Warning: Don't book award travel to Europe!
Apr 11, 2000, 3:22 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 1999
Posts: 3,511
Warning: Don't book award travel to Europe!
A warning to anyone who wants to book award tickets for summer travel to Europe...
might not even be worth trying!
Last night I spent more than an hour on the phone trying to get tickets. Since I had a lot of American Express reward points, I was pretty much restricted to AMEX partner airlines.
I was extremely flexible. I was pretty much willing to fly on any date in june or July to Amsterdam, Paris, or Brussels. Travel was for 3 people in C class.
First call was to US Airways. I was wanting to fly them again in Envoy, especially if in an A330. They had no idea when they would resume service to AMS (or if) so they couldn't book it. They don't fly to Amsterdam. They could not get me three seats in C to CDG anytime in June or July. I lost a little hope.
Next call was to Delta. I wanted to try out their BizElite class. Again, virtually nothing at all. They did have some seats on the weekend travel, but I couldn't book those since weekend travel is restricted to Medallion members.
They did have some strange routings those, like TPA-ATL-JFK (ground tranfer) EWR-BRU (last segment on SN). No thanks.
Next call was to Continental. They still had the 30-day BizFirst block, so no go on Continental.
Now it was to American. Checked CDG, nothing. Checked BRU, nothing. As I began to hang up and told the agent to forget about it, she found 3 seats to BRU!!!
I immediately made the reservation, even though I wasn't sure I'll make the trip. Couldn't let those seats get away! It is slightly less preferable because I have to backtrack to ORD, and I'd prefer DL or US, but it is better than nothing!
So, if you're booking travel for awards, have the agent check every day to every city you are willing to go. You never know, there might just be one day that is open!
BizJet
might not even be worth trying!
Last night I spent more than an hour on the phone trying to get tickets. Since I had a lot of American Express reward points, I was pretty much restricted to AMEX partner airlines.
I was extremely flexible. I was pretty much willing to fly on any date in june or July to Amsterdam, Paris, or Brussels. Travel was for 3 people in C class.
First call was to US Airways. I was wanting to fly them again in Envoy, especially if in an A330. They had no idea when they would resume service to AMS (or if) so they couldn't book it. They don't fly to Amsterdam. They could not get me three seats in C to CDG anytime in June or July. I lost a little hope.
Next call was to Delta. I wanted to try out their BizElite class. Again, virtually nothing at all. They did have some seats on the weekend travel, but I couldn't book those since weekend travel is restricted to Medallion members.
They did have some strange routings those, like TPA-ATL-JFK (ground tranfer) EWR-BRU (last segment on SN). No thanks.Next call was to Continental. They still had the 30-day BizFirst block, so no go on Continental.
Now it was to American. Checked CDG, nothing. Checked BRU, nothing. As I began to hang up and told the agent to forget about it, she found 3 seats to BRU!!!
I immediately made the reservation, even though I wasn't sure I'll make the trip. Couldn't let those seats get away! It is slightly less preferable because I have to backtrack to ORD, and I'd prefer DL or US, but it is better than nothing!So, if you're booking travel for awards, have the agent check every day to every city you are willing to go. You never know, there might just be one day that is open!
BizJet
Apr 11, 2000, 5:52 pm
#2
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: Des Moines, Iowa & Malmo, Sweden
Posts: 91
Indeed it is often quite difficult to get award tickets in the summer... I got an award ticket for a companion (full award ticket) for our trip at the end of May.. and I got it in mid-December... and unless your plans are definite, it can be difficult to make such plans so far in advance.
Apr 11, 2000, 11:31 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: Over the Bay Bridge, CA
Programs: Jumbo mas
Posts: 38,860
Funny to read this, as today I booked via UA (on LH equipment) a First Class award trip on LH in mid/late-May, within about 5 minutes, on the exact dates and flights I wanted. Its just about the first time in the last 1,000,000 I have spent that I have had my entire itinerary confirmed in F (4 segments) immediately in one phone call. I have usually had to wait and wait for one segment or another to clear, and so on and so on. I guess it was just my lucky day.
Apr 12, 2000, 2:38 am
#4
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Detroit, MI
Posts: 2,589
f you really want DL, I would have booked whatever was available--certainly seats would have opened up, say ATL-EWR, reducing one connection, and maybe even ATL-BRU. Also might want to check MIA-ZRH or MCO-EWR--unfortunately with the FF programs you have to be creative!
Apr 12, 2000, 8:35 am
#5
Join Date: Jan 2000
Location: Boulder, CO and Waimea, HI
Programs: UAL 1K MM
Posts: 748
It can be done but you certainly need to be flexible. I used DL awards last summer to go to England (2 awards, 2 full-fare) but we needed to fly into Manchester and then out of Edinburgh. We also had to connect through JFK on the way back.
I have to say that the Delta agent we worked with was very helpful and kept trying combinations until she hit one that worked.
I have to say that the Delta agent we worked with was very helpful and kept trying combinations until she hit one that worked.
Apr 12, 2000, 11:24 am
#6
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: New York, NY, AA 4MM PLT, BA Gold, VS Gold, Hilton Gold, SPG Gold, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Platinum, IHG Platinum, CC Gold
Posts: 1,098
How are you using Amex points on AA -- a USAirways/American miles combination award?
It's a crap shoot, sometimes you find seats at the 12th hour and sometimes you can't find them 11 months in advance.
It's a crap shoot, sometimes you find seats at the 12th hour and sometimes you can't find them 11 months in advance.