does anybody have any good ideas how to buy first class tickets with ffms? in 2005 we went to Zim on UA it took us a little bit but finally got first class, in 2011 we went to Australia never could get 1st class we went with Alaska/Quantas and flew there highest coach class which is better than domestic first class in the states. Now were going to Mozambique in Late May of 2014, our most miles are with UA, Coach is available but Business and 1st class are not available

Before I decide on the dates for my hunts I search the United site for the flights that I want. I find the flights by date and class and book them, then I find an outfitter who can hunt on my schedule.

fjold

quote:

Before I decide on the dates for my hunts I search the United site for the flights that I want. I find the flights by date and class and book them, then I find an outfitter who can hunt on my schedule.

how many months in advance do you do this i have a little flexibility I"m just having a tough time finding any first class tickets available

quote:

Originally posted by Fjold:
Before I decide on the dates for my hunts I search the United site for the flights that I want. I find the flights by date and class and book them, then I find an outfitter who can hunt on my schedule.

i do exactly the same thing. i give the outfitter approx dates and be sure it works for them. then i book my tickets ( and put them on hold), contact the outfitter with exact dates. if it still works for them, i reserve and pay for the tickets with miles.. 10 trips to Africa, 9 tickets in first or business( or often a combo of both). the lone ticket i couldn't arrange convinced me to be more flexible in the future. i am going to the Caprivi in Oct. first-class on AA from Fresno, Ca to London via Dallas, business from London to Joberg and back to London on BA, first class from London to LAX, on BA, AA to Fresno. A $12,000 ticket for the cost of taxes/service fees. and took me all of an hour on the phone to AA to arrange it( stupid to pay a travel agent $250-300 for something you can do yourself in under an hour). THE KEY IS DATE OF TRAVEL FLEXIBILITY BOTH GOING AND COMING HOME!!! if you have to overnight an extra night and pay $150 somewhere along the route, so what? much better than flying cattle class and saving the $150. this far in advance before May 2014 travel, you should not have a problem if you have 2-4 days of wiggle room on each end. of course, the farther in advance the better.

jdollar:

Any chance you made a typo on the price?
For 12k you should be able to charter a
private flight I'd think.
Just wanting to confirm that is all.
Thank you,
George

georgeld,

I don't think jdollar made a typo. I was standing at the BA counter in Seattle checking in when a guy walks up wanting to buy a first class ticket and wanting to fly on the next flight out. They told him the ticket would be if I remember $20,000+- and he gave them his CC.

Mark

Yep, $12K for a first class ticket is about right. Business is usually about $8K. That's from DFW to HRE or JNB. I still haven't been able to make the mileage thing work out. Thought I'd have enough for two Business class tickets for my trip to Zim this year. Turns out I don't even have enough points for two coach class tickets. Looks like we'll be sitting in the back of the buss again! But at least we are going!!

quote:

Originally posted by bashaw:
fjold

quote:

Before I decide on the dates for my hunts I search the United site for the flights that I want. I find the flights by date and class and book them, then I find an outfitter who can hunt on my schedule.

how many months in advance do you do this i have a little flexibility I"m just having a tough time finding any first class tickets available

United let's me book 11 months in advance and I search using their option for three days before and after my chosen dates to find out what dates have open first class dates. I'm flying to Jo'burg in September and got first class on the way over but economy on the way back.

Bashaw:

Looks like you're flying out of Portland. I'd try looking for FF availability from major United hubs such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago. A lot of time the systems will show no availability because, for example, the Portland - San Francisco leg is unavailable in first.

Flying out of Reno I run into this problem all the time. I start my search in major cities that I know I can get to even if it's a Southwest flight or a purchased economy ticket.

Also, look at all the Star Alliance partners as well. Air New Zealand (LAX - LHR), Lufthansa, South African all may have award seats available where United does not.

Sounds like your hunt dates are already in stone but as mentioned previously, consider arriving a day or two earlier, staying a day or two later or arranging a stopover (preferably on the way back)if it makes award tickets possible. A few hundred dollars in hotels for a few extra days and flying first and/or business is usually money well spent (IMHO).

A good resource for using miles for first and business class travel in general is firstclassflyer.com. They have a lot of strategies around using miles that may be worth while.

Good Luck and good hunting!

P.S. Where in Moz and what for?

Regards,

Jason

Georgeld: I think you'd be lucky to get back and forth to Mozambique privately for less than $250,000 and probably a lot more by the time you pay any empty leg or down time charges

You can usually start booking award tickets 331 days out from the current date.

BookYourAward.com

I used the above service to go business class to Johannesburg for the grand total of 125,000 Delta Sky Miles on Air France. They are very good at helping you get the most from your miles.

quote:

Originally posted by georgeld:
jdollar:

Any chance you made a typo on the price?
For 12k you should be able to charter a
private flight I'd think.
Just wanting to confirm that is all.
Thank you,
George

That is funny!

every time i have booked one of these tickets( a total of 9 times)i always ask the reservationist what it would cost if i was paying. cheapest was $9500( and that was 6-7 years ago) and most expensive was almost $13,000( that was 5 years ago flying first class all the way on Air France). you wonder way the cabin staff/ airline ticket agents cater to the first class customers????

Thanks for all the replies.
Tradewinds: whats so funny about someone that don't know asking a simple question????

Have a friend on the plane right now from Atlanta to Harare going on a plains hunt. He's taking a 13y.o boy along. Told me the whole trip should cost around $14,000. That's for a six day hunt and four days playing tourists during a drive thru Kruger park and some towns etc. That's why I asked JD about the price. Friend is flying coach I'm sure after seeing these prices. They flew from Dulles at 5:45pm Sun, to Atlanta then direct to Harare. I don't recall the ph's name. Pieter something. He's hunted with the guy at least four times in the past five or six yrs.

Thanks again,
George

Go through a good travel agent and they will upgrade you with your miles.

i bet they won't do it for free, as they get no commission... if they sell you a ticket, they get a fee/commission. they take the time and effort to book your ticket with YOUR FF miles, they get nothing, as the ticket is free( other than the usual airline fees that you would pay anyway). i simply don't understand why people are willing to pay someone $250-300 for something they can do themselves with about an hour of time invested. i guess if your time is worth $300/hour, it makes sense. otherwise, DIY. be flexible with travel dates, book as far ahead as possible, and if nothing is available when you call, call again in 2-3 days. if i had paid $300 to someone to book my 9 tickets, i would have wasted $2700 to end up at the same destination.