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 1031182 times)

Offline yolev

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  • Location: NY
One way/Round trip: round trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Non Stop
From: EWR/JFK
To: TLV
Departure dates: September 3, 2017
Return airports: TLV - EWR/JFK
Return dates: September 13/14, 2017
Class: Coach
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Cheapest option, have hundreds of thousands of Chase UR points, Amex and Starwood points as well as some Barclayscard points. Looking to spend the least amount of points possible with minimal or zero fuel surcharges etc. Thank you for any assistance!

Offline NOOCH

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I'm looking to buy a business class award ticket on AF for a September. For the past week the date I wanted (a Wednesday) has been priced at 187,500 miles. The day before (a Tuesday) is 62,500. do they usually open more/lower award availability closer to the date of travel?

Offline nafnaf12

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One way
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:1
From: Preferably EWR otherwise NYC/BOS/PHL
To:TLV
Departure dates: Preferably 8/21 but can travel on 8/20 or 8/22 (in that order)
Class: preferably business/first but economy is ok too
Seats: 3
Alliance/Airline: if flying economy then Star Alliance
 Since I am UA1K *G
Business/first can be any alliance
Also don't mind flying Turkish and the "others"
Do not have enough points will need to purchase.


And will call to find out about YQ for the 57.5k SQ that @Welder found.
TIA
bump.
So far i have these options

TK biz 57.5k SQ  + $245pp  57.5k @1.5=$862.50 total cost $1107pp. Problem is they only have 2 seats I need 3
LH biz 80k UA +$42pp 80k@1.45=1160 total cost $1202pp (with SQ, YQ is $748pp!)

TK economy $756pp *A gold for extra luggage (2/3?)

Air Berlin $511pp 4hr stopover and need extra luggage maybe status match?

Any advice?


Ps.I found on student universe UA91 for $800 but now the price jumped up to $1738 any TA still able to get that price?
A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.

Offline Moshe26

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  • Location: New York
Round trip
Non-stop
From: NYC
To: Anywhere close enough to drive to San Diego
Departure dates:  8/28
Return dates:  9/3 and can even do 9/4
Class: Any- the higher class the better
Seats: 3 over 2 years old and 1 under 2 (willing to pay for him if I get good deal otherwise lap infant it is)
Alliance/Airline: any works for me. have plenty of MR and UR points. also have nice amount of SPG

thanks!!

Offline chayie

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Hi!

I found an award ticket on AA.com for TLV-WAS Business/First, with a stop in London Heathrow, for 70K miles which is OK, but the taxes and fees are $286!
Is this because the stop is in LHR?

Any way to avoid this?

I have other mileage currency (including United points and I'm a cc holder so I get more options), but it's end of August and there's no availability and possibly none will open up.

TIA

Offline hvaces42

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Hi!

I found an award ticket on AA.com for TLV-WAS Business/First, with a stop in London Heathrow, for 70K miles which is OK, but the taxes and fees are $286!
Is this because the stop is in LHR?

Any way to avoid this?

I have other mileage currency (including United points and I'm a cc holder so I get more options), but it's end of August and there's no availability and possibly none will open up.

TIA
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Offline Buruch

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United and AC show 3 j seats available on UA105 on 9/27, but Asiana agents swear they can't see anything?

Offline cholent

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One way/Round trip: RT
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Nonstop preferable but one stop is fine
From: NYC
To:TLV
Departure dates: August 2, August 6-9, August 13-14
Return dates: 6-7 days after Departure
Class: Any but business or first preferable
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: Prefer something I can do with Chase points, but I have plenty of SPG and Amex available as well

Despite putting in hours reading up on award search and spending time searching, I am a total noob when it comes to booking award travel. I'd appreciate the help of anyone on the forums!
Don't ask stupid questions and you won't get stupid answers

Offline joesol

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One way/Round trip: Round Trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:1 stop
From: All airports from which you can depart jfk, ewr, lga
To: All airports which you can arrive at. For multiple destinations, just keep adding this line OGG
Departure dates: All possible dates that you can depart on. Please be as specific as possible. 10/30-31
Return airports:If different from 'To' line. Delete this line for One way tickets
Return dates: Delete this line for One way tickets 11/5
Class: First/Business/Coach/Any first/business preferred
Seats: Total number of people traveling over the age of 2 2
Alliance/Airline: What airline or alliance are you looking to fly with any, have UR and MR

Offline jayz

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One way
Non-stop/one stop (not too long)
From: tlv
To: ewr, jfk, phl
Departure dates: from 7/9-7/30
Class: Coach
Seats: 6
Alliance/Airline:any
I have alot of spg, and some delta
thanks alot!!!!

Offline jayz

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i need to fly one way from tlv to jfk/ewr, does anyone know what would be my best bet using spg/delta?

Offline SLP

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I found this itinerary available using UA miles in business for 80k:
NYC-BKK (stopover in Beijing)
HKG-NYC (Lufthansa)
Can I still add another leg at the end somewhere in the USA, say NYC-MIA, for a later date?
Thanks.

Offline Z56

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  • Location: NYC, TLV
  • Programs: SPG Gold, Marriot Gold, Hilton Gold, National EE, Hertz GP, Avis PP
I found this itinerary available using UA miles in business for 80k:
NYC-BKK (stopover in Beijing)
HKG-NYC (Lufthansa)
Can I still add another leg at the end somewhere in the USA, say NYC-MIA, for a later date?
Thanks.


NO! Those days are over
“I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work

Offline SLP

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NO! Those days are over

Thanks. I haven't booked a United award in a while so wasn't sure.
Is using the open jaw the best way to maximize my miles on this itinerary?

Offline metsgiantsfan

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If flying from NYC to KEF, who is partners with iceland air that  i could use there points  to book?