Award Ticket Success - Post It Here
Jul 15, 2013, 2:50 am
#3826
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: SEA
Programs: Le Club Accorhotels Platinum, Club Carlson Gold
Posts: 918
xxx-VVO/KHV-NRT/ICN-yyy (Southeast Asia) will be 70K in Y (compared to anywhere in North Asia to South Asia being 45K in Y). This is because the fare will break into two award tickets once you leave the Korea/Japan/Russian Siberia region.
Last edited by VladQ; Jul 15, 2013 at 3:24 am
Jul 15, 2013, 10:22 am
#3827
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,375
LAX-FCO (open jaw) VCE-CDG-LAX for two in business, all nonstops.
200k miles plus $368. Could have saved $90-$100 by doing it in the reverse direction but wanted the nice AZ seats for the red-eye and leave the AF A380 for the daytime flight.
Couldn't ticket it on line. After 100 minutes on hold the first time and 40 minutes on hold the second time when I asked them why I couldn't ticket it, the threat of a third eternity on hold while they switched me to Internet support made my resolve to save the $50 on hold.
Even at $368 (instead of $238), I was happy, managed to roll the hold on the outbound until the return came into the booking horizon. Otherwise, another $300 for this no-status on Delta person.
200k miles plus $368. Could have saved $90-$100 by doing it in the reverse direction but wanted the nice AZ seats for the red-eye and leave the AF A380 for the daytime flight.
Couldn't ticket it on line. After 100 minutes on hold the first time and 40 minutes on hold the second time when I asked them why I couldn't ticket it, the threat of a third eternity on hold while they switched me to Internet support made my resolve to save the $50 on hold.
Even at $368 (instead of $238), I was happy, managed to roll the hold on the outbound until the return came into the booking horizon. Otherwise, another $300 for this no-status on Delta person.
Jul 15, 2013, 10:24 am
#3828
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Delta DM, SPG Plat, Marriott Plat, IHG Spire
Posts: 1,021
Two unexciting 25K low domestic award tickets:
RDU-MCO (4 days in MCO)
MCO-LAX (6 days in LAX)
LAX-RDU
MCO-LAX-BNA (Making it BNA-MCO-LAX-BNA jumped it to 60K miles, so I used some leftover WN points for the BNA-MCO leg).
Oh, and did an RDU-ATL-LIM-ATL-RDU for 57,500 and $73 in taxes/fees.
All economy.
RDU-MCO (4 days in MCO)
MCO-LAX (6 days in LAX)
LAX-RDU
MCO-LAX-BNA (Making it BNA-MCO-LAX-BNA jumped it to 60K miles, so I used some leftover WN points for the BNA-MCO leg).
Oh, and did an RDU-ATL-LIM-ATL-RDU for 57,500 and $73 in taxes/fees.
All economy.
Jul 15, 2013, 10:40 am
#3829
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Ann Arbor
Programs: HHonors Gold , National Emerald Exec, Hertz Presidents, Delta Gold
Posts: 2,604
Just booked:
ATL-NRT DL (stopover)
NRT-ICN KE
ICN-SIN KE(open jaw)
PVG-ATL DL
ATL-DTW DL
DTW-NRT DL (stopover)
NRT-ICN KE
ICN-SIN KE (open jaw)
PVG-DTW DL
DTW-ATL DL
for 2 people in J around May 2014, 120k each and about $120 in taxes. I quickly realized that it was nearly impossible to book the same flights for 2 people at the low level so I decided to book separate flights and try to make them arrive around the same time. I'm hoping for some schedule change so I can avoid the unnecessary connections. I am soo relieved that I burned all my SM balance even though I had to transfer about 45k MR pts to my DL account.
The KE flights would show up once every 4 times in the Delta award search. It was just driving me nuts.
ATL-NRT DL (stopover)
NRT-ICN KE
ICN-SIN KE(open jaw)
PVG-ATL DL
ATL-DTW DL
DTW-NRT DL (stopover)
NRT-ICN KE
ICN-SIN KE (open jaw)
PVG-DTW DL
DTW-ATL DL
for 2 people in J around May 2014, 120k each and about $120 in taxes. I quickly realized that it was nearly impossible to book the same flights for 2 people at the low level so I decided to book separate flights and try to make them arrive around the same time. I'm hoping for some schedule change so I can avoid the unnecessary connections. I am soo relieved that I burned all my SM balance even though I had to transfer about 45k MR pts to my DL account.
The KE flights would show up once every 4 times in the Delta award search. It was just driving me nuts.
These would price out at roughly 2,400,000 miles after the award ticket revenue model gets implemented.
Purely speculation on my part, but I predict Delta will be the first major with the model and it to happen within the next 2 years.
Jul 15, 2013, 11:38 am
#3830
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Bay Area
Programs: DL SM, UA MP.
Posts: 12,729
LAX-FCO (open jaw) VCE-CDG-LAX for two in business, all nonstops.
200k miles plus $368. Could have saved $90-$100 by doing it in the reverse direction but wanted the nice AZ seats for the red-eye and leave the AF A380 for the daytime flight.
Couldn't ticket it on line. After 100 minutes on hold the first time and 40 minutes on hold the second time when I asked them why I couldn't ticket it, the threat of a third eternity on hold while they switched me to Internet support made my resolve to save the $50 on hold.
Even at $368 (instead of $238), I was happy, managed to roll the hold on the outbound until the return came into the booking horizon. Otherwise, another $300 for this no-status on Delta person.
