1. Introduction to Booking Award Travel
Frequent Traveler University Los Angeles
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2. Background Information:
ben schlappig
Boarding Area’s One Mile At A
Time
onemileatatime@hotmail.co bschlappig onemileatatime
m
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3. The Basics:
• Agents don’t know what they’re talking
about…but always be nice
• There’s no undoing notes in records
• Flexibility is key
• The possibilities are endless
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5. The Tools:
• Star Alliance
– ANA award search tool
– United website
– ExpertFlyer
• OneWorld
– American website
– British Airways website
– Qantas website
• SkyTeam
– ExpertFlyer
– Air France website*
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6. Star Alliance:
• United Mileage Plus
• US Airways Dividend Miles
• Air Canada Aeroplan
• All Nippon Airways
• Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer
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7. United MileagePlus:
• Most generous routing rules
• Open jaws and stopovers allowed
• Access to all availability
• Reasonable change fees and changes
allowed after departure
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8. US Airways:
• Hot mess
• Starnet blocking
• Award chart gems
• Off peak awards
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14. Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer:
• Only way to redeem for
Singapore Airlines
first/business class
• Reasonable
redemption rates (First
Class Saver roundtrip
cost San Francisco to
Hong Kong: 140,250
miles + $371.30)
• Great for domestic Star
Alliance awards as well
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16. OneWorld:
• American AAdvantage
– No traditional stopovers, but free stopovers at
transoceanic gateway
– OneWorld distance based awards
• British Airways Executive Club
– Reasonable ticketing fees
– No fuel surcharges on Aer Lingus, Alaska
Airlines, Air Berlin, LAN, and American (in some
markets)
– Take advantage of transfer bonuses
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21. Delta SkyMiles:
• Broken booking tool
• Clueless agents
• No one-way awards
• No international first
class awards
• AWFUL availability
• Blackout dates
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22. Air France/KLM Flying Blue:
• Membership Rewards transfer partner
• No fuel surcharges on Delta
• Great way to book one-way awards on
Delta
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23. Korean Air SkyPass:
• Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner
• Only (reasonable) way to book first class on
SkyTeam airlines
• LOTS of first class award space!
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