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 1839338 times)

Offline Shlomi

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Need help finding a ticket:
TLV - NYC - TLV
Leave Thu Jun 19
Return Sun Jun 24

Economy class
Whatever alliance.
Thanks so much!

Offline yo

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Hi if anyone knows if business seats are avail for these flights with milage and which one would be cheaper for me to buy milage

July 29th El Al 1:30PM EWR-TLV
Aug 1st   El Al 12:40AM TLV-EWR


July 29th Delta 8:45PM JFK-TLV
Aug 1st   Delta 12:40AM TLV-JFK

Offline WhyAich

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Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #902 on: June 15, 2012, 12:00:39 AM »
Hi if anyone knows if business seats are avail for these flights with milage and which one would be cheaper for me to buy milage

July 29th El Al 1:30PM EWR-TLV
Aug 1st   El Al 12:40AM TLV-EWR


July 29th Delta 8:45PM JFK-TLV
Aug 1st   Delta 12:40AM TLV-JFK
OT: You know it's 9 av?
For great Airfare deals - PLEASE contact me via PM or email: whyaich@gmail.com

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Hi if anyone knows if business seats are avail for these flights with milage and which one would be cheaper for me to buy milage

July 29th El Al 1:30PM EWR-TLV
Aug 1st   El Al 12:40AM TLV-EWR


July 29th Delta 8:45PM JFK-TLV
Aug 1st   Delta 12:40AM TLV-JFK
First flight in the list is available in First. Second is not. Can only be booked via elal.
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline yo

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nothing in business?

Offline PlatinumGuy

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nothing in business?
Your best bet is probably US from PHL, very nice. 210k RT
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline yo

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i hear phi is far rom brooklyn though, us sells at 1.5 right

Offline PlatinumGuy

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i hear phi is far rom brooklyn though
Very well worth the drive IMHO, also timing is great. You can add a US leg from LGA/JFK if u prefer.

us sells at 1.5 right
No it doesn't buddy.
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline Cashman

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Need help with 3 tickets
NYC-TLV
11/04-11/11
saver reward business class
short stopover ok

Offline Fan of Dan

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VCE-NYC
August 8 or 9
United Miles prefer Biz
2 tickets

Offline shloimy

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looking for 3 tickets nyc-cle preferably june 20, return same day. found availability on ba.com via aa for 8.30 am ,returning same day 4.15 pm. need a few hours in CLE. afraid this cuts it too close. cannot find a later flight back (or earlier flight there ) on aa. is there a later flight home via aa? what are my other options. have starwood points, united miles, avios, mr rewards. is it worth using united points (10,000) for  way home? do they allow one way trips? will i be charged a fee for booking within 21 days? thanks

Offline Cbs

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looking for 3 tickets nyc-cle preferably june 20, return same day. found availability on ba.com via aa for 8.30 am ,returning same day 4.15 pm. need a few hours in CLE. afraid this cuts it too close. cannot find a later flight back (or earlier flight there ) on aa. is there a later flight home via aa? what are my other options. have starwood points, united miles, avios, mr rewards. is it worth using united points (10,000) for  way home? do they allow one way trips? will i be charged a fee for booking within 21 days? thanks
U can find airtran for $125

Offline shloimy

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thx.whats airtran? dont really want to pay...need 3 tickets

Offline Cbs

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thx.whats airtran? dont really want to pay...need 3 tickets
Airtran is an airline.  Go to airtran.com and it flys from lga to cak (Akron/Canton )

Offline shloimy

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thanks but their latest flight is 3ish cle to nyc. so it doesnt help me. any other suggestions? can go next week also.

Offline Cbs

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thanks but their latest flight is 3ish cle to nyc. so it doesnt help me. any other suggestions? can go next week also.
if ur 3 ppl, then renting a car may be ideal

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Using avios, 4 pax in coach:

07/25-26 - 8/16

JFK/LGA/EWR/PHL (etc) to SEA/SFO/LAX/BUR/SNA/PHX/TUS or any other West coast airports.

TIA. 
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline smart brit

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Searching a ticket flying tlv zrh July 13 anyone has an idea when swiss opens up seats? Would love the 5am flight thanks

Offline Daniel

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Searching a ticket flying tlv zrh July 13 anyone has an idea when swiss opens up seats? Would love the 5am flight thanks

I'm currently in the same boat as you. Problem is, I can't figure out how to search for Swiss availability. Expert Flyer shows there are seats but when I call up UA they don't see it. Any idea where to search?

Offline Chaikel

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I'm currently in the same boat as you. Problem is, I can't figure out how to search for Swiss availability. Expert Flyer shows there are seats but when I call up UA they don't see it. Any idea where to search?
As it says quite clearly at the top of the results page on expertflyer:
Code: [Select]
SWISS Award availability reflects availability for Miles & More members. Availability to members of partner airlines may be less.
Create professional looking itineraries.
Check out eliteitinerary.com