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Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Old Dec 30th 2012, 12:08 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Hi All,

Am new to booking flights via the award system. I have purchased enough points for a business class return to the UK. I am now wondering what is the best way to do it? I would like to travel in December '13 however non of the return legs are available. Should i book the outgoing fare now or wait until both legs are available in Feb sometime?

Thanks

Carl
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Old Dec 30th 2012, 5:11 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Originally Posted by louiseos
I have another question -

I know Aer Lingus is not part of Star Alliance, but they do codeshare with United, Thai and SQ. Does this codeshare mean that I can potentially end up on an Aer Lingus flight into Ireland using my US Airways points?

I only ask as Aer Lingus would get me into SNN or ORK, both of which are way more convenient than DUB - especially with a little one.
No...you won't be able to book codeshare services such as those EI flights.
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Old Dec 30th 2012, 8:26 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Originally Posted by bcworld
No...you won't be able to book codeshare services such as those EI flights.
That's what I thought.

I worked out an itinerary this afternoon (dept 25 May, returning 20June) and confirmed availability with US going MEL-BKK-FRA-DUB return (BKK-FRA-BKK is on A380, so super excited about that). The USAirways lady has quoted me taxes of $196.30 + $50 processing fee per adult, so total of $492.60 for us both (which I think is pretty reasonable). Then she realised she forgot to include bubs in that quote. She had to go and get a supervisor to calculate the cost for bubs and came back with this . . . wait for it . . .are you sitting down?

$2,535 would be the charge for our baby to travel with us. She will be 8 months and sitting in our laps. Even the USAirways lady was stunned. She explained her supervisor has calculated the cost of our fare to be over $22,000 through their ticketing system and given the cost of the infant in lap is a percentage of this, we end up with a charge of $2,535.

She was really apologetic about it and even suggested booking baby an economy ticket and then just taking her into business with us. She reckons we wouldn't have any issues with this at the airport, however I'm not so sure.

We also spoke about the possibility of contacting Thai and Lufthansa directly and asking if they would process the cost of adding the infant to the award itinerary. (I've used the Thai Air & Lufthansa websites and calculate 10% of the business class fare will be $670 and 65Euro respectively, which is more acceptable than USAirwas quote). Not sure if this will work, but I guess it's worth a try. However I don't want to make an award booking and then find I've got to pay $2,535 for bubs to come along.

Does anyone have any ideas for a way around this?? We've finally locked in our perfect itinerary so that my folks can meet their first grandchild and we're being stumped by this ridiculous charge!

Please help!!!!!!
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Old Dec 30th 2012, 8:54 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Originally Posted by louiseos
That's what I thought.

I worked out an itinerary this afternoon (dept 25 May, returning 20June) and confirmed availability with US going MEL-BKK-FRA-DUB return (BKK-FRA-BKK is on A380, so super excited about that). The USAirways lady has quoted me taxes of $196.30 + $50 processing fee per adult, so total of $492.60 for us both (which I think is pretty reasonable). Then she realised she forgot to include bubs in that quote. She had to go and get a supervisor to calculate the cost for bubs and came back with this . . . wait for it . . .are you sitting down?

$2,535 would be the charge for our baby to travel with us. She will be 8 months and sitting in our laps. Even the USAirways lady was stunned. She explained her supervisor has calculated the cost of our fare to be over $22,000 through their ticketing system and given the cost of the infant in lap is a percentage of this, we end up with a charge of $2,535.

She was really apologetic about it and even suggested booking baby an economy ticket and then just taking her into business with us. She reckons we wouldn't have any issues with this at the airport, however I'm not so sure.

We also spoke about the possibility of contacting Thai and Lufthansa directly and asking if they would process the cost of adding the infant to the award itinerary. (I've used the Thai Air & Lufthansa websites and calculate 10% of the business class fare will be $670 and 65Euro respectively, which is more acceptable than USAirwas quote). Not sure if this will work, but I guess it's worth a try. However I don't want to make an award booking and then find I've got to pay $2,535 for bubs to come along.

Does anyone have any ideas for a way around this?? We've finally locked in our perfect itinerary so that my folks can meet their first grandchild and we're being stumped by this ridiculous charge!

Please help!!!!!!
An infant is charged at 10% of the cash fare...and sometimes that is quoted at 10% of the full fare...i.e. the most flexible, expensive variety. Some friends of mine did what you want to do...they received various quotes, anywhere between zero and approx what you have been quoted. In the end I think they had to pay something like $1200 for the infant. I would call up TG and see what they can quote you. I don't really like the idea of ticketing the infant in economy as I think this may well cause issues later...the system might think they are unaccompanied as silly as that sounds.
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Old Dec 30th 2012, 9:36 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Originally Posted by bcworld
An infant is charged at 10% of the cash fare...and sometimes that is quoted at 10% of the full fare...i.e. the most flexible, expensive variety. Some friends of mine did what you want to do...they received various quotes, anywhere between zero and approx what you have been quoted. In the end I think they had to pay something like $1200 for the infant. I would call up TG and see what they can quote you. I don't really like the idea of ticketing the infant in economy as I think this may well cause issues later...the system might think they are unaccompanied as silly as that sounds.
I managed to speak to someone in Thai airport office who advised that their ticketing office and/or any travel agent will be able to sell me a 10% of the fare infant ticket, so bubs can travel with us. She maintains this can be done regardless of the fact that Mum & Dad are travelling on an award booking.

