Maldives on Miles: Will this Itin work & how to book
Oct 9, 2011, 12:33 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 19
Possible to get first class award seats to Maldives using UA/CO miles?
I'm platinum on CO. I'm looking to go to the Maldives in 2012 (November/December). Was going to try and go first on Emirates, but just saw they are dropping out of the Star Alliance partnership. Who else has 3 classes from US going to Maldives, and, is there ANY chance of redeeming miles for 2 seats in first? Last time I went to Bali, I tried for 2 first seats on SQ, and no luck. Had to go Biz class. Any helpful tips???
Oct 9, 2011, 1:16 pm
#2
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Emirates was never in *A; they had bilateral agreements with CO and UA which are now both expired.
As for getting to MLE, the only *A service is via SIN and that's a 2-cabin aircraft. You can get F awards on UA, LH, LH, OZ, NH and TG as far as SIN and then C from there. Finding the seats is a whole different beast, but those are the main options as far as carriers where F redemptions are possible to that region of the world.
As for getting to MLE, the only *A service is via SIN and that's a 2-cabin aircraft. You can get F awards on UA, LH, LH, OZ, NH and TG as far as SIN and then C from there. Finding the seats is a whole different beast, but those are the main options as far as carriers where F redemptions are possible to that region of the world.
Oct 9, 2011, 1:35 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: EDI, and often LHR, DOH and PVG, OPO or AMS - or just about anywhere else...
Programs: BA Silver (soft-drop now I moved all longhauls away), KLM Gold, Emirates Gold, and others
Posts: 83
Sri lanka
I did a similar trip with miles, and you could head to Sri Lanka in first, and then take Sri lankan airlines to Male - their bus flight was really very good and as I recall only 18 seats on a a340. I bought the Sri lankan tickets for almost the same as United wanted in taxes, so it worked well...
Just an idea...
Just an idea...
Oct 9, 2011, 1:37 pm
#4
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: EDI, and often LHR, DOH and PVG, OPO or AMS - or just about anywhere else...
Programs: BA Silver (soft-drop now I moved all longhauls away), KLM Gold, Emirates Gold, and others
Posts: 83
Or as another thought, Lufthansa
F to Bangalore, and connect from there... There is a
FRA to BLR which works nicely in F with a 747
F to Bangalore, and connect from there... There is a
FRA to BLR which works nicely in F with a 747
Oct 9, 2011, 6:07 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: USA
Posts: 1,685
CO, UA, LH then $$ on EK
I searched and searched and called and called, I effectively gave up on flying with Singapore, and the extensive travel time to Singapore and went reward F Lufthansa to DXB then paid $1900 for J-class on EK.
Most frustrating part of the trip was getting to the Hilton Trans Maldivian lounge off of EK flights, and waiting for the delayed Singapore flight. Then, once airborne on the Waldorf branded seaplane, the pilot explains that we have to drop the two Singapore pax off at the Hilton, adding 50mins to our miserable flight.
Enjoy!
Most frustrating part of the trip was getting to the Hilton Trans Maldivian lounge off of EK flights, and waiting for the delayed Singapore flight. Then, once airborne on the Waldorf branded seaplane, the pilot explains that we have to drop the two Singapore pax off at the Hilton, adding 50mins to our miserable flight.
Enjoy!
Oct 9, 2011, 6:58 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,302
http://www.united.com/page/article/0,6722,51398,00.html
A first class ticket to South Asia would be two awards - at a whopping 390,000 UA miles per ticket.
