Pointers Needed
Jun 27, 2013 | 3:35 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 246
Pointers Needed
I jumped on into the points game hard core about 2 years ago. We have taken several really nice vacations all on points. My wife even scored an incredible trip to Paris on a deal that worked out to be upwards of 8 cents per mile.
My wife wants to take our daughter to Munich and Berlin Germany, Belgium and a side trip to Austria. I can book the hotels without issue. I need pointers however on arranging airfare. I should mention the arsenal I am working with. I have about 1,100,000 SPG points, 400,000 Delta Skymiles, 220,000 AA miles and around 270,000 Ultimate reward points. We also live near Atlanta so that is the airport of departure.
Questions-
1-Can I book an award trip that stops for a few days in say Berlin and then continues to Munich and then on to Berlin and then back to ATL? I know they can possibly take the train between some cities. But is it possible to have layovers.
2- Alternatively they could fly into one city, use trains to move about and then depart home from another city, is this possible. This scenario does not involve intra continental trips.
3- From an initial peek it looks like Delta Business awards are in the 200,000- 300,000 points for each ticket which after only spending 100,000 to get to Paris looks to be to expensive and even though I got a bunch of points that is too steep a burn for me.
4- Pointers please on routing via Delta more cheaply.
5- Pointers for using my other points. One can spend literally hours messing around with possible scenarios and I am not trying to avoid the work involved, I am just trying to get some pointers and thoughts from you veterans.
We are 30 days out from the intended departure date and we are a bit flexible departing somewhere around the end of July early Aug.
My wife wants to take our daughter to Munich and Berlin Germany, Belgium and a side trip to Austria. I can book the hotels without issue. I need pointers however on arranging airfare. I should mention the arsenal I am working with. I have about 1,100,000 SPG points, 400,000 Delta Skymiles, 220,000 AA miles and around 270,000 Ultimate reward points. We also live near Atlanta so that is the airport of departure.
Questions-
1-Can I book an award trip that stops for a few days in say Berlin and then continues to Munich and then on to Berlin and then back to ATL? I know they can possibly take the train between some cities. But is it possible to have layovers.
2- Alternatively they could fly into one city, use trains to move about and then depart home from another city, is this possible. This scenario does not involve intra continental trips.
3- From an initial peek it looks like Delta Business awards are in the 200,000- 300,000 points for each ticket which after only spending 100,000 to get to Paris looks to be to expensive and even though I got a bunch of points that is too steep a burn for me.
4- Pointers please on routing via Delta more cheaply.
5- Pointers for using my other points. One can spend literally hours messing around with possible scenarios and I am not trying to avoid the work involved, I am just trying to get some pointers and thoughts from you veterans.
We are 30 days out from the intended departure date and we are a bit flexible departing somewhere around the end of July early Aug.
Jun 27, 2013 | 3:41 pm
#2
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: CT
Programs: DL DM 2MM, MR LTT, Hilton D, Hertz PC. National Emerald Exec, UA Silver(thanks to Marriott)
Posts: 2,026
I jumped on into the points game hard core about 2 years ago. We have taken several really nice vacations all on points. My wife even scored an incredible trip to Paris on a deal that worked out to be upwards of 8 cents per mile.
My wife wants to take our daughter to Munich and Berlin Germany, Belgium and a side trip to Austria. I can book the hotels without issue. I need pointers however on arranging airfare. I should mention the arsenal I am working with. I have about 1,100,000 SPG points, 400,000 Delta Skymiles, 220,000 AA miles and around 270,000 Ultimate reward points. We also live near Atlanta so that is the airport of departure.
Questions-
1-Can I book an award trip that stops for a few days in say Berlin and then continues to Munich and then on to Berlin and then back to ATL? I know they can possibly take the train between some cities. But is it possible to have layovers.
2- Alternatively they could fly into one city, use trains to move about and then depart home from another city, is this possible. This scenario does not involve intra continental trips.
3- From an initial peek it looks like Delta Business awards are in the 200,000- 300,000 points for each ticket which after only spending 100,000 to get to Paris looks to be to expensive and even though I got a bunch of points that is too steep a burn for me.
4- Pointers please on routing via Delta more cheaply.
5- Pointers for using my other points. One can spend literally hours messing around with possible scenarios and I am not trying to avoid the work involved, I am just trying to get some pointers and thoughts from you veterans.
We are 30 days out from the intended departure date and we are a bit flexible departing somewhere around the end of July early Aug.
My wife wants to take our daughter to Munich and Berlin Germany, Belgium and a side trip to Austria. I can book the hotels without issue. I need pointers however on arranging airfare. I should mention the arsenal I am working with. I have about 1,100,000 SPG points, 400,000 Delta Skymiles, 220,000 AA miles and around 270,000 Ultimate reward points. We also live near Atlanta so that is the airport of departure.
Questions-
1-Can I book an award trip that stops for a few days in say Berlin and then continues to Munich and then on to Berlin and then back to ATL? I know they can possibly take the train between some cities. But is it possible to have layovers.
2- Alternatively they could fly into one city, use trains to move about and then depart home from another city, is this possible. This scenario does not involve intra continental trips.
3- From an initial peek it looks like Delta Business awards are in the 200,000- 300,000 points for each ticket which after only spending 100,000 to get to Paris looks to be to expensive and even though I got a bunch of points that is too steep a burn for me.
4- Pointers please on routing via Delta more cheaply.
5- Pointers for using my other points. One can spend literally hours messing around with possible scenarios and I am not trying to avoid the work involved, I am just trying to get some pointers and thoughts from you veterans.
We are 30 days out from the intended departure date and we are a bit flexible departing somewhere around the end of July early Aug.
My wife and I are going to CDG in a couple of weeks on low BE awards but I snagged them 9 months ago.
Jun 27, 2013 | 3:49 pm
#3
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 102,617
Flying nonstop TATL from ATL will avoid the problem of connecting flights raising the miles required because they're not available in low. Aim for an open jaw and a stopover, using trains to fill the gaps.
Jun 28, 2013 | 12:53 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2008
Posts: 246
Jun 28, 2013 | 1:30 pm
#6
Join Date: Oct 2007
Programs: DL GM
Posts: 640
Jun 28, 2013 | 1:57 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: ATL
Programs: DL PM, SPG Plat
Posts: 890
This might be possible depending on just how flexible you are in travel dates and points of departure. Flights across the Atlantic are still available at 100k in Buisness Elite on limited dates. Although, not necessarily from Atlanta so you might have to consider a paid ticket to your point of departure. Feel free to PM.
