FF tix to Hawaii - Timeshare Users Group Online Community Forums

calgal · December 5, 2005, 09:45 AM

Planning ahead like a good Tugger. Five of us will be traveling SFO/Kona at a very busy time (12/23/06). I have a ton of miles with American Express that I can transfer into a number of airlines, including Hawaiian Airlines. I called Hawaiian Airlines today and the agent told me they usually have 7 FF tix for each flight. Does that sound right? I also asked if having the Hawaiian Airlines credit card increases FF availability, and she said no. However, I think I read on flyertalk that it does. Does anyone know? Thanks.

elaine · December 5, 2005, 10:07 AM

AA will let you make reservation without the points in your account. I know you can make HA thru AA reservations. I think you are going to have trouble for 12/23. I am betting that they will be blacked out and you will have to use double points.
But start trying at midnight 331 days ahead where headquarters of airline is--dallas, LA, hawaii, etc. (so it might be 3 am your time). (Ex. I called 1 am east coast for midnight at dallas). Try every night for a few days, if you get to the 325 window, then they are going to be blacked out.
HA has less black-outs than other airlines, so you might snag some--just realize a couple 100 others are trying for the same--and if they give you ANY alternatives--take them and put on hold--you can always cancel if you get better. Last year, I put a MAui flight for 5 on hold, as my "safety" and had no plans to use it---well, we wound up flying to maui and taking interisland to big island--and I was glad I had kept it!

sun starved Gayle · December 5, 2005, 01:13 PM

I think Hawaiian does not fly direct from the mainland to KOA. I know Delta does, you might try them. I think Hawaiian only flys direct to HNL and Maui from the mainland. Speaking from experiance, it is very difficult to book thru a partner with Hawaiian, especially during a peak time like Christmas.

Gayle

JanB · December 6, 2005, 01:59 AM

United also flys direct to Kona. We've taken direct flights from San Francisco. Family have gone direct from LAX.

Carolinian · December 6, 2005, 07:51 AM

Look for an airline that has just added new flights to Hawaii. If you get in on those early, that is often a good way to find ff tickets. I know that Delta started a couple of new flights there, but they were announced a month or so ago, so prospects there may already have dimmed.

calgal · December 6, 2005, 10:06 AM

I don't mind stopping in Honolulu if it saves me $2500.
My experience with United getting FF tix from SFO to Orlando was so difficult, even calling all night as day 331 dawned, I don't expect any better results going to Hawaii.
My greatest cache of miles is in American Express, which only has certain partners in the direct miles transfer program. There is a new option that involves making the reservation via American Express travel and paying for any airline travel with miles, but the formula relating number of miles and cost of ticket is unclear to me.

GeorgeJ. · December 6, 2005, 12:09 PM

I thought that American Express bought you tickets when you wanted to redeem your points for flights rather than converting Amex points into FF points?....Not true?

I believe that Diner's Club is going to that system; you reedem your points with them and they buy you a ticket...at a rate of $1.25 per 100 points. So 20,000 Diners Club points will get you an airline ticket up to $250 in value.

I thought that's the way the Amex system worked too...

DeniseM · December 6, 2005, 03:33 PM

We have gotten award tix from Hawaiian Air 3 times with AMEX points, and all 3 times we transferred the points to HA, waited until they showed up in our HA acct., (3 - 10 days) and reserved the award seats on HA's website.

We have found that Starwood is fast about transferring the points, but HA is slow to put them in your Acct. Although the last time, I think we only had a 3 day turn around.

20K AMEX points converts to 25K airline points when you transfer from AMEX to HA, and most other domestic airlines.

An HA award ticket from the west coast to Hawaii is 35K, regardless of what island you are flying to, as long as you book it straight thru.

calgal · December 7, 2005, 01:47 AM

Denise, Do you have a HA credit card or any preferred status with HA that helped you get your tickets? My fear is that I will transfer 175K miles to HA and then not be able to get my desired dates for travel. The miles may be sitting in HA for years before I go to Hawaii again. But if I don't transfer the miles ahead of time, I would be calling 331 days out for my first leg, asking them to hold the reservation, calling 7 days later for the return leg, and then asking them to hold the whole reservation while the mileage transfer process takes place. Seems logistically implausible.

calgal · December 7, 2005, 01:52 AM

GeorgeJ, Amex seems to offer both options, direct mileage transfer into preferred airlines, and a purchase of tickets using miles on any airline. I couldn't figure out the conversion factor to see which system was more miles-effective. If Amex uses the same conversion you provided, a $500 ticket to Hawaii would cost 40,000 miles, only 5K extra, not a bad premium if I could succeed in ticketing the high demand dates I need for $500 on an airline that flies nonstop. Thanks for that info.

DeniseM · December 7, 2005, 02:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by calgal

Denise, Do you have a HA credit card that helped you get your tickets?

I sure do!

calgal · December 7, 2005, 02:19 AM

I will apply for a HA credit card tomorrow, I think that may be helpful in reserving the FF seats.

December 5, 2005, 09:45 AM	#1
calgal TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Lafayette, CA Posts: 668 Resorts: Grand Pacific Palisades, Hyatt High Sierra Lodge, Marriott Cypress Harbour, Walden II at Inverness	FF tix to Hawaii Planning ahead like a good Tugger. Five of us will be traveling SFO/Kona at a very busy time (12/23/06). I have a ton of miles with American Express that I can transfer into a number of airlines, including Hawaiian Airlines. I called Hawaiian Airlines today and the agent told me they usually have 7 FF tix for each flight. Does that sound right? I also asked if having the Hawaiian Airlines credit card increases FF availability, and she said no. However, I think I read on flyertalk that it does. Does anyone know? Thanks.

