AF ATL - CDG, 6/13 BE
AF CDG - MPL, 6/16 Y

AF MPL - CDG, 6/24 Y
AF CDG - IAD, 6/25 BE
DL IAD - ATL, 6/25 F

Booked all of these 331 days out at midnight. Wanted CDG - ATL direct, but could only get the CDG - IAD routing. We are taking the last flight out of MPL and the first flight out of CDG to IAD so it's not that bad. And, no connections in CDG because of the stopover and the return routing!! :D Hopefully that will keep my bags on the same aircraft as me!!

service to Hawaii
 

Before I booked a Hawaii cruise I wanted to see if I could get tickets. Called today for 2 Skysaver first class seats MCI-ATL-HNL on April 25, return May 5.
Got exactly the days I wanted with the first call, no problems. The reservation is on hold for 2 days. I transferred Diners Club points in to top off the accounts. Hopefully the points get there while the reservation is still on hold. Will Delta extend this a few days if the points don't show up in 2 days like they are supposed to? I already booked a cruise based on these Skymiles tickets.

What sort of seats are in first to Hawaii? Are they sleeper seats like Biz Elite to Europe, as the return is an overnight flight.

Susie

Just Got Two
 

I just got two JFK - BKK seats in Business Class for June of next year. 12 hour layover in Paris on the way there, but there was no alternative.

(Posted elsewhere also)

I just booked three B/E Skysaver seats JFK-MAD for February.

First try, dates I wanted, no call, just online.

There is no guarantee they will extend the ticketing deadline. Just end the call if the first person says no and call back to get another agent, and hopefully they will extend it for you.

Also, the seats to HNL are not the Biz Elite seats. Standard domestic F seats. Sorry.

My recent success
 

I recently booked 7 coach award tickets GSO-HNL for June 2007 at 331 days out. I was really only hoping for 5 and just purchase the other 2, so I was astounded to find availability for all 7. Made my call just before midnight, so I would be talking to an agent around 12:01. Waited 2 weeks to book the returns, and had a little problem with the agents in India, after 3 phone calls and much furstration, decided to try again the next night. They either couldn't understand why I didn't book the return the same time as the outbound or coudn't/wouldn't book my first leg of a redeye return since the next leg was a different day. In the meantime a poster on this board recommended I use the Intl/Partners desk. Which I did the next night and got my first leg of the returns booked no problem within a couple of minutes, and called back the next night to book the final leg. I am sure others have had different experiences occasionally, but this was my 3rd time booking award tickets with Delta, and always been able to get something to work for me. The other times weren't this far out, once was a ticket for a last minute vacation, booked one week out, and the other was a last minute flight because of a death in the family, and was able to book tickets one night for flights the next afternoon. My experience is that Delta is as good with award availability as American, I just wish the agents in India were a little more knowledgeable for complex situations.
Cindi

Got 5 BE ATL-JNB in Jun 07. Just what I needed.

Not bad ^

Just switched outbound NRT - CPH 21 Jun to KLM. Had booked AF since that was all that was available at 331 days. Additionally, booked return CPH - NRT 8 Jul on AF. Two biz tickets. I will call back next week and see if KLM inventory becomes available.

As always, extremely pleased with Partner Award Desk.

Marc

I'm ashamed to be redeeming SkyMiles for a SkySaver at my lowest ever redemption rate -- barely over 1 cent per mile. Nonstop CAE-LGA on a CRJ for a long weekend in September to use a couple free weekend nights at a Starwood hotel. Got my first choice for the dates and times.

I'm at least somewhat comforted by the fact that I'm redeeming them for a flight that would give no additional perks if I were to pay cash. It's sometimes been a coin toss to decide whether to pay cash so that I might could get a free upgrade, or pay points and be ineligible for free upgrades. Makes no difference on a CRJ.

There's still a chance that I might cancel this in favor of paying cash instead. Also possible that I might be able to combine this trip with a business trip.

25K miles - 1000 bonus + $10 taxes = 24,000 miles + $10.
vs.
$259 cash + earning 3K miles

(I have over a million miles still on hand.)

(I have over a million miles still on hand.)


Me thinks you have too many miles -- and too much money if you are still paying money in an effort to get MORE miles!

Got FLL-ATL-OGG & OGG-ATL-DFW in Business Elite for Thanksgiving !! Woo hoo! Caveat: I did have to wait for OGG-ATL-DFW to clear a waitlist (6 days).

I just cleared the waitlist for 2 BE SkySavers from CPH-MCO (via ATL) on September 16th. I'd snagged my original 2 BE SkySavers in late June, for the CPH-MCO flight on 19 September, returning on October 3rd. Was waitlisted to fly out earlier on either the 16th, 17th or 18th, with the 16th our preference.

Everything cleared today and they reissued the tickets with no charge as FT'ers told me they should.

Thanks to everyone here for the advice on booking and waitlisting. It worked!

I just hope all the extra security hassles get cleared up by then. :)

Susan

I just booked 3 AF J seats to Marrakech, Morocco for next summer at only 90k a pop! Gotta love the ladies at the SLC partners desk....

for 50k skymiles:

LAN-DUS 10/26 Delta
DUS-TVO 11/3 Aeroflot
TVO-LAN 12/6 NWA

This booking only took 20 minutes. No additional dates asked.
The international agent said Aeroflot schedule this fall was wide open!

Big Island
 

You may want to check availability at the Royal Kona resort. The wrap around balcony overlooking the harbor is simply ridiculous. The Kilauea tour is a must, and you may also want to check Hapuna Beach, Akaka Falls, and the Botanical Gardens. Enjoy your vacation.