jandmmom

I am the OP - the kids are 7 & 8 years old.

I was thinking of best chance for sleeping during the flight (ie more comfortable), but would definitely not rule out coach. We almost always fly coach anyways.

I haven't been to Europe in 10 years, but I seem to remember the flights leaving here at night & arriving in the AM. I was trying to imagine the ideal situation (avoiding what happened to us in Rome years ago when my husband drank too much on flight, no sleep at all, couldn't check into hotel because it was too early, stupidly decided that we'd go right to the Vatican for a long tour, bought pizza from a non-Italian pizza place, and promptly got sick - but that's another story!).

Thank you for all of the helpful advice! We will make this work!

Oh, and we are completely flexible about destination(s).

azepine00

There is no reason to specifically plan for sleeping on rather short east coast - EU flights. If you can find daytime coach flight I would rather take it and save the miles for 10+hr flights...

TTnC4me

Then you barely sleep on an overnight flight & are basically up for 24 hours?
By gauging the OP's name, if kids are involved then comfortable sleep may be important.

TTnC4me

I see that the OP indeed has kids to consider.
I fly from the east coast and have yet to see a daytime flight for miles. That certainly would be great though.

ikonos

As others have pointed out, it is possible. I just redeemed 3J and 3Y tickets last week on the same flights (7 segments) using US miles and UA miles for travel to Europe and Japan in the first half of July. However as you probably know, you do need miles in same alliance to get those tickets. Buildup your point balances and try to concentrate in a single alliance to get 4J tickets.

While searching for tickets don't forget to look in to opposing alliance hubs. For example DL tix from FRA-DTW and UA tix from IAH-AMS etc. Good luck.

Jetsfan

This is possible. Redeemed four award seats on flights from DC to Hawaii. US Air I think. Seats were economy though. I looked for seats one at a time and received two of them for lower mileage than the others.

jmw2323

in summer of 2010 redeemed 4 tickets on the same flight 3 x J and 1 x F. JFK-GVA (LX) and FRA-DTW (LH)

I used US points for 1 x J and ANA for the other 3 tickets

lkar

I've booked 4 to Europe often. BA seems to have the best avaiability, but the highest fuel charges. Stuff I have booked or seen and held or considered on *A or OW includes:

PHX-LHR, lots of ways. (Through Canada on AC, either direction. Via SFO, IAH or EWR on UA. Easier to find F for 4 than C sometimes. BA direct or LAS to LHR. F easier than C some days.)

LAX-MAD, IB C. (Great option with kids because it leaves at 6 pm. Long enough for dinner, movie and a good sleep.)

XXX-NYC/ORD-VIE/BRU (OS and SN, UA through EWR; lots of onward EU destinations from both cities on *A.)

PHX-PHL/CLT-CDG/MAD/BCN (US C; some CLT flights are not on the A330, so no lie flat).

In and out of FRA/MUC from all over.

BCN-FRA-PHL-PHX (LH & US in C. This was a tough get. Have it booked for the summer.)

BCN-MAD-ORD/JFK/BOS/MIA? (IB C)

CPRich

I've done it to Hawaii twice, and another time with 2 on separate flights. I think the same rules will apply - be flexible and determined. I spent a few hours searching, and we flew out on Tuesday and back on Monday.

PhillyPhlyer40

Hi OP-live near PHL/EWR also...have booked the following flights all on ONE flight...

JFK-LAX-JFK UA 5J
JFK-WAW-VIE(stop)-JFK OS/LO 4J
JFK-ZRH-CDG-FRA(stop)-BOS-JFK (FIRST) LX/LH/US 4J/4F
EWR-DUB-EWR UA 4J
EWR-FLL-EWR CO 4J
EWR-FRA-LON(stop)-EWR LH/CO 5J
EWR-AUA-EWR CO 3J
EWR-SJU-EWR UA 5J

all milesaver awards

pcharles

You say you are open to Europe, Hawaii, or open to other ideas.... But it more sounds like you are looking for people here to feed you research that you need to be doing yourself. What I mean by this is that you should as a family decide where you would really enjoy going and then, with a more pin-pointed idea, you could then focus on your mileage earning and bookings.


IMO, your mileage levels are too low for any realistic 4 biz/first redemptions especially for Europe or Asia in the summer. You are also so spread out with your programs, if you continue to dabble in this program here and there, you likely will not be able to book all four on the same carrier/flights with that focus.

Researching where your family wants to go is your first step. If you are looking for ideas of where?, Miles Buzz is not the place for this. Once you know, then you can decide what program might be the most successful.

If you dont have the time to do a lot of work yourself on this, it seems to me that paying for an award booking service might fit your needs. I do not have any recommendations as I've never used one. You just come across as someone who needs the guidance of a travel agent or award booking consultant.

Based on what you've said so far and the mileage accounts you have, focusing on Hawaii is my vote. You might be able then to get all four in Business Class on the same flight with enough due diligence. I dont see that happening to Europe, where economy is likely more realistic. If you are fine with economy, then I would start to narrow down where in Europe your family would enjoy. Then you are going to need to pound the schedules and redemption options over, and over, and over.... just like all the rest of us.

fangtl

Yep just did it in fact for IAD-TPE-ICN-PEK-IAD. Took some time but was ultimately able to book it on .bomb