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 1839074 times)

Offline tmendy226

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2940 on: October 13, 2013, 11:11:28 AM »
One way/Round trip: Round trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Preferably non stop.
From: PAR
To: NYC
Departure Date: 11/01
Return airports: same
Return Date: 11/04
Class: Any
Seats: 1 adult and 1 child (8 years old)
Alliance/Airline: rather AF but any

Offline IW

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2941 on: October 13, 2013, 07:13:06 PM »
One way/Round trip: Round trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Non-stop but 1 stop max if necessary
From: EWR, JFK, LGA, BWI
To: SJO
Departure dates: 12/22/13
Return dates: 12/30/13
Class: Any
Seats: 2 and 1 infant in lap
Alliance/Airline: Any

I have UR, MR, SPG and Avios to spend.
Tried BA.com but no MileSAAver tickets available.
Lifemiles requires 130,000 miles and $91. Can I transfer any points to them?

Thank you!

Offline mawmaw

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2942 on: October 13, 2013, 08:00:02 PM »
One way/Round trip:round
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: maximum 1
From:tlv All airports
To: nyc phl all airports
Departure dates: 10/14-15
Return airports: nyc all airports
Return dates: 10/16-17-18
Class: Any
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: aa united us air/ can fly direct only  elal from newark or non direct from any also cant take of or lend in tlv btw 1600 to 700 beside direct flights (thy take a different rout)  thanks

Offline yakovwogi

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2943 on: October 13, 2013, 10:05:49 PM »
one way
San Diego To ORD
Sunday October 20  leaving after 12pm
No redeye
2 Seats
Any airline any program

TIA

Offline Drago

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2944 on: October 14, 2013, 10:56:08 AM »
Unsure of where to ask this, but a friend is looking to do the following for 4 pax.
TLV - NYC - MCO - LAX - NYC - TLV

I'm assuming that my best bet is to just do revenue tickets for all of them.
Any ideas if miles may be a better bet?

Offline Moishel

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2945 on: October 14, 2013, 11:19:46 AM »
Round trip
Any (preferably non stop, but not a must)
From: NYC
To: TUS
Departure dates: 12/17 or 12-18

Return dates: 1/9 to 1/13
Class: Any
Seats: 3 (2 adults, one 2 y/o, one infant)
Alliance/Airline: Any

I don't really need specifics, just pointers on where to search and which points to use.
I have
18K BA points,
53K SPG,
133K MR,
100K UR,
110K United, and
5K TY.

Thanks.
« Last Edit: October 14, 2013, 11:48:30 AM by Moishel »

Offline ilherman

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2946 on: October 14, 2013, 12:39:31 PM »
Unsure of where to ask this, but a friend is looking to do the following for 4 pax.
TLV - NYC - MCO - LAX - NYC - TLV

I'm assuming that my best bet is to just do revenue tickets for all of them.
Any ideas if miles may be a better bet?
Don't know how much revenue you would be, but why not just do it as a UA RT and utilize a stop over and  a open jaw, thinking fats but lets say NYC-MCO with a stop over in NYC, (fly MCO-LAX revenue or one way award) open jaw LAX-TLV and see if the Open jaw LAX-TLV can involve a stop in NY, or make the stop and Open jaw NYC etc....
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline coolal

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HI i would like to know how to get a ticket to myrtle beach
« Reply #2947 on: October 15, 2013, 07:58:59 PM »
Hi i would like to go to Myrtle beach in jan

please tell me which air line and how to get miles for that airline.

i have BA and chase and amex miles i can transfer.

You can email me at: coolal500 AT gmail.com

Thank You
Do you have a kitchen product that you want me to review? I can review it on my site

Offline yid

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2948 on: October 15, 2013, 10:42:26 PM »
One way/Round trip: Round trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Non-stop but 1 stop max if necessary but 3 hours or less
From: NYC
To: TLV
Departure dates: any time between october 20 and nov 15
Return dates a week later.
class: business
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Any (just not royal jordanian/ or areosvyt or russian air)
I have amex, avios, aa, united, spg, UR
Thanks
« Last Edit: October 15, 2013, 10:46:56 PM by yid »

Offline notanonymous

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Re: HI i would like to know how to get a ticket to myrtle beach
« Reply #2949 on: October 15, 2013, 11:46:30 PM »
Hi i would like to go to Myrtle beach in jan

please tell me which air line and how to get miles for that airline.

i have BA and chase and amex miles i can transfer.

