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 1838643 times)

Offline Yup

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1580 on: January 18, 2013, 04:26:58 PM »
BUMP

Any southafrican or star alliance experts?
jfk - jnb
3/3 flight # SA 204
3/11 flight # SA 203
Business Class
I have MR, Starpoints and UR
I need a few varieties of tickets.
3 directly from jfk - jnb
2 pit-jfk-jnb
2 plus infant ord-jfk-jnb
Which star alliance carrier will give me the cheapest miles price in business to book this on in order to fly on the SA metal for the flight listed above.

Many Thanks


Offline AJK

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1581 on: January 19, 2013, 07:06:42 PM »
US has the cheapest price in J from USA-JNB, I believe. 110K TR.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Centurion

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1582 on: January 19, 2013, 09:29:29 PM »
best option on a ONE WAY ticket from nyc to tlv in bizz/first this/next week?
it seems some airlines same point/miles for one was and rt
you can only make a first impression ONCE

Offline MEIR613

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1583 on: January 19, 2013, 09:31:34 PM »
best option on a ONE WAY ticket from nyc to tlv in bizz/first this/next week?
it seems some airlines same point/miles for one was and rt
UA

Offline Yup

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1584 on: January 20, 2013, 01:41:05 AM »
US has the cheapest price in J from USA-JNB, I believe. 110K TR.
Thanks Ajk. it seems like star alliance has no availability in J even with a stop.
which alliance is next best option (cheapest miles, no fuel surcharges)

Offline dirah

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1585 on: January 20, 2013, 07:45:05 AM »
I spoke to two agents; they couldn't get the system to price it at 40K, only as 62.5K (similar to two separate segments). They didn’t seem to know how the system works.

One told me that it won’t price out because it is crossing both the Pacific and the Atlantic, even though I tried to explain that is not true, it crosses the Atlantic and the Indian.
The other rep told me straight out she doesn’t get how the system works, but she did try very hard to convince me to cross the Pacific instead of the Atlantic; I guess she is not Chabad :)

Question: Is this a case of HUCA, or am I wasting my time?
Ok just got off the phone with a third rep, spent two hours on that call.
Initially she said that she would get it priced manually, and she put me on hold while she was in touch with her "support team", it sounded promising and she came back from hold a couple of times saying it could be done, but ultimately she came back saying it couldn't because the routing was invalid.
When I asked her why, she said it was because it was connecting through two regions (Europe and Asia), and this is not allowed. I asked her where this rule comes from because I don't see it online, she says she doesn't know, that is just what the "support team" is telling her.
I tried to add on a MEL-JFK leg with her as suggested, but she said that it was still not pricing out.
Another HUCA? This it too time consuming! :(
SUCCESS!
On the sixth HUCA!
« Last Edit: January 20, 2013, 08:11:02 AM by dirah »

Offline MEIR613

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1586 on: January 20, 2013, 08:04:38 AM »
SUCCESS!
On the sixth HUCA!
Congrats. 
The wonder of HUCA, I love it.


Offline eish1

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1587 on: January 20, 2013, 08:25:09 AM »
Hi,
Round trip:
Maximum stops/Any:
From:NYC
To: Israel + stopover in Budapest for 1-2 weeks
Departure dates: July 17-23
Return dates: August 10-20
Class: /Any
Seats: 4 + 1 infant
Alliance/Airline: any
If anyone can help? I am having a hard time finding tickets to Israel through Budapest.

Offline AJK

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1588 on: January 20, 2013, 01:06:40 PM »
Thanks Ajk. it seems like star alliance has no availability in J even with a stop.
which alliance is next best option (cheapest miles, no fuel surcharges)

Your biggest hurdle is finding availability. Find that, then see if you can do better.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline goldms

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1589 on: January 20, 2013, 01:44:35 PM »
Looking for
Round trip:
Non-stop/1 stop
From: New York
To: Johannesburg SA
Departure dates: Feb 28
Return dates: March 7
Class: Business (prefer) /Coach
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: I have Amex and Chase points

Thanks.

Offline Dan

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1590 on: January 20, 2013, 01:46:56 PM »
Looking for
Round trip:
Non-stop/1 stop
From: New York
To: Johannesburg SA
Departure dates: Feb 28
Return dates: March 7
Class: Business (prefer) /Coach
Seats: 2
Alliance/Airline: I have Amex and Chase points

Thanks.
Bookable nonstop on United.com for 80K+$80 per person. Transfer from Chase.

Alternatively, talk to Mendy...https://twitter.com/MenachemMendy/status/293026197615550464
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 Yaalili

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Offline AJK

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1592 on: January 20, 2013, 02:39:28 PM »
Wowza. That's a sick routing.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Dan

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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 #1594 on: January 20, 2013, 03:09:30 PM »
whats his name on ddf? - i cant access twitter
you can only make a first impression ONCE

Offline Zyobhcir

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Yyz-ogg
« Reply #1595 on: January 20, 2013, 09:29:22 PM »
Hey I need some help on working out this itinerary for a party of 9 and one infant. The dates are march 21-April 3.

I have a boat load of Avios and about 350k aero plan.

The cheapest bootable ticket with cash is with united for 1000

Are there any cheaper bookable options with any low cost carriers.

Or how to do it with miles.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks guys.

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Yyz-ogg
« Reply #1596 on: January 20, 2013, 09:38:16 PM »
Post it in the master thread at top of page, no need for a new thread.

Offline Zyobhcir

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1597 on: January 20, 2013, 09:44:02 PM »
Hey I need some help on working out this itinerary for a party of 9 and one infant. The dates are march 21-April 3.

I have a boat load of Avios and about 350k aero plan.

The cheapest bootable ticket with cash is with united for 1000

Are there any cheaper bookable options with any low cost carriers.

Or how to do it with miles.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks guys.

Offline Devorah

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1598 on: January 20, 2013, 10:00:50 PM »
Hey I need some help on working out this itinerary for a party of 9 and one infant. The dates are march 21-April 3.

I have a boat load of Avios and about 350k aero plan.

The cheapest bootable ticket with cash is with united for 1000

Are there any cheaper bookable options with any low cost carriers.

Or how to do it with miles.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks guys.
Where do you want to travel?

Offline Yaalili

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Re: Need help finding a ticket? Post here! Award ticket edition (Master thread)
« Reply #1599 on: January 20, 2013, 10:01:56 PM »
Where do you want to travel?

lol - he wants to go from yyz to ogg, he just copied and pasted three times the same message.