The Original Thread

Mike

Silver Member
Here goes, I have a general award question so I hope this is the right thread. I know you can use 17K Lufthansa M&M points on United in 1st class OW domestically, this is only if there is a United Saver Award available. Does anyone know how much M&M miles it would cost for such a flight if there was no United Saver availability?
 

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
Here goes, I have a general award question so I hope this is the right thread. I know you can use 17K Lufthansa M&M points on United in 1st class OW domestically, this is only if there is a United Saver Award available. Does anyone know how much M&M miles it would cost for such a flight if there was no United Saver availability?
Gonna take a wild stab in the dark and say you can't.... I actually have never tried and don't own any M&M points, but all the other partner programs require the saver bucket to be available in order to reserve - seems there is a connection between the seats that are placed into Saver and the seats that are made available to Partners.

I could be wrong about that though..
 

NickPFD

Mmmm.... yeah....
Staff member
Has anybody noticed any change in Avios availability on American metal? It used to be no problem to book flights between CLT and MGA, but now it seems like they're only releasing coach seats a month or two ahead of time.
 

dodachacha

Level 2 Member
Let's see what you guys can come up with, fairly specific.

Have a saver award booked on United: ORD-NBO, CPT-BRU, BRU-ORD

Need a way to get from NBO to CPT, preferably on July 17th. Mid-July award availability is horrendous, however. Sitting on ~20k UR, ~50k SPG, and ~86k AA. Best I've found is 17.5k UA miles and $56/$72 on SAA on the 16th or the 18th, but I would love to hear some more out of the box solutions.
 

fulthrust7

Level 2 Member
Has anybody noticed any change in Avios availability on American metal? It used to be no problem to book flights between CLT and MGA, but now it seems like they're only releasing coach seats a month or two ahead of time.
Sometimes Avios does not show true AA availability online. You have to call them and harass them. Also, if there is a connection involved, sometimes you have to search individual segments (e.g search BWI-DFW separately from DFW-PHX) to find availability.
 

KennyBSAT

Moderator
Staff member
Let's see what you guys can come up with, fairly specific.

Have a saver award booked on United: ORD-NBO, CPT-BRU, BRU-ORD

Need a way to get from NBO to CPT, preferably on July 17th. Mid-July award availability is horrendous, however. Sitting on ~20k UR, ~50k SPG, and ~86k AA. Best I've found is 17.5k UA miles and $56/$72 on SAA on the 16th or the 18th, but I would love to hear some more out of the box solutions.
Flights within Africa are tough, and SAA nearly has monopoly. That's a ~$500 revenue ticket, or ~$900 RT.
 

Naina

Level 2 Member
Gonna take a wild stab in the dark and say you can't.... I actually have never tried and don't own any M&M points, but all the other partner programs require the saver bucket to be available in order to reserve - seems there is a connection between the seats that are placed into Saver and the seats that are made available to Partners.

I could be wrong about that though..
I tried booking for high demand days (Thanksgiving) using M&M miles and wasn't able to - I think it was the lack of saver ability
 

dodachacha

Level 2 Member
Thanks @KennyBSAT , I might just pull the trigger then. Goofy routing with 5+ hour layovers in JNB and PLZ, but I guess that's 2 more cities I get to see instead of just 1!
 

ninjasurfer99

Level 2 Member
Ok so I took advantage of the priceline mistake fares to book our end of year trip. We booked JFK - MXP and then Bud-DSP. The only challenge is getting back from Bali. I've got plenty of SW points and the CP so once we get to the states I can book with them to get home (BWI). I've got 115k aa miles, 120k UR and 55k united points. I'll be able to make another round of cc apps in August for more points as well. Best suggestions for getting home? If a stopover in hawaii were possible we've got friends we'd love to see there.

Thanks in advance!
 

bayguy

Level 2 Member
I have a question on Award booking. I am planning to book award trip for 4(incl. 2 kids) from SFO-JNB. I have miles for 2 in United and 2 in US air. I am planning to go next June/July and I can find availability going to JNB/CPT but nothing for coming back(searching for March/April to see how availability looks like). Anyone has any suggestions for me. I am trying Business class seats.
 

