kuhlguy

Getting a little desperate trying to find an award ticket back from CDG-LA area so going to shamelessly ask for help!

Fam is on the CDG-SEA-ONT flight on 12/24 ... was able to get 2J tickets home ... the CDG-SEA flight is wide open in front but is holding steady at a high award redemption ... will still monitor it to see if it drops

I have an outbound flight with my fam ... ONT-SEA-CDG ... but no return. Anyone have any suggestions for trying to find a low award in J on 12/24 from CDG-LAX/BUR/PSP/ONT/SNA/LGB???? I'd even take regular economy at this point ...

I have found routings like CDG-FRA-DTW (get into DTW at 1:20) at low but can't get to LA from DTW even searching in economy ... I've tried CDG-DUS-ATL at low but can't get to LA from ATL. I've tried CDG-LHR-XXX but there are no early LHR flights avaialble on AF (shocking isn't it ... noooot ... boo on AF). Looking on EF, KLM and AF have nothing available ...

Any help would be much appreciated ... otherwise might have to cancel family christmas vaca in Paris ... I also just blew 600,000 miles so my mileage account can't afford anything higher than low ....

c_d

I had an equal issue by trying to get the family over for Christmas. There was no way in either Y or J until I called up the DM desk. The agent ended up purposely "breaking" (more like bending) the fare rules by adding an overnight in DTW. Hard to believe and even harder to explain but the whole trip from SAT to TXL priced out as 100k in J/F. Note that Y is much more filled and expensive than J around Christmas.

If you are super desperate: Have you tried AMS? It has less taxes and better availability. A comfy train connection between AMS and CDG is in place, I heard it takes about 4hrs (pretty much the same as FRA-CDG). BRU, STR, DUS, and ZRH might be options, too.

kuhlguy

Thanks for the input. Yes DUS works but the prob is that once I get from DUS-ATL I can't get from ATL-LA ... it's the domestic portion that's giving me the biggest problem. I can't seem to get from hub-LA area.

At one point AMS-SEA-ONT or AMS-PDX-LAX was possible, but is not really because the train is either too late if I take it in the morning (earliest gets in at 9AM) or gets in too early on the 23 and I'd have to spend the night in amsterdam

mtkeller

Can you grab a Eurostar to London early enough to catch an LHR flight? Checked AZ?

kuhlguy

Yea checked into that ... there are some low's from LHR, but then I still can't get to LA ...

LHR-ATL, LHR-DTW are open ... but no connections to LA

LAX88

Perhaps just pay USD for the inbound? Or try to use BA points (on AA) or something similar one-way from DTW?

You're not likely to find much availability into LAX from any US hub over the holidays and there is no way you'll find CDG-LAX open. It BAFFLES me, because there is so much inventory between CDG and LAX (a year ago, I could book 2 J tickets for nearly any day of the year), but AF never opens it now.

jphripjah

What about CDG-LAS (perhaps through Juarez) and then a southwest flight to Los Angeles?

dgxoxo

What about CDG-LAX on TN 7? Any low availability on that flight?

VladQ

Of course, there is (at least according to EF). It's strange that ppl forget about TN and only think in terms of DL/AF/KL (and sometimes AZ) when it comes to TATL flights

blagger

I've never seen any information to suggest that Skymiles can be spent on TN flights!

Vuelos

you are wrong

blagger

I am thankful that you have the insight to know more about what I have ever seen than I do.

Allow me to restate and clarify... Even though I might consider myself a bit of a partner redemption pro, until I read this thread I was completely unaware of the TN redemption partnership. I have now been enlightened and thank the FT community for educating me.

nystateofmind

How much flexibility do you have? Because I am showing low up front on the 23rd CDG-MSP or DTW-LAX with a ridiculously long layover before your LAX flight

duke2013

I am also trying to rebook to this flight in early January, is delta prone to opening up more space as the date approaches?

kuhlguy

wow, did not know about TN! Awesome find. This is why I love this forum!!

Looks like the fam gets to go to paris