I love credit cards so much! v6.0 - 2023 (see first page for add'l details)

[Sheree]

Keep checking every day (and watch the days around the ones you really want). Like the post quoted below, I saw a similar pattern with FB for our flights for Summer 2024. We also chose to add a day onto the trip when the day before our goal date went under 100K. I'm happy to have another day in Europe, so no big deal. Also look at one-way flights, not RT. You may need to be flexible, but something should turn up since they just released your dates. It may not be the exact date you need (which is why we ended up flying home on BA when that date was non-negotiable and AF never went below 350k).

Same with FB.

So far our dates aren't showing. Goes to Oct 8th
Economy plus on the return will be ok.
Looks like you can't book on the fb site, have to go to af or klm site.

I'll keep checking.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

We're getting close to making a final decision about Fall 2024 travel. At this point we're thinking of 2 weeks in Italy/Switzerland. If I had my choice we'd stick to Northern Italy/Switzerland, but my DS who is making his 3rd trip to Italy in the last 3 months tomorrow (2 for work, 1 for vacation with his DW) keeps saying we need to visit Rome on our first trip.

Anyway, I'm still a little intimidated with finding award flights (Aer Lingus was very simple) and I've been running searches periodically. Today I'm finding the following:

IAD-AMS-FCO on KLM Biz (mid Sept '24 dates): 70k pts + $240/ticket

ZRH-CDG-IAD on AF (early Oct '24 dates):

• Biz 70k pts + $314/ticket
• Prem Econ 53k pts + $230/ticket
• Economy 17k pts + $163/ticket

These are all via Flying Blue and currently there's a 25% transfer bonus from URs. So it's even less pts wise. I feel like these are decent redemptions???? We did Biz to Ireland and Economy back, so that 17k is very tempting (but flight is longer).

Our home airport is RDU and while I did find some random RDU-FCO (via CDG I think) previously on Virgin Atlantic, I'm not seeing anything currently around these dates (could be too soon, but who knows if flights award flights would still be available via VA when it hits their window). My DS lives in DC and we could drive up and either stay with them the night before or just drive day of and leave our car at their house (or add a positioning flight later).

This is a tough one as a newbie for Euro travel hacking. Since I used Aer Lingus/Avios pts that originated in Avios for Ireland and the Aer Lingus redemption chart is fixed (you just have to jump on the seats), this is much more head spinning (along with a 1 way transfer on the points).

ETA: Just picked an earlier date on VA's site and found a RDU-CDG-FCO for 12k pts + $166 which is amazing (yes, I know, Economy) but the Premium and Upper Class are sold out. The search continues. ETA - Again! I should just delete this whole post LOL -- now I AM seeing Upper Class on VA for 48.5k pts +$289 on another date in early Sept, so no current xfer bonus, but it's from RDU.

Anything under 90k or so for biz class is something you should jump on. I personally tend to be able to find rates under 70k, but pay a a few hundred in taxes. I would book what you find because it may not be there in an hour, much less the next day or next week.

Not sure if the flights you are finding on VS are VS metal or FB metal? If they are a partner airline, I just want to caution you about one thing I ran into. I booked super cheap economy flights on FB metal through VS during a transfer bonus, so they were like 9k. Awesome right? But about 4 or 5 months before the flight, Air France cancelled the flights. By then all the award flights they'd released to Virgin were eaten up, and so I was without flights for my daughter. The rest of the family had flights booked directly through Air France, and it was easy for them to switch us to our preferred flight. I've had those points stuck over at VS for awhile now and then I had to pay for higher rates with AF for my daughter. So there are advantages to booking through airline you plan to fly, if it's feasible.

If you do book through VS, just know that to book online your account has to have been open for more than 24 hours. But either way, I would just call VS, confirm their is true availability (not phantom) and they can put the flights on hold for you or book them right away as you transfer the points in.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

advice please!

Oct 24 ewr-cdg rt

checking flying blue and united

right now for dates out there numbers are crazy high 440k one way pp for biz

this was yesterday looking at latest flights available.

i created a flying blue account. UR has transfer bonus. how is everyone seeing 70k pp each way?

we leave ewr either 10/16 (preferred) or 10/17, coming back 10/26

i haven't used the point.me oryeah yet as those dates aren't out yet.

when do I transfer? should they be there prior?

I've always booked econ with united but really would like to try biz at least going

i will also have 150k mr to transfer but right now it seems like my 500k ur are better to use

Here is what I have been seeing with Flying Blue: They aren't releasing saver fares a year in advance, which is common with other airlines. I had been watching flights for the past 6 months, and it seems they are holding onto most saver fares for April-Oct 2024. My guess is that they'll release them sporatically closer in.

