PIT to TLV Guidance, Please
Feb 9, 2014, 1:23 pm
#1
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PIT to TLV Guidance, Please
I've been checking in to FlyerTalk for years, but I guess I never subscribed! Hence, my first post.
Three of us will be traveling from Pittsburgh to Tel Aviv this summer (June), and I see that USAirways' mileage redemption schedule is extremely high (175,000 miles each way for business class.) We have enough miles at USAirways for most, but not all, of the trip. I would appreciate any suggestions that you folks might have.
Are all Star Alliance partner mileage requirements the same? I haven't been on a USAirways overseas business class flight before, but my impression is that the seating is the same as domestic first class. Is that true?
Any guidance you folks may offer would be most appreciated. Thanks!
Three of us will be traveling from Pittsburgh to Tel Aviv this summer (June), and I see that USAirways' mileage redemption schedule is extremely high (175,000 miles each way for business class.) We have enough miles at USAirways for most, but not all, of the trip. I would appreciate any suggestions that you folks might have.
Are all Star Alliance partner mileage requirements the same? I haven't been on a USAirways overseas business class flight before, but my impression is that the seating is the same as domestic first class. Is that true?
Any guidance you folks may offer would be most appreciated. Thanks!
Feb 9, 2014, 2:58 pm
#2
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Welcome to FT!
You should probably call US to see if they have lower-priced redemption options on Star Alliance partners.
But come March 31, US will be a part of oneworld, with different redemption partners. Whether you will be able to find lower-priced redemptions by waiting until then is anyone's guess.
Finding low-tier TATL award redemptions in Business Class during the summer can be very challenging, especially if all three of you have to be on the same flights. Can you split up?
Welcome to FT!
You should probably call US to see if they have lower-priced redemption options on Star Alliance partners.
But come March 31, US will be a part of oneworld, with different redemption partners. Whether you will be able to find lower-priced redemptions by waiting until then is anyone's guess.
Finding low-tier TATL award redemptions in Business Class during the summer can be very challenging, especially if all three of you have to be on the same flights. Can you split up?
Feb 9, 2014, 3:07 pm
#3
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Many programs have rules saying that you can use partner award flights only if they are available at low levels. If you're trying to book through the US website, make sure you understand what partner avaiability it does and does not show. You might be able to save miles by taking a partner connection through Europe. FRA or MUC on LH would be the obvious ones, but perhaps TATL into DUS or a connection through BRU? There's also SAS but I'm not sure how many flights they have into TLV. At one point Swiss had service to TLV from several airports, but I'm not sure if this still holds.
Try to see what miles level is being required for each segment. Sometimes taking the next connection or a less direct routing can save lots of miles.
It might make sense to buy the additional miles you need from US to secure the award space.
Try to see what miles level is being required for each segment. Sometimes taking the next connection or a less direct routing can save lots of miles.
It might make sense to buy the additional miles you need from US to secure the award space.
Feb 9, 2014, 4:01 pm
#4
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Welcome to the forum as a poster
As you have US Airways miles this if the currency you need to use. What ever the US web site shows is the miles you need to spend. Miles needed by other Star freq flyer programs are irrelevant
.... I see that USAirways' mileage redemption schedule is extremely high (175,000 miles each way for business class.) We have enough miles at USAirways for most, but not all, of the trip. I would appreciate any suggestions that you folks might have.
Are all Star Alliance partner mileage requirements the same?
Are all Star Alliance partner mileage requirements the same?
Feb 9, 2014, 4:31 pm
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Feb 9, 2014, 6:05 pm
#6
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Partner award business class from US to Middle East is 120K miles round trip.
There is a very long thread with information about Star Alliance award bookings using US Airways miles.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...ad-merged.html
Another idea would be to consider an award booking service. They will be more knowledgable about what is possible and what your options are.
There is a very long thread with information about Star Alliance award bookings using US Airways miles.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...ad-merged.html
Another idea would be to consider an award booking service. They will be more knowledgable about what is possible and what your options are.
Feb 9, 2014, 6:22 pm
#7
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I've been checking in to FlyerTalk for years, but I guess I never subscribed! Hence, my first post.