December 5, 2005, 10:07 AM	#2
elaine TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 8, 05 Posts: 1,442	do not transfer points until you have reservations AA will let you make reservation without the points in your account. I know you can make HA thru AA reservations. I think you are going to have trouble for 12/23. I am betting that they will be blacked out and you will have to use double points. But start trying at midnight 331 days ahead where headquarters of airline is--dallas, LA, hawaii, etc. (so it might be 3 am your time). (Ex. I called 1 am east coast for midnight at dallas). Try every night for a few days, if you get to the 325 window, then they are going to be blacked out. HA has less black-outs than other airlines, so you might snag some--just realize a couple 100 others are trying for the same--and if they give you ANY alternatives--take them and put on hold--you can always cancel if you get better. Last year, I put a MAui flight for 5 on hold, as my "safety" and had no plans to use it---well, we wound up flying to maui and taking interisland to big island--and I was glad I had kept it!

December 6, 2005, 03:33 PM	#8
DeniseM Moderator TUG Lifetime Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Northern, CA Posts: 14,068 Resorts: Starwood-WKORV, SDO, & SVR, Branson-Roark Vacation Club, Tahoe-Kingsbury Crossing, Kauai Beach Villas - 2 weeks	We have gotten award tix from Hawaiian Air 3 times with AMEX points, and all 3 times we transferred the points to HA, waited until they showed up in our HA acct., (3 - 10 days) and reserved the award seats on HA's website. We have found that Starwood is fast about transferring the points, but HA is slow to put them in your Acct. Although the last time, I think we only had a 3 day turn around. 20K AMEX points converts to 25K airline points when you transfer from AMEX to HA, and most other domestic airlines. An HA award ticket from the west coast to Hawaii is 35K, regardless of what island you are flying to, as long as you book it straight thru. __________________ DeniseM "Starwood is hired to administer reservations, clean the toilets, and take out the trash. They are not paid to interfere with owners' usage. They're acting as if they own the place." - Pit Last edited by DeniseM : December 6, 2005 at 03:38 PM.

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December 5, 2005, 01:13 PM	#3
sun starved Gayle TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Washington State Posts: 300	I think Hawaiian does not fly direct from the mainland to KOA. I know Delta does, you might try them. I think Hawaiian only flys direct to HNL and Maui from the mainland. Speaking from experiance, it is very difficult to book thru a partner with Hawaiian, especially during a peak time like Christmas. Gayle

December 6, 2005, 01:59 AM	#4
JanB TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Sacramento Posts: 557	United also flys direct to Kona. We've taken direct flights from San Francisco. Family have gone direct from LAX.

December 6, 2005, 07:51 AM	#5
Carolinian Guest BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: eastern Europe Posts: 5,562	Look for an airline that has just added new flights to Hawaii. If you get in on those early, that is often a good way to find ff tickets. I know that Delta started a couple of new flights there, but they were announced a month or so ago, so prospects there may already have dimmed.

December 6, 2005, 10:06 AM	#6
calgal TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Lafayette, CA Posts: 668 Resorts: Grand Pacific Palisades, Hyatt High Sierra Lodge, Marriott Cypress Harbour, Walden II at Inverness	I don't mind stopping in Honolulu if it saves me $2500. My experience with United getting FF tix from SFO to Orlando was so difficult, even calling all night as day 331 dawned, I don't expect any better results going to Hawaii. My greatest cache of miles is in American Express, which only has certain partners in the direct miles transfer program. There is a new option that involves making the reservation via American Express travel and paying for any airline travel with miles, but the formula relating number of miles and cost of ticket is unclear to me.

December 6, 2005, 12:09 PM	#7
GeorgeJ. TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jul 4, 05 Posts: 194	I thought that American Express bought you tickets when you wanted to redeem your points for flights rather than converting Amex points into FF points?....Not true? I believe that Diner's Club is going to that system; you reedem your points with them and they buy you a ticket...at a rate of $1.25 per 100 points. So 20,000 Diners Club points will get you an airline ticket up to $250 in value. I thought that's the way the Amex system worked too...

December 7, 2005, 01:47 AM	#9
calgal TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Lafayette, CA Posts: 668 Resorts: Grand Pacific Palisades, Hyatt High Sierra Lodge, Marriott Cypress Harbour, Walden II at Inverness	Denise, Do you have a HA credit card or any preferred status with HA that helped you get your tickets? My fear is that I will transfer 175K miles to HA and then not be able to get my desired dates for travel. The miles may be sitting in HA for years before I go to Hawaii again. But if I don't transfer the miles ahead of time, I would be calling 331 days out for my first leg, asking them to hold the reservation, calling 7 days later for the return leg, and then asking them to hold the whole reservation while the mileage transfer process takes place. Seems logistically implausible.

December 7, 2005, 01:52 AM	#10
calgal TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Lafayette, CA Posts: 668 Resorts: Grand Pacific Palisades, Hyatt High Sierra Lodge, Marriott Cypress Harbour, Walden II at Inverness	GeorgeJ, Amex seems to offer both options, direct mileage transfer into preferred airlines, and a purchase of tickets using miles on any airline. I couldn't figure out the conversion factor to see which system was more miles-effective. If Amex uses the same conversion you provided, a $500 ticket to Hawaii would cost 40,000 miles, only 5K extra, not a bad premium if I could succeed in ticketing the high demand dates I need for $500 on an airline that flies nonstop. Thanks for that info.

December 7, 2005, 02:19 AM	#12
calgal TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Lafayette, CA Posts: 668 Resorts: Grand Pacific Palisades, Hyatt High Sierra Lodge, Marriott Cypress Harbour, Walden II at Inverness	I will apply for a HA credit card tomorrow, I think that may be helpful in reserving the FF seats.