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 1838782 times)

Offline FMM

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Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1160 on: September 24, 2012, 06:55:42 PM »
do they need to be on the same flight? If so you will have a really hard time finding 6 seats on any flight
If I had to break it up, I guess I would... I just need an option!

Offline Cashman

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1161 on: September 25, 2012, 10:59:45 AM »
Looking for
TLV - NYC
Oct 11
2 passengers
Business class
*alliance   

Offline karen

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1162 on: September 27, 2012, 12:10:13 PM »
Looking for

BOS - HNL (stop over for 6 days) - NRT - PEK
August 5, 2013 (or a couple days off)

4 passengers
Business class

using AA miles (it is better in the same flight, but if it is impossible, it can separate as (1, 3) (2,2)

Thanks a lot!
« Last Edit: September 27, 2012, 01:16:48 PM by karen »

Offline Ergel

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1163 on: September 27, 2012, 12:25:16 PM »
Looking for time travel?
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline karen

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1164 on: September 27, 2012, 01:17:12 PM »
Looking for time travel?
Thanks! typo.

Offline aajfried

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1165 on: September 27, 2012, 05:00:11 PM »
Hey Everyone,
I posted here earlier today but didn't see this thread... If someone could hel me, it woudl be MUCH appreciated.

One way/Round trip: Round Trip
Non-stop/Maximum stops/Any: Max 1 stop
From: ORD
To: TLV
Departure dates: Dec 25, 26, 30, 30 and Jan 1
Return airports: ORD
Return dates: Jan 8, 9, 10
Class: Coach
Seats: 1
Alliance/Airline: If I act fast, I can have a huge amount of Avios miles, but honestly, as long as its safe, I really don'y care.

Thanks everyone for the help!!!

Offline moisheo

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1166 on: September 30, 2012, 12:12:23 PM »
where can i buy 75k united miles?

Offline meshugener

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1167 on: September 30, 2012, 12:19:36 PM »
Chase sell them for a total of 2 apps.
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Offline Nitantnel

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1168 on: October 02, 2012, 11:20:17 PM »
Offering $100 if you can help me succeed with this:

All for two passengers:
-BOG-JFK Nov 10 (Motzoay Shabbos)
-JFK/LGA-YYZ November 14 at ~10:00am (Business preferable, one (short) stop max)
-YYZ-TLV Novermber 15(Business preferable, one (short) stop max)
-TLV-MIA ~November 21/22 (Must land before noon on the 23rd)
-MIA/FFL-BOG November 25 at ~12:00 PM

All mileage programs available.

Please PM me.


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looking to get to Melbourne
« Reply #1169 on: October 03, 2012, 02:00:10 AM »
Im looking to get from nyc to mel on dec 18-19 and return on jan 2-3. with united miles. im finding a min on 80,000 each way on economy. any ideas?
a stop off in fiji would be nice
Thanks

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1170 on: October 03, 2012, 02:03:23 AM »
looking for mile flight (econ) from NYC to MELB on dec 18-19 and return on jan 2-3. a nice stopover would also be great, Thanks

Offline FMM

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looking to get to Melbourne
« Reply #1171 on: October 03, 2012, 02:36:47 AM »
Maybe try AA?

Offline Reb Moshe

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1173 on: October 05, 2012, 01:21:36 AM »
Willing to pay someone $100.00 to find me availability on 11/11 2 tickets business class TLV-NYC. I have points on star alliance just can't find availability . Short stopover no problem

Offline meshugener

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1174 on: October 05, 2012, 05:16:03 AM »
Plenty availability on UA.
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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1175 on: October 05, 2012, 08:06:08 AM »
Plenty availability on UA.
I am sorry has to be saver award.

Offline meshugener

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1176 on: October 05, 2012, 10:01:54 AM »
You now have saver availability on economy, if this is considered an alternative I'd suggest you to grab it before its too late on that too.
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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1177 on: October 05, 2012, 10:19:34 AM »
You now have saver availability on economy, if this is considered an alternative I'd suggest you to grab it before its too late on that too.
Not showing for me

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1178 on: October 05, 2012, 10:21:39 AM »
Willing to pay someone $100.00 to find me availability on 11/11 2 tickets business class TLV-NYC. I have points on star alliance just can't find availability . Short stopover no problem
Obviously not what you want, but for the heck of it:

Swiss LX257 Departs 05:30 Tel Aviv (TLV)
Arrives 08:50 Zurich (ZRH)
Business Airbus A330-300

Change plane in Zurich
Time to connect :  1h 00 min
 
Swiss LX16 Departs Sun. Nov 11 09:50 Zurich (ZRH)
Arrives Sun. Nov 11 12:55 New York Kennedy (JFK)
Economy Airbus A330-300

 
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.

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1179 on: October 05, 2012, 10:29:49 AM »
Obviously not what you want, but for the heck of it:

Swiss LX257 Departs 05:30 Tel Aviv (TLV)
Arrives 08:50 Zurich (ZRH)
Business Airbus A330-300

Change plane in Zurich
Time to connect :  1h 00 min
 
Swiss LX16 Departs Sun. Nov 11 09:50 Zurich (ZRH)
Arrives Sun. Nov 11 12:55 New York Kennedy (JFK)
Economy Airbus A330-300
Thanks dan . I hope to find business all the way. But I appreciate the effort