Award Ticket Success - Post It Here
Jan 28, 2010, 10:47 am
#1276
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Tampa, FL
Programs: DL PM, Starwood Lifetime Plat/Marriott Plat, Hyatt Diamond, Hertz PresCircle
Posts: 48
Biz to FCO (Rome) & VCE (Venice) in May
SLC-ORD-CDG-FCO (Air France J)
VCE-JFK-SLC (Delta J)
150k + 78.80 taxes.
Tried to find 100k to no avail, but 150k didn't seem too bad when some itineraries where pulling up for 425k!
VCE-JFK-SLC (Delta J)
150k + 78.80 taxes.
Tried to find 100k to no avail, but 150k didn't seem too bad when some itineraries where pulling up for 425k!
Jan 28, 2010, 12:26 pm
#1277
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 12
Good afternoon....I am located in MSP and just joined today after reading a great article in Conde Nast Traveler that I received yesterday regarding flyertalk. I am very intrigued by all this stuff..and was wondering how to get started in this whole process...I would actually love to do a trip like this...I have 140K AMEX points and roughly 15K skymiles.....care to help me out? Thanks in advance!
11FEB MSP-LHR DL J (764 flat beds!)
12FEB LHR-SVO-KBP SU J
15FEB AMS-MSP NW Y
80,000 miles+taxes (less than US$100).
Very glad to get this award; the MSP-LHR in J only showed up AFTER I logged in as a Plat--so there was better Plat availability than standard.
This was on nwa.com; from what I understand, to be consistently "best-in-class", DL only will offer enhanced availability in Y.
12FEB LHR-SVO-KBP SU J
15FEB AMS-MSP NW Y
80,000 miles+taxes (less than US$100).
Very glad to get this award; the MSP-LHR in J only showed up AFTER I logged in as a Plat--so there was better Plat availability than standard.
This was on nwa.com; from what I understand, to be consistently "best-in-class", DL only will offer enhanced availability in Y.
Jan 28, 2010, 1:29 pm
#1278
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: NYC
Programs: Delta DM, SPG Plat, Hyatt Diamond, MTA Rust, Hertz Five Star something or other
Posts: 2,858
Good afternoon....I am located in MSP and just joined today after reading a great article in Conde Nast Traveler that I received yesterday regarding flyertalk. I am very intrigued by all this stuff..and was wondering how to get started in this whole process...I would actually love to do a trip like this...I have 140K AMEX points and roughly 15K skymiles.....care to help me out? Thanks in advance!
If you want to go to LHR, I'd transfer to Air Canada (who only requires 80k miles to go to Europe in Business class and allows several stopovers). You can book on any star alliance carrier (Swiss has a great product, as well as Lufthansa.)
If you do decide to transfer to Delta, MAKE SURE there is low award availability (sometimes Delta requires 300,000 or more to go to Europe in business).
There is an Amex MR forum that has lots of info on the best ways to use AMEX MR.
Welcome to Flyertalk!
Jan 28, 2010, 1:32 pm
#1279
Join Date: Dec 2004
Programs: DL - Plat, Marriott - Plat, Hilton - Diamond, SPG- Plat, National- ES
Posts: 1,857
Hmm..
Jan 28, 2010, 2:06 pm
#1281
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EP, HH LT Diamond
Posts: 1,001
With all the problems people seem to be having redeeming miles for trips, I thought I'd post my success story.
I was able to book Business Class tickets on Air France with the following itinerary.
Fri June 11 Depart IAD 10pm
Sat June 12 Arrive CDG 11:30am
Tues June 15 Depart CDG 3:30pm
Tues June 15 Arrive VCE 5:45pm
Fri June 25 Depart VCE 12:20pm
Fri June 25 Arrive IAD 7:00pm (3 hour layover in CDG)
They ended up costing me 100k per ticket. The times and dates were EXACTLY what I wanted. No early AM flights and no early AM arrivals and no tight connections. I was also pleased that I didn't get charged extra for the extended stay in Paris. I was even to able to change it for free when I mistakenly spelled my wife's name wrong on the itinerary (I know, impressive...)
I was able to book Business Class tickets on Air France with the following itinerary.
Fri June 11 Depart IAD 10pm
Sat June 12 Arrive CDG 11:30am
Tues June 15 Depart CDG 3:30pm
Tues June 15 Arrive VCE 5:45pm
Fri June 25 Depart VCE 12:20pm
Fri June 25 Arrive IAD 7:00pm (3 hour layover in CDG)
They ended up costing me 100k per ticket. The times and dates were EXACTLY what I wanted. No early AM flights and no early AM arrivals and no tight connections. I was also pleased that I didn't get charged extra for the extended stay in Paris. I was even to able to change it for free when I mistakenly spelled my wife's name wrong on the itinerary (I know, impressive...)
Feb 1, 2010, 4:01 pm
#1282
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Florida
Programs: Delta 3MM/PM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 350
Hmmm...grabbed two of these today...
MCO -> MUC 19 July
MUC -> MCO 28 July
First domestically and BE TATL low reward 100,000 each on Delta metal.
Now hopefully my wife won't make me turn them back in with "other ideas"
MCO -> MUC 19 July
MUC -> MCO 28 July
First domestically and BE TATL low reward 100,000 each on Delta metal.
Now hopefully my wife won't make me turn them back in with "other ideas"
Feb 2, 2010, 12:44 pm
#1283
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Katy, TX
Programs: AA - PLT(2MM); DL - PM(2MM); Hilton - Gold; Marriott Bonvoy- Titanium; Hyatt - Platinum
Posts: 1,718
Business Class to the Seychelles
Using tips gleaned from previous posters, I was able to secure two J class tickets to the Seychelles for my daughter and fiance for their honeymoon in late June/early July for 120,000 miles each.
