Booked in J AND Y on the same flight
#16
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Good man Ryan!
#17
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Johan
#18
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Ok, now that we have resolution I'll give all the details and will hopefully make things clear for everyone.
First the resolution: I moved the return flight in Y to a later date. I will not fly it, but that way it does not conflict with the O ticket anymore.
Cost me about 200 but that's pretty cheap for a J upgrade that's not costing me any miles.
As for the what I was trying to explain: per the mileage calculator on FB's own website, you will in find that it does in fact cost the same exact number of miles to fly USA-Asia than it does to fly Europe-Asia.
USA-Asia always routes via CDG on AF. If you book a one-way USA-Asia then you can't stop in CDG, it has to be consecutive flights (that's the one catch with FB one-way awards). But if you buy a full return trip USA-Asia-USA then you are allowed one stopover either on the way there or on the way back.
So in my case:
- I have to fly CDG-USA-CDG so bought a ticket in Y - that's trip number 1.
- About a month after trip 1 is over I have to fly CDG-Asia-CDG so redeemed an O award - that's trip number 2.
- I then realized I could have flown the return of trip number 1 in O had I booked it as the first leg of an USA-Asia award with a stop-over in CDG on the outbound. So I called up FB and asked them to add the USA-CDG and CDG-USA legs to the existing trip 2 (I could not have only added the USA-CDG leg as the itinerary has to be a round trip for the stopover in CDG to be legal).
That all repriced for the exact same number of miles; all I had to pay were some extra taxes (because the itinerary now has more airports in it). Let's call that new award trip number 2+.
At which point the paid return of trip 1 was on the same flight as the first leg of the outbound of trip 2+, hence the conflict that started this whole thread. Conflict that I then eliminated by moving the return leg of trip 1 to a later date.
The more I explain it the more confusing it gets I think. But the bottom line really is what I have bolded.
Any questions let me know.
First the resolution: I moved the return flight in Y to a later date. I will not fly it, but that way it does not conflict with the O ticket anymore.
Cost me about 200 but that's pretty cheap for a J upgrade that's not costing me any miles.
As for the what I was trying to explain: per the mileage calculator on FB's own website, you will in find that it does in fact cost the same exact number of miles to fly USA-Asia than it does to fly Europe-Asia.
USA-Asia always routes via CDG on AF. If you book a one-way USA-Asia then you can't stop in CDG, it has to be consecutive flights (that's the one catch with FB one-way awards). But if you buy a full return trip USA-Asia-USA then you are allowed one stopover either on the way there or on the way back.
So in my case:
- I have to fly CDG-USA-CDG so bought a ticket in Y - that's trip number 1.
- About a month after trip 1 is over I have to fly CDG-Asia-CDG so redeemed an O award - that's trip number 2.
- I then realized I could have flown the return of trip number 1 in O had I booked it as the first leg of an USA-Asia award with a stop-over in CDG on the outbound. So I called up FB and asked them to add the USA-CDG and CDG-USA legs to the existing trip 2 (I could not have only added the USA-CDG leg as the itinerary has to be a round trip for the stopover in CDG to be legal).
That all repriced for the exact same number of miles; all I had to pay were some extra taxes (because the itinerary now has more airports in it). Let's call that new award trip number 2+.
At which point the paid return of trip 1 was on the same flight as the first leg of the outbound of trip 2+, hence the conflict that started this whole thread. Conflict that I then eliminated by moving the return leg of trip 1 to a later date.
The more I explain it the more confusing it gets I think. But the bottom line really is what I have bolded.
Any questions let me know.
#19
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It's clear now And me too am surprised that USA-CDG-Asia has the same price as CDG-Asia. I think this must be some kind of lucky mistake, as the distance is clearly a lot longer...
#20
Join Date: Mar 2008
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Yes, now it's all clear! ^ Also, you've found a very useful 'trick' worth remembering (the emboldened bit). I'll just go and check on the new l/h redemptions table, to see if the USA-Asia rates are still the same as Europe-Asia.
-- Henry
-- Henry
#22
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This has been the case for a very long time. The idea is that the Asia-USA route is usually flown over the pacific, so usual mileage required over the pacific is what applies. Otherwise, the award would be totally uncompetitive with what Asian and US airlines offer.
But there used to be some stopover restrictions in CDG.
But there used to be some stopover restrictions in CDG.