Steelsnow

Gold Member
I have a question on Award booking. I am planning to book award trip for 4(incl. 2 kids) from SFO-JNB. I have miles for 2 in United and 2 in US air. I am planning to go next June/July and I can find availability going to JNB/CPT but nothing for coming back(searching for March/April to see how availability looks like). Anyone has any suggestions for me. I am trying Business class seats.
Try poking around for Ethiopian flight availability from IAD-ADD, it's a solid ride in their 777 in Bus. If that has availability, then it's trying to find the flights on either side to complete it. United had some flights with international business class config/availability from SFO-IAD (at least last year when I flew it).
 
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bayguy

Level 2 Member
Thank you, challenge is Ethiopian is not partner of US airways. I may need to split up and find other ways.
 

Steelsnow

Gold Member
Thank you, challenge is Ethiopian is not partner of US airways. I may need to split up and find other ways.
Sorry, brain lock here thinking of last year & USAir still in Star. One World is really weak to Africa, but US Air I believe can route through Asia to South Africa - I think Lucky @ OMAAT touched on it using SFO-HKG-JNB for the double long haul. You may have already looked there though, would be kinda cool having one half of the family fly half way around the world from one direction, and the others fly from the opposite direction.
 

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
Going forward - should this actually be a sub forum.. so all replies discuss the need in question?
 

Steelsnow

Gold Member
@ Matt - not a bad idea, will definitely keep it cleaner. How is the search functionality of this XenForo forum platform once things become more cluttered?
 

fulthrust7

Level 2 Member
Ok so I took advantage of the priceline mistake fares to book our end of year trip. We booked JFK - MXP and then Bud-DSP. The only challenge is getting back from Bali. I've got plenty of SW points and the CP so once we get to the states I can book with them to get home (BWI). I've got 115k aa miles, 120k UR and 55k united points. I'll be able to make another round of cc apps in August for more points as well. Best suggestions for getting home? If a stopover in hawaii were possible we've got friends we'd love to see there.

Thanks in advance!
Off target, but I'm also a fellow Baltimorean. Glad to see others on here!
 

Matt

Administrator
Staff member
@ Matt - not a bad idea, will definitely keep it cleaner. How is the search functionality of this XenForo forum platform once things become more cluttered?
Search seems pretty good. It's actually an up-gradable feature that I didn't switch on yet but will soon. I think I will leave this as a thread for now and then if it does get hectic we can build it out into a sub-forum.
 

tly

Level 2 Member
I have a question on Award booking. I am planning to book award trip for 4(incl. 2 kids) from SFO-JNB. I have miles for 2 in United and 2 in US air. I am planning to go next June/July and I can find availability going to JNB/CPT but nothing for coming back(searching for March/April to see how availability looks like). Anyone has any suggestions for me. I am trying Business class seats.
I'm looking to do the same thing in May for 2 with USDM. QR had spotty availability JNB-DOH then DOH-JFK/IAD/ORD, otherwise the SFO-HKG-JNB route seems the most likely.
 

tmount

Administrator
Ok so I took advantage of the priceline mistake fares to book our end of year trip. We booked JFK - MXP and then Bud-DSP. The only challenge is getting back from Bali. I've got plenty of SW points and the CP so once we get to the states I can book with them to get home (BWI). I've got 115k aa miles, 120k UR and 55k united points. I'll be able to make another round of cc apps in August for more points as well. Best suggestions for getting home? If a stopover in hawaii were possible we've got friends we'd love to see there.

Thanks in advance!
What dates are you looking? BR just added I think 2 more weekly flights TPE-JFK on the 77W (which looks like a nice Biz product), and I think they may have added to YYZ (which usually has good availability). Other than that, I've seen reasonably good availability on CX's flight to EWR, from there its an easy flight down to BWI, but I don't think WN flies there. With the time you have, assuming Citi Executive stays around, you could easily get another 100k and fly CX F but that's harder to come by, maybe easier going into SFO? (we're doing that in September).