Three of us will be traveling from Pittsburgh to Tel Aviv this summer (June), and I see that USAirways' mileage redemption schedule is extremely high (175,000 miles each way for business class.) We have enough miles at USAirways for most, but not all, of the trip. I would appreciate any suggestions that you folks might have.
Are all Star Alliance partner mileage requirements the same? I haven't been on a USAirways overseas business class flight before, but my impression is that the seating is the same as domestic first class. Is that true?
Any guidance you folks may offer would be most appreciated. Thanks!
Three of us will be traveling from Pittsburgh to Tel Aviv this summer (June), and I see that USAirways' mileage redemption schedule is extremely high (175,000 miles each way for business class.) We have enough miles at USAirways for most, but not all, of the trip. I would appreciate any suggestions that you folks might have.
Are all Star Alliance partner mileage requirements the same? I haven't been on a USAirways overseas business class flight before, but my impression is that the seating is the same as domestic first class. Is that true?
Any guidance you folks may offer would be most appreciated. Thanks!
Feb 9, 2014, 8:04 pm
#8
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"You can now also use US miles to book travel on AA and its oneworld partners."
Is this true? I know that Dividend Miles can now be redeemed for travel on AA, but I thought that redemptions on other oneworld carriers had to wait until US joined oneworld on March 31.
"You can now also use US miles to book travel on AA and its oneworld partners."
Is this true? I know that Dividend Miles can now be redeemed for travel on AA, but I thought that redemptions on other oneworld carriers had to wait until US joined oneworld on March 31.
Feb 9, 2014, 9:24 pm
#9
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Any flight to Israel on a partner airline, booked using US Airways miles, will cost 120,000 roundtrip if any leg is in business. See https://www.usairways.com/pv_obj_cac...wardtravel.pdf. If you are flying on US Airways - on its one flight to TLV- , there are three separate prices, high (350k), medium (225k), and low (120k)
You are booking very late for travel this June to Israel. Hence, you are only likely to find availability on the one US Airways flight - from Philadelphia to Tel Aviv - in business class except at US Airways "high" level. (The seats on this plane in Envoy class are lie-flat and definitely not the same as domestic first). Same goes for the nonstop EWR-TLV on United, and the YYZ-TLV on Air Canada. I am not seeing award availability on any date in June on any of these two flights.
(To give you an idea, I booked my June Israel award travel in October and these flights were all already sold out for dates that worked for us.)
You can possibly find travel on Star Alliance partners, connecting in Europe, but even that is going to be slim pickings at this late date - particularly if you are hoping to find more than one seat on each flight.
My recommendation would be trying to find a way from Pittsburgh to Zurich, Frankfurt, Munich, Athens, Berlin, Brussels, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Vienna, or Istanbul, and then on to Tel Aviv. You may need to spend a night in Europe somewhere en route, and/or do the shorter leg in coach.
Note: waiting until after March to book on Oneworld would be very foolish. The availability will go down even farther, and Star Alliance has much more options into TLV (AA doesn't fly to TLV, and British Airways awards have high fuel surcharges.)
Also, you cannot book partner award travel on the US Airways website, so disregard anyone who is telling you to do so.
You may get better info in the US Airways forum, as many people here seem to be rampantly speculating.
Good luck
You are booking very late for travel this June to Israel. Hence, you are only likely to find availability on the one US Airways flight - from Philadelphia to Tel Aviv - in business class except at US Airways "high" level. (The seats on this plane in Envoy class are lie-flat and definitely not the same as domestic first). Same goes for the nonstop EWR-TLV on United, and the YYZ-TLV on Air Canada. I am not seeing award availability on any date in June on any of these two flights.
(To give you an idea, I booked my June Israel award travel in October and these flights were all already sold out for dates that worked for us.)
You can possibly find travel on Star Alliance partners, connecting in Europe, but even that is going to be slim pickings at this late date - particularly if you are hoping to find more than one seat on each flight.
My recommendation would be trying to find a way from Pittsburgh to Zurich, Frankfurt, Munich, Athens, Berlin, Brussels, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Vienna, or Istanbul, and then on to Tel Aviv. You may need to spend a night in Europe somewhere en route, and/or do the shorter leg in coach.
