AP6380

I've only done the FF thing once, about 2 years ago to Sardinia in Aug. I think I called about 6 months out amd miraculously was able to book. I had hoped that this would happen again and called to check availability from NYC to Athens in early June. It's totally sold out, of course. The rep advised me to call back once a week for awhile, as she has seen seats open up on occasion. I'm wondering if this truly happens from time-to-time?

While I'm waiting for a slim-chance ff seat, I am wondering if the fares will continue to go up. Currently I could purchase it at $793. When I purchase international seats I usually wait until 3 months out.

I guess after all this rambling, I am just wondering if anyone has called and has been told there were no ff seats but then later on they became available.

Andrew

You don't have to keep calling - you can check online probably a lot more quickly than calling. However, realize that the last few years, most of the airlines have severely tightened their FF programs: increased the mileage requirements plus reduced the number of available seats (or you may have to use 2X the miles to get the seat you want with a "rule buster&quot. I was lucky to use my NW FF miles over the last holiday to fly cross-country but when I checked domestic flights on several airlines for the upcoming year, even months in advance, I found almost nothing at the lowest mileage levels. I'm not planning to fly using FF miles much in the future.

So I hate to be pessimistic, but I would not make any plans for using Delta miles to fly to Athens in June.

Andrew

WallyKringen

Call every day, things change from hour to hour in the airline business (just keep inputting the same flight parameters in websites and keep watching how things change...).

Also look at Delta's partners, where they fly, and be ready to change your trip. Does Delta or a partner fly to Italy somewhere (Venice, Bari, Sicily, etc.) where you can pick a ferry to Athens? (www.ferries.gr/). Alitalia is in the SkyTeam, maybe that can help?

Maybe there is a seat on mileage to come back from Athens, just not to go there, so you can make it an "open-jaw" ticket if you offer that solution to the agent.

Get adventurous like that and you might make it a memorable vacation where the bulk of it is still the freebie mileage trip. I've found that it helps to do one's homework and to suggest to an agent some routings that might not immediately come up on their screen.

WK

AP6380

The rep did say she could get me to London on Virgin. I imagine there are budget flights from London to Athens. I just hate to have to claim my luggage in London and then re-check it, but I guess as long as I have several hours it wouldn't be too big of a deal. Thanks for the ideas & thoughts!

AAFrequentFlyer

Look into using miles to London/Paris or whatever the big European hub is for Delta. Then look into budget airlines from there.

<b>www.whichbudget.com</b>

Judy

We've had good luck using Delta FF miles with their partners, usually Air France so we can stop in Paris for a few days.
I keep calling (have never had any luck on line) until I get an agent motivated to look at all possible combinations to make it work. Some are much more helpful than others.
We went to Athens last year and loved Greece!

clevelandbrown

I think it is common among airlines to release only a very small number of FF seats far out, and then to release more as the flight date approaches and they realize that the plane will not be sold out. With my favored airline, I almost never see availability far out, but I see plenty of availability a week before the flight. That hardly makes it convenient to use FF miles, as you can't be certain that the flight will not sell out, so there may never be availability. On the other hand, I can understand the airline not wanting to give a seat away when there is a decent chance they will be able to sell it.

WallyKringen

Easyjet flies out of Gatwick and from Luton to Athens for under 100 Euros. Deutsche BA flies from Munich for Euros 125 and up. Those are one-way so you should still look to get home for free from Athens.

The Italy-and-ferry angle would probably be the most fun.

Good luck

WK

AP6380

While I can check on line for some of the cities, others generate this message &quot;Award Tickets can be redeemed at delta.com for flights operated by Delta, Delta Shuttle&reg;, Song&reg;, and Delta Connection&reg; carriers.

The flights to one of the cities you selected are operated only by SkyMiles Airline Partners, so Award Tickets for these flights can't be redeemed online.

To make your reservation, contact Delta at 800-323-2323...&quot;

So to check all possibilities I will have to call them at least once a week, oh well!

