Award Ticket Success - Post It Here
Oct 15, 2013, 10:25 pm
#3991
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,796
120k + $187.30 for two people in May booked online.
LAX-BNE-MEL VA J
SYD-DPS VA J
DPS-SIN-ICN-LAX KL J & KE J
ICN-LAX only had one seat available in J per flight so we're on different flights on the last segment.
I tried to add low level LAS-LAX & LAX-LAS, the online engine would spit a higher amount for miles. I called 3x to price it out. The agents would quote more than 120k miles so I gave up and booked on DL.com instead.
When GA joins SkyTeam, I plan to change the SYD-DPS segment to GA instead of VA as the GA 330 seats are lie flat as opposed to VA's recliner seats on their 737. I'll attempt to add the LAS segments then as well.
LAX-BNE-MEL VA J
SYD-DPS VA J
DPS-SIN-ICN-LAX KL J & KE J
ICN-LAX only had one seat available in J per flight so we're on different flights on the last segment.
I tried to add low level LAS-LAX & LAX-LAS, the online engine would spit a higher amount for miles. I called 3x to price it out. The agents would quote more than 120k miles so I gave up and booked on DL.com instead.
When GA joins SkyTeam, I plan to change the SYD-DPS segment to GA instead of VA as the GA 330 seats are lie flat as opposed to VA's recliner seats on their 737. I'll attempt to add the LAS segments then as well.
I am surprised the website let you price this out with an Open Jaw in the middle and other obvious. May be having DPS after the OJ, makes it a SE Asia instead of Australia. That is a long connecting flights home though.
Is only the DPS-SIN segment on KL?
How do we find out KE's blackout dates?
Oct 15, 2013, 10:27 pm
#3992
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: WAS
Posts: 3,014
Nicely done!
I am surprised the website let you price this out with an Open Jaw in the middle and other obvious. May be having DPS after the OJ, makes it a SE Asia instead of Australia. That is a long connecting flights home though.
Is only the DPS-SIN segment on KL?
How do we find out KE's blackout dates?
I am surprised the website let you price this out with an Open Jaw in the middle and other obvious. May be having DPS after the OJ, makes it a SE Asia instead of Australia. That is a long connecting flights home though.
Is only the DPS-SIN segment on KL?
How do we find out KE's blackout dates?
Oct 16, 2013, 12:29 am
#3993
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: LAS
Posts: 184
Nicely done!
I am surprised the website let you price this out with an Open Jaw in the middle and other obvious. May be having DPS after the OJ, makes it a SE Asia instead of Australia. That is a long connecting flights home though.
Is only the DPS-SIN segment on KL?
How do we find out KE's blackout dates?
I am surprised the website let you price this out with an Open Jaw in the middle and other obvious. May be having DPS after the OJ, makes it a SE Asia instead of Australia. That is a long connecting flights home though.
Is only the DPS-SIN segment on KL?
How do we find out KE's blackout dates?
Yes, the only KLM segment is on on the DPS-SIN tag flight. The KL/KE combo is only about five hours longer than taking VA through Australia. Connecting in SIN is only two hours but the ICN connection ranges from 6-11 hours. I actually don't mind as I have a friend in ICN that I plan to visit with while I'm there. Plus I wanted to take KL & the KE 380 on the way home so it all worked out for the most part.
Oct 16, 2013, 8:41 am
#3994
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,796
BNE/MEL/SYD as a connection city for DPS is a valid routing for DL/VA. Perhaps that has something to do with it?
Yes, the only KLM segment is on on the DPS-SIN tag flight. The KL/KE combo is only about five hours longer than taking VA through Australia. Connecting in SIN is only two hours but the ICN connection ranges from 6-11 hours. I actually don't mind as I have a friend in ICN that I plan to visit with while I'm there. Plus I wanted to take KL & the KE 380 on the way home so it all worked out for the most part.
Yes, the only KLM segment is on on the DPS-SIN tag flight. The KL/KE combo is only about five hours longer than taking VA through Australia. Connecting in SIN is only two hours but the ICN connection ranges from 6-11 hours. I actually don't mind as I have a friend in ICN that I plan to visit with while I'm there. Plus I wanted to take KL & the KE 380 on the way home so it all worked out for the most part.
How do we find out KE's blackout dates? Is there a list somewhere we can check?
Oct 16, 2013, 9:05 am
#3995
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: WAS
Posts: 3,014
Oct 17, 2013, 8:00 am
#3996
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: LAS
Posts: 184
The Trans-Tasman routes to NZ aren't bookable online. Otherwise I would check if it would work with a DPS itinerary.
