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Flyboy,
I hadn't planned to go to Africa, but when I found out I could add a week in Kenya for 30,000 more miles than what I was already "spending", I couldn't resist :D This wasn't possible before KL joined Skyteam. Previously the only partner was South African Airways and it would have required 2 separate awards totaling 170,000 miles each to reach East Africa. Just out of curiosity, I checked and a ticket like this prices out around $7000 on Orbitz, something I would never even consider buying! |
I hear you and I'm looking forward to seeing what Northwest's new affiliation with Skyteam might translate into for me. I have redeemed more than a million miles in the past five years and it has made some things possible that likely would have otherwise remained only dreams.
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Well, let me revive this 2-year old thread. The 3 persons in my household were on a "points collecting" mode in 2005, but 2006 is another "claim year".
So far: 2 IAH-CLE-LGW, EDI-EWR-IAH (100K total from elite accounts) 1 IAH-YYZ r/t (25K from non-elite acc.) 1 IAH-AMS, CDG-IAH (50K elite) 1 IAH-EWR-HKG r/t (60K non-elite) So, that's 235K miles claimed, all <b>standard</b> awards on the days we want to fly. And this is all CO miles on CO metal, which many consider as the worse FF program when it comes to using miles. We may claim another 60K award to HKG too, so we're not finished yet. |
This year I claimed a few awards, too, without much trouble.
LAX- Nagoya, Japan on United using a GATW award certificate (not miles). Booked it at end of Jan, maybe Feb, for travel in April. Got the days I wanted and an ug trans-pac on the way back. LAX- Louisville for the Kentucky Derby, the UA standard award was 40K miles (instead of the 25K saver) because all of the saver awards were gone. Booked it a few weeks in advance and changed the return, when I was in KY, to be from Lexington instead of IND. LAX-JFK-LAX on jetBlue on the dates/flights I wanted. They are so good. A couple of 15,000 miler awards on United a couple days in advance of the trips. Was able to reserve in Jan. for travel at end of March, but did not book, a first class award trip on Emirates from Osaka to Dubai for the dates I wanted using MP miles. Was not able to make award reservations for the same trip next March, when I tried a week or so ago, but will try again. I remember that the reference to sushi in H.K. above was due to a poster at the time who insisted on finding a sushi place in H.K. because sushi is Asian food and H.K. is in Asia. Tammy! lol. |
I've also helped my cousin and his wife get a couple of 60K standard awards IAH-EWR-HKG recently, despite not elite.
And two other IAH-YYZ at 25K (one elite, one non-elite). So, that's another spent 170K miles through my finger tips. |
I just tried HOU-HKG at united.com for Nov 15-29 in Economy and had multiple choices in each direction. No availability in C or F on those days, or two days before or after, in either direction. Maybe the other *A carriers have availabilty.
No availability in coach Dec 23-27 outbound or Jan 2-6 return. Lots of availability Jan 14-28 in economy. Only Jan 26 in C. Only Jan 14 in F. So, coach awards to HKG are not hard to get. As long as you don't go at the end of the year. Maybe not a spring break. |
Around Christmas time is impossible, as that's the peak season for US-Hong Kong travel. In the fall, C or F are hard as that's a busy business route. Not impossible, but one has to be pretty flexible.
I'd think it should be easier on UA, as they're upping to something like 27 flights a week to HKG. |
Yes, it is hard to get an ug for HKG. Have read about fliers going via NRT to SFO to get the upgrade.