Austrian flies from VIE to MLE seasonally, but no first class obviously, but it looks like its weekly
[KVS Availability Tool 6.2.0/Platinum - Amadeus: Timetable/NL-BCDF]
Code:
VIE Vienna Schwechat Intl AT [LOWW] MLE Male Intl MV [VRMM] SUN 08 Jan 2012 - 15 Jan 2012 Carrier Flight From Depart To Arrive A/C St Frequency | Dur'n | Dep T | Arr T | Effect | Ending | Exceptions --------- ------ ---- -------- ---- -------- --- -- ---------------------------------------------------------------- OS 45 VIE 20:30 MLE 09:05 +1 772 0 ----5-- 08:35 - - 30 Dec 24 Feb OS 45 VIE 21:05 MLE 09:40 +1 772 0 --3---- 08:35 - - 09 Nov 29 Feb
Last edited by rankourabu; Oct 9, 2011 at 7:06 pm
Oct 9, 2011, 7:46 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,439
Swiss does have a once-weekly ZRH-MLE service- just another option.
SQ has a decent product as well- they fly the A333 which has their new "regonal" product with angled lie flat seats- certainly better than the 9V-SR*/SQ* 772's they have running around.
SQ has a decent product as well- they fly the A333 which has their new "regonal" product with angled lie flat seats- certainly better than the 9V-SR*/SQ* 772's they have running around.
Oct 9, 2011, 7:48 pm
#11
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For Swiss, check availability on Aeroplan.com and call CO to book - along with CA,TK,SQ, LX is not available online.
There is usually very decent Swiss F availability out of YUL to ZRH.
Apr 19, 2012, 11:15 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: HKG, SIN, SFO
Programs: CX Diamond, SQ PPS, UAPP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 21
LAX-->MLE Rewards Question
Hi All,
Newbie here. I'm trying to book award travel for me and my wife to go to the Maldives this summer. When I do a search under Reward Travel for 1 passenger, there are many options that come up, but when I do a search under 2 passengers, nothing shows up. Does this mean there is only 1 available seat? Or do I need to book each ticket separately?
Thanks for the help in advance.
Newbie here. I'm trying to book award travel for me and my wife to go to the Maldives this summer. When I do a search under Reward Travel for 1 passenger, there are many options that come up, but when I do a search under 2 passengers, nothing shows up. Does this mean there is only 1 available seat? Or do I need to book each ticket separately?
Thanks for the help in advance.
Apr 19, 2012, 11:24 am
#13
Join Date: Jul 2010
Programs: UA 1K, Star Gold,Marriott Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle
Posts: 414
Hi All,
Newbie here. I'm trying to book award travel for me and my wife to go to the Maldives this summer. When I do a search under Reward Travel for 1 passenger, there are many options that come up, but when I do a search under 2 passengers, nothing shows up. Does this mean there is only 1 available seat? Or do I need to book each ticket separately?
Thanks for the help in advance.
Newbie here. I'm trying to book award travel for me and my wife to go to the Maldives this summer. When I do a search under Reward Travel for 1 passenger, there are many options that come up, but when I do a search under 2 passengers, nothing shows up. Does this mean there is only 1 available seat? Or do I need to book each ticket separately?
Thanks for the help in advance.
Apr 19, 2012, 1:47 pm
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,302
One flight out of the whole thing probably has just one seat available and it screws everything up when searching for two.
See how many of your flights have 2 seats, and which one has one, there may be an easy workaround if for example, its a domestic flight.
Remember you can change dates/flight times on the same route for free later.
See how many of your flights have 2 seats, and which one has one, there may be an easy workaround if for example, its a domestic flight.
Remember you can change dates/flight times on the same route for free later.
Apr 19, 2012, 3:02 pm
#15
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Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: UA Plat 2MM; AS MVP Gold 75K
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One flight out of the whole thing probably has just one seat available and it screws everything up when searching for two.
See how many of your flights have 2 seats, and which one has one, there may be an easy workaround if for example, its a domestic flight.
Remember you can change dates/flight times on the same route for free later.
See how many of your flights have 2 seats, and which one has one, there may be an easy workaround if for example, its a domestic flight.
Remember you can change dates/flight times on the same route for free later.
We've done this from time to time. Take different flights for IAH-SFO and waitlist on each others' flights for example.
Or get IAH-LAX-SFO as a suboptimal choice, then waitlist IAH-SFO.