Viewing Star Alliance award redemption availability - how?

[Pollywaffle]

Hi all.

I am researching options about how to best make use of my Krisflyer points.

In 2011, I want to travel SYD to Europe, Europe to NYC and then NYC to SYD. I am still debating a stopover in SFO.

I will have about 70K-odd QFF points to use but mainly I will be using my Krisflyer points - approx 125K at this point. I do realise these 2 airlines do not share the same alliance, hence my desire to cobble together a trip that makes best use of the points.

From the Singapore Air site, I have found the Star Alliance award charts. I gather to make the booking I need to contact Krisflyer Membership Services.

What I don't know is where I can search availability for award flights from Europe to USA and USA to SYD. None of the calculators on the Singapore site show any US cities to select from. I don't want to call Krisflyer Membership Services because I don't have a set plan, dates or flying class in mind. It all depends on award availability, which I am happy to research myself but don't know where to find the information.

All my KrisFlyer points come courtesy of credit card spend, not flying. Is that perhaps impacting what I can see on the Singapore site?

Thanks in advance, PW.

 

[Mal]

Easiest way I know of is to sign up to ANA's Frequent Flyer scheme ( ANA SKY WEB | ANA Mileage Club | Becoming a member of ANA Mileage Club ) and then log into their website, and search for awards there. As a Star Alliance partner, they show what is available.

Note they'll send you a membership pack and everything ... a waste considering most people sign up just to search awards!

 

[Mal]

And a good tutorial is here: bmi FAQ No.4: Redemptions - Finding Award seats : the ANA online tool masterclass - FlyerTalk Forums

 

[Pollywaffle]

That's brilliant.

Thanks, Mal.

 

[Keith009]

Note they'll send you a membership pack and everything ... a waste considering most people sign up just to search awards!

Yep, guilty x 2 - I signed up a second account as I'd lost the login details of the first one.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Hi all.



From the Singapore Air site, I have found the Star Alliance award charts. I gather to make the booking I need to contact Krisflyer Membership Services.
.

Just become a SQ Member and then you can search online. For SQ you can serach online for upto 550 days out for SQ flights and so no need to look at the ANA tool except for *A partner awards.

Bookings on-line are better anyway as you get a 15% discount for SQ.
Not *A Partner Awards cannot be done online.

 

[Pollywaffle]

Just become a SQ Member and then you can search online. For SQ you can serach online for upto 550 days out for SQ flights and so no need to look at the ANA tool except for *A partner awards.

Bookings on-line are better anyway as you get a 15% discount for SQ.
Not *A Partner Awards cannot be done online.

I have a Krisflyer account that I log into through the Singapore Air website. When I log in, I can access the trip planners and request award redemptions.

Is that not the same as being an SQ member?

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I have a Krisflyer account that I log into through the Singapore Air website. When I log in, I can access the trip planners and request award redemptions.

Is that not the same as being an SQ member?

Yes it is.

You should be able to do some dummy bookings which will show point costs and availability for SQ flights.

TIP: I have noted that some journeys that have several legs do not show on the on-line redemption engine and in particular for all combination's offering Saver J or F options.

So I also break up any longer trip and search on single legs.

For example I have just booked a FRA -MEL Saver First redemption.

No availability was shown on-line for a flight with Saver First on both legs that was bookable, but Saver First was available on each leg within24 hours. So armed with this knowledge I rang the booking center who booked the Saver flight for me and who then also still gave me the 15% on-line booking discount.

 

[dajop]

Bookings on-line are better anyway as you get a 15% discount for SQ.
Not *A Partner Awards cannot be done online.

Sound advice for SYD-Europe and Europe to NYC, but it requires less points to fly NYC-SYD using partner table than fly SQ -even after the discount (and it is a lot quicker). Also using the star alliance table gives more options to get from Europe to NYC than just Frankfurt-NYC that SQ flies.

My suggestion would be using star alliance to get to NYC (and from NYC to SFO it that is the plan) and QF points to get home from the US.

 

[auriga]

For SQ you can serach online for upto 550 days out for SQ flights....

Wow, that's special! :mrgreen:

 

[futaris]

For SQ you can serach online for upto 550 days out for SQ flights

You mean 350 days from the current date.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

You mean 350 days from the current date.

Yes 350 (typo )