Recommend me where to go to use my points!

[unfunkable]

Hi All
I've pretty much given up the hope of flying to Hawaii on points for myself and family (4 all up).
For the last month, I have been looking everyday for the new days that get released, and have yet to see an award seat come up.
I don't know wtf is going on, but I've given up on Hawaii. I've rang velocity as well to check availability and nada. Even during school days, there is literally nothing available from now till Dec 13 2018 on business award seats.

I've tried looking at Krisflyer as well, and the same situation.

So where are some good places a family of 4 can go to chill-out, relax, + safe place that would have some kind of decent availability for award seats. Pref business class, as we have never flown business before and want to see what the fuss is all about! I've floated the idea of myself and the better 1/2 going 1st class, and kids in economy but she won't have a bar of it.. lol

We don't want to go to Singapore as we have already been. We live in Canberra, but can fly out from Sydney.

All up we have about 600k Velocity and 340k MR points

cheers!

 

[JohnK]

Somewhere like Hua Hin and Chiang Mai would be suitable and away from the usual drunken tourists. Award availability to BKK or even CNX should be OK although you may not get 4 seats in business to CNX.

 

[Zerosignal]

Koh Samui?

 

[unfunkable]

Thanks guys, I'll check those places out - don't know much about SEA countries
cheers

 

[Zerosignal]

I just did New Years over at Koh Samui, I think it ticks most of your boxes on relax, chill and safe.

Cheap beer as well!

 

[Buzzard]

Happy to be corrected but I think it may be difficult to find 4 x J seats available on the same flight.
Fingers crossed for you.

 

[unfunkable]

If the website lets me carry through and click to the end with all 4 seats using points, does that mean yes?

 

[Steady]

If the website lets me carry through and click to the end with all 4 seats using points, does that mean yes?

I would think so - yes

 

[yld200]

Would you consider Hoi An in Vietnam? Never been but considered it as an option for my recent trip - plenty of resort options.

SQ has availability to Ho Chi Minh City for 4 in J from Sydney in August this year. Also some availability from CBR. You can then make your way to Hoi An...

 

[lovetravellingoz]

Koh Samui?

Yes I am off there over Easter/Anzac Day in J on SQ booked via KF. Just the wife and I.

I have used SQ for various SEA destinations booking 4 at a time in J. Once even 5 from coughet, though evidently that was a glitch as only 4 was meant to be allowed. Vietnam is nice.

coughet is IMO these days overcrowded and overun with Russians and so I would suggest these days using it as a gateway to other places nearby.


So what type of holiday are you seeking? Just lazing by the pool and beaches or?

 

[Jonesaus]

how about fiji?

VA using A330 fitted with the business seats, i found business reward seats available for a weekend A330 return trip in august.

 

[unfunkable]

We have 2 kids, 6yrs and 4yrs.
We enjoy resort style places. A lot of our family have been to Hawaii and all have reported how great it was for their kids and themselves. Not into the site seeing stuff as our kids are a bit too young for that, they (we) just want to relax , eat, relax. Do some shopping. We had 5 days at Shangri La Resort on Sentosa Island 2 years ago and we had a great time. I guess we are looking for something similar.

Our priorities would be safety/cleanliness.

Been to Vietnam once and not likely to go again.

I had a look at Maledives, it seems to be ok availability for that as well. Been doing some reading and it seems like it's getting to be a more family friendly place as well. Has anyone been recently that can comment?
Fiji option is great! I'll check it out
cheers

 

[LadyC]

Good SQ availability to Bali also. We have been twice with our nearly 3 old. Lots of family friendly resorts to choose from.

 

[clazman]

Thoughts on Fiji?

 

[CJEMNMAC]

I assume with VA points you were wanting to fly on Hawaiian airlines ?

If so, you can only book by calling.....so if you were looking everyday you will not see reward seats as they cannot be booked online..

Just not sure if I was understanding your original post correctly..


EDIT : Sorry I just re read your post and note you did call..

 

[unfunkable]

I assume with VA points you were wanting to fly on Hawaiian airlines ?

If so, you can only book by calling.....so if you were looking everyday you will not see reward seats as they cannot be booked online..

Just not sure if I was understanding your original post correctly..


EDIT : Sorry I just re read your post and note you did call..

I only called once and we only looked at October...Maybe i'll try calling again and look for Dec thanks for that. yes it will be with Hawaiian airlines .

edit: I am starting to understand reward booking abit more
When i go to Hawaiian airlines website, for September 30th, I can see the seat availbility - 4/18 is taken. So there are 14 seats left. Does anybody know how many or which seats are allocated for points?
thanks

 

[lovetravellingoz]

We have 2 kids, 6yrs and 4yrs.
We enjoy resort style places. A lot of our family have been to Hawaii and all have reported how great it was for their kids and themselves. Not into the site seeing stuff as our kids are a bit too young for that, they (we) just want to relax , eat, relax. Do some shopping. We had 5 days at Shangri La Resort on Sentosa Island 2 years ago and we had a great time. I guess we are looking for something similar.