For flying blue, you shouldn't need to transfer points in until you've found a flight you want to book. Most people advise not to do it specutively, as you don't know if you'll actually use them. But you do risk losing a transfer bonus... so you have to weigh that for yourself.

The "saver" fares from EWR-CDG are 55k OW in biz. But you'll pay 189 euros going and 350 returning in biz, so it seems your strategy to go in biz and return in economy is a good one.

For your specific flight, I would create a free trial account with Seatspy. Since EWR-CDG is a nonstop route, it shows up on Seatspy. You can set up notifications and seatspy will alert you to flights that become available for your preferred dates, at your preferred pricepoint. This amazing calendar if viewable on seatspy and takes about 3 seconds to produce these results. It's the best tool out there, for limited routes. Yours is one of them!!!

A green halo is showing each date there is biz availability for under 70ishk. FYI, it looks like there's pretty decent availability coming home in economy, but I don't think your dates are open yet, but soon. I'd make that account asap.

 

[leeniewdw]

Anything under 90k or so for biz class is something you should jump on. I personally tend to be able to find rates under 70k, but pay a a few hundred in taxes. I would book what you find because it may not be there in an hour, much less the next day or next week.

Not sure if the flights you are finding on VS are VS metal or FB metal? If they are a partner airline, I just want to caution you about one thing I ran into. I booked super cheap economy flights on FB metal through VS during a transfer bonus, so they were like 9k. Awesome right? But about 4 or 5 months before the flight, Air France cancelled the flights. By then all the award flights they'd released to Virgin were eaten up, and so I was without flights for my daughter. The rest of the family had flights booked directly through Air France, and it was easy for them to switch us to our preferred flight. I've had those points stuck over at VS for awhile now and then I had to pay for higher rates with AF for my daughter. So there are advantages to booking through airline you plan to fly, if it's feasible.

If you do book through VS, just know that to book online your account has to have been open for more than 24 hours. But either way, I would just call VS, confirm their is true availability (not phantom) and they can put the flights on hold for you or book them right away as you transfer the points in.

Thank you for ALL of this.

The flights I'm finding on VS are FB metal (AF). The weird thing is that while the flights for cash show up on FBs website, the same flights don't show at all if you search using points. It literally says 'no flights on this route' or something. Someone here posted that back when AF started offering flights from RDU-CDG. So I think I'm going to call FB about it. If it can't be booked by phone, then no one can "get" the RDU originating flights until the show up on VS a few weeks later.

I *could* book now for 2nd week in Sept, but honestly we want to go later in Sept. so it’s probably a good time to call while those RDU flights are apparently not bookable at either site!

Thanks again. The URs are DHs so I either need to create a FB account for him or xfer his URs to me, whichever is easier/faster.

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

This is a steal -- am I right, am wrong? Air France IAH>CDG premium economy June '24 for 47k points?

 

[leeniewdw]

If you do book through VS, just know that to book online your account has to have been open for more than 24 hours. But either way, I would just call VS, confirm their is true availability (not phantom) and they can put the flights on hold for you or book them right away as you transfer the points in.

Thank you for ALL of this.

The flights I'm finding on VS are FB metal (AF). The weird thing is that while the flights for cash show up on FBs website, the same flights don't show at all if you search using points. It literally says 'no flights on this route' or something. Someone here posted that back when AF started offering flights from RDU-CDG. So I think I'm going to call FB about it. If it can't be booked by phone, then no one can "get" the RDU originating flights until the show up on VS a few weeks later.

I *could* book now for 2nd week in Sept, but honestly we want to go later in Sept. so it’s probably a good time to call while those RDU flights are apparently not bookable at either site!

Thanks again. The URs are DHs so I either need to create a FB account for him or xfer his URs to me, whichever is easier/faster.

Quoting both of these again. I do need to call AF about all this. When I search AF site for RDU-FCO, it's showing flights every day of the week thru CDG. I was pretty sure that when they made the switch to AF (from Delta) on this RDU-CDG route, it only said M-W-F. I found the press release from RDU from July and it definitely says M-W-F.

The Paris service is timed to provide ideal connections from CDG to Air France’s network of nearly 200 destinations and 89 countries. Service is scheduled to begin on Oct. 30 and fly every Monday, Wednesday and Friday on a 279-seat Boeing 787. The 787 is a larger aircraft that has not previously flown from RDU and has more seats than the plane currently flying the Paris route.

Unless something changed from just a few months ago, this makes me skeptical about those other flights.

 

[wanderlust7]

This is a steal -- am I right, am wrong? Air France IAH>CDG premium economy June '24 for 47k points?

View attachment 802791

Depends what you're comparing to. It's possible to get business class for around 70k. Compared to that, I'd say the biz redemption is better. But the problem is finding the availability, so if everything works for you, it's a good redemption.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

This is a steal -- am I right, am wrong? Air France IAH>CDG premium economy June '24 for 47k points?

