Star Alliance award ticket q's

[greatam]

Tried, without success, to book award *A flights from the UK to Santiago (returning from Buenos Aires) for this December. Does anyone think any award seats (preferably business class) would become available or have we missed our chance?

 

Get a subscription to ExpertFlyer ($5.00 per month for the basic edition). Will generally show flight availability for quite a few *A flights. You MAY have to use an irregular routing-Example-UK/Canada (someplace)/EZE or GIG/SCL and return EZE/SCL/IAD/LHR or something like that. But you can find those "elusive" award tickets and segments. It takes some work and is not a one step fits all. But this year, award availability is VERY good.

[Clay Clayton]

Yep, I think it must not be a legal connection for an international flight dangit.

 

I looked at the 2 o'clock departures but given it doesn't really mean I can work that day - maybe only until 11am or so, and given it would add a connection and therefore a chance for a delay or misconnect, it isn't worth it to me....hopefully with the biz seat we gain access to the AC lounge so we will hang out there....or is there easy mass transit to downtown Toronto? I was there five or so years ago and seems like it was a LONG taxi ride.

 

Bought an expertflyer subscription - unfortunately it doesnt' show UA availablity but they do show AC awards, so confirmed that there aren't any biz seats from SCL/YYZ but did discover that they have a flight from SCL/EZE/YYZ....alas, award availablity from SCL-EZE but not onwards...so then called US (thats who my points are with) and they confirmed the award availablity for SCL/EZE but United didn't have any seats back to the states open either...will keep trying I guess!

[YXU AC*SE]

Yep, I think it must not be a legal connection for an international flight dangit.

 

I looked at the 2 o'clock departures but given it doesn't really mean I can work that day - maybe only until 11am or so, and given it would add a connection and therefore a chance for a delay or misconnect, it isn't worth it to me....hopefully with the biz seat we gain access to the AC lounge so we will hang out there....or is there easy mass transit to downtown Toronto? I was there five or so years ago and seems like it was a LONG taxi ride.

 

Bought an expertflyer subscription - unfortunately it doesnt' show UA availablity but they do show AC awards, so confirmed that there aren't any biz seats from SCL/YYZ but did discover that they have a flight from SCL/EZE/YYZ....alas, award availablity from SCL-EZE but not onwards...so then called US (thats who my points are with) and they confirmed the award availablity for SCL/EZE but United didn't have any seats back to the states open either...will keep trying I guess!

 

The Maple Leaf Lounge at YYZ is quite comfy, and yes, you will have access. Open bar after 11h00, but limited food selection (soup, salad, cheeses, breads, crudité). Here are some pictures: http://www.loungeguide.net/wiki/u/Toronto_(YYZ)_Air_Canada_Maple_Leaf_Lounge_International.

 

As for mass transit downtown, it isn't easy peasy, but it is very doable in about 50 mins each way. TTC offers express bus service (the Airport Rocket - rte 192) to connect with the subway at Kipling Station and then it is two trains down town. (http://www3.ttc.ca/Riding_the_TTC/Airport_service.jsp)

 

Alternate (and my advice) is the airport express bus which is 32,95$ CAD pp rtn with a 10% disc for online purchase. It runs every 20 mins throughout the day (http://www.torontoairportexpress.com/index.php)

 

Taxi is 48$ +tip each way, limo is 54$ +tip each way.

 

As for your air routing conundrum, have you tried coming home thru GRU - and flying SCL - GRU via TAM now that they are a Star Alliance member? A bit circuitous, but you are on the comfier side of the magical curtain! We did the same when our cruise terminated in GIG -- booked a rev ticket from SDU to CGH via TAM and changed airports in São Paulo.

 

If you need more YYZ or AC advice let me know.

 

Scott.

[YXU AC*SE]

As for your air routing conundrum, have you tried coming home thru GRU - and flying SCL - GRU via TAM now that they are a Star Alliance member? A bit circuitous, but you are on the comfier side of the magical curtain! We did the same when our cruise terminated in GIG -- booked a rev ticket from SDU to CGH via TAM and changed airports in São Paulo.

 

Edited to say, they are still "Star-Alliance-in-training" members, not fully fledged - so you won't see reward availability for them ... but the rev ticket option might be interesting if the price is right for you still. Scott.

[Clay Clayton]

Hmmm, guess we have plenty of time to decide if we want to sit around the Maple Leaf lounge drinking or spend an hour each way to ride into town....not sure what we would do for an afternoon in Toronto, though if the skys are clear, we could go up the tower and have lunch, since it was foggy when we were there before...we shall see.

 

I had looked at GRU, but TAM while a member isn't yet open for award travel. And the moment no award availabilty from GRU to YYZ on AC.

[Clay Clayton]

Well I feel stupid.....there were seats from SCL to EZE but then no seats on the EZE flight to YYZ, but I kept trying...then I noticed that the outbound YYZ-EZE flight was 4 hours longer than the return from SCL...I had missed that the outbound flight had a stop...in you quessed it SCL...then it turns around goes back to SCL and then on to YYZ...so I had been trying to find award seats on the same flights! ARRGH...well anyway, on hold now at USAirways to book them since no more award seats came up during the 3 day hold...so we will keep our fingers crossed that we will get to pay $150 sometime between now and march and get bumped up to the front of the plane.

 

Thanks for everyone's help!