Help using FF miles IAD /CPH next June
 

I am going to try to book a R/T on United from Dulles to Cophenhagen departing 6/7 and returning 6/21 in either Business or First Class. I know I can only try 330 days from my return date since you must book the R/T as one trip. This AM just for a trial I went to the United web site and using a start of 6/7 and a return of 6/17 and using the reward option I checked both saver and standard awards for all 3 classes of service. The system says nothing available. Can this be correct. Are the FF seats all gone the first morning you can try for 6/17. We have saved lots of miles for this flight and I cannot beleive that I cannot get anything booking 330 days in advance. Does anyone have any comments or suggestions on what to do? The system said it checked 5 days backwards and forwards and nothing available on either side of my dates either. I am kind of new at trying to book using FF niles so I am not sure of all the ins and outs. Should we try another daparture airport? Can we fly to London and from London to CPH?

On the top of that award page was a message stating that you cannot book international itineraries online. You'll need to call and pay the fee.

As far as routings, go. The easiest way is the SAS flight direct to CPH, but yes you can use LHR, MUC, FRA, et al as connection points for your trip.

I don't think UA has a non-stop IAD-CPH, it's an SAS flight. So maybe you can't book that online and have to call US internaional reservations. There are a lot of ways you can get to Europe on UA metal and connect to CPH--through FRA, LHR, AMS, MUC, etc. Maybe some of those flights have award space.

This is correct; AFAIK, there is one *Alliance non-stop on that route and that's the SAS flight. To see all of the *Alliance possibilities, check out their website - it gives a couple dozen options. Then call United Int'l Awards and hopefully one of those options will be available.

BTW, because you're flying from an area that has 3 different airports, it also pays to ask about flying from/to DCA and even BWI. That opens up other options. (For ex, I have an *Alliance award reservation on hold that flies out of IAD, but returns to BWI. Of course, I'd rather not shlep back from BWI, but if it's the difference of not being able to take the trip at all....well, then I'll shlep from BWI. :))

You can only book UA metal on the website.

You have to call to book or create an ANA FF account and you can check Star Alliance availability. It has always matched UA availability in my limited experience.

6/7 has no availability in IAD-CPH. But you can go via London on any of the UA flights, for example.

To me it is unfathomable to book an airline ticket one year in advance. I usually have good luck booking SAS C class with short notice for awards. I am sure that they only make a small fraction of inventory available on this route one year in advance and it gets snapped by the one-year-in-advance-hunters.

Also, SAS is cutting back C class seats on the 330 that serves IAD when they install sleeper seats.

Thanks for all your help. We are booking a year in advance because we are taking a 12 Baltic cruise that departs from CPH so there is no flexibility there.
I have two more questions. If we fly to London on United then what airline do we fly from Heathrow to CPH? What is ANA? Bet you can't tell that I don't do this too often.

I flew to CPH on an award this year, MUC and FRA were the best connecting points for the flight. SAS is the best carrier to get you to CPH, but LH flies there as do other airlines.

ANA is all nippon airways - a *A partner.

You (obviously) fly SAS from LHR-CPH. It's an easy connection because they both use T3 at LHR. I travel frequently to ARN (Sthlm) so need to connect somewhere and LHR is my preferred connection. I also prefer taking UA 922 in the morning and staying overnight in LHR. Then you avoid a redeye and don't suffer any jetlag. Take the 10 am flight or later to CPH if you are not in a hurry. The UA 922 connection overnight will not be something that the UA agent will normally suggest so you would have to tell them about the option.

You can get a nice 4* hotel on Priceline at LHR for about $70-$80 a night including all taxes and fees.

Go to www.ana.co.jp (select English) and sign up for their FF program. Then you can search for Star Alliance award availability on their website. I figure out what I want first and then call UA. It saves a lot of phone time with an agent, and you don't have to rely on a "good" agent.

Maybe you can get the non-stop SAS return if you book at the 300 day window or whatever it is. It should be a very pleasant return flight.

THe only problem with staying overnight at LHR is the rather large amount of luggage that we will be schlepping for a 12 day cruise. Getting those bags from Airport to a hotel and then back again th next day will not make my husband a happy man. However I do appear to have several options. I can do United or Lufthansa from IAD to LHR or FRA or MUC and then go Lufthansa or even SAS to CPH. There is even a direct flight to CPH from Newark that I can look at. THanks to all for your help.

Of course, that would not be a good idea. I never check luggage, so did not enter my mind. Somebody asked recently if you could check luggage thru on this routing with UA 922. I am not sure if the question was resolved.

Looking at availability, LH 415 is available via MUC. That's a nice airport for connections and it has the upgraded business class, and departs late in the day. Downside is a long layover and a bit indirect. Otherwise your best bet is LHR. Nothing available on SK via EWR or ORD. I would avoid FRA; only have C class on early flight. I think you can always change your routing later to SAS if it opens up.

On the other hand a lot of F availability on LH for many flights. That's really nice. I would do that both ways if you have the miles and enjoy luxury. Also allows use of the LH F terminal at FRA, which is spectacular.

LH415 connects to SAS 910 which doesn't get us to CPH until 14:40. Cruise leaves on the 9th so we wanted to spend as much time as possible in CPH to see the city on the 8th. We do have the miles for FIrst Class. Do you see any FC available on June 7th for either UA 916 (IAD/FRA) departs 17:18 or LH 417 IAD/FRA) departs 16:20 or LH419 (IAD/FRA) departs 18:10. If not first than business class on any of these? THanks

Still have the window open.... only UA 916 in F. But you can see that on the UA website. (Make sure that you fly LH F on the return and get a long layover so that you can enjoy the F Terminal.)

LH 417 has C class but that may still have the old C class and good luck trying to sleep on that flight with such an early departure.

But how much fun is it to run around CPH for a day after a longhaul redeye? I would go a day earlier or think about the UA 922 option.

I booked for myself and my husband 2 award seats for June of 2005. We flew SAS 910/909 EWR to CPH and return in business. I booked my husband's ticket 331 days in advance thru United and about 2 months later I moved enough points around to get a free business ticket thru US Airways. My advice is to get something and hold it for as long as you can and call United EVERY day to see if something opens up on SAS before you book.
Good Luck.

Thanks Gagnet!
 

Thanks to your wonderful suggestion about getting set up on the ANA wwebsite. I waas able to search availabilty for the flights using awards on SAS, United and Lufthansa. Today I saw the direct return SAS flight from CPH to IAD show up with awards availability so we ended up booking United 920 on 6/6 to LHR and then SAS LHR to CPH in Business class the AM of the 7th We will head to the hotel and crash until the AM of the 8th and enjoy CPH until our cruise departs the afternoon of the 9th. Because we grabbed the return SAS flight immediately when it showed up on the ANA web site we did get business class using miles for that flight. When I called United to get this all booked the agent was positively blown away by all the info I had about what flights had award availability and we wrapped it all up including seat assignments and payment of the taxes in less than 10 minutes on the phone. Thanks so much