Booking two FF passengers together

[MMDown Under]

Wonder why AA has quite some Aussie based and UK based members in AAdvantage?

 

My daughter, who used to regularly fly London - Brisbane return, jointed AA FF rather than Qantas, for the enhanced benefits AA provided over Qantas.

[nho9504]

Wonder why AA has quite some Aussie based and UK based members in AAdvantage?

 

My daughter, who used to regularly fly London - Brisbane return, jointed AA FF rather than Qantas, for the enhanced benefits AA provided over Qantas.

 

Thank you! Nice to see an Australian flyer confirms what I was saying all along - the AA and other US airlines FF programs offer better redemption value than QF program despite QF offers One-Way redemption.

 

I just read your post on another thread, you said it takes 60,000 pts + $571 surcharges, taxes and fees for a One-Way QF award ticket between US and Europe for travel in Dec. That compares to AA low season r/t US to Europe only costs 40,000 miles, AND if you dont transit at LHR, the tax is approx $50 or less, plus ticketing fee ranging between $5 to $25, if redeemed no later than 21 days in advance....

 

That means my earlier estimate of the 1.57 QF mile = 1 AA mile a way too generous valuation - in this US/Europe example, it takes a whopping 120,000 QF points (assumed 1 point means 1 mile) for a 40,000 AA miles on the same US/Europe r/t redemption. Even the One-way would be 50% HIGHER than AA despite you have to pay the same 40K One-Way or R/T redemption on AA. Then the actual CASH payment is a whopping 10 times more.

 

In this example, it would take far more than 2 QF miles for 1 AA miles if you take into the acocunt of the CASH payment.

 

So much for the One-Way redemption benefit.

 

I think most FF flyers care about the ACTUAL usage of their miles that impact their pocket books, than the useless rehtoric statements even it is based on a fact (the fact that QF redemption is based on One-Way), but ignore the much more important and practical aspect of the matter. ;)

[Globaliser]

So this guy is an AA Gold equivalent, does he enjoy the 100% bonus earning QF offers to its "Core Target Customers"?

He gets 25% status bonus, just like AA Gold.

Thank you! Nice to see an Australian flyer confirms what I was saying all along - the AA and other US airlines FF programs offer better redemption value than QF program despite QF offers One-Way redemption.

...

I think most FF flyers care about the ACTUAL usage of their miles that impact their pocket books, than the useless rehtoric statements even it is based on a fact (the fact that QF redemption is based on One-Way), but ignore the much more important and practical aspect of the matter. ;)

Look, I don't know why this thread has degenerated into a "my FF scheme is better than your FF scheme" discussion. Every scheme is different. Some are going to work better for some people; some are going to work better for others.

 

The only point that I was going to make in this thread was that some airlines do offer one-way awards at half the price of round-trip awards. If you're in a position to take advantage of them, they can be cheaper than using a round-trip award from another airline for the same one-way flight. That is not very hard to understand.

 

Like the individual whose account I saw, I am also not in a position to redeem awards very often. It's got nothing to do with hoarding miles. My travel, even though for leisure, is usually not flexible enough to allow me to redeem awards. So I sit on huge piles of miles as well. It's really totally academic whether one pile of miles is "worth more" than the pile of miles that I might have in another scheme. They're both largely worthless to me because I can't use them. "Redemption value" really means very little to me, and very little to many other real FFs that I know (ie those who accumulate FF miles and status as an adjunct of real flying, not those who collect FF miles as a lucrative hobby).

 

But I do need status and the privileges that go with it, because I don't usually get those privileges along with my ticket. So I have to use schemes that maximise my status earning. AA doesn't do it for me, because I would earn nothing towards status - or any miles - when flying trans-Atlantic, which has in the past been a significant part of my flying although it is less so now.

 

And, FWIW, my next likely award redemption will be one-way JNB-CPT. It's for a specific day - the day that we must fly this route - and we will only do it if we are in a position to get a mid-morning flight. (If we are not and we have to fly later in the day, then we will simply revert to buying cash economy tickets. Or ditto if the award seats have gone.) It's 18,000 BA Miles each. It would be 35,000 AA miles each if we were to use an AA award.

 

Oh, and FWIW, Miami->Paris one-way is 30,000 QF miles per person, and either 40,000 or 60,000 AA miles.

