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 1838654 times)

Offline lg55

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7900 on: January 24, 2017, 07:00:01 AM »
One way/Round trip: Round trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Any
From: TLV
To: MIA, FLL
Departure dates: Any day during the week of April 4th
Return dates:  April 20-24
Coach
2 tickets

51k Chase
50k Delta
2k Amex
Can spend some cash as well.

Offline travel-ing

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7901 on: January 24, 2017, 08:19:07 AM »
Round trip:
up to 1 stop
From:tlv
To:nyc
Departure dates: jan 26
Return dates:jan29
Class:Coach
Seats: 2
any alliance

Offline shulem92

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7902 on: January 24, 2017, 10:34:51 AM »


need help finding a ticket to tlv.
 
willing to give medical advice for free!!!

This definitely beats "x". Here at least u know what ur getting
Ready to offer x amount of money or Miles for the person that comes up with something nice.

Offline mmgfarb

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7903 on: January 24, 2017, 10:40:18 AM »

This definitely beats "x". Here at least u know what ur getting
Not when you can get more medical advice than you know what to do with from different family members
"JS [is] a fetid cesspool of unvarnished linguistic manure, with lots of useless drivel and post-padding." -Moishebatchy

Offline Davidthebest

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7904 on: January 24, 2017, 10:56:43 AM »
104 NH is better than 160 UA, even with YQ.
What is 104 NH?

Offline Le-Oh

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7905 on: January 24, 2017, 12:57:50 PM »
Hi- I am new to this, I want to go from NYC to Israel with my wife and 3 year old. I would love to fly business or first, I have about 200k Chase points what are my best options?

Offline lubaby

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7906 on: January 24, 2017, 01:18:05 PM »
Hi- I am new to this, I want to go from NYC to Israel with my wife and 3 year old. I would love to fly business or first, I have about 200k Chase points what are my best options?
That's enough for 3 1-way tickets to Israel on Star Alliance partners booked with Singapore Airlines (57.5k each) or with SkyTeam partners booked with Air France (62.5k each without promos).

Search availability with United or Aeroplan (to be booked with Singapore) or with Air France directly. You need availability to show on United as Saver Award. Air France calls it Classic Award.

Offline challah baker

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7907 on: January 24, 2017, 02:33:21 PM »
One way/Round trip: one way
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Any
From: PHX
To: CLE, CAK
Departure dates: 3/30
Return dates:
Coach
2 tickets
pref. afternoon flight, not red eye or early morning

152k chase ur
80k spg
40k southwest
30k delta
10k alaska
open to use some cash as well
« Last Edit: January 24, 2017, 02:37:36 PM by challah baker »

Offline David Smith

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7908 on: January 24, 2017, 02:45:11 PM »
One way/Round trip: one way
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Any
From: PHX
To: CLE, CAK
Departure dates: 3/30
Return dates:
Coach
2 tickets
pref. afternoon flight, not red eye or early morning

152k chase ur
80k spg
40k southwest
30k delta
10k alaska
open to use some cash as well
Either $161 for Frontier nonstop or 10k Southwest with a stop.
Who do you think you are fooling? You think you are going to pull a quick one on your Creator? Good luck with that.
JTZ

Offline johnshek

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7909 on: January 24, 2017, 04:17:36 PM »
Multi city
ORD-BRU 7/3
BRU-TLV 7/5
TLV-ORD7/9

UA-95K
UR-105K
Thanks.

Offline challah baker

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7910 on: January 24, 2017, 07:56:38 PM »
Either $161 for Frontier nonstop or 10k Southwest with a stop.
Thanks!!

Offline dovigoldberger

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7911 on: January 29, 2017, 12:52:32 PM »
One way/Round trip: Round Trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: 1 Stop Max
From: NYC
To: HNL, OGG
Departure dates: Feb 7 Eve, or Feb 8 Morning
Return dates: Feb 18 Late Eve
Class: Business
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: Any

Offline israel11219

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7912 on: January 29, 2017, 03:29:26 PM »
looking to fly from NYC to London in first class this week with BA avios, when i searched on AA.com i see available in first AAnytime  but on BA site it doesn't show any AA flights at all only BA with no availability in first class, what do i need to do?
thanks   

Offline David Smith

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7913 on: January 29, 2017, 05:13:15 PM »
looking to fly from NYC to London in first class this week with BA avios, when i searched on AA.com i see available in first AAnytime  but on BA site it doesn't show any AA flights at all only BA with no availability in first class, what do i need to do?
thanks   
If only AAnytime is available it can't be booked with BA. Only if sAAver is showing can you use Avios.
Who do you think you are fooling? You think you are going to pull a quick one on your Creator? Good luck with that.
JTZ

Offline skyguy918

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7914 on: January 29, 2017, 05:40:43 PM »
Don't have dates yet, so I'm not gonna go through the whole formatting just yet, but I wanted to get some ideas, and I figure this might be the place.

We have a wedding in Israel in August, and we're looking into potential stopovers in Europe - like a 3 or 4 days in the stopover city in one direction (the other way can be same day). What destination/airline combos might be suitable at the right price? We either have, or can get a hold of, just about any type of miles. Doesn't have to be business, but if it's cheap enough, I'd take a serious look.

Offline teeboi123

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7915 on: February 01, 2017, 08:53:48 PM »
Looking to get 2 BZ class tickets DXB-IAD. Can some please advise how to transfer the below miles & points & get another? Thanks

Me
Alaska 83k (This should be good enough for one)
Chase 60k
AA 89 K
SPG 15k
Citi ThankYou 58k
Club Carlson 184k
BA 173K
Marriott 7k

Wifey
Alaska 31
AA 53K

Offline aryeh1

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7916 on: February 06, 2017, 06:54:57 PM »
One way/Round trip: Round Trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: 1 Stop Max
From: NYC
To: BHX
Departure dates: Feb 14
Return dates: Feb 16
Class: Economy
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Any

What's the best way using miles?

Offline fruithead

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7917 on: February 06, 2017, 07:01:06 PM »
One way/Round trip: Round Trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: non-stop there, 1 stop back
From: ISP
To: FLL
Departure dates: April 3rd monday night or 4th tuesday morning
Return dates: April 19
Class: cheap
Seats: 4
Alliance/Airline: Southwest

i would like to purchase southwest points for these. my local points guy sells @1.1-1.2 cents per point but is out of stock atm, anyone know a dealer who has points at a reasonable price?

ty!

Offline Bearded1

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7918 on: February 07, 2017, 07:06:22 AM »
I'm looking to book a economy seat from isreal to Toronto using money and then upgrade to biz using points can anyone post a link to somewhere that explains how to do it ? Which airlines i can do that with....how many points does it take....are there award charts etc...   I'm open to flights from Europe to Toronto too. ..... thanx

Offline pinke10950

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #7919 on: February 07, 2017, 10:59:17 AM »
One way/Round trip: one way
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: none
From: All airports from which you can depart  nyc
To: All airports which you can arrive at. For multiple destinations, lax sfo
Departure dates: All possible dates that you can depart on. feb 16


Class: First/Business
Seats: 2
I have chase ink and aa miles