I used ExpertFlyer to find O inventory on AF and then used the schedule search on DL.com for the requsite flights. Worked like a charm! Total taxes are "only" $174 each. Their itinerary is IAD-CDG-SEZ, with a stopover in Paris on the return. Rather surprisingly, to me anyway, was the generally good availability of J award seats from/to IAD. Every other US gateway seemed to be zeroed out for the dates they wanted.
I used ExpertFlyer to find O inventory on AF and then used the schedule search on DL.com for the requsite flights. Worked like a charm! Total taxes are "only" $174 each. Their itinerary is IAD-CDG-SEZ, with a stopover in Paris on the return. Rather surprisingly, to me anyway, was the generally good availability of J award seats from/to IAD. Every other US gateway seemed to be zeroed out for the dates they wanted.
Feb 2, 2010, 1:18 pm
#1284
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: NY Metro
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 2,881
Forgot to post this when I booked last fall; very psyched... managed to score NYC-CDG, stopover CDG, ORY-RUN, JNB-CDG-NYC in Business for 2 pax at 120k each + $166 in tax each. Will get to try out the 380...
Feb 2, 2010, 7:25 pm
#1286
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Delta DM CO PE OZ GE AMTRAK
Posts: 524
Feb 3, 2010, 2:21 pm
#1287
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Atlanta, GA
Programs: Delta DM, Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 7
ATL - LHR, LHR- LIS, AMS-ATL
3 Passengers in J at 100,000 miles and $140 in taxes/fees per ticket
3 different US origin/return cities (ATL, NYC, DC)
All international flights are the same:
August 26th 2010
Delta (ATL, NYC, DC) - DTW
Delta DTW – LHR (76D)
33 hour stopover in London
August 28th 2010
Air France LHR – CDG
Air France CDG -- LIS
September 7th 2010 (Open Jaw)
Delta AMS – DTW (A330)
Delta DTW – (ATL, NYC, DC)
My opinion: KVS Tool pays for itself with one good BE ticket at the low award level, and especially 3!
3 Passengers in J at 100,000 miles and $140 in taxes/fees per ticket
3 different US origin/return cities (ATL, NYC, DC)
All international flights are the same:
August 26th 2010
Delta (ATL, NYC, DC) - DTW
Delta DTW – LHR (76D)
33 hour stopover in London
August 28th 2010
Air France LHR – CDG
Air France CDG -- LIS
September 7th 2010 (Open Jaw)
Delta AMS – DTW (A330)
Delta DTW – (ATL, NYC, DC)
My opinion: KVS Tool pays for itself with one good BE ticket at the low award level, and especially 3!
Feb 8, 2010, 6:33 am
#1288
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Katy, TX
Programs: AA - PLT(2MM); DL - PM(2MM); Hilton - Gold; Marriott Bonvoy- Titanium; Hyatt - Platinum
Posts: 1,718
IAH-AMS-CDG
LHR-CDG-IAD-IAH
One ticket, all in J/F, for travel in July, 2010. Total taxes were $267. Gotta love the LHR J-class departure tax! Not!! If departing from CDG instead, the taxes dropped by ca. $110.
The IAH-AMS flight is on KLM via the all business class flight op. by Privatair. Has anyone taken this flight and, if so, how was the service?
To put this together, I searched one way, by schedule. What I found interesting, and what saved a little time, was that if a TATL partner(e.g., AF or KL) was available for low level redemption, for a particular segment, it would display in the list of available flights. If not, no display. With DL op. flights, it was a crap shoot. Actually, never found a DL one available lower than at medium level mileage.
LHR-CDG-IAD-IAH
One ticket, all in J/F, for travel in July, 2010. Total taxes were $267. Gotta love the LHR J-class departure tax! Not!! If departing from CDG instead, the taxes dropped by ca. $110.
The IAH-AMS flight is on KLM via the all business class flight op. by Privatair. Has anyone taken this flight and, if so, how was the service?
To put this together, I searched one way, by schedule. What I found interesting, and what saved a little time, was that if a TATL partner(e.g., AF or KL) was available for low level redemption, for a particular segment, it would display in the list of available flights. If not, no display. With DL op. flights, it was a crap shoot. Actually, never found a DL one available lower than at medium level mileage.
Feb 10, 2010, 10:25 pm
#1290
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Washington DC
Programs: Delta DM CO PE OZ GE AMTRAK
Posts: 524
IAH-AMS-CDG
LHR-CDG-IAD-IAH
One ticket, all in J/F, for travel in July, 2010. Total taxes were $267. Gotta love the LHR J-class departure tax! Not!! If departing from CDG instead, the taxes dropped by ca. $110.
The IAH-AMS flight is on KLM via the all business class flight op. by Privatair. Has anyone taken this flight and, if so, how was the service?
To put this together, I searched one way, by schedule. What I found interesting, and what saved a little time, was that if a TATL partner(e.g., AF or KL) was available for low level redemption, for a particular segment, it would display in the list of available flights. If not, no display. With DL op. flights, it was a crap shoot. Actually, never found a DL one available lower than at medium level mileage.
LHR-CDG-IAD-IAH
One ticket, all in J/F, for travel in July, 2010. Total taxes were $267. Gotta love the LHR J-class departure tax! Not!! If departing from CDG instead, the taxes dropped by ca. $110.
The IAH-AMS flight is on KLM via the all business class flight op. by Privatair. Has anyone taken this flight and, if so, how was the service?
To put this together, I searched one way, by schedule. What I found interesting, and what saved a little time, was that if a TATL partner(e.g., AF or KL) was available for low level redemption, for a particular segment, it would display in the list of available flights. If not, no display. With DL op. flights, it was a crap shoot. Actually, never found a DL one available lower than at medium level mileage.