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The Definitive "How To Search for Low Tier Business Awards"

The Definitive "How To Search for Low Tier Business Awards"

Old Jan 22, 2012, 6:44 pm
  #841  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Programs: Skyteam: DL SM, One World, Star Alliance
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Have Economy now looking for Biz

I have economy roundtrip for 90,000 for 2, but I'm striking out on Biz.

12 Sep DL 615 SEA to CDG nonstop. Sep 11 would be OK
22 Sep DL 211 PRG to JFK, then JK to SEA. 23 Sep would be OK

Using KVS tool I found 1 seat on to Krakow, Poland, but not a 2nd seat and it became complicated so for now, I'll settle for getting to Paris.

Using EF I found economy from SEA to DTW, then BIZ seat (CS) from DTW to CDG. But it required a change of planes with only a 40 minute layover and that seemed risky. Would you seasoned travelers agree?

I've looked through nearby airports Vancouver YVR, Portland PDX, SFO and LAX, SLC and the hubs JFK, MSP, ATL, Cincinnati CVG. I can't find any Biz class seats on my dates.

We're flyin gback from Prague PRG, but I also checked from CDG and AMS to various US and Canada hubs, but could not find Biz class.

I've got tickets on hold for a few more hours.
Could someone help. Have I exhausted all the options?

Thx

Last edited by pauldepape; Jan 22, 2012 at 6:48 pm Reason: additions
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Old Jan 22, 2012, 7:09 pm
  #842  
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Originally Posted by pauldepape
I've looked through nearby airports Vancouver YVR, Portland PDX, SFO and LAX, SLC and the hubs JFK, MSP, ATL, Cincinnati CVG. I can't find any Biz class seats on my dates.

We're flyin gback from Prague PRG, but I also checked from CDG and AMS to various US and Canada hubs, but could not find Biz class.
PRG-AMS-YYC-SEA comes to mind and meets MCTs.

PRG-CDG-YUL-DTW-SEA; YUL-CDG is known for good award availability.

PRG-CDG-ORD-SEA operated by OK, AF and AS, respectively?

Last edited by 3Cforme; Jan 22, 2012 at 7:15 pm
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Old Jan 22, 2012, 7:36 pm
  #843  
 
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Originally Posted by 3Cforme
PRG-AMS-YYC-SEA comes to mind and meets MCTs.

PRG-CDG-YUL-DTW-SEA; YUL-CDG is known for good award availability.

PRG-CDG-ORD-SEA operated by OK, AF and AS, respectively?
Thank you 3CForMe. I'm coming home on Biz for 95K.

I'm open to suggestions for getting 2 seats from SEA to CDG on Biz.
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Old Jan 22, 2012, 9:12 pm
  #844  
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Sorry. I clearly went over that too quickly. Look for every DL/AF gateway city that can be reached with an acceptable routing on AS or DL. It's tougher eastbound due to the shorter 'day' but one can have a stop up to 24 hours on an international routing without counting as a stopover. At some point, however, the extra hassels of a really convoluted Business routing will make your coach routing look good.
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Old Jan 22, 2012, 11:38 pm
  #845  
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Originally Posted by craig44485
When I call I ask them specifically if they are only checking DL metal or are they also checking partners and they say they have checked everybody! I am so exasperated. I just can not believe that there are zero(0) J awards at low level for the next 5 months!!!! I will take any 2 week trip between now and the end of June. There has to be at least 2 low level awards out there somewhere!!!
That is complete hogwash. That is what they say when they simply do a search given your airports. What you need to know is that the DL search engine sucks (yes even for agents) and that if you put in departure/arrival times magically new flights (on partners) appear.

Hence, what you need to do is your own homework first and map out potential partner routes etc. It sucks to have to do this, but this is the price you pay by using DL as their IT is horrible. I use the ST tool (PC version and app), and sometimes go further to check individual partner schedules.
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Old Jan 23, 2012, 1:25 am
  #846  
 
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Originally Posted by michael_v
Delta doesn't have close-in ticketing fee for awards, do they?
No, they don't.
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Old Jan 25, 2012, 11:13 am
  #847  
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Just want to confirm something. I know as Plat now, I can change, cxl, etc any wawrd tickets. But if I drop down to Gold, does the $150 change fee apply to any date/routing change? Or only to origin/destination changes like with AA? I fear it's the former but want to be sure. I've really gotten used to being able to tweak awards on AA....
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Old Jan 25, 2012, 11:30 am
  #848  
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The change fee applies for ANY change, unless the award was redeemed from the miles of a Plat/Diamond account effective as of when the change is made.

Redeemed as Gold but changed when Plat = free.

Redeemed when Plat but dropped to Gold = fee

That's a reason to wait in hope for schedule changes >90 minutes if the award travel date is distant.
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Old Jan 25, 2012, 1:02 pm
  #849  
formerly known as daveland
 
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Originally Posted by 3Cforme
The change fee applies for ANY change, unless the award was redeemed from the miles of a Plat/Diamond account effective as of when the change is made.

Redeemed as Gold but changed when Plat = free.