View attachment 802791

I got an alert this morning about RT prem economy on FB for 71k, for dates Nov-March. Being that June is peak season, if it works for you and biz isn't similarly priced, I would jump on it! Note sometimes it's more points to stay in Paris, whereas if you are continuing onward, it may be fewer points.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I'm considering buying Universal tickets through the Chase portal, which I was previously against bc the current cost is 17% higher than I could buy through UCT. But with the CSR 1.5cpp bump, I'd still get 1.28cpp, which I think is reasonable. But, the language on the tickets says non-refundable. I wouldn't expect a refund, but an ability to change dates, which I think might be possible if bought elsewhere?

Anyone book them park tickets through Chase?

Might wait another month because of the non-refundable language. Universal has a 2 free day promo right now (has for awhile). Am I right in thinking these tickets tend to hang around for awhile on UCT if the offer is pulled directly from Universal? Just want to have a backup plan if I'm going to wait on buying.

 

[MsOnceUponATime]

I got an alert this morning about RT prem economy on FB for 71k, for dates Nov-March. Being that June is peak season, if it works for you and biz isn't similarly priced, I would jump on it! Note sometimes it's more points to stay in Paris, whereas if you are continuing onward, it may be fewer points.

I have been switching browsers all morning looking for similar points, but I am not finding anything like that (701k for biz or prem econ) for the days that I'm looking at. I have looked from June 10th through June 14th, (looked at cash, biz, econ, prem econ) but am, unfortunately, only coming up with nothing less than 220k for premium economy. I can try when I get home tonight on my home laptop and see that helps. Thanks for this note!! I truly appreciate it!

 

[mmmears]

Here is what I have been seeing with Flying Blue: They aren't releasing saver fares a year in advance, which is common with other airlines. I had been watching flights for the past 6 months, and it seems they are holding onto most saver fares for April-Oct 2024. My guess is that they'll release them sporatically closer in.

For flying blue, you shouldn't need to transfer points in until you've found a flight you want to book. Most people advise not to do it specutively, as you don't know if you'll actually use them. But you do risk losing a transfer bonus... so you have to weigh that for yourself.

The "saver" fares from EWR-CDG are 55k OW in biz. But you'll pay 189 euros going and 350 returning in biz, so it seems your strategy to go in biz and return in economy is a good one.

For your specific flight, I would create a free trial account with Seatspy. Since EWR-CDG is a nonstop route, it shows up on Seatspy. You can set up notifications and seatspy will alert you to flights that become available for your preferred dates, at your preferred pricepoint. This amazing calendar if viewable on seatspy and takes about 3 seconds to produce these results. It's the best tool out there, for limited routes. Yours is one of them!!!

A green halo is showing each date there is biz availability for under 70ishk. FYI, it looks like there's pretty decent availability coming home in economy, but I don't think your dates are open yet, but soon. I'd make that account asap.

View attachment 802691
View attachment 802692

This is such a helpful post. Thanks for sharing this info. I think AF is playing with the biz seats to see just how much people are willing to pay for them (points-wise), so it changes all the time, but they definitely released saver J seats already for the summer because I grabbed a couple for July 2024 back in August, but there were definitely very few of them available and only on certain dates.

 

[smallsy]

Approved for CSR yesterday but forgot about going for MDD this morning and went off to work. Just got home and tried but got reviewing my application message. I don't think I'll call. I'm fine with just the CSR and being able to PC if necessary.

 

[FreeDiningFanatic]

I have been switching browsers all morning looking for similar points, but I am not finding anything like that (701k for biz or prem econ) for the days that I'm looking at. I have looked from June 10th through June 14th, (looked at cash, biz, econ, prem econ) but am, unfortunately, only coming up with nothing less than 220k for premium economy. I can try when I get home tonight on my home laptop and see that helps. Thanks for this note!! I truly appreciate it!

Just to be clear, I don't think your peak dates in June are going to have those cheaper fares. So if you found a fare you liked, I'd go ahead and book it.

 

[Duckbug.Ducktales]

Approved for CSR yesterday but forgot about going for MDD this morning and went off to work. Just got home and tried but got reviewing my application message. I don't think I'll call. I'm fine with just the CSR and being able to PC if necessary.

I hope the review yields an approval!

 

[Sheree]

Here is what I have been seeing with Flying Blue: They aren't releasing saver fares a year in advance, which is common with other airlines. I had been watching flights for the past 6 months, and it seems they are holding onto most saver fares for April-Oct 2024. My guess is that they'll release them sporatically closer in.

For flying blue, you shouldn't need to transfer points in until you've found a flight you want to book. Most people advise not to do it specutively, as you don't know if you'll actually use them. But you do risk losing a transfer bonus... so you have to weigh that for yourself.

