O Air -- My Understanding

[Paulchili]

We travel to Turkey annually to visit family and THY (the initials in Turkish) has been our go to airline from Houston. It will be the first time we will be making the flight in business class, however, so we are looking forward to that. As good as the service has been in economy, it doesn’t surprise me that business class gets high grades from so many fliers. We took advantage of promotional fare which made the fare quite palatable ;)

 

Just an aside.

Turkish is a member of Star Alliance and Chase Reserve card gives you 3 points per each $ spent on travel & food.

These points can be converted into UA miles which can be used to get business class award on Turkish (which is fairly regularly available). As you travel a lot, these points accumulate pretty fast.

That’s what we do and our flight on TK is a business class award :)

Enjoy your trip.

[Flatbush Flyer]

Thanks to those who responded. Hope to get working on O Air this week. I have a feeling that with the BC upgrade being pp each way, we will likely take the credit and do our own air, but you never know ... we might be surprised.

 

 

 

Although the bottom line "math only" may have you saving a few (or more) dollars using the O Air, we have never done it. Why?

We always fly-in days ahead of (often stay days after) cruise and, for flight segments exceeding 6 hours, opt for biz class (following fares on ITA Matrix 300+ days out). We prefer United or Star Alliance partners since our somewhat significant FF points bank resides there (bolstered by point accumulation et al perks with the United Explorer Visa) and SFO is a major United/Star Alliance hub.

 

We want the ability to select seats ASAP, mix $ and FF points for purchase, acquire ETCs (for future use) if there are fare price drops after we purchase, accumulate additional FF points, deal direct with United or their partners when complicated schedule change FUBARs arise ( I just fixed a big one to Sydney via Seoul using combo of United and Asiana). And the O air credit eases our $ outlay.

 

So, the O Air/deviation combo may save a few dollars but, this is one travel situation where I prefer to DIY.

 

 

 

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[Hawaiidan]

a note on comparing fares....

 

when you book with any star alliance carrier, Swiss, Turkish, Lufthansa etc and do it through the UAL site you will get a huge price. When you book torough the carrier you want which is not UAL you get a much different fare.

 

EXAMPLE LAX to Paris CDG booked direct with SWISS $538 rt economy $4530 rt Business.

 

Same flights... same carrier ...but booked through UAL site Economy $1180 and Business $8650. !!!!!

[Flatbush Flyer]

a note on comparing fares....

 

 

 

when you book with any star alliance carrier, Swiss, Turkish, Lufthansa etc and do it through the UAL site you will get a huge price. When you book torough the carrier you want which is not UAL you get a much different fare.

 

 

 

EXAMPLE LAX to Paris CDG booked direct with SWISS $538 rt economy $4530 rt Business.

 

 

 

Same flights... same carrier ...but booked through UAL site Economy $1180 and Business $8650. !!!!!

 

 

 

Yes, this occasionally happens (particularly if the flight on UA's site has a United # "operated by ......" (i.e., a code share)), which is why it is important to use ITA Matrix to search prices first. Even then, I still go to each carrier to confirm using their flight numbers. BTW, United's site often won't show the partner alternative even when you check "show Star Alliance." Nonetheless, booking through the partner still gets you the UA FF points. But, unless it's a UA flight AND UA ticket number, you won't get any bonus FF points nor will the flights count toward million mile status.

 

 

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Edited February 10, 2018 by Flatbush Flyer

[Hawaiidan]

also consider this if your using FF miles. The price you can buy miles is between 0.02 and 0.025 per mile

If the airline wants say 120000 for a business /first ticket that 120,000 miles has a value ( no matter how you got them) of $2400 to $3000. Compare what the regular rt fare is to where you want to go. LAX to BOS rt in Business is going to cost you $1150 if you buy it.

In this case if you used 120,000 miles you would have spent $1250 to $1850 MORE than you could have bought the ticket for 50% less !!!

