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 1838950 times)

Offline flyingace

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Hi everyone,
It seems so hard to be able to get to Israel for a 10-day vacation on 1st class!
I'm looking for JFK-TLV rt direct flights anywhere starting from the 20th of July all the way through the end of August.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
PS. Bear in mind that I'm shomer shabbos.

Don't mean to rain on your parade, but it's a little late to be looking for such tickets.  High season tickets should be booked very far in advance.

Offline yare

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Hi everyone,
It seems so hard to be able to get to Israel for a 10-day vacation on 1st class!
I'm looking for JFK-TLV rt direct flights anywhere starting from the 20th of July all the way through the end of August.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
PS. Bear in mind that I'm shomer shabbos.
directs not gonna happen.  maybe with one stopover

Offline AsherO

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Hi everyone,
It seems so hard to be able to get to Israel for a 10-day vacation on 1st class!
I'm looking for JFK-TLV rt direct flights anywhere starting from the 20th of July all the way through the end of August.
Any help is greatly appreciated.
PS. Bear in mind that I'm shomer shabbos.

If you're looking for an award ticket, please tell us what miles/points you have. You're looking for just 1 ticket?
100% of Likes will be donated to support our brothers and sisters in Eretz Yisrael

Offline SPGCont

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Hi,

I am looking for two mileage tickets between Kauai (LIH) and Maui (OGG) from July 13 to July 14th.

I have plenty Continental/United miles, BA miles, & SPG points.

Cannot find any availability on Continental website through Hawaiian Air. Don't know of any other options. Anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks!

Offline txtmax4

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Don't mean to rain on your parade, but it's a little late to be looking for such tickets.  High season tickets should be booked very far in advance.
Delta for example has lots of available days. The downside: 230K each ticket. but there is stuff.
If You See Something, Say Something!!

Offline txtmax4

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directs not gonna happen.  maybe with one stopover
Delta for example has lots of available days. The downside: 230K each ticket. but there is stuff.

If you're looking for an award ticket, please tell us what miles/points you have. You're looking for just 1 ticket?
I have all programs :)
2. Thanks.
If You See Something, Say Something!!

Offline aussiebochur

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directs not gonna happen.  maybe with one stopover
Never say never...

Offline flyingace

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Delta for example has lots of available days. The downside: 230K each ticket. but there is stuff.

Of course, if you are willing to pay any price, it may be available. I was assuming that the OP was looking for normal award prices.

Offline flyingace

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Never say never...
Do you know something we don't know?

Offline Dan

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It all depends on the airline's generosity when you look.  Just booked EWR-TLV-EWR nonstop in BF for 120K in December.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline aussiebochur

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I have all programs :)
2. Thanks.
In that case, El Al has availability almost every day in first class...

Or, email me...

Offline yare

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It all depends on the airline's generosity when you look.  Just booked EWR-TLV-EWR nonstop in BF for 120K in December.
yes, they seem to be more generous when the looker is a plat :)

Offline flyingace

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In that case, El Al has availability almost every day in first class...

Or, email me...
Ok, so maybe you can help me.
NYC;PHL-TLV
One Way
Connection ok
August 22,23,or 24th
CO,AA,DL or Amex points

Offline aussiebochur

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Ok, so maybe you can help me.
NYC;PHL-TLV
One Way
Connection ok
August 22,23,or 24th
CO,AA,DL or Amex points
Delta doesn't do one ways, so you'll be spending a lot of points.

Offline flyingace

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So let's forget about Delta. What about CO/UA or AA?

Offline Dan

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yes, they seem to be more generous when the looker is a plat :)
Nope, was helping a CO Dirt(™) member book with their miles.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline txtmax4

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In that case, El Al has availability almost every day in first class...

Or, email me...
Didn't see anything on Quantas...
If You See Something, Say Something!!

Offline est

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dunno if e/o is busy flying in for Dan's bris but if a/o has a few minutes to help out... :)
im looking for a ticket to fly to uman rosh hashana:
Round trip
preferably non stop if necessary max 1
From: jfk or ewr
To: kbp (kiev )
Departure dates: september 26
Return airports: jfk or ewr
Return dates: october 2
Class: Any
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: whatever would give most value for points.

I have about 50,000 starwood
                      150,000 A"A
                      100,000 BA
                      50,000 Amex MR
                      I also have lots of continental - if thats my best option then I'll try to figure out how many.

any suggestions on whether i would be better off selling points and then buying the ticket?
thanx guys!


Offline AsherO

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How much are revenue (paid) tickets? Do you have any clue?
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Offline est

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How much are revenue (paid) tickets? Do you have any clue?
about 1,000 with  a stopover