One of the things I really enjoy doing is responding to reader questions. Here’s your chance. I will my best to cover many of your questions. Some I may answer right away, others that I answer will take me a few weeks.
Please leave requests in the comments section. Some I may answer there and some will be standalone posts if they seem like the answers would help many readers..
As my boss once wrote making a similar request on his blog, “The only promise is that of weak monotonicity, namely that your mention won’t lower the chance of the topic being covered.” In other words, I won’t promise to cover everything, though I’ll read and ponder everything that’s written here in the comments.
I’d love to hear from you!
@kath a status match is only worth it if you are going to fly the airline you match to. What are your travel plans? I like matches to foreign airlines for lounge access (see statusmatcher.com)
@Jamie – I believe both the primeclass and comfort lounges in Istanbul an be paid-in
Just a comment that it is really awesome to make such a nice offer to try to answer questions. Very few people want to take their time to help others. I appreciate the offer.
I booked a deal on a whim 6 months ago which is set to depart this Friday.
$280 round trip JFK-LIS-FCO (TAP)
I added in DTW-LGA r/t using an AA bump voucher ($225) and added in FCO-ATH r/t on Alitalia paid $140 cash.
Welp – first time in my life I have decided to cancel a trip entirely. 8 flights in 8 days to spend 4 days in Greece and 1 in Lisbon when I have other things going on right now just doesn’t feel like a good experience.
Should I contact each airline today and inform them that I am canceling or is there some reason it is better to just no show? I’ve been looking for answers but can’t seem to figure out if there is any downside to alerting in advance?
I don’t plan on changing/re booking any of these FYI – just letting them go – thankfully I worked out a deal to be reimbursed all the flight costs through volunteered work, so it’s already a wash for me.
@danR NYC – Africa is really really tough with American miles (or BA points) because there aren’t a lot of airlines in oneworld serving Africa. BA points will mean fuel surcharges. American you want to avoid BA to avoid fuel surcharges. And that leaves flying Qatar pretty much but 4 award seats on the same flight in the same class of service is tough. American awards SFO-JFK non-stop are nearly non-existent.
@The Tumbleweed Farm – a partner flight works but it must be a (paid) mileage-earning flight
@Dan many many years ago. I used to fly economy to Sydney as a kid.
@Mike R – status matters less when you’re buying premium cabin tickets. For paid travel you’re earning more miles. Either way with status you’re in a better position to be re-accommodated during irregular operations. And with oneworld a top tier elite gets first class lounge access even when on a business class (or economy) ticket — AA status it’s international only however
@ST check Alaska Airlines availability although that won’t get you a free one way as part of a europe award. Singapore never allowed free stopovers on one-ways.
@vicente minimum connection time at IAH for a United online international-to-international connection is 70 minutes
@rmh have you looked into funding new bank accounts with a credit card?
which bank accounts are fundable by cc?
thanks for taking time to field my question,
rmh
@David D – you can use JetBlue points on Hawaiian at about a penny a point based on cost of the ticket
@Jimster – I believe the guideline does apply to the Southwest card
@kiko with a united award you get one stopover on a round trip. I like Korean Air which allows stopovers on one-way awards when flying Korean metal. You could do United HNL-ICN or NRT (stopover) – HKG, open jaw, SIN-(NRT/ICN)-HNL and then you need to separately book HKG-SIN. You could do something similar with Korean making the stopover ICN.
@pssteve I haven’t paid attention to Nexus renewal process, sorry!
@Christian – usually quite a lot within a couple of weeks prior to departure, and then occasionally in spurts for months at a time. In generally look out two months, not 11 months, for JAL availability.
@Mike United sometimes runs redemption discounts, usually only for economy. Delta runs redemption sales for both economy and business. I see some great fares and empty planes to Europe this winter especially.
@James — very glad! Thanks!
@rmh doctor of credit maintains a list
@Matt s – wait until as close as possible to departure. If there was a schedule change you may be able to get a refund. If not, wait until day of and see if the flight is significantly delayed. Might as well check in for the flights online that you can. And if it is delayed/cancelled you can get a refund.
Thanks @mark
@Sam unfortunately non-flight activity does not extend expiration of miles in a flying blue account.
Yes paid tickets can be refunded for significant schedule change. AA usually wants two hours but just claiming the change is unacceptable may be enough.
I am taking a round the world trip in June of 2017 with my wife. We booked the outbound portion thru United and end in Sydney Australia. What is the best option for points redemption back? We have AA, Delta, and United miles to use.
@patrick sullins – the best option is whomever has availability, sydney is a notoriously tough award
I’ve become pretty good at accumulating miles through credit card promotions and spending. Reading articles here on Viewfromthewing helps me maximize those miles. However, when it comes to the best way to spend them for the trips I want, I’m less of an expert. In fact, I recently used your booking service to book a trip to Thailand next year. A few of the segments will be in Economy instead of Business. While I realize that the service will check my flights again for potentially better availability one week before my departure, I’d like to be able to do this myself on an ongoing basis! Can you point me to some articles or give me some recommendations that might help me learn how to best utilize my miles…and monitor the availability of award flights? (My existing reservations are on AA/Cathay, but really, I’d like to be better at this portion of the mileage game regardless of the airline!).
@Mike it’s been a year since I’ve done a post on where to search for award space and how to get updates when availability changes, I will update that, thanks for the suggestion!
I just realized we are traveling across the international date line during Sefiras Haomer. Given that we are losing 1 day during our NRT-JFK flight and that Shavuos needs to be 50 days after Pesach, do you have any advice under halakha?