You can email me at: coolal500 AT gmail.com

Thank You

Please post here:
http://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=7986.0

Offline Drago

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2950 on: October 16, 2013, 02:04:06 AM »
Don't know how much revenue you would be, but why not just do it as a UA RT and utilize a stop over and  a open jaw, thinking fats but lets say NYC-MCO with a stop over in NYC, (fly MCO-LAX revenue or one way award) open jaw LAX-TLV and see if the Open jaw LAX-TLV can involve a stop in NY, or make the stop and Open jaw NYC etc....
Thanks. It's a good idea. The problem is that since this is for 4 ppl, it would be quite complicated to find 4 seats on each airline, as well as to buy them the miles (if that were allowed), and book them all.

Offline ilherman

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2951 on: October 16, 2013, 02:27:20 AM »
Thanks. It's a good idea. The problem is that since this is for 4 ppl, it would be quite complicated to find 4 seats on each airline, as well as to buy them the miles (if that were allowed), and book them all.
Post dates?  the availability on UA is not so bad, especially if you don't mind stop overs...

And if the problem is mileage deficiency... why did you ask at all ;)
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline coolal

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2952 on: October 16, 2013, 06:44:01 AM »
HI i would like to know how to get a ticket to myrtle beach

Hi i would like to go to Myrtle beach in jan

please tell me which air line and how to get miles for that airline.

i have BA and chase and amex miles i can transfer.

You can email me at: coolal500 AT gmail.com

I am not writing an airline becvi don't know which one goes there thats why I am asking for you help
Thank You
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Offline meshugener

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Re: HI i would like to know how to get a ticket to myrtle beach
« Reply #2953 on: October 16, 2013, 09:07:16 AM »
It depends, if you fly out of Cairo you can transfer your points to SQ and use it on MS - which is a *A partner connecting intra-US on UA or US.
But if you fly out of Mogadishu I would rather pay for the ticket and sell the points - since it'll cost you too much in fuel surcharges to be worth it.

Your BA points won't help you here as there's no OneWorld airline flying into MYR.
Love me or hate me. I still love you.

Offline coolal

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Re: HI i would like to know how to get a ticket to myrtle beach
« Reply #2954 on: October 16, 2013, 09:09:50 AM »
i am going to go from new york but what airlines go to mytrle beach and do they have points i can transfer to??

thank you
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Offline Jkhein

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Re: HI i would like to know how to get a ticket to myrtle beach
« Reply #2955 on: October 16, 2013, 09:13:51 AM »
It depends, if you fly out of Cairo you can transfer your points to SQ and use it on MS - which is a *A partner connecting intra-US on UA or US.
But if you fly out of Mogadishu I would rather pay for the ticket and sell the points - since it'll cost you too much in fuel surcharges to be worth it.

Your BA points won't help you here as there's no OneWorld airline flying into MYR.
lol

Offline meshugener

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Re: HI i would like to know how to get a ticket to myrtle beach
« Reply #2956 on: October 16, 2013, 09:15:46 AM »
AFAIK, the onky airline flying direct is Spirit Airlines, which some wouldn't fly on even if it was free.
There are plenty of connecting options with UA or US (or a combo of both of them) - which could be used if you transfer your Amex points into Singapore Airlines ad redeem it on UA/US.
Or you can transfer it into Delta - they also have some connecting flights.

But let's say you value your Amex miles at 1.5, you do the mathe if its worth to use miles or you may end up cheaper just paying for it.

Have a great rest of your day.
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Re: HI i would like to know how to get a ticket to myrtle beach
« Reply #2957 on: October 16, 2013, 09:19:35 AM »
Why are you in such a good mood this morning?

Offline tuvz

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2958 on: October 16, 2013, 09:25:40 AM »
one way
TLV-LODON-NYC/CHICAGO

leave TLV as soon as available
can only leave london after oct 25 (26 is shabbos)
1 person
coach

any miles/any airline. need to be able to take two suite cases

thanks

Offline Moishel

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #2959 on: October 17, 2013, 01:48:56 AM »
Round trip
Any (preferably non stop, but not a must)
From: NYC
To: TUS
Departure dates: 12/17 or 12-18

Return dates: 1/9 to 1/13
Class: Any
Seats: 3 (2 adults, one 2 y/o, one infant)
Alliance/Airline: Any

I don't really need specifics, just pointers on where to search and which points to use.
I have
18K BA points,
53K SPG,
133K MR,
100K UR,
110K United, and
5K TY.

Thanks.

Will anyone have mercy? did anyone ever do this route? I guess it doesn't pay to go with british/aa because it's a stop over and they'll charge me for each leg, so what is it? united? from where do I get more bang for my points when I transfer to united, SPG? MR?