The Definitive "How To Search for Low Tier Business Awards"
Jan 16, 2013, 6:35 pm
#1591
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
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Search segment-by-segment on DL.dumb and sort by miles (not "best match") to see if the space is available to DL. You're going to find a lot of unavailable AF/KL space that way, so I'd use ExpertFlyer for the AF/KL flights over the water. Out of SEA, don't forget about using AS. Search for super saver seats on alaskaair.com and those should show up on DL.dumb, too.
If EF doesn't show it, you can't book. So this is spot on.
Jan 16, 2013, 6:55 pm
#1592
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Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
Can someone see if there are low TATL awards on 6/22, 6/29 or 7/6 out of SFO or LAX?
Ultimate destination is Italy (VRN) and the return would be 2 weeks later, either on Friday or Saturday, out of TRN.
ETA: And yes, I did search SFO-CDG and LAX-CDG on delta.com as well as call them this week.
Ultimate destination is Italy (VRN) and the return would be 2 weeks later, either on Friday or Saturday, out of TRN.
ETA: And yes, I did search SFO-CDG and LAX-CDG on delta.com as well as call them this week.
Jan 17, 2013, 2:09 am
#1593
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
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Posts: 17,423
Can someone see if there are low TATL awards on 6/22, 6/29 or 7/6 out of SFO or LAX?
Ultimate destination is Italy (VRN) and the return would be 2 weeks later, either on Friday or Saturday, out of TRN.
ETA: And yes, I did search SFO-CDG and LAX-CDG on delta.com as well as call them this week.
Ultimate destination is Italy (VRN) and the return would be 2 weeks later, either on Friday or Saturday, out of TRN.
ETA: And yes, I did search SFO-CDG and LAX-CDG on delta.com as well as call them this week.
Don't limit yourself to LAX/SFO.
Jan 17, 2013, 6:47 am
#1594
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
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Jan 17, 2013, 12:12 pm
#1595
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Jan 17, 2013, 5:27 pm
#1596
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Location: Bay Area
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I do have an award already with an LAX-FCO segment.
However, I asked about later dates and they say there aren't any.
Don't limit to SFO/LAX? What other options are there? I checked SEA but while there is a SEA-CDG segment, it comes out at a very high price. 300k miles or more IIRC.
However, I asked about later dates and they say there aren't any.
Don't limit to SFO/LAX? What other options are there? I checked SEA but while there is a SEA-CDG segment, it comes out at a very high price. 300k miles or more IIRC.
Jan 17, 2013, 11:49 pm
#1597
FlyerTalk Evangelist & Ambassador: China
Join Date: Aug 2005
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I do have an award already with an LAX-FCO segment.
However, I asked about later dates and they say there aren't any.
Don't limit to SFO/LAX? What other options are there? I checked SEA but while there is a SEA-CDG segment, it comes out at a very high price. 300k miles or more IIRC.
However, I asked about later dates and they say there aren't any.
Don't limit to SFO/LAX? What other options are there? I checked SEA but while there is a SEA-CDG segment, it comes out at a very high price. 300k miles or more IIRC.
Get to FCO, AMS, or CDG. Cities like, NYC (all), PHL, BOS, IAD, DCA, MIA, DFW, CHI (all), ATL, DTW, SLC, MSP, DTW, CVG, MEM, etc.
Make sense? Map out all your routings on DL, AF, and KL and find anything that is open.
Jan 20, 2013, 6:52 pm
#1598
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Oregon
Programs: ex-DL FO, what a pedigree
Posts: 158
I do have an award already with an LAX-FCO segment.
However, I asked about later dates and they say there aren't any.
Don't limit to SFO/LAX? What other options are there? I checked SEA but while there is a SEA-CDG segment, it comes out at a very high price. 300k miles or more IIRC.
However, I asked about later dates and they say there aren't any.
Don't limit to SFO/LAX? What other options are there? I checked SEA but while there is a SEA-CDG segment, it comes out at a very high price. 300k miles or more IIRC.
Jan 21, 2013, 1:00 am
#1599
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: STR
Programs: DL SkyMiles PM or DM for 24 years, SkyClub: Lifetime, Delta Million Miler
Posts: 72
tried booking for months now
any flights operated by KLM don't seem to be bookable...
found SEA-YYC-AMS-ZRH for low mileage coach but it is never bookable
called Delta and they saw the same combination on their computer but said it's unavailable...
also whenever I find a KLM flight like AMS-ZRH it is bookable but when I try to book it together as PDX-AMS-ZRH it shows up for low mileage but won't book...
any sugestions
trying to go from PDX to ZRH or STR in mid june (2 or 3 people)
returning in mid July
any flights operated by KLM don't seem to be bookable...
found SEA-YYC-AMS-ZRH for low mileage coach but it is never bookable
called Delta and they saw the same combination on their computer but said it's unavailable...
also whenever I find a KLM flight like AMS-ZRH it is bookable but when I try to book it together as PDX-AMS-ZRH it shows up for low mileage but won't book...
any sugestions
trying to go from PDX to ZRH or STR in mid june (2 or 3 people)
returning in mid July
Jan 21, 2013, 6:46 am
#1601
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Jan 21, 2013, 7:04 am
#1602
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 37
I'm not sure I understand your first question; forgive me. Agree on starting with ATL - I've flown that route a couple times.
Searching through Delta, I can get:
RT ATL-JNB in business (direct) for 250,000.
RT ATL-JNB in economy (direct) for 150,000.
Breaking into one-ways, I can't seem to do what the original post recommended. No business class even pop up when searching through economy. That's what prompted my question of if this is more tips for European travel than African.
Thanks for the reply.
Searching through Delta, I can get:
RT ATL-JNB in business (direct) for 250,000.
RT ATL-JNB in economy (direct) for 150,000.
Breaking into one-ways, I can't seem to do what the original post recommended. No business class even pop up when searching through economy. That's what prompted my question of if this is more tips for European travel than African.
Thanks for the reply.
Jan 21, 2013, 7:28 am
#1603
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
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Posts: 8,050
Jan 21, 2013, 7:50 am
#1604
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 37
The search for economy thing doesn't really work any more. This is part of the reason that I want this thread closed down and a new one started with the current best practices. Search segment-by-segment and always sort by miles required. DL has started determining that a DL medium combo IAD-XXX-CDG is a "better match" than the AF non-stop IAD-CDG at low
Jan 21, 2013, 8:24 am
#1605
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
Programs: BA Silver; HHonors Gold; SPG Gold; Points but dirt with everyone else
Posts: 8,050
Check the award chart. Don't accept anything more than low unless you really want the nonstop. Apparently low space (at least in J) on ATL-JNB is mythical. Routing over AMS/CDG opens up far more options. It seems it's mainly the TATL award space that AF/KL have restricted. CDG-JNB is wide open in both classes generally (maybe need to be flexible by a day or two, but shouldn't be too bad). Get yourself to Europe somehow (DL, AF, KL, AZ), then get to CDG/AMS, then get to Africa. KQ can also be an option from Europe to NBO, but you will get hit with fuel surcharges.