Oct 18, 2013, 3:09 pm
#3998
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: UA Gold | Former: DL Diamond, HA Pualani Gold
Posts: 380
Yesterday booked two tickets ATL-LHR-BOM-LHR-ATL in J for about 10 days in January.
120k miles each.
ATL-LHR-ATL on Delta
LHR-BOM-LHR on Virgin Atlantic
Phone rep couldn't find it. I found it ONLY through an economy search on the web site, and it was provided as a business option for fewer miles than the economy tickets. (When I searched business, it didn't come up exactly, and similar itineraries were over 200k miles each.)
Booked one directly online easily. Second ticket was hard. After trying to pay cash (and being told Virgin would only sell it as two separate itineraries, with the India portion on Virgin stock, for a total of $7500, compared to $4500 through KLM/AF), I managed to string it together by award booking LHR-BOM-LHR online and then calling Delta to find low ATL-LHR-ATL to attach to it.
Right now, both tickets are the same for ATL-LHR-BOM-LHR. The last hop over the Atlantic is on two separate Delta flights, but I'm hoping the second will become available in low over the next several months to be changed to match the first.
(Biggest surprise was how hard it was to pay cash for one of the tickets, such that they actually lost my money. I think they don't want Delta folks to use LHR as a Europe hub.)
120k miles each.
ATL-LHR-ATL on Delta
LHR-BOM-LHR on Virgin Atlantic
Phone rep couldn't find it. I found it ONLY through an economy search on the web site, and it was provided as a business option for fewer miles than the economy tickets. (When I searched business, it didn't come up exactly, and similar itineraries were over 200k miles each.)
Booked one directly online easily. Second ticket was hard. After trying to pay cash (and being told Virgin would only sell it as two separate itineraries, with the India portion on Virgin stock, for a total of $7500, compared to $4500 through KLM/AF), I managed to string it together by award booking LHR-BOM-LHR online and then calling Delta to find low ATL-LHR-ATL to attach to it.
Right now, both tickets are the same for ATL-LHR-BOM-LHR. The last hop over the Atlantic is on two separate Delta flights, but I'm hoping the second will become available in low over the next several months to be changed to match the first.
(Biggest surprise was how hard it was to pay cash for one of the tickets, such that they actually lost my money. I think they don't want Delta folks to use LHR as a Europe hub.)
Oct 18, 2013, 4:13 pm
#3999
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: PHX
Programs: Delta Skymiles - Platinum
Posts: 28
3 tickets at 60,000 miles each from Washington Dulles to Rome for end of june beginning of july last summer, and 3 tickets at 30,000 miles each from Boston to the Bahamas for last week of february this year
Oct 19, 2013, 9:07 pm
#4000
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: WAS
Posts: 3,014
Just managed to book the following routing for 2 in January 2014:
DL JFK-LAX
DL LAX-HND
KE HND-ICN-SIN
VN SIN-SGN-HKG
CI HKG-TPE-JFK
Everything except for the JFK-LAX flight are in J. JFK-LAX has no low J available, but it's the beginning of the trip, so we'll be ok. Total cost is 120k miles + $295/person for 240k + $590. Total cost for this trip if booked revenue would be around $12k/person, so I'm rather pleased.
My friend and I are starting out of BOS, so I was looking to get as far east as I could with the 4 segments in each direction. My other big wishes were to fly KE, VN, and CI. We wanted to go to Asia, though we didn't have specific places in mind (though nowhere that required a visa). Used wandr.me for VN availability, and KVS for everything else. Ended up with overnights in LAX, HND, SGN, and TPE. We'll have a place to go at LAX; need to investigate further into HND and SGN. In TPE we have a 20-hour layover, so will probably run into the city and explore a little (assuming we have enough energy).
Much appreciation to all the posters on FT who provided feedback and help!
DL JFK-LAX
DL LAX-HND
KE HND-ICN-SIN
VN SIN-SGN-HKG
CI HKG-TPE-JFK
Everything except for the JFK-LAX flight are in J. JFK-LAX has no low J available, but it's the beginning of the trip, so we'll be ok. Total cost is 120k miles + $295/person for 240k + $590. Total cost for this trip if booked revenue would be around $12k/person, so I'm rather pleased.
My friend and I are starting out of BOS, so I was looking to get as far east as I could with the 4 segments in each direction. My other big wishes were to fly KE, VN, and CI. We wanted to go to Asia, though we didn't have specific places in mind (though nowhere that required a visa). Used wandr.me for VN availability, and KVS for everything else. Ended up with overnights in LAX, HND, SGN, and TPE. We'll have a place to go at LAX; need to investigate further into HND and SGN. In TPE we have a 20-hour layover, so will probably run into the city and explore a little (assuming we have enough energy).
