Questions and Answers

Hi Lucky (and everyone)!

Thank you for reading. After a very stressful year (job search + wedding planning + cross country move), my future wife and I are excited to begin planning a Hawaiian honeymoon for early next year (Jan-Mar). She also has a Chase Sapphire Card. With minimum spend + authorized users, we should get around 120k points no problem. I would love to take first/business class to Hawaii (we’re from Boston). I’ve heard the best option is booking through KoreanAir onto Delta for 45k points each.

My questions to you all are this:
1) Do you agree this is the most efficient use of points?
2) Is there any way to know beforehand what the first class/business class seats are like? I’m totally lost in this regard. I do not want to spend the extra points for just a little extra legroom.
3) Any other tips?!

Thank you very much! This is my first post but I cannot wait to be a part of this community and contribute my own experiences.

Tommy

Welcome [USER=2074]@Ouijis[/USER] and congrats on the wedding!

For item #1, you’ll need to use the Korean site to see which of Delta’s flights they can see. Since Delta doesn’t publish an award chart, it’s hard to know what “low level” awards really are. Don’t transfer your URs to Korean until you’re sure there’s award space!

For item #2, if you can find award space via JFK, ATL or MSP then you should have a flatbed as (per Seat Guru, at least) all their A330s and B767s have flat beds. You can also select the flights on the Delta website and if it shows a little flat bed symbol you’ll have your answer. Just avoid connecting in SLC or points further west as they won’t have a flat bed.

These are very popular routes this time of year but if you can be flexible with your dates (and flying midweek will help).

[USER=2074]@Ouijis[/USER], would also recommend checking out these two posts. The information is a little old but the points are still valid. As [USER=184]@MidSouth Skier[/USER] says, double check before you make any transfers. You should also be able to use the flying blue site to search for Delta space bookable with partners.

[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2015/10/06/redeeming-miles-to-hawaii-can-be-tough/[/URL]
[URL]http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2014/11/21/why-arent-there-nicer-seats-to-hawaii/[/URL]

Award space on premium flat bed products can be hard to come by but even a little extra leg room will be helpful on a flight this long.

Welcome [USER=2074]@Ouijis[/USER]!

You’ve received great advice so far, and I just want to reiterate that Delta award space to Hawaii is going to be incredibly rare. [I]Incredibly[/I]. I don’t actually see a single date next January that has first class from the East Coast, for example. You could potentially cobble something together with connections though.

Keep in mind Korean Air will allow you to hold tickets prior to transferring points, which I highly recommend you do in this case. I would also consider redeeming on Alaska instead — it’s more miles, but availability is a bit better.

But overall, you’re absolutely on the right track! Hawaii is just rough for awards right now.

Thank you everyone! I’m realizing now my original post, which I edited a couple times, didn’t point out that we [I]both[/I] have a CSP Anyway, I thank all of you for your quick answers. I’m going to do some digging on those links you provided and get back to you with any questions. Thank you all for your quick help. If I, although still a newbie, can be of any help to anyone please do let me know.

[USER=7]@Tiffany[/USER] – do you mean you don’t see DL award space from the east coast available via Flying Blue? Because I see quite a bit when using Delta’s own miles. Of course it’s booking at 65K one-way…

[USER=184]@MidSouth Skier[/USER] 65k probably isnt saver space. if it is, thats CRAZY. i’d rather throw another 5k in there and fly to Asia on partners. I’ve been dying to go back to Taiwan

[USER=29]@David W[/USER] – that’s what I figured but with DL you just. never. know. (Ya know?!) Of course they’re also offering Hawaii for 100K one-way on other dates so it makes the 65K look cheap!

Hah, 65k one-way is Tier 3. Tier 1/Saver would be 40k one-way. The Alaska site is probably better for searching, just watch out for mixed cabins!

What if you can leverage the SQ award chart and use on UA. Go complex and put the SQ award rules to use with the stopover and open jaw, you can squeeze 1.5 vacations (or an extra 1 way) into the price of one award + 100$/open jaw

Not an OMAAT post, but I find this incredibly helpful:
[URL]http://www.pointswithacrew.com/4-sweet-spots-singapore-airlines-amazing-award-chart/[/URL]
Read towards the last part of that post.