Our priorities would be safety/cleanliness.

Been to Vietnam once and not likely to go again.

I had a look at Maledives, it seems to be ok availability for that as well. Been doing some reading and it seems like it's getting to be a more family friendly place as well. Has anyone been recently that can comment?
Fiji option is great! I'll check it out
cheers

From what you have described I think Fiji would be a good fit for and your family.

Fijians are very, very family oriented and your kids will love the kids clubs run by Fijians at the resorts.

Everything is easy, clean etc. Prices are ok (basically Australian) and not cheap, but it is a very stress free and family easy destination and perfect for those with very young kids and infants. It is alsoa destiination that requires no inoculations etc.

Choose you resort carefully though as unlike at many other destinations there is often little in the way of restaurants etc nearby.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Hi All
I've pretty much given up the hope of flying to Hawaii on points for myself and family (4 all up).
For the last month, I have been looking everyday for the new days that get released, and have yet to see an award seat come up.
I don't know wtf is going on, but I've given up on Hawaii. I've rang velocity as well to check availability and nada. Even during school days, there is literally nothing available from now till Dec 13 2018 on business award seats.

I've tried looking at Krisflyer as well, and the same situation.

So where are some good places a family of 4 can go to chill-out, relax, + safe place that would have some kind of decent availability for award seats. Pref business class, as we have never flown business before and want to see what the fuss is all about! I've floated the idea of myself and the better 1/2 going 1st class, and kids in economy but she won't have a bar of it.. lol

We don't want to go to Singapore as we have already been. We live in Canberra, but can fly out from Sydney.

All up we have about 600k Velocity and 340k MR points

cheers!

I have booked a few HA award tickets using Velocity points and have found the process pretty easy.

The fare bucket used for HA flights is 'T' class so when you call VA you need to ask them what flights are available that have at least 4 'T' class seats available. I'm guessing that if you reside in CBR you've only been enquiring about seats on HA flights ex SYD so I would call back and ask them to check the flights ex BNE as well. The points required to HNL ex BNE is less than ex SYD (45K vs 37,500 pp one way from memory) so even if you had to purchase a separate VA award CBR/BNE you may still be using the same amount of points as you would if flying SYD/HNL and you'd still need to get from CBR to SYD.

It may be possible to fly BNE/HNL outbound but HNL/SYD inbound. HA fly ex BNEcan at night so you'd have plenty of time during the day to fly CBR/BNE and not have to overnight in BNE. On the return journey HA arrive in BNE late afternoon so there may be just enough time to connect back to CBR or may be safer to overnight in BNE. Even if you flew HA HNL/SYD you'd possibly be overnighting in SYD anyway.

I'm not sure whether checking the HA website is accurate unless they are displaying 'T' class availability.

 

[unfunkable]

I have booked a few HA award tickets using Velocity points and have found the process pretty easy.

The fare bucket used for HA flights is 'T' class so when you call VA you need to ask them what flights are available that have at least 4 'T' class seats available. I'm guessing that if you reside in CBR you've only been enquiring about seats on HA flights ex SYD so I would call back and ask them to check the flights ex BNE as well. The points required to HNL ex BNE is less than ex SYD (45K vs 37,500 pp one way from memory) so even if you had to purchase a separate VA award CBR/BNE you may still be using the same amount of points as you would if flying SYD/HNL and you'd still need to get from CBR to SYD.

It may be possible to fly BNE/HNL outbound but HNL/SYD inbound. HA fly ex BNEcan at night so you'd have plenty of time during the day to fly CBR/BNE and not have to overnight in BNE. On the return journey HA arrive in BNE late afternoon so there may be just enough time to connect back to CBR or may be safer to overnight in BNE. Even if you flew HA HNL/SYD you'd possibly be overnighting in SYD anyway.

I'm not sure whether checking the HA website is accurate unless they are displaying 'T' class availability.

Thanks so much for that! Makes a lot of sense why nothing was coming.
I rang again today, and they found 4 seats available for economy In August - pretty much the only thing left. I asked about T class, and she told me that is economy. Nothing for business. She said that Seats are released 331 days in advance, but rewards seats may differ (seems like they don't get released as early as 331 days, so you just need to keep calling and checking.

 

[unfunkable]

So I was mucking around with flights to FIJI
When I search for 1 adult business fair, I can find some at the correct points - ie 35k points + tax - but as Soon as I change it to 2 adults it jumps to 100,000 points. Is this because there is online 1 award seat at that rate left for that flight?

WOuld it work if I booked it 4 times for 1 person? Cheers