I think the key consideration here is the trans-pac, but do note that the only options ex-Bali are:
SQ or QR to SIN
MH to KUL
BR to TPE
CX to HKG
OZ to ICN
TG to BKK
 

Maverick17

Level 2 Member
I have a question on Award booking. I am planning to book award trip for 4(incl. 2 kids) from SFO-JNB. I have miles for 2 in United and 2 in US air. I am planning to go next June/July and I can find availability going to JNB/CPT but nothing for coming back(searching for March/April to see how availability looks like). Anyone has any suggestions for me. I am trying Business class seats.
I might be misunderstanding the situation, but you're splitting up 2 of you on Star Alliance and 2 of you on OneWorld?

Not to sound too basic, not sure of your experience, but I'd start with narrowing down your TATL flights, focusing on JNB as departure. I'm not seeing much or any SA J seats next spring, but I am seeing a lot of Egyptair via Cairo and some LH via FRA to the US. Sometimes it's that last domestic leg that throws the search off. Happened to me when I flew via LOS earlier this year, and that was good for me coming back to the west coast. But as much as I tried I couldn't get to SLC and that was my problem. In the end I took Y on that short leg but was able to find my TATL flight in J by getting rid of the last segment.

Also JNB-GRU has had good availability from time to time. I'm sure the miles went way up if it is even still allowed post-devaluation. But might be an option to go via GRU then up to SFO.

I don't know much about OneWorld flights.
 

tmount

Administrator
I might be misunderstanding the situation, but you're splitting up 2 of you on Star Alliance and 2 of you on OneWorld?

Not to sound too basic, not sure of your experience, but I'd start with narrowing down your TATL flights, focusing on JNB as departure. I'm not seeing much or any SA J seats next spring, but I am seeing a lot of Egyptair via Cairo and some LH via FRA to the US. Sometimes it's that last domestic leg that throws the search off. Happened to me when I flew via LOS earlier this year, and that was good for me coming back to the west coast. But as much as I tried I couldn't get to SLC and that was my problem. In the end I took Y on that short leg but was able to find my TATL flight in J by getting rid of the last segment.

Also JNB-GRU has had good availability from time to time. I'm sure the miles went way up if it is even still allowed post-devaluation. But might be an option to go via GRU then up to SFO.

I don't know much about OneWorld flights.
For OW I thought BA flew JNB-LHR on a 744 or A388... Not sure of their availability.
 

Maverick17

Level 2 Member
Ok so I took advantage of the priceline mistake fares to book our end of year trip. We booked JFK - MXP and then Bud-DSP. The only challenge is getting back from Bali. I've got plenty of SW points and the CP so once we get to the states I can book with them to get home (BWI). I've got 115k aa miles, 120k UR and 55k united points. I'll be able to make another round of cc apps in August for more points as well. Best suggestions for getting home? If a stopover in hawaii were possible we've got friends we'd love to see there.
I'm not aware of a way to stop in Hawaii on a single ticket anymore with AA taking those gateway stopovers out of play. SQ has the most availability in * alliance to DPS, allowing for an easier layover in my opinion. All my TG attempts at booking to DPS required long layovers in BKK, which isn't bad cuz of the lounges, but overnight is a bit much for me. But SQ would require two stops to the US. BR & OZ could be booked with your UR & UA points, as could UA from a number of locations in Asia. If you take the UA flight for the TPAC your mileage requirement will be lower, but so is the service level.

CX might be a better value. I don't fly OW much, but I love CX and HKG. You could take routes like mentioned above, or also could consider that AA is starting new HKG flights to DFW, so they might have some award space when they open for booking and be able to get you all the way home. Lastly, a bit more of a stretch. But if you can get some Alaska points before then, AS allows a stopover in HKG on a oneway trip with CX, but I don't think you can add a domestic leg onto the end of it, so you'd have to settle for NYC or the other options mentioned above.
 

Maverick17

Level 2 Member
For OW I thought BA flew JNB-LHR on a 744 or A388... Not sure of their availability.
Yeah the big white whale was there beside my SA flight. I think they are one of the few longhaul flights from CPT, too. Taxes keep me from ever recommending BA, but maybe for transit only it's not as bad.

CPT also has TK, QR, and seasonal LH flights.
 

tmount

Administrator
Yeah the big white whale was there beside my SA flight. I think they are one of the few longhaul flights from CPT, too. Taxes keep me from ever recommending BA, but maybe for transit only it's not as bad.

