US Dividend Miles - Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[anat0l]

I have read the thread and found that the best way is to check the ANA booking tool to see availability?

Many have said that using the United website is pretty good. I think you can view availability a month at a time (but only at a summary level).

I like to use ANA myself, but keep in mind that searching on ANA is done on a point-to-point basis (more often than not). ANA can show availability weeks at a time.

You could also just try Awardtravlr, but if direct routes don't show up on Awardtravlr then it may not show all possible indirect routes (or all possible indirect routes in different classes). Also note that there is a bug in Awardtravlr which shows EI flights in Star Alliance searches (even though EI is not a member of the Star Alliance).

 

[hedge]

Im trying to find F availability for end of April/Early May...from PER-CDG. Looks like it is all full? I've selected award travel and would need two seats. I guess it could be full, or im doing something completely wrong. I will give them a call tomorrow.

 

[Flashback]

Im trying to find F availability for end of April/Early May...from PER-CDG. Looks like it is all full? I've selected award travel and would need two seats. I guess it could be full, or im doing something completely wrong. I will give them a call tomorrow.

Did you search separately PER-BKK and then BKK-CDG?

 

[hedge]

Did you search separately PER-BKK and then BKK-CDG?

Yep, im doing each flight separately. Most have only economy availability.

Maybe I left it too late. Either way, when I call them, they will either find out that im doing something stupid or just tell me the cold hard truth

Edit: I just called them and some legs are going to have to be in economy with most in business.

Going to have to do some more searching on the united tool.

 

[anat0l]

Yep, im doing each flight separately. Most have only economy availability.

Maybe I left it too late. Either way, when I call them, they will either find out that im doing something stupid or just tell me the cold hard truth

Edit: I just called them and some legs are going to have to be in economy with most in business.

Going to have to do some more searching on the united tool.

Did a check for about mid-April to mid-May for 2 x F in BKK-CDG on ANA and seems to confirm your worst fears - there's no availability. In fact, I changed it to 1 x F and I still can't find any.

I checked the A388 services to FRA and B747 services to LHR and there's also none to be found. I can see 2 x F on A388 service to FRA but it is on 17 May. I haven't tried other European centres.

 

[PapaRubbery]

Did a check for about mid-April to mid-May for 2 x F in BKK-CDG on ANA and seems to confirm your worst fears - there's no availability. In fact, I changed it to 1 x F and I still can't find any.

I checked the A388 services to FRA and B747 services to LHR and there's also none to be found. I can see 2 x F on A388 service to FRA but it is on 17 May. I haven't tried other European centres.

Give ZRH a go. Its not an A388 though.

 

[anat0l]

Give ZRH a go. Its not an A388 though.

Yep, it's a 346. One of the FRA services each day is also a 346.

I did have a quick squizz at ZRH and it was looking bleak, too. The 346 operating FRA was looking OK-ish near the middle of May.

 

[hedge]

Basically I need to leave around 30/04/2014. So far looking like PER-BKK-BRU-IST and then onwards. I can get those flights mentioned in J, but on A330 product. Can't win them all.

Flights on TG and TK (last leg).

 

[anat0l]

Basically I need to leave around 30/04/2014. So far looking like PER-BKK-BRU-IST and then onwards. I can get those flights mentioned in J, but on A330 product. Can't win them all.

Flights on TG and TK (last leg).

I can see 2 x F on BKK-FCO on 2 May. Seems to be operated by a 744 (not sure if this means refurbished or an old one). Could that work and could you marry that with an onward segment to suit your plans?

 

[hedge]

I can see 2 x F on BKK-FCO on 2 May. Seems to be operated by a 744 (not sure if this means refurbished or an old one). Could that work and could you marry that with an onward segment to suit your plans?

Thanks anat0l. Im just trying to do business for all legs. I have seats to eu/us on J but not on the way back in late may/early june. One leg is always Y! The agent was most helpful last night but couldnt ticket it as I was going to search for another way to get home to avoid the Y leg.