I just got done with a 3 day weekend trip at a ritz that was “buy 2 nights get the 3rd free”. At check out I found out that they had already given the discount in the onine rate. Reviewing the rate detail terms didn’t explicitly say one way or the other. They were misleading at best. Have you ever run into this? What would be the best way to go about getting it resolved?
Using Delta or Alaska points, what would be the best award redemption route from Seattle to New Zealand with a stopover in Fiji? I still can wrap my mind around how to use partner airlines and stopovers. I appreciate your help.
@Mitch if you fly Tokyo to New York you land the same day you depart, you do not lose a day you gain a day.
@sunny morris – you’re going to want to use Alaska miles. Business class between the US and New Zealand is 55,000 miles each way on Fiji Airways, and they allow a stopover in Fiji.
Thank you but I don’t see that as an option when I search on Alaska. Do I need to search on FijiAirways and if so how do I use Alaska points for that? Also, how do I extend my time in Fiji?
Thank you for your offer Gary,
I am normally on the answering travel question side, but do have an interesting question for you.
I booked two round trip LAX-BRU tickets next summer going on United Global First and returning on Turkish business using AEROPLAN miles. On line I was charged 140,000 miles each, as if the entire trip was in First class. I think it was a mistake and it should have been 70K going and 55K returning. However, I may want to pay the $90CAD and change to first class Lufthanza without fuel charges after I go and a few days before I come back. Was it a mistake for Aeroplan to change 140K each for going First and returning business? Assuming it is a mistake [first question really], would you wait until a few days before your return to change to Lufthanza First as I have already paid the roundtrip FIRST or do you think I will run into probems when I call Aeroplan a couple days before returning to change from Turkish Business to Lufthanza First [when I paid First roundtrip? I would like to keep the “overpayment” in order to change to Lufthanza first, but if that will not work out, I would like to get the extra 30K aeroplan miles back one way or another…
Stuck at the HY Arlington (DCA) in about 10 days for one nite. Any walking distance restaurants worth a look? TIA
Thank you for offering to respond, with so many readers this is a very nice surprise compared to others in your profession.
Silly question, but I don’t want to be “that guy” – are the pajamas they give in premium cabins yours to keep (like the amenity kit), or are they handed over at the end of the flight? Flying Singapore Suites and don’t want to be stuffing them in my bag.
@Chris Beck – yes they are yours to keep! The only thing I’ve ever seen intentionally collected from passengers are sweaters on ANA.
@GringoLoco Much better food downtown or further out in Virginia, this is a bit of a tough spot with lots of bland mediocre food options. District Taco is across the street, it’s ok for a quick bite that’s literally right there. Maybe a 7 minute walk is Ray’s to the Third and Pho 75. Piola is a little closer, a 5 minute walk, people really like it but I haven’t been there.
If you’ve got time for dinner get out of the neighborhood though 😉 In fact, UberX or Lyft out to Merrifield for Elephant Jumps, just check to see in advance whether Tom the owner will be there (he’s alternated between taking Wednesday or Thursday nights off), if he is just tell him to give you what I would order.
Flying MLE-AUH-JFK (on Etihad) and then JFK-DCA (AA) all on the same PNR. Will I be able to through-check my bags in MLE for pickup in DCA? Thanks!
@sunny morris you can search online for space on alaska’s website, there’s just not particularly good availability…
@Marriott Marty business one way, first the other, booked as 2 one ways would have been fewer miles. This was booked as a first class roundtrip with voluntary downgrade to business. Remember that roundtrips allow you to do things like have stopovers which one ways do not. If first opens up on the return there’ll be no additional miles collected.
@Sigmund you will check your bags to DCA in MLE. You do not pick them up / recheck them in AUH.
What is a best case/card strategy for someone who is Atlanta based, thus mainly a delta flyer, and prefers the Hilton properties because my work takes me mainly to small towns where I can usually count on a decent Hampton inn? I travel so much for business that my idea of a vacation is to stay home and play golf so I have no big aspirational trips in mind that I am saving towards. Thanks!
Gracias, Gary — I could not remember the name of Elephant Jumps for the life of me and googling “Tiger thai restaurant NoVa” got me no where for some reason ;). Serious thank you!
@Jamie – do you earn status with Delta? If not, get a delta credit card for the perks when you fly the airline but do not put any spending on it [unless spending will help put you over the top towards elite status]. Do you have elite status with Hilton? If not, I’d get the Citi Hilton Reserve Card for Gold status and put $10k in spend on it for a free weekend night each year, you probably will need a free night at some point during the year. But don’t put more spend on it other than that.
If you don’t want aspirational stays and you don’t want trips then get a Citi Double Cash or Fidelity Investment Rewards credit card, you want cash not points towards travel.
So then I would need to book a separate leg from NAN-AKL? That adds 17.5k miles plus $145. Is that my only way?
@sunny morris — no, no. if you cannot put it together online put it together by phone (but search the space online). It’s 55k one-way in business class us->new zealand and you can do a stopover in fiji for no additional miles
Hi Gary, thanks for your response about using Korean Airlines/metals that allows stopovers on one way awards. Do I transfer pts to Korean Airlines mileage program then redeem or transfer pts to one of the partner Airlines?
Thanks again!
I see now. Thank you very much.
If I book this year for travel next year 2017….will my Southwest Companion pass benefits still work? My benefits expire the end of 2016