Much appreciation to all the posters on FT who provided feedback and help!
Oct 19, 2013, 9:19 pm
#4001
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: BNA/LAX/BWI/SZX/SIN
Posts: 649
Untrue, I've seen ATL-LHR-JNB pricing at low with VS operating LHR-JNB. You should call back and request agents to merge it. Otherwise, try routing through one of the VS gateways - maybe you might have better luck.
VS segment logic doesn't seem to align well with DL's IT, keeps pricing as sep. awards! Most annoying.
VS segment logic doesn't seem to align well with DL's IT, keeps pricing as sep. awards! Most annoying.
Oct 19, 2013, 9:21 pm
#4002
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: BNA/LAX/BWI/SZX/SIN
Posts: 649
Just managed to book the following routing for 2 in January 2014:
DL JFK-LAX
DL LAX-HND
KE HND-ICN-SIN
VN SIN-SGN-HKG
CI HKG-TPE-JFK
Everything except for the JFK-LAX flight are in J. JFK-LAX has no low J available, but it's the beginning of the trip, so we'll be ok. Total cost is 120k miles + $295/person for 240k + $590. Total cost for this trip if booked revenue would be around $12k/person, so I'm rather pleased.
My friend and I are starting out of BOS, so I was looking to get as far east as I could with the 4 segments in each direction. My other big wishes were to fly KE, VN, and CI. We wanted to go to Asia, though we didn't have specific places in mind (though nowhere that required a visa). Used wandr.me for VN availability, and KVS for everything else. Ended up with overnights in LAX, HND, SGN, and TPE. We'll have a place to go at LAX; need to investigate further into HND and SGN. In TPE we have a 20-hour layover, so will probably run into the city and explore a little (assuming we have enough energy).
Much appreciation to all the posters on FT who provided feedback and help!
DL JFK-LAX
DL LAX-HND
KE HND-ICN-SIN
VN SIN-SGN-HKG
CI HKG-TPE-JFK
Everything except for the JFK-LAX flight are in J. JFK-LAX has no low J available, but it's the beginning of the trip, so we'll be ok. Total cost is 120k miles + $295/person for 240k + $590. Total cost for this trip if booked revenue would be around $12k/person, so I'm rather pleased.
My friend and I are starting out of BOS, so I was looking to get as far east as I could with the 4 segments in each direction. My other big wishes were to fly KE, VN, and CI. We wanted to go to Asia, though we didn't have specific places in mind (though nowhere that required a visa). Used wandr.me for VN availability, and KVS for everything else. Ended up with overnights in LAX, HND, SGN, and TPE. We'll have a place to go at LAX; need to investigate further into HND and SGN. In TPE we have a 20-hour layover, so will probably run into the city and explore a little (assuming we have enough energy).
Much appreciation to all the posters on FT who provided feedback and help!
Oct 19, 2013, 9:26 pm
#4003
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: BNA/LAX/BWI/SZX/SIN
Posts: 649
I was going to try routing through Europe to get to SGN from N.A, since I wanted to hang out with my oddfellows out in Paris. I gave up trying to price as one award, so I decided to construct this. AND VOILA!
Outbound:
DL LAX-SYD
CZ SYD-CAN-SGN
VN SGN-SIN
Return:
DL SIN-NRT-LAX (But I'm going to shoot for the 787s on AM when I have the time).
120K, and 220 USD in taxes. SO HAPPY NOW.
Outbound:
DL LAX-SYD
CZ SYD-CAN-SGN
VN SGN-SIN
Return:
DL SIN-NRT-LAX (But I'm going to shoot for the 787s on AM when I have the time).
120K, and 220 USD in taxes. SO HAPPY NOW.
Oct 20, 2013, 2:14 pm
#4005
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: San Diego
Programs: IHG Spire Amb, HH Diamond, DL Diamond and 1MM
Posts: 3,612
San Diego-Maui On Alaska
Seeing some of the recent amazing bookings to asia, I'm almost ashamed to post this very pedestrian Skymiles redemption:
SAN-OGG
OGG-SAN (stop) SAN-SEA
Two people in F on AS flights. 75,000 miles + $7.50 tax
The Alaska availability is plentiful enough that it is easily bookable on Delta.com -- assuming one has already learned its quirks.
SAN-OGG
OGG-SAN (stop) SAN-SEA
Two people in F on AS flights. 75,000 miles + $7.50 tax
The Alaska availability is plentiful enough that it is easily bookable on Delta.com -- assuming one has already learned its quirks.