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bamagrad75

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Hmm... Maybe I'll look into it. Probably booking July 2nd. JUST in case I win the United covid sweepstakes.

It's never the same twice.

We booked all our Egypt tickets under multi city with Egypt Air, got a price break and they gave us international baggage allowance on all our domestic flights.

Other times, been cheaper to book tickets separate. You just have to try every stupid permutation.
 
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gob

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View and One Mile are daily "blogs" on the travel industry, points, etc. Sometimes pick up a hot tip on a sale fare.
I have a Scott's Cheap Flights membership, so I get notified of most deals that come around for Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh. I usually use TPG for approximate points valuations.
 

bamagrad75

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I have a Scott's Cheap Flights membership, so I get notified of most deals that come around for Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, and Pittsburgh. I usually use TPG for approximate points valuations.

I used to read TPG but sort of got away from him.

Emirates is going to be running a Miami to Dubai flight now and we can get a direct on (shudder) American to Miami. Of course, it's probably quicker for you thru JFK.

Delta has effed us up so many times on changing flights by 3 hours or more, they ate no longer reliable when I have connecting flights. And I refuse to fly thru Charlotte on American.
 

gob

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I used to read TPG but sort of got away from him.

Emirates is going to be running a Miami to Dubai flight now and we can get a direct on (shudder) American to Miami. Of course, it's probably quicker for you thru JFK.

Delta has effed us up so many times on changing flights by 3 hours or more, they ate no longer reliable when I have connecting flights. And I refuse to fly thru Charlotte on American.
United and American are the two I try to fly most often now (American is the bigger airline in Columbus, and I fly to Chicago most often for work, so United). I used to mainly just plan trips based on what cheap airfare I could find. Now, I'm going to have to do it the other way around, and search for cheap airfare to a certain location.
 

bamagrad75

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United and American are the two I try to fly most often now (American is the bigger airline in Columbus, and I fly to Chicago most often for work, so United). I used to mainly just plan trips based on what cheap airfare I could find. Now, I'm going to have to do it the other way around, and search for cheap airfare to a certain location.

Delta always our go to. 30 minutes to Atlanta, then anywhere. But they have become a high price snooty headache.

They changed our return from JFK by almost 5 hours so they are leaving before we land from Cairo.

FIVE hours on hold to change the ticket (your wait time is 90 minutes), no callback option offered, they never picked up. Shut down their Facebook and Twitter options. I FINALLY got thru to them on messenger after FOUR hours to change our tickets. Then, after giving her the flight numbers, she booked it wrong and had to do it again.

One poor guy spent 17 hours on hold. Ridiculous.
 

gob

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Delta always our go to. 30 minutes to Atlanta, then anywhere. But they have become a high price snooty headache.

They changed our return from JFK by almost 5 hours so they are leaving before we land from Cairo.

FIVE hours on hold to change the ticket (your wait time is 90 minutes), no callback option offered, they never picked up. Shut down their Facebook and Twitter options. I FINALLY got thru to them on messenger after FOUR hours to change our tickets. Then, after giving her the flight numbers, she booked it wrong and had to do it again.

One poor guy spent 17 hours on hold. Ridiculous.
Damn. I had a similar calling issue for Southwest, but ended up just changing stuff online.
 

bamagrad75

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Damn. I had a similar calling issue for Southwest, but ended up just changing stuff online.

I went to my app first. Sorry, you have to call in. Went to website. Sorry, you have to call in.

For FIVE hours, I listen to recordings on how I should use the app to make changes.

I could have driven to their fucking headquarters in Atlanta in less time.
 
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gob

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@gobucks0409

Have you run the numbers flying into Joberg, then to CT?
No. We'd prefer to not add another layover if possible. Just from browsing around, the two seemed to be similarly priced. We would just fly through Johannesburg down to PE, but she needs to stop by the embassy in CT.
 

bamagrad75

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@bamagrad75 I know you like your first class.


Lol, yes, I do. Thanks

2 issues come to mind.

1. Airlines matter. Honestly a FC on Egypt Air isn't going to compare to Emirates or Qatar. So I'd need to see which airline first.

2. If this is a 3rd party booking, I'm out. When problems arise, the airline won't help you resolve if it's booked thru a 3rd party. People had hell to pay during covid when airlines cancelled and people tried to go back to 3rd parties to get their $$$ back, or even a credit. I saw too many get burned last March.

Sounds interesting, I'll learn more about it. Thanks
 

gob

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Lol, yes, I do. Thanks

2 issues come to mind.

