clbencemunns

I'm no expert at this, but after spending hours reading through 100 pages of posts, I figured this might help newbies like me. Bear with me, I'm not a big flyer and I don't know the lingo like the experts here.

MAIN POINT: TYP are due for another devaluation as of March 1, 2009.

• Regardless of how you earned your TYP, the current maximum redemption value for a fixed domestic award is $400. I use redemtion values here, not earning values.
• After 3-1-09, fixed awards will CEASE. This means the maximum redemption value of your TYP is 1 cent per TYP, using variable rewards.
• Until 3-1-09, you can book a fixed BUSINESS class US/Canada ticket for 90K TYP with a value up to $2700. You may then cancel the ticket, and "carry-over" a residual credit voucher with that airline for up to a year or more. This nets a 3 cent per TYP redemtion value.

FINDING AND BOOKING BASICS:

• You must CALL TYN for fixed point redemtions at (800) 842-6596. It is not possible to book fixed redemptions online.
• TYN uses Expedia. You should also use it to double check their work when booking.
• You should find a BUSINESS (not First class) fare that gets as close to $2700 before taxes as possible.
• Look for Domestic (US) fares first. It is also possible to book Canada fares, but in my experience, they are harder to find and often codeshare or multi-airline flights.
• Use search engines such as Kayak, Fare Compare, etc to narrow your search parameters by Business class, price, etc.
• Prime routes such as LAX-JFK and other coast to coast fares seem to be listed here as often reaching the $2700 threshold. If you know your airline preference, use smaller cities where that airline dominates to find your fare.
• City pairs do not necessarily matter: They don't HAVE to be your airport. The goal here is to book a ticket you WON'T be using.
• Decide which airline might be best for you for future flights. Look into prices from your home airport, schedules, fare rules, etc. The goal here is to book a ticket on an airline you'll want to use later with your voucher.
• Attempt to find the $2700 (before taxes) magical fare on your preferred airline.
• You must book the $2700 business class fight on a single airline for the entire itinerary. No codeshares or multiple airlines, and your life will be easier during this process.
• Once you have located a $2700 domestic ticket on your preferred airline with the search engine of your choice, go to Expedia and make sure the itinerary is available there and the prices match, etc.
• Make sure your fares are "NON-REFUNDABLE" (yes, I know, this doesn't make sense, just trust the posters). This will allow the ticket to be cancelled/changed, and a residual value voucher issued to you (rather than TYN getting a refund).
• It seems that even if one leg of the trip is non-refundable, the entire trip is considered non-refundable (remember, this is what you want, even though it seems counter-intuitive)
• You want a non-refundable ticket, because if the airline insists on refunding via the original form of payment, Citibank Thank You Network paid for it, so THEY will get the credit back to THEIR credit card (and you lose!)
• Once you have found your $2700 (before taxes) city pairs on expedia, via your preferred airline, no codeshares or multi-airlines, BUSINESS class, Non-refundable ticket, call the TYN and book the fixed redemption 90K Business class US/Can flight.
• You will also be expected to pay the taxes. The tax information can be seen when proceeding with a dummy booking on Expedia. If what you see is less than what TYN is quoting, you can attempt to get them to honor the lower price (if it's worth the hassle to you).
• You now have a booked ticket, hopefully worth $2700-2900. Proceed below!

AFTER YOU HAVE THAT HOT LITTLE 90K BIZ CLASS TICKET:

• To be safe, wait at least three days before you do anything. However, you can sit on the ticket until a few days before it's scheduled to depart.
• THIS APPLIES TO ALL AIRLINES AND TICKETS: Call the airline directly (not TYN) and cancel or reschedule the flight BEFORE the trip is scheduled to begin.
• Don't call TYN to cancel. They can't help you, and you might just alert them to close this fancy loophole.
• ALL AIRLINES ARE DIFFERENT IN THEIR REQUIREMENTS
• Hopefully, you looked here or checked the cancellation requirements before you booked the ticket.
• When you cancel the original itinerary/ticket, most airlines will issue you a credit (but you might not actually receive a paper or e-voucher until you've rescheduled a new flight).
• You should receive a total credit of the original ticket value plus the taxes you paid. When you cancel, you'll pay a change or cancel fee amounting somewhere between $20-500 (most airlines seem to be in the $150 range, but CHECK this!).
• The easiest way is to schedule a new flight (that you'll actually use) when you cancel the first.
• This will then (usually) trigger the issuance of the credit voucher.
• This credit voucher should be good for 1 year, maybe longer depending on the airline. Some airlines may only issue 1 voucher good for one use (see below).
• Usually, you must reschedule/purchase the first new flight in YOUR name.
• Once you have purchased a new itinerary in your name, you can usually use what's left of the credit voucher for any passengers. Remember, CHECK your airline, they're all different.
• If you like to play it safe (like me), you might consider cancelling the original ticket, and booking a new flight (you'll actually use) directly at the ticket counter in the airport. This should ensure you receive an actual paper voucher for your credit. Who wants to mess around with $2700 worth of free money?
• It is reported that some (few) airlines like DL might give you an e-number for the credit that you can use online, thus bypassing a snail mail version of the voucher, and bypassing a trip to the airport.
• Keep confirmation codes, e-ticket numbers, and paperwork for EVERYTHING. Some airlines actually attach the credit voucher to the original ticket number (the one you'll cancel). Therefore, to be safe, SAVE EVERYTHING: Every email, every paper, etc.

