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 1839653 times)

Offline Avraham S

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3020 on: November 07, 2013, 12:30:21 PM »
Looking to book award ticket from TLV to NYC for Jan 12 to Jan 26.
I can go with BA avios on Air berlin, but need to stay overnight in berlin on outbound for 60,000 + 81$
I tried UA, there are a few stop-over options for 80,000 with about $100-200.
I heard i can get the UA options for 50,000 using JAL, but dont seem to see how. Will the UA partner options work with JAL miles or only the UA flights themselves?
I cant find any direct UA flights on saver awards (80k).
Any other suggestions? AF/KLM?
Thanks

Offline chasidishkiet

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Re: Need help finding a ticket ORD-TLV Jan time
« Reply #3021 on: November 08, 2013, 01:05:35 PM »
any help would be greatly appreciated!

ORD-TLV
Round trip
1 stop
Departure dates: 1/8, 1/9, 1/11(late flight)
Return dates: 1/19, 1/20, 1/21
Class: coach
Seats: 4
Alliance/Airline: i have avios, as well as starwoods, just don't know which one would work out the best

Offline adam0619

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3022 on: November 09, 2013, 10:18:23 PM »
Round trip
Non-stop
From: NYC
To: OGG or KOA
Departure dates: 1/9-1/13
Return airports: NYC
Return dates: 1/21
Class: Any, preferably business/first
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: Posting this for a very good friend. He and his wife are having a baby in May, and this is their last chance to take a honeymoon before the baby comes.  They have 175K AA miles and would love to fly to Hawaii business/first, if possible.  Any help would be greatly appreciated.  TIA!

Offline itsyehuda

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3023 on: November 09, 2013, 10:22:44 PM »
What destinations can I tack on to this united business reservation as a free one way?

JFK - FRA - PVG (OJ) HKG - TPE - JFK

They told me FLL adds 10K to the itinerary, and west coast destinations don't work because the return is transpacific.
I remember when a coke was a nickel, and you could buy VRs in OD.

Offline AJK

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3024 on: November 10, 2013, 02:13:47 AM »
With what miles?
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline itsyehuda

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I remember when a coke was a nickel, and you could buy VRs in OD.

Offline Kabrams1618

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3026 on: November 10, 2013, 11:16:57 AM »
I have 40 k usair miles and 35k ba miles.
I want to go summer of 2014 from tel aviv to NJq but stop off in Europe for a few days with my daughter.  Any suggestions on best use of mileage since we are open to where we would stop, Rome, London, Paris  etc.

Offline Freddie

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3027 on: November 10, 2013, 11:55:12 AM »
I need to fly by myself from PIT to YUL on Friday, Nov 29 (erev shabbos chanukah and the day after American Thanksgiving.) I need to get there well in time for shabbos and for lighting menorah.

I want to return YUL to PIT on Sunday.

There was BA availability before and I failed to grab it. Now I can only find 25,000 each way on AA. Help?

Offline itsyehuda

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3028 on: November 10, 2013, 11:57:57 AM »
I have 40 k usair miles and 35k ba miles.
I want to go summer of 2014 from tel aviv to NJq but stop off in Europe for a few days with my daughter.  Any suggestions on best use of mileage since we are open to where we would stop, Rome, London, Paris  etc.

Even if you could get flights with that amount of points, you and your daughter would not fly together.
I remember when a coke was a nickel, and you could buy VRs in OD.

Offline Non Sequitur

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3029 on: November 10, 2013, 12:47:30 PM »
One way/Round trip:  One way
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:  Prefer non-stop, but can do one if necessary
From:  PHL
To: DTW or ORD/Midway
Departure dates: Dec. 24 after 8 AM
Class: prefferably coach
Seats:  2
Alliance/Airline: United, BA/American, Southwest, anything that starpoint, AMEX points, of Chase UM will work with.

I've found some tickets, but they are all either really drawn out or over 20,000 per ticket.  These are for my parents, so if necessary I'll shell out the extra points rather than having them sit for hours on end, but I have a feeling I'm just not seeing all of the options.  Any help is appreciated.

Offline Kabrams1618

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3030 on: November 10, 2013, 12:52:37 PM »
Can the usair points be used for hotel rooms in Europe
Where can I fly with the usair points from tel aviv to Europe with the 42k points

Offline itsyehuda

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3031 on: November 10, 2013, 12:56:59 PM »
Can the usair points be used for hotel rooms in Europe
Where can I fly with the usair points from tel aviv to Europe with the 42k points

2 Passengers?
I remember when a coke was a nickel, and you could buy VRs in OD.

Offline Kabrams1618

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3032 on: November 10, 2013, 01:05:17 PM »
Even one ticket and I will pay for the second ticket
I just want to use the points in some type of productive manner and not have them go to waste

Offline itsyehuda

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3033 on: November 10, 2013, 01:44:13 PM »
Even one ticket and I will pay for the second ticket
I just want to use the points in some type of productive manner and not have them go to waste

US Airways awards from Middle East to Europe are 40K for roundtrip. (You can't book one one way for half)

Seach United.com for the flight you want, and then call US Airways once you have the flights and book on the phone.

You should be able to get the phone booking fee waived, since you cannot book partner awards on their website.
I remember when a coke was a nickel, and you could buy VRs in OD.

Offline AJK

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2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline itsyehuda

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3035 on: November 10, 2013, 03:35:21 PM »
Even one ticket and I will pay for the second ticket
I just want to use the points in some type of productive manner and not have them go to waste

There is solid availability from TLV to Paris or Rome in the summer for flights on TK via Istanbul. You should certainly be able to book that using those US Airways points.
I remember when a coke was a nickel, and you could buy VRs in OD.

Offline jong

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3036 on: November 10, 2013, 05:20:05 PM »
trying to book an award flight.. got delta and amex miles

leaving from jfk on dec 25, layover in amsterdam (theres a 15hour option) then from there flying to TLV
returning the red eye on sunday midnight 5 (tehnically 6th of jan)

it used to show on dl website but not anymore.. any help would be much appreciated

Offline Freddie

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3037 on: November 11, 2013, 03:26:28 AM »
I need to fly by myself from PIT to YUL on Friday, Nov 29 (erev shabbos chanukah and the day after American Thanksgiving.) I need to get there well in time for shabbos and for lighting menorah.

I want to return YUL to PIT on Sunday.

There was BA availability before and I failed to grab it. Now I can only find 25,000 each way on AA. Help?
BUMP

Offline itsyehuda

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3038 on: November 11, 2013, 11:28:35 AM »
BUMP

United has a one way flight for $122, it might not pay to use points with flights that cheap. RT is 340.
I remember when a coke was a nickel, and you could buy VRs in OD.

Offline Freddie

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #3039 on: November 11, 2013, 11:58:32 AM »
United has a one way flight for $122, it might not pay to use points with flights that cheap. RT is 340.

Yes? Which flight? Will I get in on Friday well in time to clear immigration/customs before shabbos? Can you be more specific? At 340 I will grab it.