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 1839785 times)

Offline shaulyaakov

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8440 on: December 18, 2017, 10:19:33 AM »
Looking if there are any saver RT anywhere in US-48 or Eastern Canada for Dec 30th (night) or Dec 31 AM - Jan 1 PM/Jan 2 AM.

Have UR, AA, and DL miles and a small amount of Avios.

Thanks!

Offline jose34

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8441 on: December 18, 2017, 03:07:35 PM »
Looking if there are any saver RT anywhere in US-48 or Eastern Canada for Dec 30th (night) or Dec 31 AM - Jan 1 PM/Jan 2 AM.

Have UR, AA, and DL miles and a small amount of Avios.

Thanks!

You should be able to transfer from UR to to top off your Avios to redeem.

Offline shaulyaakov

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8442 on: December 18, 2017, 04:17:28 PM »
You should be able to transfer from UR to to top off your Avios to redeem.
Yes. Just looking to see if anyone knew good routes to look at. Everything I'm seeing is not at saaver level.

Offline hvaces42

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8443 on: December 18, 2017, 07:30:15 PM »
It would really really really help if you gave starting point for your request.
Fair warning - Any PMs sent in response to forum posts are fair game for ridicule in public.

Offline shaulyaakov

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8444 on: December 19, 2017, 07:02:20 AM »
Looking if there are any saver RT anywhere in US-48 or Eastern Canada for Dec 30th (night) or Dec 31 AM - Jan 1 PM/Jan 2 AM.

Have UR, AA, and DL miles and a small amount of Avios.

Thanks!
EDIT- from NYC

Offline hvaces42

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8445 on: December 19, 2017, 07:51:56 AM »
Yes. Just looking to see if anyone knew good routes to look at. Everything I'm seeing is not at saaver level.
EDIT- from NYC
Now it would really really help if you would give a clue as to what you looked at and what would interest you. There are only 87,000 flights daily in the US.
Fair warning - Any PMs sent in response to forum posts are fair game for ridicule in public.

Offline username

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8446 on: December 19, 2017, 11:25:38 AM »
Looking to get a domestic mileage ticket on United, but its a flight that I may end up cancelling, and I have no Status.
Looking for advice/or assistance.
^^^

Offline mgmoonlight

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Re: TLV -> MSP -> TLV
« Reply #8447 on: December 21, 2017, 09:29:30 AM »
From: TLV
To: MSP
Departure dates: June 23rd (flexible but the latest we can leave is June 26th)
Return airports: MSP
Return dates: July 5th (flexible. We can take up to 16 days off including weekends)
Class: Any
Seats: 3
Alliance/Airline: Doesn't matter
Best price I've found: $1010 per person (attached is a screenshot)

Thanks!

Offline menachemmc

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8448 on: December 21, 2017, 11:55:42 PM »
Is there a way to use chase or Amex points for a flight from USA to TLV with stopover in London.  on AA to London and ElAl to TLV?

Thanks

Offline ludmila

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8449 on: December 22, 2017, 12:58:46 AM »
Is there a way to use chase or Amex points for a flight from USA to TLV with stopover in London.  on AA to London and ElAl to TLV?

Thanks

Does it have to be ElAl to TLV?
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Offline menachemmc

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8450 on: December 22, 2017, 01:07:50 AM »
No, but I have to be in TLV by Sunday night.

Offline ludmila

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8451 on: December 23, 2017, 01:41:18 AM »
No, but I have to be in TLV by Sunday night.
I tried but I could not find anything through London.
I was the Best,still the Best, and will always be the Best.
Pele Good,Maradona Better, George Best.

Offline menachemmc

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8452 on: December 23, 2017, 08:31:21 PM »
Thank you!
Were you able to find anything not through London?
I need to leave after shabbos from MSY  and be in TLV by Sunday night.

Offline ludmila

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8453 on: December 24, 2017, 02:11:41 AM »
Thank you!
Were you able to find anything not through London?
I need to leave after shabbos from MSY  and be in TLV by Sunday night.
You are looking for a ticket from MSY to TLV on 3-3-2018 . Is it one way? Economy or business? Are your dates flexible by a day or two? For how many passengers?
Last you have Chase UR and Amex MR correct?
I was the Best,still the Best, and will always be the Best.
Pele Good,Maradona Better, George Best.

Offline menachemmc

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8454 on: December 24, 2017, 10:12:33 AM »
MSY -TLV. Leaving 3/3/2018 after 730pm and returning 3/12/2018 late night or 3/13/2018.
Economy
1 passenger
I have Chase UR and Amex MR

The issue I am having is arriving in TLV by Sunday night. If need be, I can arrive Monday early AM.

Thanks!

Offline elikay

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8455 on: December 24, 2017, 08:53:11 PM »
Looking for a flight NYC-TLV (PHL is an option if need be). 1/14-1/17  I must be in Israel by 1/15 night for a wedding. Outgoing is Motzei Shabbos so needs to be late. Incoming, I am open to options. I am more interested in hearing what the best way to transfer the points would be for biggest bang.
1 PAX
Business
I have UR, MR, SPG

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8456 on: December 27, 2017, 03:38:51 PM »
Looking for Tlv-Mle
Roundtrip
June 4-10
Class J

(looking for availability in J on Turkish Airlines. cant find anything on United)

(Best price in economy I found was 1,065 in J, 4,650)
"I'm not under the affluence of incohol, but thinkle peep I am."

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8457 on: December 27, 2017, 04:06:31 PM »
Israel in pesach from nyc any good deals best I found was UR with Turkish for 53k need 4 tickets.
Thank you!

Offline metsgiantsfan

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8458 on: December 31, 2017, 09:08:43 PM »
NYC to VIE   (one way)

July 1, 2, or 3... Can be a stop over but a short one.  Looking for a ticket to pay with miles... I saw United had 60k but its gone now..Please help with other ideas.I have points with most airlines as well as Amex and Chase Reserve

Offline chasidishkiet

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8459 on: January 03, 2018, 03:26:05 AM »
Hey guys
Looking fo any available leads
Round trip / 1 stop
From : ord or JFK
To: tlv
Dept date: feb 21
Return date: feb 25
(I’m flexible with 1 day each way)
Class: Buissness
Seats: 2
Airline: I have spg, ur, mr to spend
Notes: doing a basic search I saw some Austrian and Lufthansa flights for those dates, however fuel surcharge was $1100

Also I need to arrive in tlv no later than Friday (feb 23) in the morning

Any help will be much appreciated
I have 10k delta miles to give to anyone successful in finding me a flight once I book it