Note: waiting until after March to book on Oneworld would be very foolish. The availability will go down even farther, and Star Alliance has much more options into TLV (AA doesn't fly to TLV, and British Airways awards have high fuel surcharges.)
Also, you cannot book partner award travel on the US Airways website, so disregard anyone who is telling you to do so.
You may get better info in the US Airways forum, as many people here seem to be rampantly speculating.
Good luck
Last edited by Adam1222; Feb 9, 2014 at 9:32 pm
Feb 9, 2014, 10:13 pm
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"Note: waiting until after March to book on Oneworld would be very foolish."
Maybe, maybe not. In addition to BA, oneworld members AB, AY, IB, and RJ serve TLV. And there are someone unknowns about what will happen with Dividend Miles after March 30. AA has several non-oneworld partners, including LY. Will Dividend Miles be redeemable for travel on LY immediately after March 30? Will Dividend Miles offer a distance-based, multi-partner oneworld award -- akin to AA's Explorer award -- which permits en-route stopovers?
Certainly, if the OP can find Star Alliance seats now for 120K Dividend Miles per person roundtrip in Business Class, those seats should be snapped up. But if nothing is available, there is at least a chance that something on AA's partners may be available after March 30.
"Note: waiting until after March to book on Oneworld would be very foolish."
Maybe, maybe not. In addition to BA, oneworld members AB, AY, IB, and RJ serve TLV. And there are someone unknowns about what will happen with Dividend Miles after March 30. AA has several non-oneworld partners, including LY. Will Dividend Miles be redeemable for travel on LY immediately after March 30? Will Dividend Miles offer a distance-based, multi-partner oneworld award -- akin to AA's Explorer award -- which permits en-route stopovers?
Certainly, if the OP can find Star Alliance seats now for 120K Dividend Miles per person roundtrip in Business Class, those seats should be snapped up. But if nothing is available, there is at least a chance that something on AA's partners may be available after March 30.
Feb 9, 2014, 10:39 pm
#11
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PIT to TLV Guidance, Please
LY is known for having very difficult award availability. if you think it's wise to wait until April (8-12 weeks before travel) to try and get three business class transatlantic tickets during peak travel season, (in addition to connecting flights out of PIT) we'll just have to agree to disagree.
Feb 9, 2014, 10:46 pm
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Ummm, I'm pretty sure I wrote, "if the OP can find Star Alliance seats now for 120K Dividend Miles per person roundtrip in Business Class, those seats should be snapped up."
Originally Posted by Adam1222
LY is known for having very difficult award availability. if you think it's wise to wait until April (8-12 weeks before travel) to try and get three business class transatlantic tickets during peak travel season, (in addition to connecting flights out of PIT) we'll just have to agree to disagree.
Feb 9, 2014, 10:52 pm
#13
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PIT to TLV Guidance, Please
you also bolded my statement that it would be foolish to wait and said maybe, maybe not. So pardon my confusion if I assumed you were saying it might not be foolish to wait given your quotation and disagreement. Note that me saying it would be foolish to wait was not the equivalent of saying "there is zero chance of you getting flights you want if you wait."
Feb 9, 2014, 11:01 pm
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The FT wireless app does not permit a user to reply to just part of a prior post, so my bolding of a quote is simply my way of indicating that I am responding to a portion of a post.
We're in agreement that if the OP can find award seats now on Star for 120K Dividend Miles per person, he should book those seats. But what if he can't? Should he book the award seats on US metal at outrageously high rates? Should he wait until March 31 and try to do better with AA partners? Should he try something else?
Originally Posted by Adam1222
you also bolded my statement that it would be foolish to wait and said maybe, maybe not. So pardon my confusion if I assumed you were saying it might not be foolish to wait given your quotation and disagreement. Note that me saying it would be foolish to wait was not the equivalent of saying "there is zero chance of you getting flights you want if you wait."
We're in agreement that if the OP can find award seats now on Star for 120K Dividend Miles per person, he should book those seats. But what if he can't? Should he book the award seats on US metal at outrageously high rates? Should he wait until March 31 and try to do better with AA partners? Should he try something else?
