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Old Jan 12, 2017 | 12:34 pm
  #1  
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Perplexed Points Person

Trying to find the best use of Delta and Amex miles to have flat seats from
LAX to any Tokyo airport. Any airlines or one-way ticket each way in October.

Also have about 60,000 United miles each and 100,000 Chase miles each (2 travelers) but 300,000 combined Delta miles and about 200,000 Amex miles.

Thanks!
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Old Jan 12, 2017 | 12:40 pm
  #2  
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Have you checked the Delta website?

Doing a flexible search for October in D1, I'm seeing a few combinations that come in at 160k/person for RT J (most connecting on AS in Seattle or Portland).

You'd just need to transfer in 20k AMEX to DL and then would zero out your DL accounts (320k total for 2 travelers)

Example:

October 3rd: LAX - PDX (AS or DL) - NRT (DL 763)

October 9th: HND - LAX (DL 777)

320k + $88.52
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Old Jan 12, 2017 | 12:44 pm
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This is very helpful! Actually we are in Florida but visiting in Oregon before and after the trip (grandbaby twins will be born there). Nearest airport is MFR so we can pick Seattle and Portland just as easily as LAX, and probably less hassle. I just heard that LAX offered the most flights. In fact can take AS from MFR.

The Delta site was showing 240,000 each way pp. And we have flexibility.

Last edited by Pavane; Jan 12, 2017 at 12:45 pm Reason: add
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Old Jan 12, 2017 | 12:49 pm
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You might save miles by flying from SEA or PDX since domestic connecting flights can price in medium or high and really added to the number of miles that are required. OTOH, married segment availability can sometimes make it cheaper in miles to start from some other airport, so be sure to check various possibilities.
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Old Jan 12, 2017 | 12:57 pm
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Originally Posted by Pavane
This is very helpful! Actually we are in Florida but visiting in Oregon before and after the trip (grandbaby twins will be born there). Nearest airport is MFR so we can pick Seattle and Portland just as easily as LAX, and probably less hassle. I just heard that LAX offered the most flights. In fact can take AS from MFR.

The Delta site was showing 240,000 each way pp. And we have flexibility.
Make sure you select flexible days in your Delta search and put in 5 week calendar starting October 1 (click on advanced search to get to these additional features). That will give you a snapshot based on length of stay to find the 160k that you need. That's how I found the above (using a 7 day length of stay).

Check PDX, SEA, and LAX though as MSPeconomist noted above, don't be shocked if you can find LAX - PDX - NRT at the lowest level but can't find PDX - NRT at the lowest level, DL plays games with married segment availability that can cause this.

I don't see anything at 160k from MFR (lowest is 210k) but I am seeing 160k from PDX (example: October 4th PDX - NRT and then October 11th HND - LAX - PDX)

Side-note: Congrats on the future twin grandbabies!!
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Old Jan 13, 2017 | 9:20 am
  #6  
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Crazy making...

I can't make anything work.

My Ideal Dates are now Sept 28 departing Oct 26 with flexibility on the early side of Sept. 28 and the later side of Oct. 27.

We are happy to fly to PDX, SEA, SFO, LAX as gateways, but don't want to fly to LAX and onward as it really adds 4-6 hours or more to flight time.

My Delta/Amex combo as of today is 333,000 miles plus 200,000 Citi and
98,000 Chase. (63,000 United)

Happy to do one-way tickets and to fly any Delta connection with ANA, Singapore, AS....

Any airport in Japan or west coast USA. I KNOW this can be done.
Thanks point mavens!
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Old Jan 13, 2017 | 9:28 am
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If you live in Florida and are going to be visiting the WC presumably you're not driving from FL to OR. You may have good luck searching out of one city like PDX and back into SEA or wherever as well.
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Old Jan 13, 2017 | 9:36 am
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flying of course

yep...free to fly from PDX, SEA, LAX, SFO or anything west coast but those are the best connections out of MFR (nearest to where we'll be.)

Want avoid 2 west coast stops like MFR-LAX-SEA.

Using other points etc. to get to Oregon and to gateway city.
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Old Jan 13, 2017 | 9:38 am
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26 Sep I see PDX/SEA/NRT available OW for 80K and the SEA/NRT flight on it's own also for 80K

Also DL just announced RDM/SEA service. Their Press release says those will be bookable tomorrow. So you may have good luck if you check tomorrow morning.
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Old Jan 13, 2017 | 9:42 am
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Originally Posted by kop84
If you live in Florida and are going to be visiting the WC presumably you're not driving from FL to OR. You may have good luck searching out of one city like PDX and back into SEA or wherever as well.
I read this at first as they're needing to use the restroom. Took a few secondays to figure out why they would need to drive or fly at all. All of a sudden dawned on me that I'm back in the US.
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Old Jan 13, 2017 | 9:46 am
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Originally Posted by flyerCO
I read this at first as they're needing to use the restroom. Took a few secondays to figure out why they would need to drive or fly at all. All of a sudden dawned on me that I'm back in the US.
And it just took me a few seconds to figure out why you would be confused by WC...I haven't been out of the states in too long!
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Old Jan 13, 2017 | 11:42 am
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Also check SFO/LAX-TPE and TPE-NRT (or TPE-KIX or wherever you want to be in Japan) separately on China Airlines.

For whatever reason Delta.com doesn't show China Airlines connecting options if you search LAX-NRT, but if you search segment-by-segment and find flights with availability, a phone agent can put them together for you for 80K one-way. Availability is usually very good.
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Old Jan 13, 2017 | 3:03 pm
  #13  
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Do this as two OWs. Snag the PDX - TYO availability at 80k now. I'm seeing TPE - LAX - PDX availability for return at 80k too. You can always get a less ideal routing for the return and then if a schedule change happens use that to get a better routing.

Last edited by Duke787; Jan 13, 2017 at 3:10 pm
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Old Jan 13, 2017 | 3:25 pm
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Originally Posted by Duke787
Do this as two OWs. Snag the PDX - TYO availability at 80k now. I'm seeing TPE - LAX - PDX availability for return at 80k too. You can always get a less ideal routing for the return and then if a schedule change happens use that to get a better routing.

This. CI is the airline you want to be on.
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Old Jan 13, 2017 | 11:05 pm
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Originally Posted by nichojo
This. CI is the airline you want to be on.
Until the screw up and charge you for a full ticket instead of just the difference between J and F when upgrading. They refused to fix their error. They refused to work with MC on what correct amount was. MC finally just charged back the entire amount. I guess I'm on their bad boy list.
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