LIST OF AIRLINES AND THEIR POLICIES (from posters, YMMV, CHECK WITH THE AIRLINE):

Top three mentioned here frequently as working well: United UA, Delta DL, American AA

FEES: May be different for each airline, each ticket, or may depend on if you changed or cancelled the ticket. You also may pay other fees such as booking tickets at the airport, paper tickets, etc, etc. Change/Cancel fees can be seen when you locate your original ticket on Expedia (fare rules and restrictions).

If the airline is not listed here, it's because there's little or no info.

UA: United Airlines
Reported Fee: $100, $150

Reported Voucher System: Paper voucher issued AFTER you've cancelled the original flight and rescheduled a new flight. If you just cancel the original flight, the money will "sit" there until you schedule a new flight, thus triggering the issuance of the balance. Appears that voucher may be used for other passengers once a new ticket is booked for you and credit is still left.

Expiration of Vouchers, Etc: Reported to be 1 year for each re-issuance of a new credit voucher. Essentially, you could book 1 flight per year until the value is gone.

Notes: UA seems to be paper voucher only? Consider booking at the airport to avoid problems with regular mail: Get the printed voucher back right at the airport. First changed ticket must be in your name, subsequent can be anyone's name.


AA: American Airlines
Reported Fee: $100, $150

Reported Voucher System: Paper voucher issued AFTER you've cancelled the original flight and rescheduled a new flight. If you just cancel the original flight, the money will "sit" there until you schedule a new flight, thus triggering the issuance of the balance. Voucher appears to be attached to original ticket number, so KEEP YOUR PAPERWORK/NUMBERS. Conflicting info on if voucher can be used online, or if you must go to AA counter/phone.

Expiration of Voucher: Conflicting info: Residual vs 1 yr firm. Most info points that expiration re-sets upon issuance of new voucher.

Notes: AA seems to be paper voucher only? Consider booking at the airport to avoid problems with regular mail: Get the printed voucher back right at the airport. First changed ticket must be in your name, subsequent can be anyone's name. May be able to book codeshare flights with credit voucher.


DL: Delta
Reported Change Fee: $50

Voucher Info: Reported to use an e-credit voucher available for use online. Appears you use your original e-ticket number to gain an e-credit numner. Click the e-credit box online, enter your e-ticket number, check the "no" box for e-ticket (not an e-ticket number, it's an e-credit number). After purchase of a new ticket in the original passenger's name, and issuance of the credit, flights can be booked for anyone.


Notes: Appears you can book codeshare flights and possible even different airlines, so long as it's booked through DL. Vouchers are reported easy to use via DL's online system.


AS: Alaska
Reported Change Fee: $100

CO:
Reported Change Fee: $100, $150, may have to be paid via credit card and not taken from voucher value.

Voucher Info: E-cert voucher via mail with PIN, or call for numbers. First re-booking must be in your name, then credit balance can be used for other passengers.

Voucher Expiration: Reported to be 1 year firm (expiration date doesn't appear to re-set at re-issuance, unless you book another "dummy flight" and cancel again?). Reported CO only issues 1 electronic credit voucher, and if not used in a single use, value is lost?


AS ALWAYS: Know the RISKS before you chance the potential REWARDS!

LINKYS FOR MORE INFO:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...edemption.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...valuation.html

If anyone has specific voucher info for specific airlines, I think that might help everyone the most (it would me as I frantically save up my 90K!).