Redeemed when Plat but dropped to Gold = fee

That's a reason to wait in hope for schedule changes >90 minutes if the award travel date is distant.
Thanks - that is what I thought. I really can't imagine trying to burn these miles as a non-elite! At least as Plat I can book less than ideal routings that "work enough" and hope for better. Oh well, it is what it is!
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Old Jan 25, 2012, 3:39 pm
  #850  
 
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Using the advice on this thread, yesterday I booked a roundtrip late June departure PHX-FCO for 100,000 miles in mostly business class! I go PHX-JFK DL Y, JFK-CDG AF J, CDG-FCO AF J, FCO-CDG AF J, and JFK-PHX DL F. Looking for AF awards seem to raise my chances as well as booking by segment. Thanks!
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Old Jan 25, 2012, 3:52 pm
  #851  
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Originally Posted by mnredfox
They can't help anymore than US agents. Just Skype in your PM.
Originally Posted by craig44485
I have been trying for days now to book 2 First?Business Class low level award tickets for my parents from PIT>MNL. I have found low level available on June 11th returning June 28th, but when I click on find flights it only shows medium level awards. So, I have called the PM line and have gotten different stories each time. Only one agent could find a low level, that was in May departing from DTW, if she added the PIT to DTW on then it went to 200K.

I have called 3 times tonight asking to find availability and I am even looking right at the awards calendar when I call, and the agents all say there is no low level awards at all in June, yet I see all kinds of availability. What is going on?
Any suggestions on how to go forward with this?

Thank you
Read the first post again and then,
book segment by segment either online or with the agent

Remember
low PIT-DTW (biz or eco)
low DTW-LAX (biz/economy)
Low LAX-ICN
Low ICN-MNL and back in low = 120 k miles

low PIT-DTW 22.5
Med DTW-LAX 40
Med LAX-ICN 100
Low ICn-MNL 30
is actually 4 awards! so price will go up to 200k just for outbound

If DTW and back to MNL is low in C and PIT-DTW is med = 80k miles extra
You can try to book saver economy for the PIT-DTW segments (that will not increase the price of a saver C award.

The trick as PM is to book that at once and then KEEP changing
"game the system" till 72 hrs before the flight

There is no best answer.
US charges 160k to Asia for me in F for a segment that had NYC-FAR in F rest in C out and back in C with 1 segment in Y
The price did not go down at all due to ONE segment

AA does not allow many stopovers (except gateways)

CO may soon be the best
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Old Jan 28, 2012, 6:05 am
  #852  
 
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Success!!

Originally Posted by ffI
Read the first post again and then,
book segment by segment either online or with the agent

Remember
low PIT-DTW (biz or eco)
low DTW-LAX (biz/economy)
Low LAX-ICN
Low ICN-MNL and back in low = 120 k miles

low PIT-DTW 22.5
Med DTW-LAX 40
Med LAX-ICN 100
Low ICn-MNL 30
is actually 4 awards! so price will go up to 200k just for outbound

If DTW and back to MNL is low in C and PIT-DTW is med = 80k miles extra
You can try to book saver economy for the PIT-DTW segments (that will not increase the price of a saver C award.

The trick as PM is to book that at once and then KEEP changing
"game the system" till 72 hrs before the flight

There is no best answer.
US charges 160k to Asia for me in F for a segment that had NYC-FAR in F rest in C out and back in C with 1 segment in Y
The price did not go down at all due to ONE segment

AA does not allow many stopovers (except gateways)

CO may soon be the best
I went to the local DL ticket office yesterday here in Manila and was able to have the lady there book me 2 BE tickets JFK>ICN>MNL March 13 returning March 26 for 120K SM each, 240K SM total. Now I just need to get them from PIT to JFK, and get there seat assignments on KE.

Now if I can find low BE or economy PIT>JFK will that add to the miles needed, or could it be combined with the JFK>MNL award?

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!!
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Old Jan 28, 2012, 7:58 am
  #853  
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As a PM, you should be able to change the ticket for free.

Originally Posted by craig44485
I went to the local DL ticket office yesterday here in Manila and was able to have the lady there book me 2 BE tickets JFK>ICN>MNL March 13 returning March 26 for 120K SM each, 240K SM total. Now I just need to get them from PIT to JFK, and get there seat assignments on KE.

Now if I can find low BE or economy PIT>JFK will that add to the miles needed, or could it be combined with the JFK>MNL award?

Thanks for all the help and suggestions!!
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Old Jan 28, 2012, 8:10 am
  #854  
 
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Originally Posted by Jaimito Cartero
As a PM, you should be able to change the ticket for free.
Can I add the PIT>JFK to the rt JFK>MNL or would I need to completely rebook the entire flight now? Just curious to know if I find low level BE or even Y PIT>JFK will it saty at 120K SM or would the PIT>JFK rt require more SM?
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Old Jan 28, 2012, 9:07 am
  #855  
 
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Originally Posted by craig44485
Can I add the PIT>JFK to the rt JFK>MNL or would I need to completely rebook the entire flight now? Just curious to know if I find low level BE or even Y PIT>JFK will it saty at 120K SM or would the PIT>JFK rt require more SM?
Stay the same. If an agent tells you otherwise (or that you need inventory on the segments you already have booked to make the change), thank them, tell them someone's at the door, hang up, and call back.
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