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 1839449 times)

Offline Cbs

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1120 on: September 05, 2012, 11:38:52 AM »
Trying to find a good ticket for a family member.

NYC - PVG   9/12
PVG - VIE     9/27
VIE - NYC.    10/10-15 (flex.)

2 adults - 2 infants . One infant is turning 2 on 10/5!

Economy class

He has:
100k spg
120k aa
100k ua
25k amex

Thank you

Offline john

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1121 on: September 05, 2012, 05:51:44 PM »
I need following ticket for reward travel.
Departure Date : April 5th 2013.
IAD (Any Washington Airports are fine) to Depansar, Bali, Indonesia - DPS.
Return Date : April 13th 2013.
DPS to IAD.

I have miles on AA - 140K Miles, BA - 250K Miles. United - 250K Miles, US Air - 250K Miles.

Which reward travel will cost me least miles + least fees and taxes. I prefer least miles spent. so if Coach is available, I will take it. if Coach is not available, then I will take business or first in that hierrarchy.

Any help is appreciated.

Offline sky121

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1122 on: September 06, 2012, 07:41:56 PM »
What is the cheapest way to buy 5 award seats from TLV-Zurich in the summer?

I think BA because they have the cheapest miles and less taxes than UA.

Any suggestions?
"Not all who wander are lost"

Offline bentch

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1123 on: September 08, 2012, 04:19:12 PM »
I'm pretty new to award travel.  I have a bunch of MileagePlus miles on united.  Right nowm, I'm using the united web site to check for *A availability.  Should I be using a different site? Can I book on any *A airline using Mileageplus?

I'm looking for a one-way award ticket on 10/16 for any of the combinations below.  I'm finding tickets for 17,500 +$~50 in taxes.  At what price would it be worth it to just book a ticket.  Right now I see ~$250-300 for a one-way.

PRG-TLV
VIE-TLV
BUD-TLV

Thanks

Offline beej

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1124 on: September 10, 2012, 08:30:24 PM »
looking for one way ticket 2 passengers
one stop max
tlv-nyc
10/13-14
coach

Offline Zevyg

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1125 on: September 12, 2012, 12:38:04 AM »
Round trip
Non-stop
From: NYC
To: London uk
Departure dates: sep 27
Return airports: NYC
Return dates: oct 10
Class: Coach
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline:  aadvantage /ba

Offline Yosel

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1126 on: September 12, 2012, 03:27:39 PM »
looking to go from NYC to YVR on OCT. 29 return NOV. 1
i have Amex, *wood, US Air dividend, United, and Delta.
Who is best to use?

Offline Centurion

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Re: TLV Peak Flight Award Alert Thread
« Reply #1127 on: September 12, 2012, 10:43:02 PM »
looking for nov 4th.. ANY airline.
you can only make a first impression ONCE

Offline Finckmyster

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Re: Re: TLV Peak Flight Award Alert Thread
« Reply #1128 on: September 12, 2012, 11:15:09 PM »
looking for nov 4th.. ANY airline.

Yeah Singapore Airlines to Frankfurt, and then Lufthansa to TLV (Couch)

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Re: TLV Peak Flight Award Alert Thread
« Reply #1129 on: September 12, 2012, 11:25:28 PM »
Yeah Singapore Airlines to Frankfurt, and then Lufthansa to TLV (Couch)

That must be very comfortable! :)

Offline Galitzyaner

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Re: Re: TLV Peak Flight Award Alert Thread
« Reply #1130 on: September 12, 2012, 11:27:49 PM »
Yeah Singapore Airlines to Frankfurt, and then Lufthansa to TLV (Couch)
@Finckmyster Once you're at it, do  you know of anything USA-TLV Sep. 27 (anytime after Yom Kippur), returning Oct.10?

Thanks a million!

Offline txtmax4

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Re: Re: TLV Peak Flight Award Alert Thread
« Reply #1131 on: September 12, 2012, 11:28:24 PM »
Yeah Singapore Airlines to Frankfurt, and then Lufthansa to TLV (Couch)
That must be very comfortable! :)
Yeah, what cabin is the couch on?
If You See Something, Say Something!!

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Re: TLV Peak Flight Award Alert Thread
« Reply #1132 on: September 12, 2012, 11:37:49 PM »
@Finckmyster Once you're at it, do  you know of anything USA-TLV Sep. 27 (anytime after Yom Kippur), returning Oct.10?

Thanks a million!

Where in USA do u want to leave from? And do u only want to do with miles?

Offline Galitzyaner

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Re: Re: TLV Peak Flight Award Alert Thread
« Reply #1133 on: September 12, 2012, 11:45:27 PM »
Where in USA do u want to leave from? And do u only want to do with miles?
Looking for the cheapest way to fly, period.  So that would explain why I wrote USA, so as not to limit myself to NYC, just in case there's that very slight chance that somewhere else is cheaper  :-\

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1134 on: September 12, 2012, 11:47:35 PM »
Looking for the cheapest way to fly, period.  So that would explain why I wrote USA, so as not to limit myself to NYC, just in case there's that very slight chance that somewhere else is cheaper  :-\

Do u call under $1000 cheap, or lower?

Offline Galitzyaner

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1135 on: September 12, 2012, 11:53:39 PM »
Do u call under $1000 cheap, or lower?
If I (or U ;)) can find cheaper, I'll go for that!  :)

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1136 on: September 13, 2012, 12:37:16 AM »
If I (or U ;)) can find cheaper, I'll go for that!  :)

Wanna go to CAI instead? Only about an hour away and roundtrip is $706 ai.

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1137 on: September 13, 2012, 12:58:21 AM »
Wanna go to CAI instead? Only about an hour away and roundtrip is $706 ai.
??? And how would I get from there to E"Y (w/o leaving the airport = risking my life)?

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1138 on: September 13, 2012, 01:03:11 AM »
??? And how would I get from there to E"Y (w/o leaving the airport = risking my life)?

Fly CAI-AMM-TLV using ba avios? Wouldn't come out that worth it in that case.

Offline presidentialplus

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1139 on: September 13, 2012, 09:42:07 AM »
Searching for NYC-TLV Oct 9-10.
60k AA
60k BA
150K UA
19K Amex = 25K fying blue

Which *A program would let me book JFK-IST-TLV, OCT 9th?
United doesn't.