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 1839261 times)

Offline landz124

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There's always a possibility, it just looks unlikely, and 3 seats is very unlikely.

Thanks

Offline Tom Brady

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Im looking for tickets from MEL-PIT around December time, redeeming UA miles. Tough on availability so, we're going to travel via asia. Many of the flights stop in JFK and have another flight from JFK-PIT. I wanted to do a less than 24hr stopover in JFK but when I try to do that online, it prices higher or I get an error message that I need to look at the routing rules. If flights from ASIA to PIT would need to transit in a different major US airport like JFK, is it against the routing rules to do a stopover there?
You only get a free stopover on a round-trip with United. You only get connections up to 4 hours domestically (if there are flights available within the 4 hours), 24 hours is for international connections.

Offline yochiek93

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TLV-NYC
July 26 at night or 27
Economy
Prefer non stop
What airline?

Offline Tzadik Nistar

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Offline Love 2 Travel

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There's nothing now, but a ton of flights open up closer to the flight, it's almost guaranteed that you'll get something the week of the flight.
Thanks......Which airlines are most likely to open up?

Offline Tom Brady

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Thanks......Which airlines are most likely to open up?
Cathay Pacific. You can search for Cathay Pacific availability on ba.com, and the way to book with the least miles would be by using Alaska Air miles for economy, premium economy, and business, or AA miles for first. You can transfer to both from SPG.
« Last Edit: July 17, 2015, 01:00:47 AM by Tom Brady »

Offline Albee412

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Round trip
Non-stop
From: ewr
To: tlv
Departure dates: 8/16/15
Return dates: 4/6/16
Class: Coach
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: United.

I would like to use spg points for this. Thanks

Offline joejoe

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Round trip:
Non-stop
From:phl,ewr,jfk,lga
To:lax,long beach,san diego,
Departure dates:8/2
Return airpors;same
Return dates:8/6
Class: coach
Seats: 2
alliance/airline;any
i have 100k  chase ur points

thanks!!!!!

Offline Tom Brady

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  • Location: HVN/BDL
  • Programs: AA EP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Ritz Platinum
Round trip
Non-stop
From: ewr
To: tlv
Departure dates: 8/16/15
Return dates: 4/6/16
Class: Coach
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: United.

I would like to use spg points for this. Thanks

Very hard to get non-stop availability on this route, especially on prime dates. Aug, 16th is almost guaranteed to not open up in advance though there is a minimal chance something will open right before the flight.

Offline Tom Brady

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  • Location: HVN/BDL
  • Programs: AA EP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Ritz Platinum
Round trip:
Non-stop
From:phl,ewr,jfk,lga
To:lax,long beach,san diego,
Departure dates:8/2
Return airpors;same
Return dates:8/6
Class: coach
Seats: 2
alliance/airline;any
i have 100k  chase ur points

thanks!!!!!
As of now there's nothing for your departure, for your return though there are 2 seats available non-stop on United from Orange County to Newark, that's 12.5k Chase points each transferred to United.

Offline Sam Finkelstein

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Very hard to get non-stop availability on this route, especially on prime dates. Aug, 16th is almost guaranteed to not open up in advance though there is a minimal chance something will open right before the flight.

And also SPG has horrible redemption rates.
Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil. –J. Paul Getty

Offline Tom Brady

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  • Programs: AA EP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Ritz Platinum
And also SPG has horrible redemption rates.
-1 If there was availability, a transfer to ANA wouldn't be too bad a use of SPG points.

Offline Sam Finkelstein

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-1 If there was availability, a transfer to ANA wouldn't be too bad a use of SPG points.

True that. I was thinking of the United transfer rates. My bad.
Formula for success: rise early, work hard, strike oil. –J. Paul Getty

Offline Asicherman

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  • Location: Brooklyn
One way/Round trip: ROUND TRIP
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: NON STOP
From: NYC AREA
To: NIAGARA FALLS AREA SUCH AS BUFFALO
Departure Days: AUGUST 2
Return dates: AUGUST 5
Class: ANY
Seats: 3
Alliance/Airline: What airline or alliance are you looking to fly with

I have miles with Avios and tons of AA. None of them have any direct flights to bufallo from ny. I would like to know if there is any way to transfer to any other airline that does go direct? I saw that Delta, United, and Jet Blue do fly direct.

Thank you in advance!

Offline Tom Brady

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  • Location: HVN/BDL
  • Programs: AA EP, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Ritz Platinum
One way/Round trip: ROUND TRIP
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: NON STOP
From: NYC AREA
To: NIAGARA FALLS AREA SUCH AS BUFFALO
Departure Days: AUGUST 2
Return dates: AUGUST 5
Class: ANY
Seats: 3
Alliance/Airline: What airline or alliance are you looking to fly with

I have miles with Avios and tons of AA. None of them have any direct flights to bufallo from ny. I would like to know if there is any way to transfer to any other airline that does go direct? I saw that Delta, United, and Jet Blue do fly direct.

Thank you in advance!
Can you fly to Toronto? If you have to fly to Buffalo, the closest option from nyc with BA/AA miles would be from Philadelphia. There's nothing direct from NYC to Buffalo with those miles.
« Last Edit: July 19, 2015, 04:52:03 PM by Tom Brady »

Offline moen

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  • Location: jerusalem
Round trip:
From: MIA JFK PHL EWR (can return to a different airport)
To: TLV
Anytime between July 27th and August 15th staying for 1-2 weeks in TLV
Class:Business
Seats: 1

Offline htg123

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MULTI CITY TRIP

From: MEL
To: TLV
Departure dates:13-16 December
From:TLV
To: PIT
Dates: 23-24 Dec
From: PIT
To: MEL
Date: 10 Jan
Class:Coach
Seats:2
Alliance/Airline: UA points

Routing for PIT-MEL will have to route via asia (PEK/NRT/BKK/SIN) as it's peak season and no availability via LAX
I would like to somehow price it at 80k as i have heard reports of ppl being able to do this. I would be extremely greatful for your help. Thanks


Offline shoobi

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One Way
From: ORD
To: NYC area or PHL (Lakewood)
Date: 7/26
Seats: 1
Preferably nonstop

I have all currencies and lots. Would rather use MR, not UR, def not SPG
Trying with Avios but seeing nothing except a 6am flight which won't work. Anyone want to help/ have better ideas?

(yes I know it's 9 Av)
« Last Edit: July 21, 2015, 11:02:36 AM by shoobi »

Offline burryhood

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One way/Round trip: Round Trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:Non-Stop
From: NYC
To: TLV
Departure dates: Sep 24
Return dates: Oct 7th, or oct 8th midnight flight
Class:: Coach
Seats: 2 adults, 1 Child
Alliance/Airline: no preference

I have 250k UR points, 30k avios, 70k Amex, 50k united

Thanks in advance

Offline Tom Brady

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One Way
From: ORD
To: NYC area or PHL (Lakewood)
Date: 7/26
Seats: 1
Preferably nonstop

I have all currencies and lots. Would rather use MR, not UR, def not SPG
Trying with Avios but seeing nothing except a 6am flight which won't work. Anyone want to help/ have better ideas?

(yes I know it's 9 Av)
Delta has ORD-JFK Departing 6:40 pm and arriving 10:08 pm for 12.5k dl.
United has a paid flight for ORD-PHL departing at 8:55 pm and arriving at 12:01 am for $160.