 

Now should you spend those miles for domestic use or international use? considering its 5800 miles LAX to BOS,, and cost you 120,000 miles Your throwing away almost $2000 . So what if you spent just 20,000 miles more or 140,000 miles... for an international business class ticket say from LAX to Paris.

In Coach its 60,000 miles RT or $1200 in value the ticked LAX to Paris in economy coach is $582 booking direct with Swiss or Lufthansa,... Again your spending 100% more of your value for a ticket LAX to Paris almost $12000 miles Huge value in international use

 

It doesn't matter how you got your miles bonus, real spending or your Uncle Irving... they all have a real $$$ value. Spend that value wisely. In other words you can buy a Rolex for a Timex price or Buy a Timex for the Rolex price. Clear?

 

140,000 at 2 or 2.5 cents is 3000 to 3500 in value The current rt fare in the Ual web site $8600 to 9600 !!! In this case your getting a 8600 ticket for $3000 to $3500....thats a saving of $5600.00 !!! But if you sued the same miles you would have lost $1250 to $1850 !!!!

It is not generaly ever a good idea to spend any FF miles for any domestic trip your going to spend thousand$ more. Sace those miles

[rallydave]

also consider this if your using FF miles. The price you can buy miles is between 0.02 and 0.025 per mile

If the airline wants say 120000 for a business /first ticket that 120,000 miles has a value ( no matter how you got them) of $2400 to $3000. Compare what the regular rt fare is to where you want to go. LAX to BOS rt in Business is going to cost you $1150 if you buy it.

In this case if you used 120,000 miles you would have spent $1250 to $1850 MORE than you could have bought the ticket for 50% less !!!

 

Now should you spend those miles for domestic use or international use? considering its 5800 miles LAX to BOS,, and cost you 120,000 miles Your throwing away almost $2000 . So what if you spent just 20,000 miles more or 140,000 miles... for an international business class ticket say from LAX to Paris.

In Coach its 60,000 miles RT or $1200 in value the ticked LAX to Paris in economy coach is $582 booking direct with Swiss or Lufthansa,... Again your spending 100% more of your value for a ticket LAX to Paris almost $12000 miles Huge value in international use

 

It doesn't matter how you got your miles bonus, real spending or your Uncle Irving... they all have a real $$$ value. Spend that value wisely. In other words you can buy a Rolex for a Timex price or Buy a Timex for the Rolex price. Clear?

 

140,000 at 2 or 2.5 cents is 3000 to 3500 in value The current rt fare in the Ual web site $8600 to 9600 !!! In this case your getting a 8600 ticket for $3000 to $3500....thats a saving of $5600.00 !!! But if you sued the same miles you would have lost $1250 to $1850 !!!!

It is not generaly ever a good idea to spend any FF miles for any domestic trip your going to spend thousand$ more. Sace those miles

 

 

 

Mostly good info Dan but have no idea of the routing to get 5800 moles lax to bos??

 

 

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[Hawaiidan]

Mostly good info Dan but have no idea of the routing to get 5800 moles lax to bos??

 

 

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Thats an estimated rt miles I fugured about 2800 to 2900 miles one way. I used the miles of travel you get for 120,000 FF Points/miles Vs one way to Paris from Lax is about 6500 one way or about 13,000 miles of travel for 140,000 miles/ff

the [point I was trying to show is the poor value you get spending FF miles on domestic flights Not to mention that International service is night and day different than any domestic.

 

International Business you get lie flat seats, great wines, very good food, big pillows and duvets, and the use of special departure lounges and check in. none of that on domestic except for special flights on whats called "premium service flights which are only trans0con and only a very few flights

 

Spending 120,000 for a Domestic flights you get a seat that reclines 7 inches and 38 inches seat pitch, .billed as First/business class.......what a joke Premium economy too is wildly un equal you get a whopping 36 seat pitch and 5 inches of recline....Are you kidding .