Future Trips to SYD and GIG need Assistance
Feb 14, 2013 | 3:44 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Will never by anything with airlines
Posts: 288
Future Trips to SYD and GIG need Assistance
Married and wanting to get our travel out of the way prior to the kids. All dates flexible.
Ideally I'd like to travel to SYD early 2014 from east coast via biz/first class. I have the hotel point scheme down, and have no trouble understanding it. I've invested a pretty good amount of time looking into the award schemes, and am still struggling. However, the award tickets remind me when I took probs & stats....on steroids.
From what I gather it seems that to get to SYD, Delta or Sky Team offers the best solution. However, I have no idea how to book award tickets on other airlines...no matter how much i read. Does one just book through Delta or through the other member?
Also, sometime in late 2014 or early 2015 looking to go to GIG in biz or first.
Here is my/wife point rundown, all collective:
Delta - 140k miles
United - 110k miles
AA - 75k miles
US airways - 75k miles
We are trying to ramp up on our miles through CCs...I know how to work those. Also, we have about 30k in spend coming up this year in home remodeling. Idea is to use Chase Bold to buy Home Depot GCs (5x) to pay for what we can, and AMEX to pay for appliances (warranty).
Here is current CC line up
Amex Plat (105k MRs in the bank)
Delta Amex Gold
Chase CSP and Freedom (about 80k URs)
Citi AA Amex
Next AOR:
Citi AA Visa (50k)
Chase United (50k + 5k signup)
Chase Bold (50k)
Barclays US Airways (40k)
In any event, I enjoy the puzzle and figuring all this stuff out. However, I think I am over my head here, cant seem to crack this one. I am not adverse to getting points on other FFs to achieve all this.
Any guidance greatly appreciated.
Ideally I'd like to travel to SYD early 2014 from east coast via biz/first class. I have the hotel point scheme down, and have no trouble understanding it. I've invested a pretty good amount of time looking into the award schemes, and am still struggling. However, the award tickets remind me when I took probs & stats....on steroids.
From what I gather it seems that to get to SYD, Delta or Sky Team offers the best solution. However, I have no idea how to book award tickets on other airlines...no matter how much i read. Does one just book through Delta or through the other member?
Also, sometime in late 2014 or early 2015 looking to go to GIG in biz or first.
Here is my/wife point rundown, all collective:
Delta - 140k miles
United - 110k miles
AA - 75k miles
US airways - 75k miles
We are trying to ramp up on our miles through CCs...I know how to work those. Also, we have about 30k in spend coming up this year in home remodeling. Idea is to use Chase Bold to buy Home Depot GCs (5x) to pay for what we can, and AMEX to pay for appliances (warranty).
Here is current CC line up
Amex Plat (105k MRs in the bank)
Delta Amex Gold
Chase CSP and Freedom (about 80k URs)
Citi AA Amex
Next AOR:
Citi AA Visa (50k)
Chase United (50k + 5k signup)
Chase Bold (50k)
Barclays US Airways (40k)
In any event, I enjoy the puzzle and figuring all this stuff out. However, I think I am over my head here, cant seem to crack this one. I am not adverse to getting points on other FFs to achieve all this.
Any guidance greatly appreciated.
Feb 14, 2013 | 5:01 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: SYD
Programs: QF Emerald LTP marriott
Posts: 1,298
you dont say where you are flying from.
UA is great as they have one ways
USAIR must do returns but cheaper
AA very hard to get 2 qantas tickets
and you dont say if you want to fly biz or economy or First.
good luck with your balances.
looks like you are well on your way.
UA is great as they have one ways
USAIR must do returns but cheaper
AA very hard to get 2 qantas tickets
and you dont say if you want to fly biz or economy or First.
good luck with your balances.
looks like you are well on your way.
Feb 14, 2013 | 5:30 am
#3
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Bonvoy Platinum, Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, UA Gold, AS Silver, B6 M2
Posts: 602
SYD is easy if you can get to LAX on your own. Good availability with SkyMiles on VA but for two people that's 300k SkyMiles for two in J.
But, if you are able to get to LA easy then SkyMiles are also great because you can do LAX-GRU on KE and then GRU-GIG on GOL with SkyMiles. If you were to only get to GRU though this is also a great value with Korean Air SkyPass as KE only charges 90k miles roundtirp to South America in J.
However, I'd say you try to find some availability to GIG on UA and blow your US miles. If you're going coach then you should be able to easily find COPA availability all the way down but with a connection in the middle.