Now, June 15-19. No problem on UA for DFW to LHR, AMS, ZRH. Have to go out one day earlier or later for MUC. That's economy. No C or F. Was able, in Oct 2004 to get a first class *A award with US miles for IAD-BKK Dec 26- Jan 10 with stopover in NRT. So, might be possible later, which I hope is the case with EK for March. Anyway, it makes good sense the way y'all earn em and burn em. |
I have been quite lucky this year also (all domestic flights):
1 DFW-PHL r/t (25k UA miles claimed for nonstop USAirways flight) 1 DFW-LGA-BGR, BGR-LGA-x-EWR-DFW (25k BA miles claimed on AA flights) 1 DFW-LGA-BGR, BGR-LGA-x-EWR-DFW (25k AA - same itin as above) 2 DFW-EWR, BOS-DFW (18,750 miles for 2 tickets on AA, thanks to AA Aadvantage 25th anniversary promotion) That's 93,750 miles - from 3 different airline programs all under my name. |
The following was purchased for 130K AA miles plus ~$200 tax:
<b>Trip 1</b> <i>AMERICAN AIRLINES 1805 TPA Tampa 10/18/2006 08:10 PM MIA Miami 10/18/2006 09:10 PM First Class 3E LAN PERU S.A 511 MIA Miami 10/19/2006 01:20 AM LIM Lima 10/19/2006 05:50 AM Business Class 2D LAN PERU S.A 510 LIM Lima 10/23/2006 10:40 AM MIA Miami 10/23/2006 05:25 PM Business Class 2D <b>Trip 2</b> AMERICAN AIRLINES 1562 MIA Miami 03/06/2007 01:35 PM YYZ Toronto 03/06/2007 04:49 PM Business Class 3E BRITISH AIRWAYS 92 YYZ Toronto 03/06/2007 06:25 PM LHR London 03/07/2007 06:25 AM Business Class 61B BRITISH AIRWAYS 846 LHR London 03/07/2007 08:20 AM WAW Warsaw 03/07/2007 11:40 AM Business Class 2C BRITISH AIRWAYS 849 WAW Warsaw 03/26/2007 07:30 AM LHR London 03/26/2007 09:15 AM Business Class 2D BRITISH AIRWAYS 1388 LHR London 03/26/2007 10:50 AM MAN Manchester 03/26/2007 11:45 AM Economy unassigned AMERICAN AIRLINES 55 MAN Manchester 04/01/2007 10:45 AM ORD Chicago 04/01/2007 01:00 PM Business Class 3D <b>Trip 3</b> AMERICAN AIRLINES 781 ORD Chicago 06/13/2007 11:02 AM SFO San Francisco 06/13/2007 01:37 PM First Class 3E AMERICAN AIRLINES 1662 SFO San Francisco 06/17/2007 08:27 AM DFW Dallas/ Fort Worth 06/17/2007 01:52 PM First Class 3E AMERICAN AIRLINES 1316 DFW Dallas/ Fort Worth 06/17/2007 03:10 PM TPA Tampa 06/17/2007 06:30 PM First Class 3E</i> |
> Actually mrwunrfl, international business class is usually
> the easiest to get. ROFL&L&L&L. On some sectors perhaps, but on any sector with good load factors, say London-Sydney, it is gnerally very, very difficult! Cheers, Bill |
As far as Christmas goes, I was able to get LAX->BKK first class seats on Dec. 21, 22, or 23 on SQ/TG. I held the res for LAX->NRT on SQ in F on the 21st, stopover, then NRT->BKK on TG in F on the 23rd. Problem is with the return: the earliest time in January is the 6th, which would be perfect if I had more time.
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Let me close out this thread for 2006. Another cousin of mine have to go to Hong Kong due a family emergency. 60K CO elite miles for standard award.
I flew a 20K IAH-ATL award from an elite account early this month. Then my dad snapped up a 25K award to CGN for next year (from elite account). So, that's another 105K claimed. So, this year I helped book about 510,000 (295,000 from accounts in my household) CO award miles - all standard award, no Sleazy Pass. |
My daughter and I each got SEA-CGN for 25K miles return, for February, on Continental.
We got these 25K miles as follows: With a $468 USD trip for SEA-MAD in August 2005 - an incredible deal that was probably a pricing error via Air Europa, a Continental code share partner. An $803 USD trip for SEA-GLA,TXL-SEA in August 2006 - a pretty good deal, if not stunning. Then I got online check-in bonuses, and some free miles for joining a dining network (can't recall the name). Our CGN tickets required $40 USD tax each, plus a $15 booking fee each so we could link the tickets. My daughter also required a $30 topup to get her miles over the threshold. =============== So a little off-topic now, but for a grand total of less than $1350 USD total per person, my daughter and I have gotten three roundtrips to Europe, from Seattle, two in August. All our Continental flights have gone really well. |
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