Fingers crossed she is correct & that Thai airways use their own website prices. I'll be on the phone first thing in the morning! Wish me luck!
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Old Dec 30th 2012, 10:35 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Originally Posted by louiseos
That's what I thought - thanks Louie

Is it one stop over per direction? Again, just thinking of bubs needing a 'break' on the journey.
'fraid not. Just one stopover in total. But US Airways don't always pay any attention to their own rules, so worth trying but don't expect to succeed. You never know! You can have any number of stops of less than 24 hours though.

Originally Posted by louiseos
I have another question -

I know Aer Lingus is not part of Star Alliance, but they do codeshare with United, Thai and SQ. Does this codeshare mean that I can potentially end up on an Aer Lingus flight into Ireland using my US Airways points?

I only ask as Aer Lingus would get me into SNN or ORK, both of which are way more convenient than DUB - especially with a little one.
I don't think so, but I expect bcworld will confirm (ETA: Whoops, he already has. Like lightning!). However, if you have any BA/Airmiles Avios, you could use them (but you have to ring to book, you can't do it online).

Last edited by louie; Dec 30th 2012 at 10:39 am. Reason: Didn't realise there were more posts on the next page!
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Old Dec 30th 2012, 10:42 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Originally Posted by carlstanfield
Hi All,

Am new to booking flights via the award system. I have purchased enough points for a business class return to the UK. I am now wondering what is the best way to do it? I would like to travel in December '13 however non of the return legs are available. Should i book the outgoing fare now or wait until both legs are available in Feb sometime?

Thanks

Carl
It's US$150 p/p to change flights. I'd wait if I were you, but there is of course a risk in doing so.
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Old Dec 31st 2012, 12:41 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Originally Posted by louiseos
I managed to speak to someone in Thai airport office who advised that their ticketing office and/or any travel agent will be able to sell me a 10% of the fare infant ticket, so bubs can travel with us. She maintains this can be done regardless of the fact that Mum & Dad are travelling on an award booking.

Fingers crossed she is correct & that Thai airways use their own website prices. I'll be on the phone first thing in the morning! Wish me luck!
So I have spent the morning on the telephone to Thai and they maintain the information I was given about 10% fare for bubs was incorrect.

They calculate the cost for her to travel with us in business (on our lap) will be $1,773, which is ironic given I can buy an adult economy seat on their website for $1,888. They also quoted me $1,165 for her to travel in economy!?

Does anyone know of any other way of travelling business with her and not being completely ripped off? We don't have enough points accumulated to buy a seat for her and at 8 months, she wouldn't be using it, so it would be a waste.

Are all the airlines like this when it comes to infant travel on an award booking?

I'm now feeling I've got a bucket load of points that won't get used ....
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Old Jan 1st 2013, 11:48 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Hi Louise,

I had a similar experience, difficulties with getting an infant ticket on Thai. It went like this:

1) Booked flight on Thai through US Airways, explained to the guy at their call centre about infant, he clearly didn't know how to ticket this as he just added the infant's name onto my ticket and never mentioned a cost.
2) Turned up on day of flight, Thai told me they could not take the infant without him having his own ticket number, I would have to get this from US Airways myself.
3) Spent a fraught 90 minutes on the phone to US Airways, who kept on losing my call, only for them to tell me that the price would be over $2200 to issue the infant ticket, and then eventually told me it was too late anyway.
4) I ended up paying about $500 direct to Thai for the infant seat as far as Bangkok, knowing I had a couple of days stopover there to try to resolve the ticketing problem.
5) Called US Airways from Bangkok, explained the situation, and had to pay about $1200 for the infant ticket for the rest of the return journey (so total was painful but still less than originally quoted)

However....the good news was that I did get a 3 day stopover in Bangkok in both directions and this was never questioned. AND on 3 of the 4 legs I did manage to blag a free seat next to me to put down my little boy and let him have a sleep etc. On some legs this was easy, on others I had no shame and kept asking and asking and asking - even to the point where I had been issued a boarding pass, the check-in lady took it back and reissued me with another seat after I asked 4 times.....I was pleasant but very tenacious!!

