ANA (NH) Redemptions using VS Flying Club points - thread locked Sept 2022
Sep 13, 2018, 2:08 pm
#436
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 322
I am struggling to get two F awards ticketed. I found a day when EF showed 2 O seats for LAX-HND and then a day where EF showed 1 each for the NRT-LAX flights and so had planned to book us on the LAX-HND flight together and the separate returns, with a plan to look for an O seat opening where we could get on the same plane home. Strangely, the first ticket went through fine, but the second one came back unconfirmed for LAX-HND. The agent tried submitting it again and same problem. Then I saw that the morning LAX-NRT flight had space and so had him try that and he said neither the LAX-HND nor LAX-NRT flights would come back confirmed. This is strange as still shows one O seat for each of the outbound flights from LAX on that day. The agent said to give it three hours and call back to try again, anyone experience something like this? I was under the impression that EF availability mapped to what VS would be able to book (within the 330 day window of course, which I am well within).
Just to add: VS can SEE the award, but can't book it. If EF shows it, but UA doesn't, then I have reliably been met with the agent telling me that they're not getting a confirmation after the request (even though they can see it to request it). ANA won't give VS those seats.
Sep 13, 2018, 3:20 pm
#437
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
No. VS more consistently sees space available to United's booking system. ANA, EF and Aeroplan seem to match, but not always bookable by VS.
Just to add: VS can SEE the award, but can't book it. If EF shows it, but UA doesn't, then I have reliably been met with the agent telling me that they're not getting a confirmation after the request (even though they can see it to request it). ANA won't give VS those seats.
Just to add: VS can SEE the award, but can't book it. If EF shows it, but UA doesn't, then I have reliably been met with the agent telling me that they're not getting a confirmation after the request (even though they can see it to request it). ANA won't give VS those seats.
Sep 13, 2018, 3:32 pm
#438
Join Date: Mar 2014
Posts: 322
yup, figuring this out now. Bummer, definitely told they see it and think its a glitch but now triangulating with UA I see its not really there for UA. UA was showing the 12:50am flight for Thurs on the screen when I clicked on Wed. In reality UA doesnt see availability for the Wed flight
Sep 22, 2018, 7:43 am
#439
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sunny AZ
Programs: HH Diamond, Sixt Platinum, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott/SPG Gold .....
Posts: 3,213
Hi,
Still struggling with the best way to book.
If the Outbound flight is open I should book just adding a possible return even if the real return is weeks later.
1) do you book the return economy in case no first opens up and you find your way home another way or does it need to be first (as otherwise it won't be a change but a cancel & rebook)?
2) ANA itself would for a change not allow departure-destination to change > does this apply to individual Tokyo airports too? Can I first book a flight returning from Haneda as the 330 window isn't open can I then change to Narita without problems?
And I might do a side trip to Okinawa - So NYC-Tokyo and Okinawa-NYC but United never came up with a ANA Okinawa-Tokyo-NYC routing. Can I assume Virgin can book that Okinawa-Tokyo leg without problems and I just need to worry about getting to Tokyo (as it is just a regional jet)?
Last year I was lucky finding a roundtrip for the days I wanted first try. Not expecting to be so lucky again.
Still struggling with the best way to book.
If the Outbound flight is open I should book just adding a possible return even if the real return is weeks later.
1) do you book the return economy in case no first opens up and you find your way home another way or does it need to be first (as otherwise it won't be a change but a cancel & rebook)?
2) ANA itself would for a change not allow departure-destination to change > does this apply to individual Tokyo airports too? Can I first book a flight returning from Haneda as the 330 window isn't open can I then change to Narita without problems?
And I might do a side trip to Okinawa - So NYC-Tokyo and Okinawa-NYC but United never came up with a ANA Okinawa-Tokyo-NYC routing. Can I assume Virgin can book that Okinawa-Tokyo leg without problems and I just need to worry about getting to Tokyo (as it is just a regional jet)?
Last year I was lucky finding a roundtrip for the days I wanted first try. Not expecting to be so lucky again.
Sep 26, 2018, 12:52 am
#440
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: SNA/LAX
Programs: AA++
Posts: 224
Folks, availability is pretty hard now for ANA F via VS mileage, right? I dont see any in november. *Sigh*
Sep 26, 2018, 4:11 am
#441
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sunny AZ
Programs: HH Diamond, Sixt Platinum, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott/SPG Gold .....
Posts: 3,213
Sep 26, 2018, 8:51 am
#442
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 157
I agree that it depends on the route, and it is pretty close time wise to booking anything in F. We booked our F November roundtrip the day our return became available, and that was in January. If you're flying out of ORD you have a little more breathing room as they do two flights a day (one to HND and one to NRT).
Sep 26, 2018, 8:54 am
#443
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 157
Hi,
Still struggling with the best way to book.
If the Outbound flight is open I should book just adding a possible return even if the real return is weeks later.
1) do you book the return economy in case no first opens up and you find your way home another way or does it need to be first (as otherwise it won't be a change but a cancel & rebook)?
2) ANA itself would for a change not allow departure-destination to change > does this apply to individual Tokyo airports too? Can I first book a flight returning from Haneda as the 330 window isn't open can I then change to Narita without problems?
And I might do a side trip to Okinawa - So NYC-Tokyo and Okinawa-NYC but United never came up with a ANA Okinawa-Tokyo-NYC routing. Can I assume Virgin can book that Okinawa-Tokyo leg without problems and I just need to worry about getting to Tokyo (as it is just a regional jet)?