1. Airlines matter. Honestly a FC on Egypt Air isn't going to compare to Emirates or Qatar. So I'd need to see which airline first.

2. If this is a 3rd party booking, I'm out. When problems arise, the airline won't help you resolve if it's booked thru a 3rd party. People had hell to pay during covid when airlines cancelled and people tried to go back to 3rd parties to get their $$$ back, or even a credit. I saw too many get burned last March.

Sounds interesting, I'll learn more about it. Thanks
It's not 3rd party. They just look for cheap flights, and alert you to it. You do all the booking yourself
 

bamagrad75

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I've used their standard service for a couple flights

I had some fun searching for a flight to France. The rate variation was stunning and I mean just from one airline.

In some cases, its cheaper to fly under 1 ticket, round trip. In others, I can save thousands by splitting it into 2 separate tickets/flights to very same location.

Pricing often makes no damn sense.
 

jarntt

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Speaking of awards tickets, I was looking on Delta for a RT to Iceland in the fall. Okay, 210k points from Birmingham to there and back.

Okay, using points to pay for domestic flights is usually the worst way to spend points, so how much for just JFK to Iceland and back.

210k.

WTF?
Delta is beyond horrible right now for award seats. We rebooked our one way delta one seats to Italy from last September to this September immediately after cancelling and used like 85,000 points each (remember only one way). I check back every once in a while and it is like 320,000 one way now and has been for a while. Instead of using Delta try an international airline that has a lot of flights to Iceland and you may have much better luck. Our flights back are with Flying Blue (originally last year AF but rebooked as KLM). Business class for 53,000 each. Those up a lot also, but still much cheaper the last time I checked and if you are transferring miles who cares which airline you use. if you spend enough time you may be able to find a decent price but it is really hard right now with miles. I guess everyone has all of their stored up miles and jumping on those seats. Maybe as we get closer flights will be added and if you are watching constantly and act quickly you may get a deal. The other problem I have with Delta is we now have 4 domestic companion tickets (1 for each of us for 2020 and 2021) to use by June 2022 but I can't find any flights that have availability in that class and may lose them. It's kind of BS what the US airlines are doing now IMO

edit: using international airlines from JFK a plentiful option. Forgetting that if you aren't near one of the major US airports it may not be as easy
 

jarntt

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We are going to St Barths in 2 weeks. Transiting thru St Maarten. The only COVID requirement now if you are vaccinated is a PCR test within 3 days of travel or an antigen test within 2 days and we are all vaccinated and of course wearing a mask on the plane and in the airport. We went there last November and the testing part was a little more stressful because it was rt-PCR only and getting results back in time wasn't a guarantee then. Now with the antigen test being allowed it shouldn't be stressful as results should be back in less than an hour and we have two days, so enough time to just go get another if there is an issue.
 

bamagrad75

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We are going to St Barths in 2 weeks. Transiting thru St Maarten. The only COVID requirement now if you are vaccinated is a PCR test within 3 days of travel or an antigen test within 2 days and we are all vaccinated and of course wearing a mask on the plane and in the airport. We went there last November and the testing part was a little more stressful because it was rt-PCR only and getting results back in time wasn't a guarantee then. Now with the antigen test being allowed it shouldn't be stressful as results should be back in less than an hour and we have two days, so enough time to just go get another if there is an issue.

Don't forget about your test coming back.

STUPID our own government STILL requiring this for vaccinated citizens.

Chasing points is pretty much not worth it anymore unless you are willing to fly less than business class (which we arent) and are not particular about the airline (which we are).

They've raised the awards prices so high and decreased the number of availability to the point it's just not worth it. I follow several "points" sites and everyone is depressed at what we see.

I used to get great business class international awards flights but they are like unicorns these days. And they are upping the requirements to make elite status to where you either need to spend the GNP of a small nation or live on flights to grab enough "leg" status.

And trying to book awards on partner airlines has become an exercise in frustration, IF you can even find them.

Add to this, airlines like American pushing for almost ALL carryon to be checked now, the raising of baggage fees through the roof,no decent meal service and its not fun to fly anymore. And reducing lounge access to only the most elite.

I'm looking heavily at dropping all my cobranded airline cards and going to strictly cash back. The few perks with them these days aren't worth their annual costs.
 

gob

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Bleh... Giving up trying to get a visa stamp, so no South Africa or UK this year. Hopefully the embassy availability opens up next year
 
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