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 1839434 times)

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?

Online 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?

Offline Saybcbd

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

Online yelped

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Soon, Jetblue

Offline leona

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Trying to figure this out. Any help would be great.

Round trip:
Maximum stops/Any:
From: PIT/NYC
To: LUX
To: TLV
Departure dates: Want to fly from PIT to LUX, spend 1 night/2 days in LUX (Luxembourg) and then fly to Israel, willing to fly from PIT to LUX either 1/14/18, 1/15/18 or 1/16/18
Return airports: PIT
Return dates: 1/28/18
Class: First/Business/Coach/Any
Seats: 6
Alliance/Airline: Have miles on United and Chase.

Thanks so much. Any help is appreciated.

Offline SLP

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One Way
Maximum stops/Any:
From: BKK
To: NYC
Departure dates: 8/20, 8/21
Class: Business
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Star Alliance, One World, Sky Team

I would need to arrive in NYC sometime on Monday, 8/21. Routing can be through Asia, Europe, etc. Anything really! Thanks!

Offline Saybcbd

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One Way
Maximum stops/Any:
From: BKK
To: NYC
Departure dates: 8/20, 8/21
Class: Business
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Star Alliance, One World, Sky Team

I would need to arrive in NYC sometime on Monday, 8/21. Routing can be through Asia, Europe, etc. Anything really! Thanks!
8/21 f on cx or j with skyteam a couple options check delta.com

Offline solreis263@gmail.com

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Hi,
I am looking to book 4 tickets to Italy. I am an amex platinum cardholder (50% credit grandfathered)  and have 345,000 amex miles. Also, 79,000 united miles, 153,00 chase miles, 103,000 spg miles.

One way/Round trip: multicity
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:nonstop
From: All airports from which you can depart: NYC
To: All airports which you can arrive at. Rome
Departure dates: 8/6/17
Return airports: from Milan or Geneva
Return dates: 8/16 or 8/17/17
Class: First/Business/Coach/Any: depending on miles
Seats: Total number of people traveling over the age of 2: 4
Alliance/Airline: What airline or alliance are you looking to fly with: United or any other one if we use AMEX see above

Thank for your help or for any ideas on how I can figure it out myself

Offline farmbochur

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What's the best way to search for EK/EY award flights USA-MLE?
Finding JFK-DXB on EK using AlaskaAir.com, but can't seem to pull anything up for DXB-MLE.
Risk is opportunity

Offline jomaster28

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Hello,

I am trying to find availability for a flight to Hawaii, I am trying to search through Expertflyer but im new to that site so having a hard time. 

Round trip: NYC - HNL/OGG
Non-stop or max 1 Stop over
From: NYC, JFK, EWR, LGA
To: OGG, HNL
Departure dates: 12/20/17 to 12/30/17
Class: First/Business
2 Seats
Alliance/Airline: Rather fly DL Lie Flat, or HA, AS, AC, VX

If anyone can help with some advise that would be great.

Offline dantorah

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Looking for One ticket:

One way/Round trip: RT
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: pref nonstop
From: All airports from which you can depart: NYC
To: All airports which you can arrive at. LAS
Departure dates: 8/30/17
Return dates: 9/3/17
Class: First/Business/Coach/Any: depending on miles
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: What airline or alliance are you looking to fly with: Have Chase UR

Offline solreis263@gmail.com

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Hi,
I am looking to book 4 tickets to Italy.  Since my previous post our itinerary changed a bit. We are also now considering a stop on the way back to any city where we can tour for atleast 5-6 hours.

I am an amex platinum cardholder (50% credit grandfathered)  and have 345,000 amex miles. Also, 79,000 united miles, 153,00 chase miles, 103,000 spg miles.

One way/Round trip: multicity
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:nonstop or 1 stop on way back
From: All airports from which you can depart: NYC
To: All airports which you can arrive at. Rome
Departure dates: 8/6/17
Return airports: from Venice
Return dates: 8/15/17
Class: First/Business/Coach/Any: depending on miles and availability
Seats: Total number of people traveling over the age of 2: 4
Alliance/Airline: What airline or alliance are you looking to fly with: United or any other one if we use AMEX see above

I did find a ticket on United to Rome on 8/6 for 30,000 miles and a return ticket from Venice on 8/15 with a 8 hour stop in Frankfurt, for 70,000 business - for a total of 100,000 miles for each ticket. My question is how I can transfer my available points ( Amex, SPG, Chase, Untied) mentioned above to make this work. Also, can I use a partner airline so that I use up the least amount of miles possible.  Also, do you have a better idea.

Thank for your help or for any ideas. I would like to book this soon since prices keep on going up and mileage availability goes down....