I will try to update specific info as I remember...

psychtobe

Incredible post, thanks very much, too bad the program is going away in 2 months!

Some comments:

DL charges $100, but usually $150 since they claim TYN/Expedia is an 'outside vendor.' They pull the change fee from the voucher, so no cash up front.

It has been reported that AS only allows the ECV to be used once, no residual value returned - any confirmation of that?

DBCme

Thank you for this wonderful post, clbencemunns.

I just redeemed 20K TYP and find myself 30k short of the 90k you discuss in the thread. I'm certain there is something I can do at the 60k level perhaps with less than $2700 to work with.

DBCme

Here is their chart for fixed-rate option redemptions: (about half ways down the page)

https://www.thankyou.com/helpTopic.j...BRewards#10070

Although the 90k offers the better value, presumeably we could use one of the lower-tier redemptions and follow the same strategy, yes?
Example: Redeem 60,000 for Europe Coach ticket ($1,200) then receive TCV. Might be helpful if someone had say 120,000 TYP and wanted to receive 2 different TCV for $1200 each.

I see a new Citibank TYN card in my future..

psychtobe

there is no reason to go nutso over coach redemptions, which are capped at 2 cents per TYP. Once you factor in change fees (like $400 to Europe), your value is even less. If it's February 27 and you're running out of time/options, it's probably better than nothing. But your goal should be biz class redemptions. i agree, I'll be applying for the max (probably 3, 1 of which co-branded) Citi TY cards that I can.

Bikeguy

I'd pay the 2.5 cents per point to get to 90K.

bostonbali

From my experience during the last TYP devaluation, you don't really want AS tickets.

AS insists the entire amount must be used on ONE ticket - no residual value remains when using the voucher to purchase a new ticket of a lower amount. Furthermore, they did not allow multiple back-and-forths on the same ticket - it had to be one roundtrip, open jaw, or a one-way.

If anybody finds any juicy DL fares to Hawaii or Carribean in business for about $4,200-$4,500 (for 140K points), I'd love to hear about it!

Happy

Thank you OP for taking the time and effort to post a Wiki.

Caution to everyone:

Please call your targeted airline first, to clarify the policy on residual value so to make sure how it works on said airline. Multiple calls so to talk to different agents may give more assurance if no conflicting info from each call.

AS is definitely a NO NO for this purpose.

Purchase TYP at $25 per 1K is not a bad alternative versus getting another TYP card for the bonus if excessive inquiry is a concern.

emmpee

Anybody have any experience pulling this off with B6? I have 50k TYP that I'm trying to parlay into a ~$1k B6 voucher via Caribbean redemption.

Edited to add -- "Thank You" SO MUCH for putting this Wiki/thread together.

ZapperO

Can anyone offer additional tips on identifying itineraries that are biz class and as close to the $2,700 limit as possible. I'm particularly interested in Delta.

The OPs post is very helpful but the advice to "Use search engines such as Kayak, Fare Compare, etc to narrow your search parameters by Business class, price, etc." is very basic.

I've spent over an hour searching dozens of different possible itineraries on Kayak and the closest I can come up with is $2,100--which is terrible. Everything over $2,100+ that I've found has at least one 1st class leg and therefore makes the itinerary invalid for the redemption. I've specifically asked Kayak to show "Business" class fares, but this doesn't seem to avoid those itineraries that include those 1st class legs.

Thanks!

EmoryFlyer

I too am having difficulty here...hard to avoid fully refundable fares that have no F segments close to $2700 on DL. Any advice would be more than appreciated!

ingy

I found mine last night in no time. Think of Holidays like Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Friday of Labor Day weekend or Monday itself.

If Fridays, Mondays and Sundays are the busiest travel days pick those around 3 day Weekends.

Small airports on the east coast to small airports on the west coast or Canada.

DL = Brunswick Georgia only carrier
UA = Crescent City California

It is a good time to look at your carrier's route map for smaller airports that may have monopoly or only one other competitor

Why are you looking on Kayak? Expedia is the booking agent.

biverson

Can a voucher be applied to a codeshare flight? If I get a United voucher can I only apply it against United operated flights or can it be applied to flights that are sold by United / carry a United flight number but are operated by a partner airline (e.g., Lufthansa, SAS, etc.)?

jimmychang

For UA, your origional ticket can be changed to any UA coded flights. You can do this online or via phone. However, the voucher of the residual value can only be applied to UA metal.

rogue409

Here's a nice UA route:
White Plains, NY to Redmond, OR