200k miles plus $368. Could have saved $90-$100 by doing it in the reverse direction but wanted the nice AZ seats for the red-eye and leave the AF A380 for the daytime flight.
Couldn't ticket it on line. After 100 minutes on hold the first time and 40 minutes on hold the second time when I asked them why I couldn't ticket it, the threat of a third eternity on hold while they switched me to Internet support made my resolve to save the $50 on hold.
Even at $368 (instead of $238), I was happy, managed to roll the hold on the outbound until the return came into the booking horizon. Otherwise, another $300 for this no-status on Delta person.
I booked for next May/June but the only the LAX-FCO leg had business awards available, nothing on the outbound.
Jul 15, 2013, 11:56 am
#3831
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: 100,421
Booked two BE TATL RTs today, all in low and on the dates I wanted:
For late July: MSP-DTW-FRA-(AF)-CDG with flat beds, returning CDG-(AF)-AMS-MSP on the late day A330 with an overnight in Amsterdam after a late afternoon flight exCDG
For August: MSP-DTW-FRA with flat beds, returning FRA-ATL-MSP with flat beds
To save 225,000 miles, I'll do a hub-hub connection in FC with a bit of lounge time.
ADDED. The first ticket required calling DL as initially I had found low inventory outbound using the KLM ORD-AMS flight but this couldn't be booked. During the phone call, I discovered that DTW-FRA had low BE space on the date I wanted.
For late July: MSP-DTW-FRA-(AF)-CDG with flat beds, returning CDG-(AF)-AMS-MSP on the late day A330 with an overnight in Amsterdam after a late afternoon flight exCDG
For August: MSP-DTW-FRA with flat beds, returning FRA-ATL-MSP with flat beds
To save 225,000 miles, I'll do a hub-hub connection in FC with a bit of lounge time.
ADDED. The first ticket required calling DL as initially I had found low inventory outbound using the KLM ORD-AMS flight but this couldn't be booked. During the phone call, I discovered that DTW-FRA had low BE space on the date I wanted.
For the later trip, when I look at EF I'm amazed that a snared a low BE seat on one of the TATL flights: It's J9 C9 D9 I0 Z0 Y9 B0 M0......which looks to me like it's oversold in coach but DL will be willing to OPUP people for more full Y fares, since BE looks only about half full on the cheating charts. Other TATL flights that same day from FRA have 9's across the board according to EF and some I seats available, but no low BE award seats. It looks irrational to me.
Further good news is that my AF seat assignments seem to be sticking according to the AF website even though DL did them by phone when I booked the award ticket. I was also able to easily find my itinerary on airfrance.us using the AF PNR that the DL agent gave me.
Jul 15, 2013, 12:37 pm
#3833
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: 100,421
That's what I did later. My DM agent offered to do my seats and I let her do so, but didn't expect the seats to stick. Also I wanted to look at the seat maps myself to check what was available.
Jul 16, 2013, 5:26 pm
#3834
Join Date: Sep 2006
Programs: Formally TPAbound/Delta Diamond 1MM/Hilton Diamond/Marriott Silver/Priority Club Gold
Posts: 270
This past weekend I was able to grab 2 low Biz seats w/flat beds RT from TPA to FCO for March 2014 total of 200,000 skymiles and $66 each for fees/taxes.
Basically, I'm always looking for low Business Class to Europe. When I find a couple with this much time ahead, I say, "Honey, we're going to Italy in March". LOL!
Can't wait!
Travel safe!
Basically, I'm always looking for low Business Class to Europe. When I find a couple with this much time ahead, I say, "Honey, we're going to Italy in March". LOL!
Can't wait!
Travel safe!
Jul 16, 2013, 6:01 pm
#3835
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2000
Location: Winter Garden, FL
Programs: Delta DM-3MM United Gold-MM Marriott Lifetime Titanium Hertz President's Circle
Posts: 13,498
Snagged FLL-VCE and back, business class, April 2014, for 100,000 miles plus $52.70. Never been to Venice before. Should be comfortable by April, but not crowded yet.
Bruce
Bruce
Jul 16, 2013, 10:50 pm
#3836
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,375
Jul 20, 2013, 10:41 am
#3838
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Kingdom of the Sun
Programs: DL GM/MM
Posts: 3,708
Very happy yesterday. Got LOW J seats for MCO-BKK-DAB in May/June 2014.
Finally did not get 100% perfect flights but had to shift everything by only one day ... and return to DAB as a worthy alternate. Both effectively negligible changes from perfection!
Finally did not get 100% perfect flights but had to shift everything by only one day ... and return to DAB as a worthy alternate. Both effectively negligible changes from perfection!
Jul 20, 2013, 10:46 am
#3839
Join Date: May 2008
Location: BOS/SIN
Programs: SQ
Posts: 2,704
Nice! What was the routing?
Jul 20, 2013, 11:57 am
#3840
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: DL GM, SPG Gold, JPM Palladium card, AMEX Plat
Posts: 22
This past December I was able to book for my family:
4 tickets all in J for 480k SkyMiles (120k/ticket)
Late June -- EWR - CDG (flat bed)
Early July -- CDG - TLV (AF)
Mid July -- TLV - JFK (flat bed)
4 tickets all in J for 480k SkyMiles (120k/ticket)
Late June -- EWR - CDG (flat bed)
Early July -- CDG - TLV (AF)
Mid July -- TLV - JFK (flat bed)