 

And, finally, all of that is ignoring the fact that AAdvantage belongs to an airline whose performance, stability and longevity are all open to serious doubt.

[nho9504]

if AA's own stats hold any water - which I believe it would as AA is the largest program in this country, it might well be the largest in the world.

 

You can dislike AA as much as you would, about its services, stability, performances, anything... It is certainly not the top performing airlines in the world, but currently is still the biggest, until DL/NW finish their merger, then the combined entity would be the largest.

 

And yes, it is such a shame that AA's antiquated website would not allow you check partner award availability online, so AAdvantagers turn to either QF or BA to check for such info. I am perfectly happy to use QF online tool to look up availability and am very grateful QF does not require you to have any mile in the account to do so. Yup, I have a big fat 0 balance in my QF account. ;)

 

The ratio of award redemption among all US carriers, AA's ratio is still the highest - over 10% of its seats are award seats. Yeah, it might be the stupid, sucidal model you allude to all the time, but it directly benefits the program participants pocketbooks - and that is what I care. It works for me, and a lot others.

 

Sure, MIA/PARIS one-way is 35K QF pts, but 40 or 60 AA miles - but given my calculation on redemption value, 35K QF pts equal to 22K AA miles only.

 

If you are going to "trade" your points and miles with other FFers among different programs, that is HOW people would valuate the worth of the points or miles of each program. HOW MUCH I CAN GET from a mile of Program A, or Program B?

 

Sorry, my training of CPA gets into the way when it comes to doing analysis of "assets" - whther it is real or pseudo. :D :D :D

[mom23guys]

Seem to have gotten a little far a field from the OP.

So to get 2 FF seats it is best to call?? Am I right?

[ORV]

Getting back to the original question. I use the hold feature until I get both flights the same. That way I'm not committed until I have what I want.

[IDKaren]

Seem to have gotten a little far a field from the OP.

So to get 2 FF seats it is best to call?? Am I right?

 

 

Thank You:rolleyes: My mind was going in circles for the last three days! I will call;)

[nho9504]

Seem to have gotten a little far a field from the OP.

So to get 2 FF seats it is best to call?? Am I right?

 

It depends.

[day-day]

Last summer (2007), I checked the Northwest Airlines Worldperks website and CapitalOne website at the same time as I was trying to book one ticket using one and one with the other. It appears that the one seat available on the Worldperks was the same one seat available at the low rate on CapitalOne.

 

I booked using CaptitalOne online with the Worldperks window still open; when I immediately tried to book Worldperks, the seat was no longer available. I had to call NWA and get some help. I ended up using more points since roundtrip was still available, but one way had to be with the 1st-class upgrade.

 

The seats available for regular purchase were way expensive. I don't know how the system works. Does NWA allow Worldperks seats for CapitalOne at a certain equivalent fair rate until those seats are gone?

[lambs2]

I guess DH and I have been very fortunate using our Delta Sky Miles! Last year we used miles for our two flights from Daytona Beach Florida to Vancouver, and then, after our cruise, from San Diego back to Daytona Beach. We even had to book these about a week apart (I know, really DUMB!) and managed to, not only get the flights for only 25,000 miles each, but we even got seats together on all the legs!

 

This year we used 50,000 Miles each to successfully book round trip flights to and from Barcelona - also from a Daytona Beach (our closest airport) starting point. We did it on two separate computers, simultaneously. Actually what we did was to just place holds on the two flights itineraries, and the next day we confirmed them because DH had to buy some miles to make it to the full 50,000 needed. Guess we were just too stupid to realize that this might not have worked for us! :eek: Never even entered our head that there might not be TWO seats available on Delta's reward flights!

Now the flights are not until January 2009, so it still remains to be seen if everything will go as planned, but we did purchase trip insurance, so that helps relieve some of the apprehensions in the face of all the airline problems lately!

[nho9504]

I guess DH and I have been very fortunate using our Delta Sky Miles! Last year we used miles for our two flights from Daytona Beach Florida to Vancouver, and then, after our cruise, from San Diego back to Daytona Beach. We even had to book these about a week apart (I know, really DUMB!) and managed to, not only get the flights for only 25,000 miles each, but we even got seats together on all the legs!

