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 1839114 times)

Offline Galitzyaner

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After Aer Lingus to Dublin on BA, who has the next best airfare (points/mileage) to Europe (anywhere in Europe, from anywhere in the USA)?

Anybody less than the standard 30k one way on AA & UA w/o fuel surcharges?

Or are they all the same?

Thanks!


P.S. Re. the Aer Lingus, if anyone knows a way to find or create availability  please let me know, otherwise i must look for an alternative...
Nobody answering?

Let me rephrase..

If I see a ticket OW to Europe for $450, is that good deal for this season?  Or do miles/points come out cheaper (if so, which points?)?

Offline WhyAich

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Nobody answering?

Let me rephrase..

If I see a ticket OW to Europe for $450, is that good deal for this season?  Or do miles/points come out cheaper (if so, which points?)?

what will you do about the return, and the Europe-israel part?
For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline Galitzyaner

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what will you do about the return, and the Europe-israel part?
There are plenty of cheap tickets on lcc's from  Europe to Tlv.

I'd like to return via a stay in HKG for a week or two.

Offline daveb

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  • Location: NY
One way/Round trip:rt
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any:1
From: cvg
To: lax or sfo or san juan or stt
Departure dates: jan, 24th 2013
Return airports: back to cvg
Return dates: feb 3, 2013
Class:Coach
Seats: 6
Alliance/Airline: any (but not using aa miles) whatever is the cheapest

Offline MeToo

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Round trip:
Any stops
From: JFK, EWR
To: TLV
Departure dates: June 20,2012
Return airports: JFK, EWR or Montreal
Return dates: June 24, 2012
Class:/Any
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Star Alliance

Offline Fan of Dan

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One way
PTY - EWR
Coach 2pass
Aug 16
Star Alliance

Note that we already have it ticketed thru Puerto Rico but I want a departure after 2pm on Aug 16 but still getting in that night or if not to overnight somewhere cool. Not YYZ or ORD.

Offline stever

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  • Location: Los Angeles
lax-cle
rt
nonstop
1 or 2 seats
6/4-6/5

Offline Dan

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  • Location: CLE
  • Programs: UA GS, AA EXP, DL Dirt, Hyatt Glob, Fairmont Lifetime Plat, DD Diamond, Blocked By @NeriaKraus
lax-cle
rt
nonstop
1 or 2 seats
6/4-6/5
What you see on UA.com is what you get with those reqs.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline Moishebatchy

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  • Programs: Arzei Makolet Platinum, Yossi's Makolet Silver, Yesh! Gold, Rav Kav Dirt
Desperately trying to get tickets for my parents to come to Israel for my grandfather's yahrzeit. If anyone can help me, you will have my undying gratitude for eternity. Or at least for the next 15 minutes. :-)

One way/Round trip: RT
Maximum stops: 1
From: JFK, EWR, LGA
To: TLV
Departure dates: 9/2/2012 or 9/3/2012
Return dates: 9/9/2012 or 9/10/2012
Class: Business. Or if not, then coach on the way there, business for the way back
Seats: 2
Mileage/Alliance: Any. Heck, even a decent-priced revenue ticket would work. ;-)

Thanks!

Offline WhyAich

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Desperately trying to get tickets for my parents to come to Israel for my grandfather's yahrzeit. If anyone can help me, you will have my undying gratitude for eternity. Or at least for the next 15 minutes. :-)

One way/Round trip: RT
Maximum stops: 1
From: JFK, EWR, LGA
To: TLV
Departure dates: 9/2/2012 or 9/3/2012
Return dates: 9/9/2012 or 9/10/2012
Class: Business. Or if not, then coach on the way there, business for the way back
Seats: 2
Mileage/Alliance: Any. Heck, even a decent-priced revenue ticket would work. ;-)

Thanks!

turkish premium economy for $1680 per pex! great value!
For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline 18seagate

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    • brand name shoes for less
  • Location: brooklyn ny
one way
jfk/ewr to tlv
8/13-8/14
as of now only have untied miles  thanks in advanced

Offline asks

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One way/Round trip: RT
Maximum stops: 1
From: nyc areaTo: TLV
Departure dates: 7/17/12 (or close)
Return dates: 7/30/12 (or close)
Class: economy or biz
Seats: 2
Mileage/Alliance: anything using AMEX MR points
Thanks!

Offline WhyAich

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one way
jfk/ewr to tlv
8/13-8/14
as of now only have untied miles  thanks in advanced

lot polish $586
For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline eli1571

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one way tlv nyc
july 1
prefer direct max one stop

Offline asks

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One way/Round trip: RT
Maximum stops: 1
From: nyc areaTo: TLV
Departure dates: 7/17/12 (or close)
Return dates: 7/30/12 (or close)
Class: economy or biz
Seats: 2
Mileage/Alliance: anything using AMEX MR points
Thanks!

anything good on this one?

Offline easy48

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  • Location: Los Angeles
Need help finding tickets for this trip:

One way/Round trip: RT
Maximum stops: 2
From: LAX areaTo: WAW
Departure dates: 7/3/12 (or close)
Return dates: 7/8/12 (or close)
Class: economy or biz
Seats: 2
Mileage/Alliance: One World or Star Alliance

Thanks!

Offline tuvz

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I plan on going from LAX to SYD one way on sunday august 5th iyh
Its costing me 48,000 qantas points and about $350 in fuel surcharges!
Any way i can use the qantas points to book with other Oneworld partners like AA to avoid the crazy fees?
Thanks

Offline WhyAich

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I plan on going from LAX to SYD one way on sunday august 5th iyh
Its costing me 48,000 qantas points and about $350 in fuel surcharges!
Any way i can use the qantas points to book with other Oneworld partners like AA to avoid the crazy fees?
Thanks

dunno if this would be of help i can get you for $900 +/- s few dollars direct with virgin australia/qantas/delta
For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline moisheo

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i am looking to find tickets with avios points to maui in the beginning of august,it does not show any availability,any ideas of how i can go about it?

Offline WhyAich

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i am looking to find tickets with avios points to maui in the beginning of august,it does not show any availability,any ideas of how i can go about it?

check AA.com for saver avail.
For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com