booking award flights
Jan 28, 2003, 2:54 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 485
booking award flights
Wow, I have not booked NW award travel since the early 1990s and met some resistance with the current online system. I started with an easy request, trying to book a single 25K round-trip award. I trolled the archives and did not find answers to these questions.
1. Is there a "discount" for booking award travel through nwa.com? I consistently get flight options for 23,500 points.
2. However, I always get a dreaded "Message 101" when clicking Select Flights. Is it actually possible to book award flights on nwa.com or do I have to call? When I call, will the award flights "cost" me 25,000 points or 23,500?
3. Can I book a circle trip for a standard 25k award? The website says so but nwa.com's CRS has never shown possibilities. What are the rules for booking circle trips? Even trying a simple IAD-MSP-SEA-IAD does not give me the desired results (25,000 or less points).
Thank you, in advance, for any feedback.
1. Is there a "discount" for booking award travel through nwa.com? I consistently get flight options for 23,500 points.
2. However, I always get a dreaded "Message 101" when clicking Select Flights. Is it actually possible to book award flights on nwa.com or do I have to call? When I call, will the award flights "cost" me 25,000 points or 23,500?
3. Can I book a circle trip for a standard 25k award? The website says so but nwa.com's CRS has never shown possibilities. What are the rules for booking circle trips? Even trying a simple IAD-MSP-SEA-IAD does not give me the desired results (25,000 or less points).
Thank you, in advance, for any feedback.
Jan 28, 2003, 3:42 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2001
Location: NWA Platinum, PC Platinum, HH Gold, Radisson elite, Hertz #1 Gold; National Emerald, Wausau, WI
Posts: 1,482
A circle trip with a stop is permitted, but it would be more than 25,000 miles. At standard award levels, I believe it would be 37,500 miles miles. If you call in instead of booking online, you will not get the current 1,500 mile "online booking" discount.
I have successfully booked award tickets on the new, integrated system and I was most impressed. (Also used a 4,000 mile/ticket discount coupon). Is it possible that there was a temporary bug in the system when you were trying? The new booking tool seems a bit slower than the old one on my computer, but it has ultimately worked each time I've booked either paid or award tickets.
I have successfully booked award tickets on the new, integrated system and I was most impressed. (Also used a 4,000 mile/ticket discount coupon). Is it possible that there was a temporary bug in the system when you were trying? The new booking tool seems a bit slower than the old one on my computer, but it has ultimately worked each time I've booked either paid or award tickets.
Jan 28, 2003, 4:27 pm
#3
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: FAI
Programs: Alaska MVP
Posts: 267
No problem for me booking an award flight online a couple of days ago.
Jan 28, 2003, 5:49 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 1999
Posts: 422
There is a 1500 mile discount for booking non-rulebuster awards online. The new system is more difficult to usa than the old one, but you can get info, including 6 days ahead, at http://usr.v7.com/wpaa/
Jan 28, 2003, 8:09 pm
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2002
Posts: 485
Thanks all. Your responses help me understand what is going on. I did not know about the 1,500 online bonus. I will get back on and try to book some award flights. Thanks!
Jan 28, 2003, 9:16 pm
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: America's Finest City
Posts: 10,936
It's 5000 off the 50000-mile award tix to Europe. Then again, last year I got one of these online for Feb for 39000 miles.
Nov 4, 2003, 11:47 pm
#7
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Sydney
Programs: QF Platinum
Posts: 835
Is there still an online booking discount. I live in Australia which means that I use the link at the very bottom of www.nwa.com/asia which is the appropriate way for me to book online. The system doesn't seem to want to give me a discount on the 20K SIN-NRT-SIN reward.
Just as a little aside - does anyone know where the DC10 comes in from which does the NW11 NRT-SIN run ... Its just I will have a 15hr connection in SIN on the way back and my mind would be more at rest if it was locally based (even more so if it did the inbound NW12 SIN-NRT).
Just as a little aside - does anyone know where the DC10 comes in from which does the NW11 NRT-SIN run ... Its just I will have a 15hr connection in SIN on the way back and my mind would be more at rest if it was locally based (even more so if it did the inbound NW12 SIN-NRT).
Nov 4, 2003, 11:53 pm
#8
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,748
The DC-10 fly SFO-NRT-SIN ... I believe the equipment is rotated at NRT with the HNL flight ... but the DC-10 are maintained at SIN.