It came up in another thread where several posters did not know how to use the ANA tool so this might be useful to newer people. Gaining access to the ANA Tool is simple but you need to follow a few steps: 1) sign in 2) click to search ANA international award flight 3) search a route that ANA services 4) scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on 'search star alliance members' 5) enjoy your searching ANA currently limits searches to flights at least 7 days in advance. To get around this reverse your routing, even within this 7 day window, a return flight will show availability.
As a Premium Member of ANA...having 0 miles restricts...50 didn't cut it for me either (luckily 0 only stayed around for 2 weeks)
1000 miles did it for me. Btw, while the ANA tool doesn't show all the connection options, calling the LA call center wll give you all of them, as opposed to the Japan one. (Yes, I know that segment by segment it does work, but that can be cumbersome sometimes.)
I only had 100 or so miles in my ANA account when it started working without having to search for ANA flights.
I'm curious, why does anyone need to avoid the method in the OP? It took 20 seconds to put in an ANA route and then start the *A search once that button came up. I used it extensively in Jan to book award flights on multiple carriers. I'm just wondering if there is something negative about that which I am not aware.
I have been using Wandering Aramean's script + greasemonkey and it's even easier. But to your point, there is always concern that ANA could take away the work around(s). In which case miles would be the only way to satisfy entry. Until that point I'm happy with keeping my ANA account at 0.
I agree with you...it's not too difficult or time consuming to enter in a simple ANA route and then start the *A search button when it shows up on the results screen.
Indeed, they could. And when they do the scripts/workarounds will adapt or some other solution will arise. Nothing wrong with that approach, but saving those 20 seconds doesn't suck either.
The link to the script is now dead. Also, the UI has been changed on ANA's site to where I can't figure out easily how to do the workaround. I don't want to spend a bunch of time if it's common knowledge that you need points in your account.
I'll try to find some time to take a look at the script. In the meantime, searching for GMP-HND and then finding the link for *A searches at the bottom of the results page should still work just fine.
Does anybody know how to make the ANA tool accept originations in South America, specifically GIG? I have been unable to do that, although I have managed routings to GIG, I cannot get it to originate there. Both LH and US tell me that *A availability may differ based on point of origination as well as the actual flight. I have not encountered taht with OW or ST. Are they incorrect?
Thankfully I have 100 ANA miles in my account to never do the "search once, then search for *A" trick again I forgot how I got the free 100 ANA miles though.. AwardNexus, FliSea (both free) help out quite a lot too to avoid using the ANA tool
I just searched GIG-GRU and it worked just fine. Are you not seeing any results at all or are you not seeing any inventory?
Thanks for your reply. I see no option for south america at all, so I cannot originate from any airport in the region. If I select Japan I can go to GIG or GRU, but I cannot originate there. If it is working for you I must be making a fundamental mistake. The tool has always worked for me, but i've been originating in other continents.
I've never used the drop down lists to pick my airports on the site. I just type in the IATA codes in the boxes provided.
I try that but it rejects GIG and GRU. I wonder if this could be GEO coded in the tool by place of access. I shall try again using a US VPN or do it when I am in Europe or NA.
