Is Star Alliance really the CROCK it appears to be?

[IT_Traveler]

I’m trying to book award travel for a vacation my wife and I have been dreaming about for years. Now it appears my loyalty to (America West) US Airways was for the last seven years was a foolish mistake on my part. I’m a Platinum member who has accrued over 300k miles and tried to book Business Class travel from PHX to JNB (Johannesburg, SA). Every time I call the advertised number I’m connected to a person I can barely understand because of a serious language barrier. After the person puts me on hold for at least 10 minutes they come back on the line and tell me NOTHING is available. Even though I told them I’m willing to travel ANY days in June of 2008 as long as I have 12 days in South Africa, they just say nothing is available. I happen to know that seats ARE available because everyone wants to SELL ME ONE. But nobody wants to actually deliver on what the Star Alliance award chart promises. Can someone please tell me why I’m having this problem? I already know I'm being screwed, but who is screwing me? US/SAA/StarAlliance?

Thanks.

 

[BoeingBoy]

Go to FlyerTalk and there's plenty of advice. It seems that the secret is using another airline's award availability tools (ANA is mentioned a lot) to find the flights with availability, plan your itinerary, and then call US res and give them the flights you've found.

Jim

 

[YVINTERN]

Go to FlyerTalk and there's plenty of advice. It seems that the secret is using another airline's award availability tools (ANA is mentioned a lot) to find the flights with availability, plan your itinerary, and then call US res and give them the flights you've found.

Jim

US is probably screwing you over if you're getting an outsourced call center and you are an elite...

 

[flybynite]

I’m trying to book award travel for a vacation my wife and I have been dreaming about for years. Now it appears my loyalty to (America West) US Airways was for the last seven years was a foolish mistake on my part. I’m a Platinum member who has accrued over 300k miles and tried to book Business Class travel from PHX to JNB (Johannesburg, SA). Every time I call the advertised number I’m connected to a person I can barely understand because of a serious language barrier. After the person puts me on hold for at least 10 minutes they come back on the line and tell me NOTHING is available. Even though I told them I’m willing to travel ANY days in June of 2008 as long as I have 12 days in South Africa, they just say nothing is available. I happen to know that seats ARE available because everyone wants to SELL ME ONE. But nobody wants to actually deliver on what the Star Alliance award chart promises. Can someone please tell me why I’m having this problem? I already know I'm being screwed, but who is screwing me? US/SAA/StarAlliance?

Thanks.

Talk to Delta. They will get you there. I have friends that go to Africa every year and they fly Delta.

 

[Adam]

IT Traveler, are you having any more luck getting your reservation using your miles with US Airways? I'm thinking of cashing in my Dividened Miles to go to Australia and New Zealand late next year on UA and NZ.

 

[gizmo_sc]

First you did not say where you were traveling from, but here is a HINT, Business Class travel via the STAR ALLIANCE can be done but you need great patience and you need to start with an INTERNATIONAL GATEWAY for a member of the STAR ALLIANCE my suggestion would be LH via FRA when I was booking these types of tickets in reservations LH seemed to be the carried with the most AWARD SEATS. You can also try traveling thru Singapore but these have to be booked with US AIRWAYS since that is where you miles are. Someone posted earlier that if you are PREFERRED you should be talking to a rep in USA not off shore.