StuDudley

I called Delta at 12:05am Atlanta time on the very first day it was possible to book a flight from SFO to Rome. Sold out. I called aboout 10 hours later - still sold out. I continued to call every day. Nothing opened up. I was put on a waiting list for about 6 months. Nothing opened up. I gave up and purchased a ticket.

For my next trip, I went through the same thing - called at 12:05. The clerk asked if I wanted to be put on a waiting list. I told her of my prior experience with waiting lists. She said that seats open up &quot;once in a blue moon&quot; - her exact words.

A friend read an article in the NY times that said that Delta has more demand for seats than it has seats - so I wouldn't plan on anything opening up in &quot;prime&quot; season.

Stu Dudley

Andrew

AP6380, if Delta can get you from Newark to London/Gatwick (if you can fly out of Newark) then I would consider doing that, at least one-way. easyJet flys to Athens, you might be able to make a same-day connection. If you have to fly home through London you might need to spend a night there, but maybe you could build that in. That's what I did last fall: flew to London/Gatwick on a cheap flight, flew out to Prague on easyJet a few hours later, then back through London on the way back and spent my final two nights there. It all worked out well for me.

But if you have to fly JFK-Heathrow, it's probably not worth the hassle of changing airports, in my opinion.

Andrew

cpd

I have mentioned this on another thread but I will do it again -

If a flight is booked of it's freebies online line it pays to call (so they can check partner carriers). If the first agent tells you it can't be done - it doesn't hurt to call again. Sometimes you get the person who is checking the bobblehead doll (let me see Paris, no, Rome, no Athens, no - no, no, no) and sometimes you get someone who thinks it's the neatest puzzle in the world to find you a way there and back!

Also, I have booked a FF trip to Paris in March. Now seats in BE have opened up and I have even been able to get FF seats EASTER WEEK (which weren't available a month ago). Seats do become available from time to time. I don't know whether they add more, people have them on the two week hold and then it runs out, or people are changing their plans (it doesn't cost that much to change or redeposti miles) but it happens!

rkkwan

Can't emphasize this enough, but make sure you ask them to check all partner airlines. That include CO, NW, KL, AF, AZ and CZ to Europe. [Not all fly to ATH, but they can also book you to CDG, AMS or FCO, and then on AF/KL/AZ to ATH.]

Intrepid1

I've flown the LGW-ATH route with Easyjet at considerable savings but currently that route is only open for salew throguh 9 June and the prices for dates in June range from about 55 Euros to a little over 100 Euros, one way.

Unless someone gives up a FF seat between now and then and if you aren't <b>number one</b>on any waiting list for any seat given up, what do you really think the chances are that you'll get one?

AAFrequentFlyer

The World Cup in Germany starts in early June and lasts until early July, so that could be a problem for securing any award tickets to any country within the &quot;neighborhood&quot;. The same could be true for a cheap ticket with a budget airline from England to the continent.

rkkwan

An airline <b>could</b> open up more seats for FF awards, but that's a huge could. Usually only if the flight is selling very slow, and only near the actual departure date. I won't be taking a chance for a vacation on that.

AP6380

Update: I'm on the phone with Delta now and they have so far found me a flight NYC-Athens in early June, she's now looking for the return.... It's odd how things change day-to-day?

AP6380

An interesting article on ff miles:

http://aolsvc.travel.travelandleisur...leage-meltdown

I have now on hold my flight from NY to Paris (8 hour layover) then Paris to Athens, and on the way back I have Athens to Paris once again. I am still checking each day to see if they can get me Paris to NY, they have waitlisted me on some Delta flights. If this works out I may end up with an umplanned few days in Paris... I've never been so the possibility is exciting!

AP6380

I called for the 5th day in a row and they have found me a way home with no major layovers. What a relief! On the way there I will have an 8 hour layover in Paris, but I doubt it's really worth it to venture out of the airport?

dina4

congratulations!

I've also found that persistence actually works with these things.

Sorry, can't help with the Paris question...