What is Your Best Airline Award Redemption?
Mar 5, 2011, 11:25 pm
#47
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
First, welcome to Flyertalk, daadam!! ^
But how did you get that distance on 100K miles in the new seats in United First? Seems that the 100K FC price and the new seats would not have existed at the same time?
But how did you get that distance on 100K miles in the new seats in United First? Seems that the 100K FC price and the new seats would not have existed at the same time?
Mar 5, 2011, 11:31 pm
#48
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: DC Metro (WAS--DCA/IAD/BWI)
Programs: AA Plat 2MM, OW Sapphire, QF Bronze, Marriott Silver, Starwood Gold; National Emerald
Posts: 2,533
Fall 2007 oneWorld Business award routed to be RTW, for 150,000 AA miles and $194 in taxes/fees, and an example of how to really use a oneWorld award:
DCA-(AA)-ORD-(AA)-YYZ-(BA)-LHR-(BA)-NRT [stop for 9 days]
NRT-(CX)-HKG [stop for 6 days]
HKG-(QF)-SYD-(QF)-MEL [stop for 3 days]
MEL-(QF)-SYD [stop for 5 days]
SYD-(QF)-CHC-(QF)-ZQN [stop for 3 days]
ZQN-(QF)-AKL [stop for 6 days]
AKL-(QF)-LAX-(AA)-IAD
I even managed to ride the upper deck of a 747 for the short MEL-SYD hop due to diligence in finding it and making the doubtful phone TA continue reading down her list of flights as it had the exact same departure time as a domestic QF flight MEL-SYD at the top of her list and she was more than skeptical that Qantas would have two flights between the same airports with exactly the same departure times. Routing it on the 747 also meant departing via the International terminal, and thus a much better lounge to wait in vs. the domestic terminal.
Steve32
DCA-(AA)-ORD-(AA)-YYZ-(BA)-LHR-(BA)-NRT [stop for 9 days]
NRT-(CX)-HKG [stop for 6 days]
HKG-(QF)-SYD-(QF)-MEL [stop for 3 days]
MEL-(QF)-SYD [stop for 5 days]
SYD-(QF)-CHC-(QF)-ZQN [stop for 3 days]
ZQN-(QF)-AKL [stop for 6 days]
AKL-(QF)-LAX-(AA)-IAD
I even managed to ride the upper deck of a 747 for the short MEL-SYD hop due to diligence in finding it and making the doubtful phone TA continue reading down her list of flights as it had the exact same departure time as a domestic QF flight MEL-SYD at the top of her list and she was more than skeptical that Qantas would have two flights between the same airports with exactly the same departure times. Routing it on the 747 also meant departing via the International terminal, and thus a much better lounge to wait in vs. the domestic terminal.
Steve32
Mar 6, 2011, 5:12 am
#49
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: East Coast
Programs: All major Airlines, Hotel Chains, Credit Cards and Car Rentals
Posts: 1,263
Have to say that AA 1st SFO-NYC, then Concorde LGA-LHR and back was the best use of points I ever used. I can't remember how many points it was - I think it was either 100,000 or 125,000 pp/rt.
Of course, the fact that the crew already knew that the Concorde would be ending soon after helped make it special too - we asked for and were given the emergency cards, menus, wine lists and four Concorde napkin rings as souvenirs...
Of course, the fact that the crew already knew that the Concorde would be ending soon after helped make it special too - we asked for and were given the emergency cards, menus, wine lists and four Concorde napkin rings as souvenirs...
Mar 6, 2011, 2:19 pm
#51
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Last year DL for 32.5K (Y Award)
RDU-MSP-SMF-SLC-LAX-RDU
Doesn't look like an award? Well I am a long suffering San Francisco Giants fan and my team was in the World Series. I booked that the night they beat Philadelphia in the NLCS which was four days before game 1. Thanks to that award, I got to cheer the Black and Orange as they beat Texas from AT&T Park instead of from at home.
RDU-MSP-SMF-SLC-LAX-RDU
Doesn't look like an award? Well I am a long suffering San Francisco Giants fan and my team was in the World Series. I booked that the night they beat Philadelphia in the NLCS which was four days before game 1. Thanks to that award, I got to cheer the Black and Orange as they beat Texas from AT&T Park instead of from at home.
Mar 6, 2011, 4:47 pm
#52
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 32
That would be an open jaw not a stopover. A stopover is when you do something like Fly from WAS - MUC, stopover in Munich for 4 days and then continue on to BUD (destination)
An open jaw would be fly from WAS - MUC - BUD on the outbound and then PRG - BER - WAS on the inbound. You flew into Budapest but your return flight originated in Prague
An open jaw would be fly from WAS - MUC - BUD on the outbound and then PRG - BER - WAS on the inbound. You flew into Budapest but your return flight originated in Prague
Mar 6, 2011, 7:37 pm
#54
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: *G, SPG, OW Sapphire
Posts: 2,565
my absolute best is nwa bug.
I redeemed ANC-SEA-ATL-CDG-TLV-AMS-PVG-NRT-SYD-LAX-SEA-ANC in F/J
with stopovers in CDG, TLV, AMS, PVG, and SYD for 40k NWA miles.
