Need to get 7 people to Kona, Hawaii next June. Have 85,000 miles on Delta and 85,000 miles on AE Rewards. Can anyone please offer suggestions of the best way to make use of these miles?

It's 35,000 miles each person to Hawaii on DL or most other airlines. With 170,000, you have enough for 4 tickets, but AE Membership Rewards often give you bonus miles when you move from AE to DL Skymiles, which may be enough to get 5 if you pool them together.

Just call DL to try book 4 reward tickets; they can hold them while you transfer miles from AE to DL.

When that's done, buy the other tickets when you find a good deal.

Now, if they don't need to fly together, you can use the AE miles on other airlines - like USAirways. So, you have more choices with the AE miles than the DL miles.

Since you have 85,000 miles with Delta, I'd start there. Where are you originating? Skysaver awards from continental US/Alaska/Canada to Hawaii cost 35,000 in economy or 75,000 in first. Checking online gives you access to award availability on Delta operated flights, but if you call, they can check Northwest and Continental as well. Consider splitting up your party as it will be difficult to find multiple award seats on the same flights. Also consider flying into Honolulu or Kahului and buying a separate interisland ticket if you can't get an award into Kona. Depending on how many seats you can get (if any) through Delta, you can transfer the remaining necessary miles from Membership Rewards. Delta will hold your award reservation for 2 days and transfers from MR are instantaneous.

If you can't get all or any award seats through Delta, take a look at other MR transfer options - http://www.membershiprewards.com/Cat...103&ahcr=1

Call (or check online) for award availability before you make any transfers. Continental may have award inventory for their own members which Delta members don't have access to. The mileage requirement for their standard awards is the same amount as Delta.

Hawaiian Airlines awards are 35,000 for economy and 60,000 in first. I'm unsure whether connecting flights in the continental US are included on HA awards, so you may need to start from a HA gateway.

Check other transfer options too even programs of airlines that don't have service to Hawaii as they may offer awards to Hawaii via their partner airlines.

Awards to Hawaii aren't easy. Good luck!

rkkwan,
USAirways no longer participates in MR.

If you consolidate the miles by transferring the AX miles to the Delta account then you will be only 5000 miles short of a 5th ticket. If you don't consolidate the miles then you will be 20,000 miles from a 5th ticket.

Yes, but that's assuming 5 award tickets are possible through Delta. Leaving the points in MR for the time being until availability can be determined will provide more flexibility.

Patty,
It's approaching the date when I will have to book the award tickets - we are leaving 6/23/07 so counting 330 days means I book 7/29/06, correct? Another ? - you mentioned calling to check on award seats - I assume that means to call all 3 airlines separately, correct? Thank you - and all others for your suggestions - you are a great help. Will let you know how we came out!

Patty, I see what you mean by your last post, you are right.

amcneal, you could call today to answer your questions and to get some idea of availability for next June. They should be able to tell you exactly which day you can book for your dates.

Assuming that you won't be able to get all 4 or 5 seats when you call on 7/29 for travel on 6/23/07, you could call on 7/27 for travel on 6/21 and call on 7/28 for travel on 6/21 and 6/22. Hold them until the 29th or 30th. If you get all of your seats on the 29th, then release the earlier ones (those earlier dates will get used).

You only need to call the airline which you have miles on - more specifically, its FF award desk. They'll handle everything for you.

I believe you can actually book 331 days in advance. I'd do what mrwunrfl suggested and call DL today and ask them exactly which day 6/23/07 opens for booking.

If you're using DL miles, you would call DL and they can check award availability on DL, NW and CO for you all at the same time.

If you're unsuccessful getting all of the seats you need through DL, then you can start calling other carriers that participate in Membership Rewards transfers to see if you can get additional awards through one of them.

Good luck!

Have you transferred MR points to Delta before? If not, make sure you go ahead and link your DL account to your MR account now so that when it's time to transfer, it goes through instantaneously.

