lpy

For $1800 redemption, you need to pay about $150 fee/tax (to thank you network), so your overall ticket price all in could be as high as $1950. $1820 should be no problem at all.

lpy

This may not be the case. For example, if you only change the date of an AA award ticket, your confirmation number will remain the same. I think it is also the case for a refundable ticket if you can exchange it online.

travel311

I found a flight on expedia that shows a fare of:

$1,911.02 + $49.38 taxes & fees = total fare for $1,960.40

Does the current $1800 cap cover this considering excise tax?

The $1800 + $135 (7.5% excise tax) = $1935 threshold

So does the TOTAL FARE($1960.40) have to below $1935 threshold or does the fare with ($1911.02) have to below $1935?

Flyer737

For CO, I have had the same experience. The voucher obtained after the initial rebooking can be used just like cash.

Another tidbit for you CO'ers. One concern I had with booking the 20k domestic fixed point flights ($400 max) was loss of 100% EQM for lower tier fares. My original 90k redemption ticket, "purchased" via TY/Expedia, was changed by me on-line at CO.com to a low cost "T" fare". Normally T fares booked by a 3rd party will earn only 50% EQM, but I received 100% EQM. If you stay with TYP and the variable redemptions, this tells me that you can probably book a low cost refundable ticket on line via TY/Expedia and then change it to a cheap fare that you want on CO.com. Pay the difference with your PPE and get 100% EQM from the airline plus flight points from TY.

GrizShel

Don't know, but I do know that Delta is trying to integrate their systems, and eventually this year offer all NW flights on Delta.com (like is mostly true for Delta flights on NWA.com although the reservation system has become a lot buggier there since delta took over). At some point in the future there will be only one completely merged DL-NW system, but who knows how long that will take.

psychtobe

This is how to figure it:

(1911.02)/1.075 = $1777.69, which is less than $1800, so you are good to go.

You'll be asked to pay: (1911.02-1777.69)+$49.38 = $133.33+$49.38 = $182.71

and have a voucher worth: $1960.40

Happy

All airlines and 3rd party booking sites are REQUIRED to incl the 7.5% excise tax on DOMESTIC Flights into fare display. This is to prevent "sticker shock". However, TYN based on the letters of its T&C, demand the cardholder to pay the 7.5% tax out of pocket, as it is indeed TAX. However because of the display requirement, some folks were successfully in arguing with TYN and make them absorb the tax. However, this is a hit and miss very YMMV thing. So it is better to have a 'DISPLAY" fare high enough, so after removing the 7.5%, the BASE fare is as close to $1800 as possible, so you would not leave too much on the table.

thesilb

Any advice on this?

I want to redeem 180,000 on United and was considering trying to do ONE Europe ticket for $3600 cap. I found what I thought was a good fare: April 8 to 15, ORD-FCO, $3864 all in and $3541 is the pre-tax price. So $59 below the cap. However, I noticed the change fee is $400.

I then started to look at United "cheap" business class fares to Europe...they all appear to have $400 change fees.

So I guess my strategy is not good - I should be looking for two $1800 domestic tickets and pay $150 change fee on each ($300 total), versus paying $400 for a Europe change fee. Does this sound correct to you knowledgeable folks? Thanks! ^

Happy

I gather you KNOW UA policy on ticket change on International tickets. That is, you can only change to another international ticket with equal value. If you want to change to another domestic ticket, it needs to be equal OR higher value. Both need to be on UA own metals.

Otherwise you would not think of redeeming an international ticket on UA.

Exact wordings can be found on UA website by searching key words International ticket change or something like that.

thesilb

OK, thanks, I did not know that. I will definitely just ticket two $1800 domestics.

If anyone is looking for a good $18000 on UA, try LAS-JFK on April dates. I am getting some tickets for $1916.99 + $56.61.

$1919.99/1.075 = $1783.25. Pretty good.

ra11en

Thanks thesilb,

Found the following using LAS-JFK: UA $1934.40

4/13 - 4/19
Departs @ 6:41 flight 525 / 34
Returns @ 5:50 flight 25 / 864

suga

I just called Continental about a business flight from EWR to YVR and asked how the ticket would be refunded if I cancelled, and the csr said they have to refund it back to the method of payment. So, are you saying I just have to keep trying for a CSR who will give me an e-cert? Or, what other routes are around $1,800 on CO and are non-refundable?

**EDIT**: Just tried laredo to anchorage and the price works ($1906 before tax) but the flight is fully refundable, and a different csr again confirmed that the refund would have to go back to the original form of payment.

TIA.

haslipe

Is one of these airlines better for flights to Hawaii? If I'm going to do this deal, I would want to use the voucher for a Hawaii trip, leaving from Spokane, Seattle, or Portland. I just can't seem to find if there is a benefit of one airline over another when it comes to getting around in Hawaii, or going to Hawaii. Are most people picking their airlines based solely on their Rewards programs?

Fold0rDie

One confirmation question before I book. I found an AA flight that works, but the last leg of the flight is on another carrier.

The main leg of the AA flight (business class portion) has the restrictive fare rules ("CANCELLATIONS TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE") and the connecting flight on Alaska Air (operated by AA) has the "Changes are permitted"' language, but the most restrictive rules will apply to the entire ticket correct?

Thanks

Happy

Read the post you replied to. Didn't the OP suggest the non-refundable routing at the very end of his post?

Frankly why there are still folks trying to be cute to get a refundable tkt at this late stage of the game is beyond me.

There have been enough posts about how a refundable can bite you if anything goes wrong, and more than a couple persons reported how it did not work out as planned...

Why would you try to save $150 and risk you may end up having NOTHING?

Correct. The most restrict rule governs the whole ticket.