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 2060027 times)

Offline RJ898

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Dan means this http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/22325
I see. No Iberia account :(

What search sites should I use to find a ticket?
Part of the vast right wing conspiracy.

Offline Twin

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need flight to israel agust 14 or 15 one way from either jfk newark or philly     
perfer non stop  but willing to take stop over
« Last Edit: June 28, 2012, 02:23:06 PM by Twin »

Offline ilikedeals

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Looking to go to LA August 2-12. Me wife and baby. I have miles and points with amex, star wood, BA, AA. I have only been able to find ones that are at least 50k RT per person. Anything cheaper?

Offline Dan

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Looking to go to LA August 2-12. Me wife and baby. I have miles and points with amex, star wood, BA, AA. I have only been able to find ones that are at least 50k RT per person. Anything cheaper?
I found lots of cheaper stuff leaving from LAS-LAX...
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 benzibox

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  • Location: bridgeport, ct
Round trip:
Non-stop/Maximum stops 1
From: All NYC, Westchester, and philly
To: Anything including/ near LAX
Departure dates: 07/30/2012 preferably morning
Return airports: If different from 'To' line. Delete this line for One way tickets
Return dates: 08/05/2012 preferably early afternoon
Class: Any
Seats: 4
Alliance/Airline: I have 140k Avios so I guess American

I tried to go on BA.com and it wont let me search because they somehow dont have my birthdate. And when I call to tell them my DOB they cant input my birthdate unless I also have a passport which I dont (expired) I tried calling to book as well but they say nothing is available and I should try again after july 4th. I am a noob so maybe theres another way to do this. I am new at this but if there is a way to trade miles/points with someone I would be willing to trade for points on another airline even at a loss to me so I can fly on those dates for 4 people. Thanks to anyone who can help.

Online Ergel

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Been looking at tickets to la and there had been very little availability for some time. Maybe try and get southwest miles
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline Cholentfresser

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A friend of mine needs to get to MEL in  about a month. He has 90k AA miles, how many does he need to fly coach? what would he need to do to get a business class ticket? leaving from LAX. Thanx.
In order to understand recursion, you first need to understand recursion.

Offline luv2save

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Need help finding award tickets from NY to HNL
or OGG.

Late august
4 adults

Have about200000 Amex MR
150000 world points
120000 chase ur

No airline status
Thinking about signing up for 2 Hawaiian c/c
Offers and transfer 70000 from Amex to get
Other two tickets.
Would love to hear if there is a better way.
Thanks

Offline JerseyGuy

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Round trip
Non-stop (preferred, 1 is ok)
From: JFK, LGA, EWR, or PHL
To: SCL
Departure dates: Dec 22 (after 8PM), 23, 24 or 25
Return dates: Jan 1, 2, or 3
Class: Business
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: LAN, AA, BA, UA

AA:  190K
BA:  210K
UA:    50K
HA:    70K
SPG:  60K

Offline gt

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looking for one way from tlv to ewr,phl,dtw, on aug 13 or 14 in business with 1 or 2 stops (rather one) in business/first, i have sapphire points or ba

Offline yo

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nyc to Naples or sorrento italy
2 seats best milage route but more important best first class
Any going sunday coming back thursday in august - middle 2 weeks is preferable

Offline smurf

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What award options are there (if any) for a flight to rochester new york. Departure options are NYC all airports or phl or atlantic city
I trying to figure out if it's even worth flying there or to just drive
TIA

Offline yo

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nyc to Naples or sorrento italy
2 seats best milage route but more important best first class
Any going sunday coming back thursday in august - middle 2 weeks is preferable

Offline stevenr9

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NEED HELP!!!
if this isn't posted in the right place, please let me know where to post :)

i need to book a flight from ny to tlv for elul and winter zman

Round trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Any
From: JFK, LGA, EWR
To: TLV
Departure dates: week of 8/12/12
Return dates: week of 3/18/13
Class: Prefer coach but will take business maybe if thats all that there is and I can get together enough points
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: I have miles with United, AA, BA, Starwood, MR, Ultimate rewards

i am new to the miles program and find it overwhelming to read 100's of pages of posts from the past 4 years to catch up on the ins and outs.

please PM or reply with any advice or pointers
thanks

Offline BAHayman

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One way/Round trip: One way
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Any
From: TLV
To: NYC
Departure dates: July 8-23
Class: Coach (Business if need be)
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: Preferably AA miles, UA if needed.

American seems to be all booked up in Coach from Europe... I was able to find a LY TLV-CDG AA CDG-JFK and LY TLV-ZRH AA ZRH-JFK on 7/24 but I would preferably like to find something sooner. Any ideas?

Thanks.

Offline world2see

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looking of for 3 seats in business(one way award) week of july15h-19th,either united or elal,if you see any availability please pm,thanks

Offline 123ablack

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Can use help with 1 award ticket..

My father in law wants to travel NYC-TLV
Departing Monday 11/26/2012
Returning Wednesday "night" 11/28/2012

He wants to fly first or business preferably without a stop and definitely no plane change.
He has around 127,000 UR (between 2 SP and 1 Freedom) + 55,000 UA miles.

Nothing in UA that fits his needs..

Would appreciate help.

Thanks in advance!

Offline smurf

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looking of for 3 seats in business(one way award) week of july15h-19th,either united or elal,if you see any availability please pm,thanks
Error: Insufficient information to process this request.

Offline jatink129

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A Hello to the Lords of DansDeals.

I need some help! I could see an availability on United.com about 10 days ago and it has now disappeared. Keep getting an error saying that nothing could be found. This is strange, since I can find each and every award flight if I do a separate one-way search for every leg of my flight. But when I group them all together, nothing.

Anyway, hope someone can help me!
thanks.

here's my info-

One way/Round trip:- Multicity- JFK-LHR-BOM-JFK

Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Any. I'm extremely flexible on this.

From:  Has to be JFK, Newark or Logan.

To: Has to be LHR and BOM.

Departure dates: anything between the 28th of November to the 4th of December.

Return airports: Can return back to JFK, Newark or Logan.

Return dates: Any date between the 25th of January to the 5th of February.

Class: Coach. or Least amount of miles.  :P

Seats:1

Alliance/Airline: Star Alliance.

This itinerary was available for 80k points and roughly $250 in fees about 10 days ago. It was available for a range of dates for each leg, when doing a search via Multi-city on United.com. Now there's nothing. How is this possible?

I'd appreciate any help I get!
thanks.
Carpe Dium!

Online Ergel

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Pick up the phone and call united. If every leg is available they will be able to book it for you. Doesn't always work on line
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.