Tonyc88

Was it here that someone mentioned a hotel deal?

Trying hard to remember, was something like $400 scheme similar to the one we used to use for this thread but for getting good hotels cheap.....

Ignore me if that sounds like carp

keefymonster

I don't recall anything like that Tony but I'm interested in knowing more?

Tonyc88

Will try and find it

Tonyc88

Looking for some general advice......

- LHR > JNB in May.
- I'm looking to go First or Business
- I'm looking to use my companion voucher so two people flying
- I'm looking to get about 11 days in country for a Safari (any time in May)

Now, I have 150000 Avios + a companion voucher. I also have 250k US Airways miles and i'd be happy to spend 150k on two business returns.

The Avios and Ba tools are showing poor availability....is there a better way to check or are these treated as gospel?

louie

May 2015? You've almost certainly missed the boat for using your BA 2-4-1. To go anywhere popular you need to be sitting by your computer at the very second the flights go on sale at T-354 or T-355, which is either midnight or 1am UK time depending on whether in summer or winter. Been there, done that.

Never tried for South Africa but have you looked at using Qatar routing through Doha? You wouldn't be able to use the 2-4-1 unless you use it to get you to the Middle East on BA (maybe Dubai?) but you could use US either all or part of the way.

oddsinoz

Hi all
It's been a while since I have been on this forum (although I do pop on occasionally and try (unsuccessfully I think) to keep abreast of all the changes), when I used the 'old' system on an 'emergency' flight to the UK with Thai/Swiss, and to say that everyone was extremely helpful would be an understatement. So, I was wondering, with all the changes, if it's worthwhile keeping our US Air miles going, given that it looks a tad more difficult in obtaining Business class seats?
If I decided to top-up the miles, we wouldn't use them until next year for flights to the West Coast USA. In anyone's experience on this route, what has the process been like under the new rules and Airlines.

Many thanks in advance

bcworld

It will likely be problematic. Assuming we are working under AA rules by then - travel between Australia and the US is only permitted via the Pacific - you cannot transit Asia. That basically means Qantas...and you can safely assume there will be no availability.

Therefore, if you wanted to go to the US you'd have to ticket two awards...one for Aus-Asia(e.g. HKG)-Aus and one for Asia-US-Asia. This would cost more miles than an Aus-US-Aus award.

bcworld

Air China.

oddsinoz

Kind of seals the fate of our Air Miles me thinks - will have to start saving!

k974

Hi,

Would anyone mind please (and sorry for asking a stupid question) the best way to search for flights. I have 400,000 US airway miles and looking for 2no seats in first class. Australia East Coast - UK.

when it was with star alliance I used KVS, can I still use KVS and if so what is the selection, i.e one world awards?

Thanks guys. sorry to be a pest.

bcworld

Yes, use the Oneworld methods...ignore any results you see for Emirates (EK)...these cannot be booked. Only BA and QF offer F class service ex Australia. And JAL does temporarily until about Easter I think. BA flights will attract large fuel surcharges.

k974

Thanks bcworld. Much appreciated. What are the chances of actually finding 2 seats for a 2 week or so trip in first anytime between April and July

Thanks

spouse of scouse

Can anyone suggest a route to search on KVS that will get someone from Perth to Athens around May? Have tried via Hong Kong, Shanghai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, KL, BKK with no luck. I'm not the best on KVS though.

I want to use my Dividend miles to book business class flights for my sister, who's just finished chemo and needs a break in her second home of Crete. I'm happy to pay someone a couple of hundred dollars for their time if they can find me return flights, it'd be so worth it to me (and to my sister, although she doesn't know about it yet).

Cheers Big Ears'

spouse of scouse

Ooooh! Had another look, and can do PER-HKK-BKK-DOH-ATH. Very round about, but the layover times work, 2-3 hours in each airport (I don't want her stuck in airports for hours, she's not up to it).

Feeling a bit more hopeful now

bcworld

PER-KUL-DOH-ATH seems to be regularly available with reasonable transit times.