Horatio

Having tried and failed in the earlier ballots to get anything I am now trusting the current public ballot. I dread to think what the flights situation will be by then if by some miracle I do get the tickets I applied for...

nobbyclark

I've bitten the bullet and booked a fairly flexible I ticket with Qatar as I didn't want to wait until this ballot is over and everyone starts looking to book flights. If I don't get all the tickets I want, I can still cancel and get about 90% of the money back. I have also started booking hotels that can be cancelled for no cost.

Scots_Al

pkpkpk

Have only got Ireland Russia in the ballot so far ...waiting on lottery results for Ireland Japan. Travel already sorted: outbound in F with JAL and inbound Cathay in F via Hong Kong (both on avios). Had tried to burn a companion voucher with BA on the outbound but someone was obviously quicker on the buzzer! Still, pleased to be trying F in these two carriers for the first time.

MM00LL2

Based in Dublin therefore no direct flights to Japan so I've opted to use Iberia MAD-NRT. Bargain 59.5K Avios J class + €90 o/w. ( Great use of the 90K Iberia Avios promo. ) Slightly longer total journey time I concede.

I'm going to 3 Ireland group games then coming home. This will be my 4th RWC so I'm fed up losing at the qtr finals. However, I've hedged so I'm booked to go back for the Semi final weekend with possible extension


FYI CX Y cash fares DUB-TYO currently bargain €709!! Seems amazingly good value.

RGS5526

Using a taxi is cheating. Why not -LGW-EDI-LHR-?

davm666

Lucanesque

The much longer story

We've got tickets for ENGvUSA, ENGvARG, ENGvFRA, and are in the ballot for AUSvWAL and WALvFIJ, so wanted to fly out Tuesday 24/09/19 and return on Sunday 13/10/19.

I rang up Japan for the outbound (LHR-NRT) at 1am 355 days out from 24/09 and secured 2 x J on a 241 after speaking to a very helpful chap. I then rang up Japan on what I thought was 355 days out for the return, spoke to someone much less helpful who didn't understand that you could add a return leg to an existing 241 booking and receive the 241 benefits. After half an hour on the phone he told me with great delight that he'd booked me the return flight for Saturday 12 Oct but without the 241 - I reminded him that I had asked him for Sunday 13 Oct but he hadn't understood and also it turned out I'd made a mistake on my 355 day calculation and was a day early. Cancelled those and went to bed!

Rang up the next morning at 1am, was on hold, whilst on hold I saw 2 x J available NRT-LHR as well as 2 x J HND-LHR. I immediately booked online the 2 for NRT-LHR, stayed on hold in case I failed, but by the time I'd got the confirmation of the booking I was still on hold and the other J reward seats going from HND had also been booked.

Rang up the UK BAEC Gold Line the next morning, explained what I'd done and they refunded half the avios (this is now standard procedure, see the 241 voucher discussion thread here: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29409901-post6.html)

So now I've got two separate bookings, but successfully used the 241 voucher ^

Lucanesque

I'd be interested to know why you find HND more attractive - I'm probably missing something like NRT is a logistical nightmare (my first time flying to Japan)! We chose NRT on the basis that it's a 789 instead of a 777 used on the HND route... this may have been a mistake, but hey we're booked now

etiene

Ah - that's good to know, though no use for me as I'm not doing all this on a 241 booking. I've gone the multi-partner reward route, and will need to ring up early Sunday to snag the remaining leg [unless anyone can confirm that JAL availability would go immediately back into the pool, then I can bag them online and have the Gold line reconcile it onto the other booking come morning...?].

I used both last year [into NRT, out of HND twice] - HND is distinctly closer to town, though it's a single train from the main station to NRT so it's not terribly painful, just a bit longer. Can't compare the arrival/departure experiences - I'm sure more seasoned travellers can chime in there.

Scots_Al

rjhcambs

markm1980

Sorry for the rather basic question, but is the best way to find relevant redemption flights to just try dummy London-Tokyo avios bookings on the BA website?

srbrenna

rl290

Like many here, I was keep to use a 2-4-1 voucher to book out to Japan in J for the World Cup. Missed it for the dates I was after, so decided to go F to Beijing instead. I'll use Virgin miles to make the ANA business hop between Beijing and Tokyo, though there are plenty of other options also.

I only mention this because availability to Beijing is still very open for October next year (Business and First). With the new visa rules (i.e. you don't need a visa if you're stopping over for <3 days) it makes it a good way to pass through, perhaps with a stopover too.

R