Standard Award Hints to Europe on CO?
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 8
Standard Award Hints to Europe on CO?
Hi all - I need to tap into the collective brains for some ideas. I have searched and seen some ideas on multi-leg options for standard awards, but this should/could not be so hard as they make it. I spend tons of time and $$$ choosing to use CO for my flights and am finally taking my wife to Europe in June for a cruise and stay for 2 weeks. Thinking I could use 1000k per person, I thought all would be fine for BizFirst. Well, since all, on ALL partners, all possible options (called and had 4-5 agents check for 2+ hours of time total) my only real option at one point was a paid flight from IAH to Boston, Boston first class on Virgin Atlantic (which sounded great) to London, London to Paris on Air France and then Paris to Barcelona, our ultimate destination. Suffice to say - my wife was not interested in 24 hours of flights.
So now, I am forced to use 200k miles to sit in coach (mind you, direct flight from IAH to France, then France to Barcelona) but using Easy Pass and have been told that is what it would be most of the time. This seems crazy to me.
Has anyone on here got any ideas for me? As I get closer to June and seats are still open in Biz first, is there a chance Standard Biz First award tickets will open up?
Thanks all - trying to get to Europe using BizFirst, showing my wife a terrific vacation using the 200k miles any way possible
So now, I am forced to use 200k miles to sit in coach (mind you, direct flight from IAH to France, then France to Barcelona) but using Easy Pass and have been told that is what it would be most of the time. This seems crazy to me.
Has anyone on here got any ideas for me? As I get closer to June and seats are still open in Biz first, is there a chance Standard Biz First award tickets will open up?
Thanks all - trying to get to Europe using BizFirst, showing my wife a terrific vacation using the 200k miles any way possible
#2
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MSY
Programs: AA Plat Pro, UA Plat, VS Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 2,531
My best luck has been on virgin. Sign up for virgin atlantic's FF program and you will be able to search for reward seats. Find the connections that work yourself then feed them to the agent. It's a lot easier for an agent to push easypass than look for every possible option. For skyteam flights, this site has been invaluable for me:
http://asiares.nwa.com/?siteCode=KR&...rdtravelsearch
I'm going to paris in june/july, and my routing is MSY-MCO on DL, MCO-MAN on VS, MAN-CDG on AF. Return is the same, except it's MCO-IAH-MSY on CO.
And Virgin upper class is awesome. Definitebly better than BF IMO.
http://asiares.nwa.com/?siteCode=KR&...rdtravelsearch
I'm going to paris in june/july, and my routing is MSY-MCO on DL, MCO-MAN on VS, MAN-CDG on AF. Return is the same, except it's MCO-IAH-MSY on CO.
And Virgin upper class is awesome. Definitebly better than BF IMO.
#3
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: CLE
Posts: 9,816
Another thought is to take BF to a hub in europe and paying for seats to BCN. You would be amazed at the fares you can find on legacy and LCC carriers in Europe! For instance, you can fly Easyjet from LGW to BCN (usually under $100 each way in advance) or British Airways or Iberia from LHR (I checked a random date in June and BA was $163 one way).
In addition, dont be afraid of flying coach for your intra-Europe flights. Business class on most European airlines is nothing more than glorified coach with better meals and service.
If I were in your shoes, I would jump all over the VS flights to LHR using miles and paying for the other flights. Just my opinion of course...
In addition, dont be afraid of flying coach for your intra-Europe flights. Business class on most European airlines is nothing more than glorified coach with better meals and service.
If I were in your shoes, I would jump all over the VS flights to LHR using miles and paying for the other flights. Just my opinion of course...
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
Posts: 35,067
Another thought is to take BF to a hub in europe and paying for seats to BCN. You would be amazed at the fares you can find on legacy and LCC carriers in Europe! For instance, you can fly Easyjet from LGW to BCN (usually under $100 each way in advance) or British Airways or Iberia from LHR (I checked a random date in June and BA was $163 one way).
#5
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: CLE
Posts: 9,816
Amazing may have been a strong word, but the fact still remains that there are affordable ways to get to BCN from a variety of connection points in europe.
And since when does distance have anything to do with airfares?
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2007
Posts: 8
Thanks all -
OOPSZ - I searched for flights using that NWA site and found that my flights are available in business forst for less award miles - but how can I use Continental OnePass miles vs Northwest? Will Northwest honor OnePass miles?
OOPSZ - I searched for flights using that NWA site and found that my flights are available in business forst for less award miles - but how can I use Continental OnePass miles vs Northwest? Will Northwest honor OnePass miles?
#7
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: CLE
Posts: 9,816
You must call Continental to use your miles on NW, but you can use your miles on any SkyTeam partner.
#8
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: MSY
Programs: AA Plat Pro, UA Plat, VS Silver, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 2,531
It's just for searching-- generally if there's standard availability on NW, there will be standard availability on the same flights when you call CO. CALL CONTINENTAL and tell them the flights you found on the NW site.