Author Topic: Star Alliance Award Search Tips  (Read 830699 times)

Offline aussiebochur

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #200 on: May 08, 2011, 06:11:25 PM »
In general, how hard is it to snag a *A F seat on a trip to TLV? Seems like both LH and LX have almost no availability in F for any of the flights to/from LAX. Is that because there is only one flight a day to FRA (I'd rather not go through MUC because I want the F Terminal if possible) and ZRH on each airline?
From LAX you're gonna have a real hard time.
If you get Miles&More miles, the availability is better..

Offline Dan

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #201 on: May 08, 2011, 06:15:25 PM »
don't search from lax...
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Offline LAXtraveler

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #202 on: May 08, 2011, 06:27:18 PM »
don't search from lax...

I tried from SFO also and it wasn't much better. Any suggestions as to where to search from?

From LAX you're gonna have a real hard time.
If you get Miles&More miles, the availability is better..

Problem is I don't have miles in my Miles and More account, so it is still only temporary and won't allow me to do a search.
« Last Edit: May 08, 2011, 06:30:31 PM by LAXtraveler »

Offline Dan

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #203 on: May 08, 2011, 06:50:16 PM »
I was actually going to say anywhere but lax and sfo...
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Offline aussiebochur

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #204 on: May 08, 2011, 07:33:18 PM »
I tried from SFO also and it wasn't much better. Any suggestions as to where to search from?

Problem is I don't have miles in my Miles and More account, so it is still only temporary and won't allow me to do a search.
ExpertFlyer searches M&M availability.
Just be prepared to pay the award rates and the fuel surcharges...

Offline LAXtraveler

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #205 on: May 08, 2011, 07:34:22 PM »
I was actually going to say anywhere but lax and sfo...

Are there any other good west coast locations to search from (LAS maybe?)

Offline LAXtraveler

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #206 on: May 08, 2011, 07:43:33 PM »
Are there any other good west coast locations to search from (LAS maybe?)

Seems like DEN has some better options.

Offline aussiebochur

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #207 on: May 08, 2011, 07:50:11 PM »
Are there any other good west coast locations to search from (LAS maybe?)
Do you want west coast for the short connection flight or the long flight in F?

Theres SEA. Otherwise theres tons of gateways, ATL, BOS, CLT, ORD, DFW, DTW, DEN, IAH, MIA, MCO, EWR, JFK, IAD, PHL. Then there is YYZ, YVR, YUL, YYC.

Offline LAXtraveler

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #208 on: May 08, 2011, 07:51:26 PM »
Do you want west coast for the short connection flight or the long flight in F?

Theres SEA. Otherwise theres tons of gateways, ATL, BOS, CLT, ORD, DFW, DTW, DEN, IAH, MIA, MCO, EWR, JFK, IAD, PHL. Then there is YYZ, YVR, YUL, YYC.

I'm starting in LAX so I'd rather a short flight somewhere nearby (and cheaper if I need to pay $$ for it) and then as long as possible for the long-haul.

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #209 on: May 15, 2011, 04:46:04 AM »
M&M will cost you a bomb on miles and taxes.
I would trade in any day a flight via FRA (with the FCT) for the following:
LX, top seats/beds, love the airport,
LH MUC as the airport gives you more chashivus (fra is over crowded with HONs and First pax), as well a bigger chance ending in a limo vs van, and finally the aircrafts have less First seats meaning better treatment.

And off course FRA has the most taxes, and the longest walks + the rudest people.

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #210 on: May 15, 2011, 05:34:11 AM »
I have an issue that has been driving crazy for a while.

When calling US Airways to book an award, I obviously made my homework already, but very often flight that are available they won't find available...

In the same spirit, it seems to push forward availability on CA vs LH and on LH vs LX, even if that means with a stopover vs direct.

What can be done about it.

Note, some flights that are departing just past midnight, you need to ask them to look on the previous day to see its availability...

Offline Dan

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #211 on: May 15, 2011, 02:25:19 PM »
There were rumors that US was doing StarNet blocking...
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Offline aussiebochur

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #212 on: May 15, 2011, 06:36:01 PM »
It was a little on and off.

More likely the agent/s don't know what they're doing.
There were rumors that US was doing StarNet blocking...

Offline SuperFlyer

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #213 on: May 15, 2011, 06:47:41 PM »
Any way around it? Sometimes I suggest a different routing that suddenly will show as available the leg that I'm interested in.

Then they contact texhnical support to allow me to book.

Often I don't find another route that shows it available le by them, which is a royal pain in the barto...

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #214 on: May 18, 2011, 03:30:29 AM »
And the problem keeps on repeating itself...

Offline Dan

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #215 on: May 18, 2011, 11:06:02 AM »
And the problem keeps on repeating itself...
If they are Starnet blocking then that would make sense.
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Offline myb821

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #216 on: May 18, 2011, 11:08:19 AM »
If they are Starnet blocking then that would make sense.
can i get an explanation of what starnet blocking is

Offline aussiebochur

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #217 on: May 18, 2011, 03:01:15 PM »
can i get an explanation of what starnet blocking is
It's pretty simple. Airlines release award seats for all their partners. Some airlines decide to block those seats.

Offline myb821

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #218 on: May 18, 2011, 03:01:41 PM »
It's pretty simple. Airlines release award seats for all their partners. Some airlines decide to block those seats.
for what reason

Offline AsherO

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Re: Star Alliance Award Search Tips
« Reply #219 on: May 18, 2011, 03:35:30 PM »
for what reason

If they block partner seats they hope you'll redeem with them. Partner redemptions cost them more.
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