It was right before the merger. Someone posted the bug of a closed loop end-to-end bug and it immediately got removed but I was one of the lucky ones.
It stayed alive for at least 2 months and a few of us booked trips like that. : )
I redeemed ANC-SEA-ATL-CDG-TLV-AMS-PVG-NRT-SYD-LAX-SEA-ANC in F/J
with stopovers in CDG, TLV, AMS, PVG, and SYD for 40k NWA miles.
It was right before the merger. Someone posted the bug of a closed loop end-to-end bug and it immediately got removed but I was one of the lucky ones.
It stayed alive for at least 2 months and a few of us booked trips like that. : )
Mar 6, 2011, 8:10 pm
#56
Join Date: May 2006
Location: BOS and ...
Programs: UA 2MM, AA 600k, DL 500k, Hyatt GP 1M, HH Gold, Rad. Gold, CP Gold, Miracle Fruit-su Club
Posts: 9,950
Mar 6, 2011, 10:05 pm
#57
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Scottsdale, Berlin, Wherever
Programs: Marriott titanium Elite, Hyatt Globalist, AS, UA, AA, TWA, PAN AM, PSA
Posts: 558
Got lucky a few weeks ago and booked a First Class saver ticket on United to Europe for the week of July 4th. 135k miles! PDX-SFO-FRA Return, FRA-ORD-PDX.
Mar 15, 2011, 10:21 pm
#58
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: NC
Programs: AA-.5MM BIS/HH Gld; WN-CP
Posts: 11
2 for the price of 1
Just booked 20K AA one-way LHR-HNL award with 11 months stopover in RDU. Planning to book another 20K Spring 2012 return flight from HNL to Europe with another 11 month stopover. Stopover is allowed in North American gateway on transoceanic segment.
Mar 15, 2011, 10:32 pm
#59
Join Date: May 2006
Programs: Oneworld
Posts: 93
Fall 2007 oneWorld Business award routed to be RTW, for 150,000 AA miles and $194 in taxes/fees, and an example of how to really use a oneWorld award:
DCA-(AA)-ORD-(AA)-YYZ-(BA)-LHR-(BA)-NRT [stop for 9 days]
NRT-(CX)-HKG [stop for 6 days]
HKG-(QF)-SYD-(QF)-MEL [stop for 3 days]
MEL-(QF)-SYD [stop for 5 days]
SYD-(QF)-CHC-(QF)-ZQN [stop for 3 days]
ZQN-(QF)-AKL [stop for 6 days]
AKL-(QF)-LAX-(AA)-IAD
I even managed to ride the upper deck of a 747 for the short MEL-SYD hop due to diligence in finding it and making the doubtful phone TA continue reading down her list of flights as it had the exact same departure time as a domestic QF flight MEL-SYD at the top of her list and she was more than skeptical that Qantas would have two flights between the same airports with exactly the same departure times. Routing it on the 747 also meant departing via the International terminal, and thus a much better lounge to wait in vs. the domestic terminal.
Steve32
DCA-(AA)-ORD-(AA)-YYZ-(BA)-LHR-(BA)-NRT [stop for 9 days]
NRT-(CX)-HKG [stop for 6 days]
HKG-(QF)-SYD-(QF)-MEL [stop for 3 days]
MEL-(QF)-SYD [stop for 5 days]
SYD-(QF)-CHC-(QF)-ZQN [stop for 3 days]
ZQN-(QF)-AKL [stop for 6 days]
AKL-(QF)-LAX-(AA)-IAD
I even managed to ride the upper deck of a 747 for the short MEL-SYD hop due to diligence in finding it and making the doubtful phone TA continue reading down her list of flights as it had the exact same departure time as a domestic QF flight MEL-SYD at the top of her list and she was more than skeptical that Qantas would have two flights between the same airports with exactly the same departure times. Routing it on the 747 also meant departing via the International terminal, and thus a much better lounge to wait in vs. the domestic terminal.
Steve32
Last edited by Jennifer Strbac; Mar 19, 2011 at 9:26 am Reason: sp
Mar 16, 2011, 12:03 am
#60
Join Date: Jan 2009
Posts: 1,618
Back in the Spring of 1983, I redeemed 75,000 miles for 2 UA F tickets ANC-SFO-HNL-PDX-ORD-BOS-ORD-SEA-ANC. Nice for someone living in PDX
I also redeemed 75,000 TW miles in 1987 and used them for 2 F seats PDX-SEA-JFK-CAI-BOM-CAI-CDG-JFK-SEA-PDX.
Recently? Last year I used 120,000 miles for one DL BE seat for PDX-NRT-SIN-NRT-PDX. And that was for a last-minute business trip,no real fun.
Just goes to show how the programs have changed over the years since their inception in the early 1980's.
I also redeemed 75,000 TW miles in 1987 and used them for 2 F seats PDX-SEA-JFK-CAI-BOM-CAI-CDG-JFK-SEA-PDX.
Recently? Last year I used 120,000 miles for one DL BE seat for PDX-NRT-SIN-NRT-PDX. And that was for a last-minute business trip,no real fun.
Just goes to show how the programs have changed over the years since their inception in the early 1980's.