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 1838776 times)

Offline JeremyG

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8860 on: August 07, 2018, 05:07:34 PM »
Seems like this thread isn't getting much love. Don't waste time posting.

Offline new york jets

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8861 on: August 07, 2018, 10:34:52 PM »
One way/Round-trip:  ROUND TRIP
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:  1
From:  JFK preferred  NEWARK works too
To: entebee EBB
Departure dates: SUNDAY DEC 16
Return airports:If different from 'To' line. Delete this line for One-way tickets JFK OR EWR
Return dates: Delete this line for One-way  DEC 25 (WOULD STOP IN DUBAI FOR A DAY & RETURN TO JFK DEC 27
Class: First/Business/Coach/Any  FIRST PREFERRED  BUSINESS OK
Seats: Total number of people traveling 3
Alliance/Airline: What airline or alliance are you looking to fly with 
IM WILLING TO FLY ANY AIRLINE EXCEPT TURKISH
I HAVE UNITED DELTA AM EX AND CHASE POINTS
I HAVE THE UNITED CARD

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.

Offline JACKBLUE

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8862 on: August 07, 2018, 10:35:56 PM »
One way/Round-trip:  ROUND TRIP
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:  1
From:  JFK preferred  NEWARK works too
To: entebee EBB
Departure dates: SUNDAY DEC 16
Return airports:If different from 'To' line. Delete this line for One-way tickets JFK OR EWR
Return dates: Delete this line for One-way  DEC 25 (WOULD STOP IN DUBAI FOR A DAY & RETURN TO JFK DEC 27
Class: First/Business/Coach/Any  FIRST PREFERRED  BUSINESS OK
Seats: Total number of people traveling 3
Alliance/Airline: What airline or alliance are you looking to fly with 
IM WILLING TO FLY ANY AIRLINE EXCEPT TURKISH
I HAVE UNITED DELTA AM EX AND CHASE POINTS
I HAVE THE UNITED CARD

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.
can you please edit your post?!

Offline new york jets

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8863 on: August 08, 2018, 08:18:44 AM »
what do you mean edit my post??

Offline bb1836

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8864 on: August 08, 2018, 09:32:48 AM »
what do you mean edit my post??
What you posted is a basic template for you to fill in the flight information for which you are seeking...  i.e. I assume you don’t want to fly from JFK to Entebee?
As @davidmal says: "Likes" feed the family

Offline Ysturmwind

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8865 on: August 08, 2018, 09:45:16 AM »
Looking to fly motzei shabbas from ORD to OGG, I assume that I will need a stopover in either LAX or SFO. Please see details below, thanks for the help!

One way/Round-trip: Round Trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: prefer non-stop - will do 1
From: ORD
To: OGG
Departure dates: 2/16/19-2/21/19
Class: Business or First
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: Any

Offline new york jets

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8866 on: August 08, 2018, 02:31:43 PM »
What you posted is a basic template for you to fill in the flight information for which you are seeking...  i.e. I assume you don’t want to fly from JFK to Entebee?


ha ha ha ha ha
yes i do want to fly to entebee!!!
take this as a challenge.  easy to find flights to miami and israel
how many times can you say you helped someone get to uganda!!

i think emerites flights work the best but i dont see award space available the dates i need
i would really appreciate some help from a dans dealer!!!

Offline nsastamps

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8867 on: August 09, 2018, 08:29:48 PM »
One way/Round-trip: Roundtrip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: non stop
From: nyc
To: Tel Aviv
Departure dates: Aug 12/18- Aug 16/18
Class: coach
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Any

I have AMEX, SPG, AA,
Thanks A lot!!!

Offline Aryehs

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I need help getting from TLV > Costa Rica > TLV
« Reply #8868 on: August 10, 2018, 10:25:59 AM »
Round trip:
Prefer 1 stop, though can return via a day-long layover in LAX.
From: TLV
To: SJO
To: LIR
Departure dates: December 2,3
Return airports: TLV
Return dates: Must be back on Thursday Dec 13 or late night. Not interested in Shabbos worries.
Class: Any
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: I have 200K Chase points

Thanks!

Offline bb1836

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8869 on: August 10, 2018, 01:07:44 PM »
Seems like this thread isn't getting much love. Don't waste time posting.
Bump
As @davidmal says: "Likes" feed the family

Online hvaces42

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8870 on: August 10, 2018, 07:17:49 PM »
Bump
What exactly are you looking for? Says YUL-TLV depending on price. This is award thread. What currency do you have and what have you found on your own.
Fair warning - Any PMs sent in response to forum posts are fair game for ridicule in public.

Offline bb1836

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8871 on: August 11, 2018, 11:28:19 PM »
What exactly are you looking for? Says YUL-TLV depending on price. This is award thread. What currency do you have and what have you found on your own.
Plenti
As @davidmal says: "Likes" feed the family

Offline davidrotts63

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8872 on: August 11, 2018, 11:30:04 PM »
Bump
Because people are posting things without looking at all, and want people to do all the work. I stopped opening this thread for the most part for that reason.
(Quit) pulling out the flowers, and watering the weeds. -Peter Lynch

Online hvaces42

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8873 on: August 11, 2018, 11:51:37 PM »
Fair warning - Any PMs sent in response to forum posts are fair game for ridicule in public.

Offline JACKBLUE

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Offline bb1836

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8875 on: August 12, 2018, 01:12:38 AM »
Ended July 8 so worthless.
Oh well  ;)
As @davidmal says: "Likes" feed the family

Online hvaces42

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8876 on: August 12, 2018, 01:14:23 AM »
Thanks for playing. Now i guess i will join the others who were willing to help and just got fed up by stupid posts. Notifications off.
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Offline Bosco

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8877 on: August 13, 2018, 01:26:46 PM »
I am trying to book an award ticket between JFK and TLV at the Delta Saver rate. I am seeing availability on Delta at 80k plus ~49 dollars round trip. Flying Blue found the same (after calling) but it is not at the 25k rate each way. Anyone know why that would be? Also, Virgin was not able to get any availability for the same flights. What would the reason for that be?

Offline Sammyonetwo

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8878 on: August 13, 2018, 01:41:48 PM »
multi city
max 1 one stop on each leg
from: ewr  jfk phi
To bcn
To tlv
Departure date: today August 13 to bcn August 16 to tlv
Return: ewr phi jfk
Return dates: Aug 23
Class: First/Business/Coach/Any
Seats: Total number of people traveling 2
« Last Edit: August 13, 2018, 02:01:20 PM by Sammyonetwo »

Offline ah41187

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8879 on: August 13, 2018, 04:45:33 PM »
Looking for 1 way ticket

Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Non- Stop
From: LAX, BUR
To: All airports which you can arrive at. EWR, JFK
Departure dates:12/25/18, 12/26/18 (6 am only)
Class: Business
Seats: Total number of people traveling over the age of 2: 1
Alliance/Airline: Prefer to use my Avios miles