The "saver" fares from EWR-CDG are 55k OW in biz. But you'll pay 189 euros going and 350 returning in biz, so it seems your strategy to go in biz and return in economy is a good one.

For your specific flight, I would create a free trial account with Seatspy. Since EWR-CDG is a nonstop route, it shows up on Seatspy. You can set up notifications and seatspy will alert you to flights that become available for your preferred dates, at your preferred pricepoint. This amazing calendar if viewable on seatspy and takes about 3 seconds to produce these results. It's the best tool out there, for limited routes. Yours is one of them!!!

A green halo is showing each date there is biz availability for under 70ishk. FYI, it looks like there's pretty decent availability coming home in economy, but I don't think your dates are open yet, but soon. I'd make that account asap.

View attachment 802691
View attachment 802692

I signed up, thank you! would you recommend separate lerts for each way?
I'm probably going to transfer the miles since there's te bonus and then I'm ready to go. I'll wind up on af at some point

 

[wannabee]

I have been switching browsers all morning looking for similar points, but I am not finding anything like that (701k for biz or prem econ) for the days that I'm looking at. I have looked from June 10th through June 14th, (looked at cash, biz, econ, prem econ) but am, unfortunately, only coming up with nothing less than 220k for premium economy. I can try when I get home tonight on my home laptop and see that helps. Thanks for this note!! I truly appreciate it!

I think that you may be too late for great deals for June. I booked my July travel in August as soon as the flights opened on Air France and got 70k business flights from IAD to CDG.

 

[IFlossU]

DP for the AirFrance Amex offer spend $1k get 20k MR.

I recently booked AF flights and paid over $2k on taxes. I just received the 20k MRs. The reason I find this interesting is because the offer is (if I’m not mistaken) for flights originating in the US. I booked 2 one way tickets. The 2nd one originates in Paris. I received the offer redemption email after booking, but figured they’d deny it for the flight originating in Paris. Guess not.

 

[calypso726]

With everything going on in right now, I thought there would be a very real possibility that ABD may decide to cancel Egypt trips. Obviously this would be dependent on safety. Therefore, I thought it prudent to book a back up trip just in case. My priorities were easy to book and cancel and I have the points in place for accommodations. Next, easy to book flights on miles.

Now those of you who have "known" me since the inception of this thread know that I pretty much plan 2 years out and book everything about a year out or as soon as availability drops. I've always given this advice to the newcomers here and I know many others on this thread use the same strategy. Planning something for a little over 2 months out was an interesting experience. I found myself quite limited. Initially I wanted a safari but didn't find anything in business class to Kenya or Tanzania from London (I'm keeping the pre trip regardless of ABD canceling or not). The doesn't mean I won't stop checking because that would be my preference. NZ looked like the juice wouldn't be worth the squeeze which was my second choice. Plus I'd want a LOTR group trip and didn't want to deal with canceling that if ABD did not cancel Egypt.

I eventually settled on Costa Rica as a back up. Finding 3 consecutive nights at a Hyatt property in multiple locations was like playing sudoku with a booking platform. But I managed it. So we have 3 nights at Secrets Papagayo, 3 at Tabacon resort and Spa and 3 in Los Altos. I'm quite certain my dates and logistical proximity of properties would make a venn diagram LOL but whatever. I can always play a little more with dates and availability. There enough flights out of Miami that I can pull the trigger last minute. The flights are also short enough that DH aka The Plane Princess won't have an apoplexy flying in coach

Plan A, B, C, D, E came in quite handy for booking flights on this trip to begin with. I didn't think I'd have to implement potential alternate plans for the trip itself, but here we are.

 

[Crazed4DisneyinSC]

I eventually settled on Costa Rica as a back up. Finding 3 consecutive nights at a Hyatt property in multiple locations was like playing sudoku with a booking platform. But I managed it. So we have 3 nights at Secrets Papagayo, 3 at Tabacon resort and Spa and 3 in Los Altos. I'm quite certain my dates and logistical proximity of properties would make a venn diagram LOL but whatever. I can always play a little more with dates and availability. There enough flights out of Miami that I can pull the trigger last minute. The flights are also short enough that DH aka The Plane Princess won't have an apoplexy flying in coach

Too bad it sounds like you're going to be there right after us! We'll be there early December. I would have loved to meet the face behind the most legendary trips!!

 

[calypso726]

Too bad it sounds like you're going to be there right after us! We'll be there early December. I would have loved to meet the face behind the most legendary trips!!

Legendary trips! Wow, never thought of them that way but love the idea! I always figure if the bloggers can do it then I can too. I do appreciate the bloggers having put some amazing locations on my radar.

Aw that’s too bad. Would have loved to meet you as well. I am always tickled when I’m out and about and then out of the blue someone approaches and says “Hi Calypso!” It’s fun to meet the DISboards online community in real life.