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 1838982 times)

Offline Ergel

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You need to go business? It's not that nice a product anyways. Why not just go coach and save your miles for some other time
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline outinstyle

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  • Location: NYC
Date 8/14 or 8/15
Prefer late 8/14
LAS-JFK
Class K or higher (upgradable)
Price is only $239 per ticket (I need two) for the one way flight, but they claim that none of the flights have upgradable seats available.

Offline outinstyle

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Dont NEED to do anything, just since it is a "mini vacation" with the wife, I would do it if it made sense.

Offline WhyAich

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Date 8/14 or 8/15
Prefer late 8/14
LAS-JFK
Class K or higher (upgradable)
Price is only $239 per ticket (I need two) for the one way flight, but they claim that none of the flights have upgradable seats available.

i see K class on the 4:35 pm flight and the 7:30 am flight seems like the 7 am flight has many more Business seats avail...

For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline outinstyle

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WhyAich,
Thanks.

Offline WhyAich

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For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline fdg9

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need 2 award tickets to israel. NYC-TLV.  July 8 - July 30.

I don't want to use double miles per person for coach (i.e., 150,000 per person)...


i have mucho miles with just about all major programs (delta, AA, BA, continental, Amex, SPG)...

Thanks

Offline WhyAich

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need 2 award tickets to israel. NYC-TLV.  July 8 - July 30.

I don't want to use double miles per person for coach (i.e., 150,000 per person)...


i have mucho miles with just about all major programs (delta, AA, BA, continental, Amex, SPG)...

Thanks
business class or coach?
For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline gozalim

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business class or coach?
I think he meant Anytime as opposed to Saver

Offline Londoner Rebbe

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Hi all Homo sapiens,
 
Need a ticket from LAX to Pittsburgh, Leaving the 7th June at night returning 10th June at night.

I have Avios, but cant find availability for 12.5k miles.

Any ideas??

Cheers

Offline fdg9

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I think he meant Anytime as opposed to Saver

i don't mind first or business, as long as i do not have to use extra miles because of availability.  Also, I don't want to get killed with taxes, which would defeat the purpose of using miles...

Offline WhyAich

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Hi all Homo sapiens,
 
Need a ticket from LAX to Pittsburgh, Leaving the 7th June at night returning 10th June at night.

I have Avios, but cant find availability for 12.5k miles.

Any ideas??

Cheers

no way around it... sorry
« Last Edit: May 16, 2012, 04:47:23 PM by WhyAich »
For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline Jay the PRESIDENT

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where best place to find a one way reward ticket?

Offline WhyAich

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where best place to find a one way reward ticket?

i know it's not an award but you can go LOT for $631 and aerosvit for $584
For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline Jay the PRESIDENT

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cool  where u find that   i see for more $$

Offline Jay the PRESIDENT

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and aerosvit vs lot?

worse of two evils?

Offline WhyAich

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cool  where u find that   i see for more $$

+1 TA ;)
For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline Jay the PRESIDENT

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TA have for less

Offline WhyAich

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For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline Jay the PRESIDENT

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so i guess other TAs have for less ironic as that is considering u getn the same prices

anyway 2 places quoted LOT for less   just saying