Thanks to all for your help - so far so GOOD!
Put 7 Delta tickets on hold this morning - 5 from FF miles. Was advised that we can keep extending until return flights are available. I noted another post here where Delta wasn't that cooperative so hope they keep their word. We had to go a day earlier - no ff seats the 23rd - but that's not a problem.
Now - we are pricing other airlines for possibilties for other 2 tickets.
Our tickets on hold are to HNL - but we need to get to KOA(Delta doesn't seem to go there) so will be additional expense.
If you have and additional thoughts - would be thankful to hear them!
And again thanks for your assistance - beginning to believe this trip - a gift for the grandkids - might actually happen!!!

Delta does serve KOA, the flight is seasonal and non-daily but operates on both the 22nd and 23rd. DL 354 ATL-SLC-KOA.

As a matter of fact, both dates have at least 5 Skysaver award seats in coach on the SLC-KOA portion, I just checked. I don't know where you're originating, the ATL-SLC portion of this flight doesn't have 5 Skysaver seats but even if you're originating in ATL, you can take the earlier ATL-SLC flight 529 and connect with 354 SLC-KOA.

If you're originating elsewhere, then perhaps there isn't availability to get you to SLC. The SLC-KOA flight departs SLC at 12:25pm.

Call back or check and reserve online yourself.

I also think the agent gave you wrong advice regarding hold extensions. Generally this isn't done although exceptions are made if the circumstances warrant it. The current policy is ticket the outbound before the 2 day expiration and call back later to add the return at which time the reissue fee for adding the return is waived. Be prepared to transfer your Amex MR points in case you don't get an extension.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Patty,
We couldn't get any Delta flights to KOA to come up on the searches - We are flying out of DTW - will check out the KOA flights.

OK, the problem is there's only one DTW-SLC nonstop on Delta and it arrives SLC in the evening.

You could route DTW-CVG-SLC, but the CVG-SLC flight that you would need in order to connect to SLC-KOA doesn't have Skysaver availability.

I also checked Northwest and you have the same problem there. DTW-MSP is available but not MSP-SLC.

It looks like the only way you can get award tickets directly into KOA would be to take Delta 393 (the DTW-SLC nonstop) the day prior (either June 21 or 22), overnight at SLC, and fly SLC-KOA the following day (June 22 or 23).

Both sets of dates currently have Skysaver availability for 5. I'm not sure if you can book this online with the overnight in SLC.

Your other option is to keep your HNL flights.

Anybody else want to take a stab at this?

Here's where we currently stand - We were able to get 5 seats - DTW/ALT/LAX/HNL but on Friday - this was an easy adjustment. Getting back was another matter. We ended up with 5 seats back to LAX the following Friday but had to over night there then complete the trip Saturday to SLC/DTW.
When we made the return resevations we were told there was another Itinerary on Sat through SLC but seats were not available. They thought they were just being held and would be realeased in a day and we were told she could put us on a waitlist and then we could change to that itinerary for no charge. When we called the next day we were told there was no such waitlist. Anyway we can make this work. Thanks again for all the help!
Al McNeal

I think you'll just to have ticket what's available now and have them waitlist you for HNL-SLC-DTW (DL1826/DL421) on the return. See if they can also waitlist you for another combination via ATL or LAX. You have some time so there's a chance one of the other options will clear. Waitlist as many flights as you can.

Keep an eye on award availability yourself on delta.com as I've had instances where Skysaver seats were released but my waitlist didn't automatically clear.

Also keep an eye on any schedule changes that affect your confirmed flights. If the schedule change is unfavorable to you, you can push for reaccomodation on other flights even if those other flights don't have Skysaver availability.

BTW it looks like Delta service into KOA has been completely cancelled.

Good luck!

I've flown RT from NY to Honolulu and it is a long day. You may welcome the overnight at LAX.

Good point! These tickets will be used by my daughter and her 4 kids - one who will be 12 at that time and 3 who will be 7!