Nothing Better than Successfully Booking a Complex Itinerary using Points!
Mar 7, 2013 | 8:33 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: DSM
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Fairmont Platinum, United Silver, National Exec
Posts: 1,037
Nothing Better than Successfully Booking a Complex Itinerary using Points!
I have just completed the booking of a rather complex vacation for my wife and me in early 2014. This trip will take us from midwestern USA to Tokyo, Singapore, Bali, Perth and return. I used United award miles, Air Canada award miles (transferred from AMEX), AAdvantage Miles, Hilton HHonor points and purchased the DPS-PER leg in business on Garuda.
All in, my costs are less than about $1500 for a two week, first/business class trip with accommodations in upper end Hilton properties along the way.
Few people, other than Flyertalkers, can appreciate the complexities involved in making sure that each leg is available and is booked at just the right time. There's a moment of exhilaration, when you've booked one leg and are hoping you can get the next leg booked (another airline award program) before someone else grabs available seats.
As I look at my two-page itinerary, it makes me smile. Success! And people say you can't use points...
All in, my costs are less than about $1500 for a two week, first/business class trip with accommodations in upper end Hilton properties along the way.
Few people, other than Flyertalkers, can appreciate the complexities involved in making sure that each leg is available and is booked at just the right time. There's a moment of exhilaration, when you've booked one leg and are hoping you can get the next leg booked (another airline award program) before someone else grabs available seats.
As I look at my two-page itinerary, it makes me smile. Success! And people say you can't use points...
Mar 8, 2013 | 5:18 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: トロント
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 4,856
I have just completed the booking of a rather complex vacation for my wife and me in early 2014. This trip will take us from midwestern USA to Tokyo, Singapore, Bali, Perth and return. I used United award miles, Air Canada award miles (transferred from AMEX), AAdvantage Miles, Hilton HHonor points and purchased the DPS-PER leg in business on Garuda.
All in, my costs are less than about $1500 for a two week, first/business class trip with accommodations in upper end Hilton properties along the way.
Few people, other than Flyertalkers, can appreciate the complexities involved in making sure that each leg is available and is booked at just the right time. There's a moment of exhilaration, when you've booked one leg and are hoping you can get the next leg booked (another airline award program) before someone else grabs available seats.
As I look at my two-page itinerary, it makes me smile. Success! And people say you can't use points...
All in, my costs are less than about $1500 for a two week, first/business class trip with accommodations in upper end Hilton properties along the way.
Few people, other than Flyertalkers, can appreciate the complexities involved in making sure that each leg is available and is booked at just the right time. There's a moment of exhilaration, when you've booked one leg and are hoping you can get the next leg booked (another airline award program) before someone else grabs available seats.
As I look at my two-page itinerary, it makes me smile. Success! And people say you can't use points...
You are 100% correct. If I even start to talk about booking one of these awards to friends or coworkers, their eyes start to glaze over, so I just keep quiet on the whole topic! I view it like doing some kind of 10 sided rubik's cube in the air..everything has to be examined, rotated and then hopefully, finally, it all clicks together and the puzzle is complete. You should see the spreadsheets and calendars I use when planning one of these. Sometimes I think invasions of countries have been planned more easily.
Best of luck on your trip.
