Can808

Anyone else try to make ticket reservations with CoSport today? Looks like the reservation window is closed. Thats what I get for waiting until the last minute I guess. The site says live ticket sales begin 10/07.

rdchen

Just booked 15 nights (08/08/2008-08/23/2008) using PC points^. The BAR is rmb4000/night.

alicesantamonica

Just booked our mileage tickets for 4 to PEK on AA and JL, arriving Aug 9. We’d be very interested in any FT get together or do! Moondog-do you have any dates in mind yet? Would like to book the return so we’ll be in Beijing for the FT meet if possible and with the 330 day window, we’ll have to book in the next week or less. Also, any help re: accommodations/tickets would be great.

shyabrasive

Well done!

I've been looking for two Business or First from the West Coast using either AA or UA miles and keep getting non-trivial coach logs offered. I'm trying to arrive 22-Jul and leave 6-Aug which I thought would make it easier.

At least I have hotels in place at OK prices.

moondog

A fellow FTer recently gave me 2 good tips:

1) AC availability is decent
2) UA to NGO availability is excellent

Re #2, as soon as CA joins *A in December, it should be possible to tack NGO-PEK/PVG onto existing itins (though non-1Ks will have to pay $100 in order to accomplish this AND an overnight in Japan is unavoidable).

tom911

Just in time for day 1 of the swimming events

I have an AA business award booking that involves a 2 night layover in Osaka, and then onto Beijing. One of the segments is a JAL codeshare on an Air New Zealand flight (NRT-Osaka). I was dependent on where I could get into Beijing from, and NRT and HKG did not have availability on the specific day I needed to travel, but the agent did find a flight from Osaka. Haven't booked the return yet, though I think my return date opens up tomorrow. Too tired tonight to want to work on it (just in from flying all day). The good thing with AA awards is 14 days holds, so have quite a bit of time to even look at other options.

I did have the option to fly into Shanghai on AA metal from ORD, but only coach availability there, and no partner award seats onwards, so I would have had to buy a ticket for the final segment or do rail. I'm happy to do the extra night in Osaka just to get in the right time zone. I've been to Tokyo and Yokohama before so I'll enjoy a new city to make this work.

tom911

Aren't opening ceremonies Aug 8? Are your dates right?

If you're calling AA and don't have suucess with the first agent, call back again. The first agent told me there was nothing in business class. The second agent went the extra mile.

moondog

Yeah, KIX and NGO are the holy grail insofar as tpac awards are concerned. Much like AA's RDU-LGW, those flights (NGO moreso than KIX) are financed by specific companies, which allow them to generate returns that wouldn't be possible in an open market. As I metioned upthread, one or two nights in Japan are necessary, but that isn't such a big deal (Japan has much better food than China IMO and the airlines often pick up the hotel bill, so long as you're willing to stay near the airport).

tom911

Well, AA told me this afternoon that the JAL liaison rejected my NRT-KIX segment, effectively voiding the itinerary. I now have a backup itinerary into Shanghai two days earlier, and will sort out rail or air between Shanghai and Beijing. Nothing available into Beijing. The window opened for my return flights today and was able to get a JAL routing via NRT and LAX without any problem.

shyabrasive

Sorry for the confusion - there is a total solar eclipse in western China on August 1st that is the main goal of my trip.

I was considering tacking on the Olympics, but as a wheelchair user I don't do well in crowds in general and crowds in China seem even more dubious.

At this point, I'm hoping to escape before the hotel prices go sky high, but still get to see Beijing in cleaned up mode.

Thanks for the details on the routings - no one had suggested NGO or KIX. I've been wanting to schedule a KIX stopover for years.

My wife did a University sponsored trip to Beijing last July and they had some scheduled performances that seemed to be auditions for performances surrounding the Olympics or some such. Part way through the event they were told no more photography and a new group of VIPs was ushered in. At least, that's our speculation...

tom911

I'm ticketed, though my routing is now SFO-HNL-KIX-PEK, and the same airports on return. Won't have to go to Shanghai which was in the plans last night, and have first choice of travel dates in both directions. I've probably driven AA nuts the last two days trying to piece this together. I'll do one night in HNL to avoid an 80 min connection there from the west coast, and one night in KIX en route to Beijing. On the flights home, no layovers.

In all the efforts to find something into Osaka, I don't think the agent I spoke with yesterday knew about the HNL-KIX flight, and I came upon it browsing the JAL website last night for options. Figured that KIX-PEK flight was still going to be my best option into Beijing, and it was still available.

I had to move the return date ahead one day as swimming runs one extra day in Beijing (9 days versus 8 in Athens), and I just caught that this morning and confirmed it.

allset2travel

Re: CA joins *A in Dec. Any substantiating evidence to this in addition to the "good tip". It's been talked about for sometime. Would like to see it official.

moondog

IIRC, Dec 11 is the date (google can verify this). Around the same time (maybe even the same day), both PEK and PVG are planning on launching their new terminals. These are exciting times!

In any case, if you find yourself striking out with UA, just book yourself to NGO or KIX and hang on a few months; CA in *A is going to happen (whether I like it or not!).

hillerj

Phase 1 of the ticket application process has ended in September. If you haven't gotten your tickets, you can still get tickets. Phase 2 opens in October.

To see if you qualify and more on the application process:
http://homepage.mac.com/hillerj/blog...20Tickets.html

Josh H.

kb1992

Apparently, there is absolutely zero availability for NW saver WBC award and UA saver C/F award to either PVG or PEK during August 2008 China. I need two of them.

So I managed to book a saver F award on UA BOS-ORD-HKG during the 2008 Olympics for one family member. It is virtually impossible to snag 2 saver F. Only one.

A train ride from HK to SHA is in the plan. Go for ruan wo gao bao (deluxe RW): one-way fare is 1300 RMB.

For a second family member, I booked a saver C award on UA BOS-SFO-NGO. At the end of this year when CA joins *A, NGO-PVG flight on CA could be added to the itinerary. I don't need to pay any change fee.

I thought about getting saver F for this (a lot of availability), but then realize that CA's NGO-PVG has no first class. Also BOS-SFO will be just domestic F, either on C award or F award. So I was somewhat reluctant.

What do you think? Maybe I should pay extra 30K miles to get F.