Back to Australia with SkyMiles though. It's important you have the flight numbers and dates ready and KNOW that there is availability. VA can be check on Delta.com (check LAX-SYD sector only!) KE can also be checked at Delta.com. Other options like MU (avoid their JFK and LAX flights and fly ex-SFO) and CZ or even CI can be searched on EF.
You can also look for availability with MH and use your Delta Miles on them. MH availability is available on the Enrich website or via BA but the BA engine is all kinds of broken.
But, if you are able to get to LA easy then SkyMiles are also great because you can do LAX-GRU on KE and then GRU-GIG on GOL with SkyMiles. If you were to only get to GRU though this is also a great value with Korean Air SkyPass as KE only charges 90k miles roundtirp to South America in J.
However, I'd say you try to find some availability to GIG on UA and blow your US miles. If you're going coach then you should be able to easily find COPA availability all the way down but with a connection in the middle.
Back to Australia with SkyMiles though. It's important you have the flight numbers and dates ready and KNOW that there is availability. VA can be check on Delta.com (check LAX-SYD sector only!) KE can also be checked at Delta.com. Other options like MU (avoid their JFK and LAX flights and fly ex-SFO) and CZ or even CI can be searched on EF.
You can also look for availability with MH and use your Delta Miles on them. MH availability is available on the Enrich website or via BA but the BA engine is all kinds of broken.
Feb 14, 2013 | 6:57 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Will never by anything with airlines
Posts: 288
Thanks this is a great starting point
I'm flying from FLL or MIA
Want to do biz/first class only...maybe coach on the way back from GIG or from the west coast
I'm flying from FLL or MIA
Want to do biz/first class only...maybe coach on the way back from GIG or from the west coast
Feb 14, 2013 | 8:19 am
#5
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Bonvoy Platinum, Sixt Diamond, Hertz PC, UA Gold, AS Silver, B6 M2
Posts: 602
For Deltat there is actually sometimes availability MIA-LAX so that's good...but unfortunately it's only in coach, rarely in business, but it's only 5 hours.
I think you'll actually have more trouble finding the availability on that with a DL ticket than to SYD on VA. Another alternative if VA isn't available or you want to try other options you can also try CZ MIA-LAX-CAN-SYD or KE via ATL, LAX or any of their other gateways. It really all depends on your dates.
I think you'll actually have more trouble finding the availability on that with a DL ticket than to SYD on VA. Another alternative if VA isn't available or you want to try other options you can also try CZ MIA-LAX-CAN-SYD or KE via ATL, LAX or any of their other gateways. It really all depends on your dates.
Feb 14, 2013 | 9:24 am
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 35,022
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
If you do the trip to GIG first and use AA miles for the GIG-MIA return flight, then you can make MIA your gateway stopover city, and continue on -- at a later date -- to another North American city (like LAX or HNL) for no additional miles on the same award. But all travel on the award must be completed within one year of ticketing date.
If you go to SYD first and are able to fly back to HNL or LAX, you could get an AA award HNL/LAX-MIA (stopover) - GIG.
If you do the trip to GIG first and use AA miles for the GIG-MIA return flight, then you can make MIA your gateway stopover city, and continue on -- at a later date -- to another North American city (like LAX or HNL) for no additional miles on the same award. But all travel on the award must be completed within one year of ticketing date.
If you go to SYD first and are able to fly back to HNL or LAX, you could get an AA award HNL/LAX-MIA (stopover) - GIG.
Feb 14, 2013 | 2:45 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: Hyatt Diamond, Hilton Diamond, SPG Gold, Will never by anything with airlines
Posts: 288
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
If you do the trip to GIG first and use AA miles for the GIG-MIA return flight, then you can make MIA your gateway stopover city, and continue on -- at a later date -- to another North American city (like LAX or HNL) for no additional miles on the same award. But all travel on the award must be completed within one year of ticketing date.
If you go to SYD first and are able to fly back to HNL or LAX, you could get an AA award HNL/LAX-MIA (stopover) - GIG.
If you do the trip to GIG first and use AA miles for the GIG-MIA return flight, then you can make MIA your gateway stopover city, and continue on -- at a later date -- to another North American city (like LAX or HNL) for no additional miles on the same award. But all travel on the award must be completed within one year of ticketing date.
If you go to SYD first and are able to fly back to HNL or LAX, you could get an AA award HNL/LAX-MIA (stopover) - GIG.