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 1838753 times)

Offline sa587

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  • Location: NYC
One way/Round trip: Round Trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Nonstop
From: NYC - JFK & EWR
To: TLV
Departure dates: August 25 or 26
Return dates: September 1 or 2
Class: Any
Seats: 3
Alliance/Airline: Any
I have SPG, UR and MR points

Offline chayie

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  • Location: Silver Spring, MD
One way/Round-trip: round trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: max 1 stop if from WAS, but non stop from NYC
From: WAS or NYC
To: YHZ (Halifax)
Departure dates: Thursday Aug. 2
Return airports: only WAS
Return dates: Sunday Aug. 12
Class: Any
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: I have Amex MR and Chase UR (from Sapphire Reserve). I also have Chase United credit card for expanded award availability

Any ideas? TIA!

Offline sushimaven

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  • Location: NYC
One way/Round-trip: Round trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: max 1 stop
From: NYC, prefer JFK
To: TLV
Departure dates: Mon. Nov. 19 or Tues. Nov. 20
Return airports: prefer JFK
Return dates: Mon. Nov. 26 or Tues. Nov. 27
Class: Any
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: I have Amex MR and some (but not much) AA, DL and United.

Offline chaimdasap

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  • Location: jerusalem
One way
Gva-lax j
July 25
Any miles.
Prefer to fly swiss, but idk how to get that availability.
"I'm not under the affluence of incohol, but thinkle peep I am."

Offline Hatikvah

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  • Location: Brooklyn, NY
One way
Ppt- syd or Akl
August 13/14
Up to one stop.
Airlines/Miles- plenty of BA, MR. Can use AA, FB as well.
All help is extremely appreciated because I would love to finalize this flight tonight and can't find any availability at all. Tia!

Offline traveler21

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  • Location: Los Angeles, CA
One way/Round-trip: One Way
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Any
From: LHR
To: LAX, SNA
Departure dates: July 31st, 2018
Class: Coach
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: Anything that I can use Avios points with. I have 80K Avios points

Offline sushimaven

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  • Location: NYC
Bump...

One way/Round-trip: Round trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: max 1 stop
From: NYC, prefer JFK
To: TLV
Departure dates: Mon. Nov. 19 or Tues. Nov. 20
Return airports: prefer JFK
Return dates: Mon. Nov. 26 or Tues. Nov. 27
Class: Any
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: I have Amex MR and some (but not much) AA, DL and United.

Offline Schneur

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Willing to pay for help

One way/Round-trip: ROUNDTRIP
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: preferably direct, up to one stop.
From: NYC (JFK-EWR)
To: TLV
Departure dates: October 3-4 (slightly flexible)
Return airports: NYC (JFK-EWR)
Return dates: October 13-14 (slightly flexible)
Class: Business or First
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: Any

I have UR and Sapphire Reserve.
     

Offline rkg27

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  • Location: NY,NY
Round trip:
Non-stop
From: NYC
To: DTW
Departure dates: September 26th After 11 AM
Return dates: September 27th after 5 PM or September 28th Before 10 Am
Class: Any
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Anything but Spirit

Offline sky121

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Looking for coach award ticket from TLV- DTW-   using United or Air France miles- Will pay $30 for someone who finds open date available to book. Any days between August 9-14

Thanks
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline US

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One way/Round-trip: One Way
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: 1
From: TLV
To: JFK or EWR
Departure dates: Sep. 16/18 or Sep. 17/18
Class: Business or Coach (depending on price)
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Any

I have AMEX, SPG, AA, DL.
Would love to use my AA miles if any availability.
Thanks

Offline JACKBLUE

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8851 on: August 01, 2018, 07:41:18 AM »
One way/Round trip: OW
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: up to 1 stop
From: TLV
To: NYC
Departure dates: 8/12 8/13
Class: any
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: any

Offline tonymartin1021

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8852 on: August 01, 2018, 09:43:47 AM »
looking for help on how to turn amex miles into business class from miami or nyc to israel? anyone have thoughts?

Offline hvaces42

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8853 on: August 01, 2018, 10:24:32 AM »
looking for help on how to turn amex miles into business class from miami or nyc to israel? anyone have thoughts?
Flying Blue
Fair warning - Any PMs sent in response to forum posts are fair game for ridicule in public.

Offline US

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8854 on: August 01, 2018, 01:51:19 PM »
One way/Round-trip: One Way
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: 1
From: TLV
To: JFK or EWR
Departure dates: Sep. 16/18 or Sep. 17/18
Class: Business or Coach (depending on price)
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Any

I have AMEX, SPG, AA, DL.
Would love to use my AA miles if any availability.
Thanks
Found a few options for Y,
Need some help with J. Anyone?

Offline Howard@

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8855 on: August 02, 2018, 03:37:12 AM »
one way direct or one stop
From: tlv
To: jfk/yyz/lga/ewr
Departure dates: august 7/8/9
Class: coach
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: star alliance/ sky team

Offline JeremyG

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8856 on: August 05, 2018, 12:55:20 PM »
Hi All,

I would really appreciate some help with this itinerary.

Round-trip
Non-stop preferred. Maximum one stop
From: Miami, FLL, PBI
To: BUD
Departure dates: August 19,2018
Return airports: VIE Preferred (Munich and BUD also acceptable)
Return dates: August 28, 2018
Class: Business
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: Any

I will be using Amex points and am also eligible to get 35% back if using Amex portal.

Thanks in advance for helping

Offline geshmak1

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8857 on: August 06, 2018, 08:50:25 PM »
One way/Round-trip:round trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:nonstop
From: ewr, phl
To: pvd
Departure dates: Aug 7,8,9
Return airports:ewr, phl
Return dates: Aug 7,8,9
Class: /Any
Seats:1
Alliance/Airline: AA, Delta, JetBlue, I also have chase UR and SPG

Looking for same day flights this week that won't cost a fortune of points if possible. Checked AA, would cost 20k each way. Is that my only option? 

Thanks!

Offline bb1836

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8858 on: August 06, 2018, 09:02:42 PM »
One way/Round-trip: RT
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Non/1
From: YUL
To: TLV
Departure dates: 1/8/19-1/15-19
Class: Business or Coach (depending on price)
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Any
As @davidmal says: "Likes" feed the family

Offline Zevi16

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #8859 on: August 07, 2018, 09:52:14 AM »

One way/Round-trip:round trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:nonstop
From: NYC
To: PHX
Departure dates: Aug 9
Return airports: NYC
Return dates: Aug 16
Class: /Any
Seats: 2 adults, 1 kid, 1 lap infant
Alliance/Airline: got some AA, Alaska, Delta but mainly have chase UR.

I need to fly regular hours which mean leaving NYC after 9:30am and arriving in PHX before 8pm and return similar.

What would be my best way of utilizing my UR on this type of trip?