Last year I was lucky finding a roundtrip for the days I wanted first try. Not expecting to be so lucky again.
Still struggling with the best way to book.
If the Outbound flight is open I should book just adding a possible return even if the real return is weeks later.
1) do you book the return economy in case no first opens up and you find your way home another way or does it need to be first (as otherwise it won't be a change but a cancel & rebook)?
2) ANA itself would for a change not allow departure-destination to change > does this apply to individual Tokyo airports too? Can I first book a flight returning from Haneda as the 330 window isn't open can I then change to Narita without problems?
And I might do a side trip to Okinawa - So NYC-Tokyo and Okinawa-NYC but United never came up with a ANA Okinawa-Tokyo-NYC routing. Can I assume Virgin can book that Okinawa-Tokyo leg without problems and I just need to worry about getting to Tokyo (as it is just a regional jet)?
Last year I was lucky finding a roundtrip for the days I wanted first try. Not expecting to be so lucky again.
Also, doesn't VS only charge a 50 dollar change fee? If that is still the case, it may be worth it to just book a return and then change it once your desired date becomes available.
Sep 26, 2018, 9:07 am
#444
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Sunny AZ
Programs: HH Diamond, Sixt Platinum, IHG Spire Ambassador, Marriott/SPG Gold .....
Posts: 3,213
2) My understanding is that this isn't a problem. The agent I dealt with on VS was wonderful, and at least from my understanding they treat both airports the same. We were able to book outbound into HND, and return from NRT.
Also, doesn't VS only charge a 50 dollar change fee? If that is still the case, it may be worth it to just book a return and then change it once your desired date becomes available.
Also, doesn't VS only charge a 50 dollar change fee? If that is still the case, it may be worth it to just book a return and then change it once your desired date becomes available.
btw if the timing doesn’t work for the return.... how much into the future an the return be (one leg of the next trip)? A year from departure?
Sep 26, 2018, 10:39 am
#445
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: NH, JL, SQ
Posts: 164
yes but do I have to book first (I assume as otherwise ANA considers and change a cancel and rebook) or does Economy do for the time being?
btw if the timing doesn’t work for the return.... how much into the future an the return be (one leg of the next trip)? A year from departure?
re: okinawa. VS only allows you to book round-trip single segment itineraries. so your TYO-OKA leg will be priced out separately, probably according to their intra-japan price.
Oct 1, 2018, 5:02 pm
#446
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: SNA/LAX
Programs: AA++
Posts: 224
Folks, if there is availability, let's say, IAH to NRT, for F class, and my home airport is LAX, will VS be able to hook me up with the flight from LAX to IAH as well? Or is it strict redemption on IAH-NRT only?
Oct 1, 2018, 6:50 pm
#447
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: IHG Spire Ambassador, CC Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold, DL PM
Posts: 526
It will be IAH - NRT only. But, if you can find availability on NRT-LAX, you can do IAH-NRT-LAX.
Oct 4, 2018, 2:27 am
#448
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 227
Came across this thread now. Word of caution from my experience: these are very hard to change.
I've flown several of these and made many changes, paying many $50 change fees. But each time I've had to speak to more than one agent before finding one who could make the change I wanted. Once, an agent refused to book my ticket even though it was more than 48 hours before departure time in the departure time zone. Waited a few hours and ticketed smoothly by another agent. Have made a few changes in class (e.g. first to business) but recently I haven't been able to locate an agent at all who can do a class change. Also, have made several departure city changes between LAX, SFO, and SJC, but recently have encountered agents who said they have to cancel the ticket and rebook. Generally, different agents say different, contradictory things. Also, it seems many agents are looking at VS availability on these routes instead of using a different system that gives ANA partner availability, so they'll tell you that flights aren't available even when they are.
I've flown several of these and made many changes, paying many $50 change fees. But each time I've had to speak to more than one agent before finding one who could make the change I wanted. Once, an agent refused to book my ticket even though it was more than 48 hours before departure time in the departure time zone. Waited a few hours and ticketed smoothly by another agent. Have made a few changes in class (e.g. first to business) but recently I haven't been able to locate an agent at all who can do a class change. Also, have made several departure city changes between LAX, SFO, and SJC, but recently have encountered agents who said they have to cancel the ticket and rebook. Generally, different agents say different, contradictory things. Also, it seems many agents are looking at VS availability on these routes instead of using a different system that gives ANA partner availability, so they'll tell you that flights aren't available even when they are.
Oct 6, 2018, 3:56 pm
#449
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: SNA/LAX
Programs: AA++
Posts: 224
Just spoke to VS agents 3 times this week. All very courteous, efficient and sharp with clear british accent 
I dealt some bad and inefficient AA agents before, so I do rate their customer service A+.
They let me change the destination airport from ORD to LAX and make it an open jaw.
All done in less than 5 minutes. I am calling in US afternoon time, so maybe that's the good time to get good agents to work with US customers.
I dealt some bad and inefficient AA agents before, so I do rate their customer service A+.
They let me change the destination airport from ORD to LAX and make it an open jaw.
All done in less than 5 minutes. I am calling in US afternoon time, so maybe that's the good time to get good agents to work with US customers.
Oct 10, 2018, 9:15 am
#450
Join Date: Jun 2018
Posts: 118
You had a flight booked and they let you change from ORD to LAX? Was this just a $50 fee??
edit: question marks.
edit: question marks.