 

[anat0l]

Thanks anat0l. Im just trying to do business for all legs. I have seats to eu/us on J but not on the way back in late may/early june. One leg is always Y! The agent was most helpful last night but couldnt ticket it as I was going to search for another way to get home to avoid the Y leg.

Which leg happens to always be in Y?

It's a busy time of year for travel....

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Which leg happens to always be in Y?

It's a busy time of year for travel....

it is! I pretty much got the last F class transpac ticket ex asia in April the other day. there was nothing weeks each side of it, and that was checking all the usual NRT/ICN suspects. good availability on the CA 773 to IAH however.

 

[hedge]

Which leg happens to always be in Y?

It's a busy time of year for travel....

Agreed, very busy. Live and learn I might have found a way around it. Just on the phone now, however been on hold for an hour so far, but it is out of hours...

Anyone know what the best time to call is? The guy I spoke to last night was based in NC, so its 12 hours behind (from Perth anyway).

it is! I pretty much got the last F class transpac ticket ex asia in April the other day. there was nothing weeks each side of it, and that was checking all the usual NRT/ICN suspects. good availability on the CA 773 to IAH however.

Yes, the CA availability is good, but if I do an open jaw (as I fly into JFK and the short flights to IAD don't seem to have availability when I need it), I give up the stop over as the agent I spoke to said.

J is good enough for me.

 

[travelislife]

Agreed, very busy. Live and learn I might have found a way around it. Just on the phone now, however been on hold for an hour so far, but it is out of hours...

Anyone know what the best time to call is? The guy I spoke to last night was based in NC, so its 12 hours behind (from Perth anyway).

Yes, the CA availability is good, but if I do an open jaw (as I fly into JFK and the short flights to IAD don't seem to have availability when I need it), I give up the stop over as the agent I spoke to said.

J is good enough for me.

Best time is later at night Australian east cost time. I find after 10pm is best (so 7pm Perth). I have been trying for the last couple of hours whilst doing some work, current wait time is 1hr 10 minutes, ridiculous. Makes it hard to HUACA if you don't get a good agent as well.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The last few days I've given up waiting until after 8PM eastern time because award availability is so slim I'll grab anything as soon as I can find it. Called 9am and midday, first time 30 mins hold, second time 4 mins. Seems fairly random atm.

 

[travelislife]

Best time is later at night Australian east cost time. I find after 10pm is best (so 7pm Perth). I have been trying for the last couple of hours whilst doing some work, current wait time is 1hr 10 minutes, ridiculous. Makes it hard to HUACA if you don't get a good agent as well.

I gave up after 1hr 45m, will try again in about an hour or so.

 

[appaz]

why has it all of a sudden been really really tough to find J availability on BKK-PER....

weird/annoying

 

[anat0l]

why has it all of a sudden been really really tough to find J availability on BKK-PER....

weird/annoying

Are you sure about that?

I had a look at about four months of availability both ways for 2 x J on BKK/PER (and the other way) and it looks pretty good. Most days a week have availability (not all of them, and until mid-year, there are only 6 services per week). There's a blip in availability at the start of July when the aircraft changes from A330 to B787.

 

[appaz]

Are you sure about that?

I had a look at about four months of availability both ways for 2 x J on BKK/PER (and the other way) and it looks pretty good. Most days a week have availability (not all of them, and until mid-year, there are only 6 services per week). There's a blip in availability at the start of July when the aircraft changes from A330 to B787.

i'm looking at late september or october and struggling to find 2x seats BKK-PER

edit. managed to find 2x for 14/10

 

[anat0l]

i'm looking at late september or october and struggling to find 2x seats BKK-PER

edit. managed to find 2x for 14/10

September and October is another busy travel period - a real PITA at times to find any award availability, and this is across many airlines.

But looks like you've found something so woo hoo!