I'm planning to take my wife to Amsterdam next summer sometime between June 15 and July 15 for a 5-7 day vacation(preferably the last week in June). I would like to use my miles for the tickets. Can anyone offer any recommendations for my best chances of acquiring BE seats or a link to a thread that discusses this? When should I book the tickets? Is there any advice you can offer to increase my chances of getting the dates and times I want?

Thanks,

Jaybird

 

If you search this forum on "331", you'll see a number of related threads. The main objective is to call 331 days prior to your intended travel date for the best shot at the award. You can put the outbound trip on hold, and with your plan for a 5-7 day trip, call again 331 days prior to the return date to complete the itinerary.

For the last week of June, you'll be calling the last week of July this year.

good luck

 

Thanks KLC

Jaybird

 

I have been reading so many threads where people say it is so hard to get awards in BE or FC to Europe. Yet, I did try pretty late (just 2 weeks ago for early August) an have kept changing dates and class of service CONSTANTLY! And succesfully. It seems if you have a tiny bit of flexibility, BE or FC is available at about any time.

Any other wants to comment on success/failurtes?

 

Were these SkySaver or SkyChoice awards?

 

Delta miles can be used for a Singapore Airlines award. You can use Delta for a domestic connection to EWR and then take the Singapore flight from EWR-AMS. Raffles Class is far superior to Delta Business Elite.

I always fly on Singapore when the opportunity arises

 

They are SkySaver awards

 

Now I have heard is it horendously difficult to get SQ awards nowadays. Is that not true? But then maybe I am just lucky (9/9 LUT upgrates so far and 1/1H) and should give it a try.

 

I have had terrific luck with 4 SQ awards in the past 2 years. If I recall correctly, the most flexibility required was 2 days either side of preferred dates.

If you don't ask, you don't get!

 

Well, I got 2 FC SQ awards to SE Asia 4 years back without too much work, but recently people have been complaining. Were any of your awards to SE Asia? I am interested since I snapped 2 J awards before the increase.

 

The most recent SQ for me was a First Class ticket to the Maldives via Singapore. Booked about 3 months in advance for April travel.

I redeemed miles for two Raffles class certs to SE Asia before the mileage was increased in March. Hope these are easy to use as my previous transactions.

 

How do you get a ticket with Singapore Air using DL miles? Do you transfer your miles to Singapore Air or can you book a ticket through DL?

Thx

 

You redeem through DL, look at their website under SkyMiles... you can even use DL miles to upgrade to Raffles on Singapore, but only from a full coach fare, usually around $3500.

 

Unfortunately, ibjaybird, while there is a process for using Delta miles to get a Singapore Airlines ticket there is often no product in terms of availability. Many FTers have cited extremely limited success in using Skymiles for SQ award travel. Apparently there is not even a computer link between SQ and Delta any more for checking award travel and each request has to be handled by a separate phone call and response between a Delta rep and an SQ rep. I've tried many times to get any kind of award travel on SQ with Skymiles, including to Europe as well as Singapore and other places and have had no luck even with allowing 6-8 weeks flexibility in when I would be willing to fly and calling many months in advance. Perhaps with the 331 day advance check you may find occasional availability but even then it seems many FTers have not had much luck. Always worth a try, I suppose, but definitely not something on which you should place even moderate hopes.

 

Sorry to burst your bubble, but SQ no longer operates this flight. They canned the EWR-AMS sector because of the new nonstop EWR-SIN flight. They operate JFK-FRA, but that is the only transatlantic flight they currently operate.