Topic Wiki

Please follow the following rules when posting in this thread. Failure to do so may result in you request being ignored or deleted.

(If you are looking to purchase a paid ticket, please post here)

FAQs:

Q: How can I use my credit card points to book a USA-TLV ticket?
A: Please read Dan's very helpful and informative guides found here and here

Great tool to see the mileage cost for a route http://www.awardhacker.com

Q: Do I have to pay a lot of money when using miles for a ticket?

A: Sometimes. For more information read this

Q: How do I find award availability?
A: For Star Alliance (United, AirCanada, Lufthansa, Swiss, and others) see this guide

For OneWorld (AmericanAirlines, BritishAirways, Iberia, Malev, and more) You can use BA's award search engine (you need to have a free BA account to access the engine). In addition, you can use Qantas' engine (free account needed as well), which will (to an extent) search Elal. As of this posting, the Elal business flights that show up are coach, and vice verse.

For Delta and AirFrance, use their respective sites. While not perfect, they are quite manageable for the casual searcher.

And of course, many of us here will take time out to help someone who is trying to learn.

Q: All this searching is making me crazy. Is there an easier way?
A: Yes, but it might cost you. Check out AwardNexus.com, KVStool.com, and expertflyer.com.

Q: I see AirCanada availability, but when I call AirCanada they say I can't use my United miles with them. Aren't they partners?
A: You can only use miles with the airline that issued them. Through that airline (in our case United) they can issue a ticket on a partner (ie AirCanada). Trying to call AirCanada with United miles, is like trying to use shekels in Mexico.

Q: I can't find availability on my dates. What should I do?
A: You should try to be as flexible as possible. Can you add a stop or 2? Can you be more flexible with your dates? The airports?
If all else fails, keep trying. Availability is constantly opening up.

Q: Can someone please help me find a ticket?
A: No! Find it yourself.  ;D ;D Just kidding. Please copy the following lines, delete the non bolded parts, and fill it out in your post.

One way/Round-trip:
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:
From: All airports from which you can depart
To: All airports which you can arrive at. For multiple destinations, just keep adding this line
Departure dates: All possible dates that you can depart on. Please be as specific as possible.
Return airports:If different from 'To' line. Delete this line for One-way tickets
Return dates: Delete this line for One-way tickets
Class: First/Business/Coach/Any
Seats: Total number of people traveling over the age of 2
Alliance/Airline: What airline or alliance are you looking to fly with

IF you have any airline status or credit cards (Ie, United CC or status) that gives extended seat availability, please add that. Would be helpful to find you correct availability.

An additional note about using miles for direct flights from NYC-TLV

NYC-TLV is only served by 3 carriers non-stop, United, Delta, and El Al. Saver availability on Delta is non-existent. Saver availability on United is rare but sometimes available close-in. It is almost never available on or near holidays or holiday weekends, or around yomim tovim. Any award space that opens will be snatched up immediately so you have to constantly be checking if you hope to snag it if/when it opens. El AL awards are more readily available but prohibitively expensive using Matmid points (El Al's frequent flyer program) but may be able to be booked using Quantas points (transfers from Citi & Amex) at a much more reasonable rate.

This leaves the following options if no saver availability:

The Chase travel portal will let you use Ultimate Rewards, or a combination or UR and cash to book flights. If you have a Sapphire Reserve or a Sapphire Preferred, the redemption rate will be 1.5 cents per point or 1.25 cents per point respectively, instead of the regular 1 cent per point without them. (A, Ink cash or Ink Preferred will also give you the 1.25 cpp redemption rate.)

The Amex travel portal will let you redeem points at 1 cent per point towards the cost of air travel. If you have a grandfathered Business Platinum card, you will get 50% of the points you redeem back around a month after you book the ticket. If you have a non-grandfathered card, you will get 35% of your points back. (This is only available when redeeming points for tickets on your selected American carrier in economy class or on any airline in business or first class.)

The Citi travel portal also lets you redeem points at 1 cent per point towards travel and seems to have better pricing on El Al in business class.

Alternatively, you can sell your points (not here on DDF) and use the cash to buy regular tickets. This is usually the best option for people without either a Chase Sapphire Reserve or grandfathered Business Platinum who are flying economy.