CPT also has TK, QR, and seasonal LH flights.
It still adds a couple hundred in taxes, but if you have the miles, its not horrible. Besides, you can get a (insert random affiliate link joke) Barclay Arrival to offset that part... Or AMEX Plat...
 

jackal3000

Level 2 Member
I have since given up looking, but is it typical for all airlines to release very little saver award space to Hawaii during March? Even 330 days out? Business class was all I could find.
 

Mingy

Level 2 Member
Can anyone offer advice on using United miles to get to MLA from EWR either 7/5, 7/6, coming back 7/12, 7/13? I’m trying to extend and improve an existing award that leaves from JFK, which is a bit of a pain for me, and now comes back on Friday.
I don’t mind overnight layover if it’s the 12th. And if Germany ends up in the 3rd place game, a layover in Munich really wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.

My biggest issue is searching for and finding space to/from MLA.
United’s website is screwy with MLA-FRA, MLA-MUC flights (in both directions). It won’t show availability for a direct flight, but it’ll find availability if the segment is part of a connection to a third city. For example, it won’t show MLA-MUC as available on a day, but it’ll show MLA-FRA via MUC, or it’ll show MLA-FRA availability but only when it’s part of MLA- JFK via FRA.
ANA website isn’t helping and it wasn’t much better when I was initially booking. It didn’t show a lot of availability to the island, even with MLA-BRU, which United showed (and I have booked for the way back).

Also, is a 50 minute connection in MUC doable LH to LH? I’ve only flown UA out of MUC and I know I’ve had to go through security again at the gate.
 

KennyBSAT

Moderator
Staff member
United.com can be really lazy and stupid. If you find segments that work (even if they don't show up nonstop) they should be able to put it together over the phone. Since Malta is in the Schengen area, 50 minutes should be a legal connection as far as I can tell.
 

PWMTrav

Moderator
Staff member
I personally don't prefer to ever book a connection < 1 hr following a long haul.

In any case, if I'm reading this post at FT correctly, MCT is 100 min for LH to LH, Intl to Domestic, originating from the US. That might be why United isn't showing you that option.
 

Dkelly1110

Level 2 Member
I personally don't prefer to ever book a connection < 1 hr following a long haul.

In any case, if I'm reading this post at FT correctly, MCT is 100 min for LH to LH, Intl to Domestic, originating from the US. That might be why United isn't showing you that option.
In that table, 100 refers to 1 hour and 00 minutes.
 

Dkelly1110

Level 2 Member
Meanwhile, on your return flight from MLA-JFK via FRA, 45 minutes is a legal connection.

Deciphering the below, LH flights in the first range, for which MLA-FRA is one, then connecting to a flight to the US with its flight number in the 2nd range has a 45 min I/I connection time (the last column).

Code:
LH 0800-1499 SC        -LH 0400-0799 US         --- 045 --- 045
 

PWMTrav

Moderator
Staff member
Thanks for clearing that up. I will add one other thing - my sister recently had a tight connection in FRA due to her FLR outbound being really late. I think she had something like 35 mins from wheels down to the other gate and still made it. Not saying it's a great idea, but it's technically doable - the best kind of doable.
 

Mountain Trader

Level 2 Member
Thanks for clearing that up. I will add one other thing - my sister recently had a tight connection in FRA due to her FLR outbound being really late. I think she had something like 35 mins from wheels down to the other gate and still made it. Not saying it's a great idea, but it's technically doable - the best kind of doable.
A 45 minute connection in FRA is really asking for it. There can be a long, long walk between gates, especially when going from inter-Euro to outside the Schengen countries.
 

yuneeq

Level 2 Member
Looking to burn some miles for a NYC-HKG trip in J with my wife sometime next year.

1) What's my best option, using AA miles to book CX?
2) Do I need to book a year in advance?
3) Any good destinations to combine with HKG?

Thanks in advance!
 

godsquare

Level 2 Member
Could anyone with enough miles in his/her ANA Mileage Club account please look up the fuel surcharge that ANA charges for the following itinerary:
ORD-YYZ-YYC-ORD

ORD-YYZ is on United
YYZ-YYC is on Air Canada
YYC-ORD is on Air Canada

Thank you very much,
 
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