 

This year we used 50,000 Miles each to successfully book round trip flights to and from Barcelona - also from a Daytona Beach (our closest airport) starting point. We did it on two separate computers, simultaneously. Actually what we did was to just place holds on the two flights itineraries, and the next day we confirmed them because DH had to buy some miles to make it to the full 50,000 needed. Guess we were just too stupid to realize that this might not have worked for us! :eek: Never even entered our head that there might not be TWO seats available on Delta's reward flights!

Now the flights are not until January 2009, so it still remains to be seen if everything will go as planned, but we did purchase trip insurance, so that helps relieve some of the apprehensions in the face of all the airline problems lately!

 

You may want to make sure all the fine print in the trip insurance - whether they would cover trip interruption if you fly on award ticket. I vaguely remember at one time I look at a couple providers fine print and decide I dont like their wordings regarding "value of the airline ticket".

 

Coach award seats to Europe in January are easy to find - it is Winter low season in Europe, in the past one often find coach pay tickets sell for $400ish before tax. AA classifies Oct 15 to May 15 being off-peak and only requires 40K miles for North America / Europe coach award. I would normally buy tickets as that would be a cheap way to earn miles. For me to use miles instead of cash, I need my miles to worth at least 0.02 per mile - so a 40K award should only be used for a ticket that would cost $800 or more. In fact, BA just announced a sale for travel Sept 4 to Oct 22 (shoulder season) starting $281 one-way between North America and Europe, before govt fee and tax (165 to 235 according to BA) Shoulder season should be more expensive than the low season in winter.

 

In January this year, I looked up JFK/BCN Coach award was availabile every day of April thru May 15. April is already Shoulder Season. Of course you would fly a domestic leg to the gateway city - the domestic leg normally should not have any problem to find award seat - it is the long-haul portion can produce problem when travel in High Season (like Jul/Aug).

[smeyer418]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/travel/13pracfflierfees.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

 

 

new article on FF miles....and its not good...

[HRHMadonna]

Definitely check that fine print....Last year when we insured with CSA we were told the trip insurance would not cover FF flights....because the tickets were "free", they were considered as having no monetary value. Ouch!

[nho9504]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/travel/13pracfflierfees.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

 

 

new article on FF miles....and its not good...

 

The story only looks into one-side of the story, mainly the rising fees in redemption. However, it largely omits the other side of the equation - the airfares these days are much HIGHER than before, yet the redemption levels are either the same (25K domestic) or just 10K higher for international.

 

Same time last year, many domestic tickets could be bought within the $250 to $350 range. How about now? The same routes often cost $350 to $550, yet the mileage requirement is the same 25K. Sure, there are $5 to $25 fee involved in booking such (the expedite booking fees have always been there), you still come out way ahead - actually you are BETTER off now because the value of the ticket you redeemed, had it be paid, would cost you hundreds more than last year.

 

You need to look at the WHOLE picture instead of just reading media reportings which often are very misleading - the journalists many times dont know anything better, and dont bother to do a thorough research, and just pen something out.

[greatam]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/travel/13pracfflierfees.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

 

 

new article on FF miles....and its not good...

 

I hope more and more people read that article and BELIEVE it. Just means more availability for the rest of us.

 

It is really a dumb move to use FF miles for domestic USA tickets. You really don't get much value out of your miles, BUT if you are accumulating points due to credit card usage, not a bad way to get a benefit for something you would do regardless.

 

But if you never fly overseas and use miles for an award ticket or an upgrade to a better class of service-using them domestically at least gets you some benefit. Guess $100 for "fees" is STILL better than paying $500 CASH for the same ticket. BAD value mileage wise, but better something than nothing.

[greatam]

[quote name='HRHMadonna']Definitely check that fine print....Last year when we insured with CSA we were told the trip insurance would not cover FF flights....because the tickets were "free", they were considered as having no monetary value. Ouch![/QUOTE]

You are correct. 99% of travel insurance policies will pay the fee to reinstate the miles to your account (usually $100). They WILL NOT pay you the value of a FF ticket. Tried REALLY hard with a Cathay First Class FF ticket when I had to come from Asia on an emergency. I got my miles reinstated and was reimbursed for the flight I had to take (Phillipine Airlines in a coach seat). And I am a non practicing attorney, so I knew all the buzz words to hit. Even talked to corporate counsel and made an a**** of myself.

Your chances are NOT good for anything other than putting your miles back in your account.