I have to say the folks at the Thai business class check-in desk in Sydney were also fabulous, giving me updates on how long I had to get the ticket number, what the alternatives were, getting ready to process the payment at the last minute, and then escorting me, luggage and baby through the whole security process right to our seats on the plane. They made a stressful couple of hours much more bearable.

Last edited by Lisa and Martin; Jan 1st 2013 at 11:51 am.
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Old Jan 1st 2013, 10:28 pm
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Originally Posted by Lisa and Martin
Hi Louise,

I had a similar experience, difficulties with getting an infant ticket on Thai. It went like this:

1) Booked flight on Thai through US Airways, explained to the guy at their call centre about infant, he clearly didn't know how to ticket this as he just added the infant's name onto my ticket and never mentioned a cost.
2) Turned up on day of flight, Thai told me they could not take the infant without him having his own ticket number, I would have to get this from US Airways myself.
3) Spent a fraught 90 minutes on the phone to US Airways, who kept on losing my call, only for them to tell me that the price would be over $2200 to issue the infant ticket, and then eventually told me it was too late anyway.
4) I ended up paying about $500 direct to Thai for the infant seat as far as Bangkok, knowing I had a couple of days stopover there to try to resolve the ticketing problem.
5) Called US Airways from Bangkok, explained the situation, and had to pay about $1200 for the infant ticket for the rest of the return journey (so total was painful but still less than originally quoted)

However....the good news was that I did get a 3 day stopover in Bangkok in both directions and this was never questioned. AND on 3 of the 4 legs I did manage to blag a free seat next to me to put down my little boy and let him have a sleep etc. On some legs this was easy, on others I had no shame and kept asking and asking and asking - even to the point where I had been issued a boarding pass, the check-in lady took it back and reissued me with another seat after I asked 4 times.....I was pleasant but very tenacious!!

I have to say the folks at the Thai business class check-in desk in Sydney were also fabulous, giving me updates on how long I had to get the ticket number, what the alternatives were, getting ready to process the payment at the last minute, and then escorting me, luggage and baby through the whole security process right to our seats on the plane. They made a stressful couple of hours much more bearable.
WOW, I don't think I could've handled that stress before getting on such a long flight with bubs.

Would you believe USAirways actually quoted $2,535 for bubs to sit on our laps. After speaking to 5 different staff members, they eventually told me that once the adult tickets are issued then we would be required to contact the airline directly with out ticket number and they would work out the total cost for bubs, which is the $1,773 (or $1,422 if I only pay for her as far as FRA when we then change to Lufthansa to get to DUB). I am considering contacting Lufthansa directly to see what they might charge for adding her to the ticket, but if there's any saving to be made it will be minimal.

All up, going on your experience Lisa and Martin, it appears that the cost being quoted for bubs is the 'norm.
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Old Jan 2nd 2013, 12:17 pm
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Originally Posted by carlstanfield
Hi All,

Am new to booking flights via the award system. I have purchased enough points for a business class return to the UK. I am now wondering what is the best way to do it? I would like to travel in December '13 however non of the return legs are available. Should i book the outgoing fare now or wait until both legs are available in Feb sometime?

Thanks

Carl
I would wait, personally. I booked a one way, tried to change it to a return and was put through hell by US. I won't go into details but it was a nightmare. They agreed that they were in the wrong in the end (by phone) but their email agents are still quoting irrelevant rules and regs at me even now (they owed me money, hence the emails). You might be luckier, and you have a lot more time to get it sorted than I did but as already pointed out, at best you'd have to pay $150 change fee, at worst they will make you cancel the one way anyway, so you're no better off.
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Old Jan 5th 2013, 2:46 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

It's that time again, but I'm finding it difficult to find flights to LHR - the search site on united.com only seems to be offering SQ flights, and I've tried using http://beta.awardtravelr.com/ which seems like a nice new addition, but that doesn't appear to have any TG flights - so what search engine are others using?
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Old Jan 5th 2013, 4:08 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

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Old Jan 5th 2013, 8:03 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

If you are looking a long way out, it may simply be that Thai have not yet released their award seats. They don't seem to be like other airlines, releasing seats a predetermined number of days in advance, rather they release seats for quite a long period periodically, if you see what I mean.

The ANA site is still the most reliable source, if rather unwieldy if you don't have any ANA miles.
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Old Jan 5th 2013, 9:03 am
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Default Re: Business Class Airfares to UK / Europe - approx $2700 - $2800 rtn!

Originally Posted by louie
If you are looking a long way out, it may simply be that Thai have not yet released their award seats. They don't seem to be like other airlines, releasing seats a predetermined number of days in advance, rather they release seats for quite a long period periodically, if you see what I mean.

The ANA site is still the most reliable source, if rather unwieldy if you don't have any ANA miles.
Thanks, that makes sense - I was looking for flights for Christmas, so it is a fair way off - I'll give it a few weeks and check again.
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