Using FF Miles to Maui
 

How far in advance should I book 6 business class tickets to maui using FF miles. We would like to go sometime during the summer of 2004 (dates are flexible). We are also flexible on which airline we can use since we will be transfering AMEX points. Will I be safe if I wait to book 6 months ahead? Are there any secrets to this? Thanks for your help.

I will start by telling you, that it may be impossible to get 6 business award tickets on the same flight.

For further info, look at this thread, started just few days ago:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...25&start=0

I don't believe any of the airlines have business class to Hawaii any more. Most, if not all, have gone to two classes of service; first and coach. If you want to go first class, I believe it will be next to impossible to get 6 award tickets on the same flight. AA may be the only hope and AMEX points can not be transferred there.

You may have a chance to get 6 coach award tickets on the same flight, but I believe even that will be difficult, regardless of airline. In any case, you need to be booking 331 days in advance on most airlines to have the best chance at Hawaii award seats and the miles need to be in your airline account before you can book the seats.

Of course, if you opt for paying twice as many miles for the award seats (i.e. using Delta's SkyChoice or Continental's EasyPass awards), you can go whenever you want as those awards are not capacity controlled.

To get six tickets on the same flight you need to be prepared to mix some of the saver awards with some of the awards mentioned above, or have some of your party ride in first class with the rest in coach. Also be prepared to pay for some of the seats or split your party on two separate flights. I really think your chances of six award seats on a single flight are slim to none.

In my view, you will be out of luck if you wait until 6 months ahead. However, if you have flexibility to wait til 30 days out, you may get what you are looking for as Continental seems to open more awards at that time. Good luck!

OK, it sounds like my chances of getting that many tickets on the same flight will be almost impossible. What if we took separate flights, what are my chances? Also, where can I go to to get the best airfare? What would be considered a good deal coming from the midwest? Am I just dreaming if I think I'm going to get FF seats 6 months ahead? I just can't commit a year in advance.

It helps if you're in one of the "premium" tiers e.g. AA Gold

Take a look at http://www.flyertalk.com/milesfr.shtml

may offer some insight. Good luck.

If you are willing to split your party of six across two different flights (4 & 2 or 3 & 3) I think you will improve your chances of getting to Hawaii on awards. I think the chances of getting 3 or 4 first class award seats on the same flight are slim; better chance for coach as usually more seats available.

Getting award seats six months out is not impossible, but difficult. You will have to call the airlines every day and hope seats open up. Take what you can get when you start making plans, hope more seats open up, but realize you may be paying for some seats or using double miles to avoid capacity controls.

Realize also that summer is peak travel season so that will make it tougher. If you can fly out on a Tuesday or Wednesday and return on those same days, that will improve your chances also.

You may want to talk with Continental or Delta now and see what they are offering six months out. This will give you at least some idea of how many seats you are likely to get when you start planning later this year.

You may want to check into things on line first. On Northwest you can view availability for FF tickets on line. You can for Delta too - I know for the US but I have not checked for Hawaii. Delta use to have a flight from LA right to Maui. I have not checked into that for a while. We used FF miles (coach) for New Years 2003 and we had to reserve in January - we still couldn't get a return flight on the day we wanted. What you may want to do is reserve the space. Ask about the cancellation policy. On NW airlines, they only charge $50 to put the miles back in your account. You could book the flights and hold them knowing that if you don't go, you will have to pay $50 per ticket to put the miles back. It may not be possible to do this on other airlines though. It is worth checking out. Good luck!

I have never had a problem booking Delta Award tickets for our last two trips to Hawaii and have been able to secure 6 tickets on the same flight coming and going. HOWEVER, last night was a different story. It was the first time that I stayed up so I could call just after midnight on the day the tickets would become available for the outbound. As I was talking to the agent, the 9 tickets she had in coach and the 2 in First class vanish. Maui was out of the question from LAX. I ended up with 5 coach from LAX to HNL, which is okay. I can redo my itinerary because the only reservation I have is the Hale Koa anyway. I will try tonight to see if I can get what I am looking for and I can also try next weekend. It is definately easier to earn miles these days but it is obviously getting harder and harder to use them. Northwest has the flight and the seating we are looking for. They book 345 days out but they aren't available to Delta at this time for award use. I can be flexible in my plans and leave for any 15 day period from now until August 1st. How are these tickets booked on line when the screen is asking for a return date and one can't be selected because of the 330 day limitation? Without the return date, the screen I have been on will not progress to a reservation. I spoke to the agent and she did say that it is better to call rather than try to book on line. This seems to be the case. A big part of me says, be grateful for what I have. Any opinions?

I should add that we are flying from Ct so I have a lot of connections available to me, CVG, Atlanta, etc.

I booked our flights for December using FF miles from O'Hare to Maui (direct flight) on AA July 24th through AA website. I had no problem, got the first flight option I chose and booked them within 5 minutes. This was for coach, however. I have not idea about the avail. of first class. This was my first time using FF miles, and I was very impressed w/ how easy it was for us.

CLLRN, What airline did you use?

Just one add'l idea. We went to Maui on FF miles and had to split the family to two flights because of available FF seats (coach). On the return I REALLY wanted us all on the same flight so I called MileagePlus customer service to ask them to release some available seats to us so we could combine our return. Otherwise half the family was going on the redeye. They called us back the next day to confirm they could and it was very appreciated by all of us. I was very impressed by this effort for a frequent traveler by United's people.

The good news is, everyone is on the same flight. I should just ask to be waitlisted for FF but if I split my husband and I out of the PNR and the waitlist for BDL/CVG/HNL comes through, we could end up on separate flights.

iluv2travel,
I used AA (American Airlines). You can book FF tickets right on their website.

Delta also allows you to book FF tickets on their website however, you have to be able to put in a return date. With the way these tickets are being snatched up, if I were to wait for the return dates to be loaded in the system, I wouldn't get there in the first place. It says on the web site if you are booking only one way, call the airline. Now that I have an outbound flight, How difficult will it be to get home? I can see how there would be more people trying to get there than get home so hopefully, there will be something.

July 1st (the second date I tried) has 7 seats available from DFW on AA. I am not sure where you are starting from but it is only impossible if you are working from some website. A travel agent can help you find something.
Are you looking at AA? What is your departing city? I can have a look, if you like.

Dawn, are you in the travel industry?
You are using airport codes and terms like PNR like a travel agent...?
Also, you must be a military family?
We stayed at the Hale Koa last year and it was ok but next time we plan to stay at one of the many cabins available to us.
:)

No, I am not a TA but I took a course a long time ago and decided I had better stick with my day job. :) We will only be at the Hale Koa for three nights. The kids like the city for a short time. We have stayed at the Kilauea Military Lodge a couple of time and I absolutely love that. I think we are skipping the BI this time and going to Kauai again. Barking Sands is probably just too hot in July to consider the Navy cottages however. Any opinions on that?

TxTravelPro, Are you familiar with any of the cabins on Oahu?

Hi Dawn...
Bellows is pretty nice. We had a cabin close to the beach and it was MUCH better than the Hale Koa if you prefer a home-like setting.
We travel cheap and this allowed us to shop at the commissary and prepare all our meals at the cabin. I think it cost around 80. a day.
Do a search on Fodors using military lodging as the key word.
I was a TA for years... I now work as a hotel automation consultant but I have access to Sabre and still book all my own travel.