
Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated.
May 15, 2012, 1:27 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,046
Time to haul out Sixth Freedom's three rules of frequent flyer mileage redemptions from their trunk again!
1. If you have specific dates and flights in mind, that is what cash is for
2. Only use your miles for premium
3. You will always find value for your miles if you are flexible enough and look hard enough
Now you have got the premium bit sorted! ^
I would like to suggest however that if you absolutely have to go to California just to pay cash if redemption seats are not available. It will save hours of agony and uncertainty later, and eventually disappointment, as you wait for seats to open up and they never appear.
I understand that California is very popular in summer so these seats may be hard to come by. But you might stand a better chance if you consider flying with a connection via any one of SEA, SAN, PHX, LAX, DFW, IAH and DEN as well as LAX and SFO. You could also go on AA in at least one direction!
Far better to know where you stand from the start, even if it does mean travelling in WT. After all, you could spend more time worrying about the flights than you actually spend on the plane!
Personally I would consider some alternatives. BA's network is very wide and does not just include California. There are the rest of the Americas, Europe, the Middle East (probably too hot at that time of year), India and Asia to explore!
1. If you have specific dates and flights in mind, that is what cash is for
2. Only use your miles for premium
3. You will always find value for your miles if you are flexible enough and look hard enough
Now you have got the premium bit sorted! ^
I would like to suggest however that if you absolutely have to go to California just to pay cash if redemption seats are not available. It will save hours of agony and uncertainty later, and eventually disappointment, as you wait for seats to open up and they never appear.
I understand that California is very popular in summer so these seats may be hard to come by. But you might stand a better chance if you consider flying with a connection via any one of SEA, SAN, PHX, LAX, DFW, IAH and DEN as well as LAX and SFO. You could also go on AA in at least one direction!
Far better to know where you stand from the start, even if it does mean travelling in WT. After all, you could spend more time worrying about the flights than you actually spend on the plane!
Personally I would consider some alternatives. BA's network is very wide and does not just include California. There are the rest of the Americas, Europe, the Middle East (probably too hot at that time of year), India and Asia to explore!
May 15, 2012, 1:46 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Oxon, UK
Programs: Mucci des canapes, Skywards Gold, BAEC Gold, IC Plat Amb, Accor Gold
Posts: 1,950
Avios redemptions open up at around 355 days beforehand. The best approach would be to book the outbound as soon as you are able and then the returns 14 - 18 days later. The good news is that unlike 'real' tickets you pay no premium for one way tickets compared with returns.
Some report that it is indeed worth being up and on the computer just after midnight. I would suggest that if you can add a little flexibility with destination / return point as 6th F has suggested together with your implied slight flexibility with exact dates you should be able to pick up some Avios tickets to suit.
If not then you still have 11 months to book a paid for ticket!
Some report that it is indeed worth being up and on the computer just after midnight. I would suggest that if you can add a little flexibility with destination / return point as 6th F has suggested together with your implied slight flexibility with exact dates you should be able to pick up some Avios tickets to suit.
If not then you still have 11 months to book a paid for ticket!
May 15, 2012, 2:02 pm
#5
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: UK, but sometimes wish it was USA
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 2,388
Be prepared to be flexible, just in case you can't get what you want. i.e., would you fly into LAS and out of SFO, if you could make that work?
Similarly, you might not get SFO availability, but could you fly into LAX, SEA, PHX or DFW, for example, and get a cheap connection?
I was confused by "next June". As we haven't had "this June" yet, it's still "next June" to me. But I have to believe you aren't planning a honeymoon for a few weeks time, in which case you have plenty of time to get ready to pounce when the availibility (hopefully) opens up in a few weeks time for June 2013 redemptions.
Good luck - and report back!
Similarly, you might not get SFO availability, but could you fly into LAX, SEA, PHX or DFW, for example, and get a cheap connection?
I was confused by "next June". As we haven't had "this June" yet, it's still "next June" to me. But I have to believe you aren't planning a honeymoon for a few weeks time, in which case you have plenty of time to get ready to pounce when the availibility (hopefully) opens up in a few weeks time for June 2013 redemptions.
Good luck - and report back!
May 15, 2012, 2:15 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2008
Posts: 469
The West coast has been a little strange of late, for example F seats have been released much later than the usual T-355. On a recent LAX booking there was zero availability until around T-290 when multiple seats on every day appeared for 1-2 weeks before they then disappeared shortly afterwards. CW has been very sparse lately on these routes and SFO in particular is probably only going to cause you pain if you try to hold out (although you could get lucky). LAS, LAX, PHX, YVR, SEA, DFW with a short domestic hop to your ultimate destination are all much more likely to give you a positive result.
Also bear in mind that ba.com is absolutely useless at showing availability (even when it is there) since the Avios change over.
Also bear in mind that ba.com is absolutely useless at showing availability (even when it is there) since the Avios change over.
May 15, 2012, 2:27 pm
#7
Join Date: Sep 2007
Posts: 68
I would suggest starting on the west coast and then move east until you find some seats. Use that as your worst case scenario and book it. Look regularly (probably every day) until you can start moving west with your entry and exit points. Depending on how good you are at poker will decide when you book your internal US flights to match your BA flights as leave it too long and and they'll start ramping up in cost.