Those are your only options for nonstop travel. For options with a stopover and more information in general, see https://www.dansdeals.com/points-travel/milespoints/the-ultimate-israel-mileage-award-chart/

This keeps on getting asked over and over. Besides Dan's comprehensive list of how to get to, or from, TLV here is a short list of options for travel to or from NYC in Y:
Lowest point per RT is FB 50K (less with promo, but YQ of ~$500 unless you can find unicorn DL availability), AA 80k (AA metal for transatlantic), AC 80k (LX or LO for low YQ) and UA 85k. Half that for OW.

Please add any other information to this wiki that you feel might be useful.



Author Topic: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)  (Read 1838967 times)

Offline world2see

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outbound:TLV-ZRH(or AMS) on july 24th, continue july 28th ZRH-NYC(any airport) return NYC-TLV august 30th, 3 business class seats plus infant :) amex points so not limited to any alliance,thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Offline SuperFlyer

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For the 2 weddings, did you check Virgin Atlantic till London??

Offline SuperFlyer

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I need for a very famous person a YYZ-CDG on Sept 6, returning Sept 16.
I would prefer First, and using only decent airlines, and bedi'eved one stop.

I found via AMS, but would like something better.

Thanks

Offline myb821

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I need for a very famous person a YYZ-CDG on Sept 6, returning Sept 16.
I would prefer First, and using only decent airlines, and bedi'eved one stop.

I found via AMS, but would like something better.

Thanks
is there a reason it matters that this person is famous?

Offline SuperFlyer

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I wouldn't want to just bother people here + I want this to happen.

Offline YOSEF

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outbound:TLV-ZRH(or AMS) on july 24th, continue july 28th ZRH-NYC(any airport) return NYC-TLV august 30th, 3 business class seats plus infant :) amex points so not limited to any alliance,thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I found pretty good flights for the dates you asked for.
IOW, maybe follow plane.love's advice.
Or something.
« Last Edit: June 12, 2011, 08:01:22 PM by YOSEF »

Offline ganizzy

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i dont have exact dates yet but around how many points and which airline to fly from lax to johannesburgh in feb?
thanks

Offline ganizzy

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united and american wont let me look it up online.
delta shows an itinerary for 100,000 miles!!!

Offline world2see

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I found pretty good flights for the dates you asked for.
IOW, maybe follow plane.love's advice.
Or something.
not following,please explain ???

Offline YOSEF

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What were you able to find?
What was the issue with what you found?

Offline world2see

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that's what i was asking you!!!!!!!

Offline YOSEF

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Aha.
So you want us to do the work for you for free so you can enjoy your vacation, and you haven't even done minimal searching yourself?
I don't mean to be harsh, but please realize that we don't have nevuah and it does take time to search...

Offline world2see

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i searched co, ua, us air, delta,ba, :( no luck so far,sorry for bothering:)

Offline YOSEF

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As of last night, swiss had availability TLV-ZRH 7/24 and ZRH-EWR 7/28.
Way back is more of a schlep- EWR-YUL-FRA/MUC (forgot which one)-TLV on 8/30.
Everything in Biz, except the EWR-YUL flight.

CO.com, and UA.com should have showed the way back to TLV...

In addition, DL.com definitely had seats, the question is for how much, yet you still found nothing?!?!

Offline world2see

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with co the first leg showed up but on the trip to ny i keep getting an error message? the return to tlv didn't show up,although i only searched round trip not one way,thanks though! with delta only had 2 stopovers in each direction,not what i can do considering i'm flying with 2 infants!

Offline shmiel

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As of last night, swiss had availability TLV-ZRH 7/24 and ZRH-EWR 7/28.
I would note that the ZRH-EWR flight is NOT a regular LX flight, its operated on behalf of Swiss by Privatair, its a all business cabin and I don't think they offer lie-flat seats.

Offline shmiel

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i searched co, ua, us air, delta,ba, :( no luck so far,sorry for bothering:)
Search Aeroplan and ANA (account and workaround required) for better *A availability. CO doesn't inclue Swiss flights in award searches and Swiss may be very relevant to your itin...

Offline world2see

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 :(will do although i still cant figure out the ana workaround
« Last Edit: June 13, 2011, 02:27:09 PM by world2see »

Offline world2see

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aeroplan didn't show up anything

Offline shmiel

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will do although i still cant figure out the ana workaround
For more on ANA workaround see here http://www.dansdeals.com/forums/index.php?topic=2569.0