Use award nexus as well rather than the BA site?
Use award nexus as well rather than the BA site?
May 15, 2012, 3:55 pm
#8
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: London
Posts: 3,439
No one has mentioned the BA Amex 2-4-1 voucher which basically doubles the value of your Avios. West coast USA is 150000 Avios return in F for both of you. You just have about enough time to get the card spend the Ł10000 to get the voucher before the seats are released if you're a big spender!
May 15, 2012, 4:19 pm
#9
Join Date: Aug 2008
Posts: 3,925
Think laterally. It is easier to change your marriage date that get the right seats on the right day. I am sure the registrar/vicar will be easier to manipulate than the BA seat release system. Your mum and dad will follow your changes, albeit with a groan, and if the rest can't you'll still get the presents.
Come on, be a real frequent flyer!
Come on, be a real frequent flyer!
May 15, 2012, 4:40 pm
#10
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: ARN
Programs: Mucci Entry Level, BA Gold, EK Pleb, SK Pleb, QR Pleb
Posts: 3,585
I have done the LHR-Cali (LAS) route every year now for 10 years.
It's certainly possible but don't hope for a direct route, for me it has almost always ended up with Los Angeles as it seems to be the easiest redemption route. Well direct flight to LAS is also a pretty new thing
San Francisco and Las Vegas almost impossible.
Look for Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Seattle, even Chicago and New York. You can then add a cheap AA KUP ticket and still travel in style, and collect massive TP ^
It's certainly possible but don't hope for a direct route, for me it has almost always ended up with Los Angeles as it seems to be the easiest redemption route. Well direct flight to LAS is also a pretty new thing
San Francisco and Las Vegas almost impossible.
Look for Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, Seattle, even Chicago and New York. You can then add a cheap AA KUP ticket and still travel in style, and collect massive TP ^
May 15, 2012, 7:17 pm
#11
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Quite close to NQY
Programs: BAEC Silver,clubcard,clubcard plus, BA Amex................ And Mucci x3 ;)
Posts: 9,488
MickV
I cant really help you out with this one, but congratulations on your upcoming wedding.
A bit of advice from someone currently planning away for a Wedding and Honeymoon in October............................
Work plenty of overtime to pay for it
cs
I cant really help you out with this one, but congratulations on your upcoming wedding.
A bit of advice from someone currently planning away for a Wedding and Honeymoon in October............................
Work plenty of overtime to pay for it
cs
Hello All,
Following on from Mclovin' and Swanhunter on the romantic theme I need a little help booking my flights for the honeymoon.
A bit of background. Getting married next June 14th. Ideally looking to leave LHR the week after flying into SFO and out of LAS some 14-18 days later. Again pretty flexible. I have 200k avios or so to spend and want to fly CW.
My questions are as follows:
Am I deluded in thinking I will get CW seats on these routes in the height of summer or what are my chances?
How would I go about this? Will I have to be up at 3am to get the seats as soon as they are released?
For arguments sake say I get the CW seat flying out sometime between 17-20 June do I have to wait 1-4 July until I can book the return flight?
I do understand the only way to guarantee the seats is to pay the full price. I have these miles and would like to use them. Basically if I can't get the reward seats it will be WT for us, but the cost of these is usually about the same as booking reward seats in CW.
Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated.
Following on from Mclovin' and Swanhunter on the romantic theme I need a little help booking my flights for the honeymoon.
A bit of background. Getting married next June 14th. Ideally looking to leave LHR the week after flying into SFO and out of LAS some 14-18 days later. Again pretty flexible. I have 200k avios or so to spend and want to fly CW.
My questions are as follows:
Am I deluded in thinking I will get CW seats on these routes in the height of summer or what are my chances?
How would I go about this? Will I have to be up at 3am to get the seats as soon as they are released?
For arguments sake say I get the CW seat flying out sometime between 17-20 June do I have to wait 1-4 July until I can book the return flight?
I do understand the only way to guarantee the seats is to pay the full price. I have these miles and would like to use them. Basically if I can't get the reward seats it will be WT for us, but the cost of these is usually about the same as booking reward seats in CW.
Any help you can give me is greatly appreciated.
Jul 1, 2012, 5:08 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2009
Programs: Mucci, BA, Hilton.
Posts: 1,158
Success!
Just a quick update.
Managed to get two CW seats on the 19th to SFO. Incredibly straight forward and the agent booking it was fantastic!!
Thanks for the help!
Ps Simon, tell me about it. The things I never knew I needed!!
Managed to get two CW seats on the 19th to SFO. Incredibly straight forward and the agent booking it was fantastic!!
Thanks for the help!
Ps Simon, tell me about it. The things I never knew I needed!!
Jul 1, 2012, 9:33 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: London
Programs: Mucci Petit Four de Pucci, RedVee's Navigator Badge, BA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,123
Jul 1, 2012, 10:11 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: Quite close to NQY
Programs: BAEC Silver,clubcard,clubcard plus, BA Amex................ And Mucci x3 ;)
Posts: 9,488
