I'm VERY new at this and I've just gotten my bearings in regards to credit cards and their bonuses.
Now, I'm doing research to get the best possible value for the miles that I've accumulated.
I have done a LOT of reading and I see a lot of people talking about a LOT of things that I don't understand...So I'm just going to break this down into questions. Please don't get mad at me. I just need someone to point me in the right direction. So links to other threads/posts/blogs that answer any of my questions, are fine. I'll do the searching within those blogs.
Firstly,
I have 60,000 points in my United MileagePlus account.
55,000 points in my Sapphire Preferred account.
100,000 points in my AMEX platinum account.
50,000 points in my BA avios account.
I have not transferred the CSP points into my UA account because I'd like to be sure before doing this.
My Itinerary. Most of my dates are flexible, as long as I get to spend about 20 days in U.K. I will be flying coach, since obviously I don't have enough points to fly business. :(
JFK-LHR- Any depature date between December 1st-5th.
LHR-BOM- Any depature date between December 24th or earlier (Can't be later than the 24th...and if the date goes back, then the JFK-LHR date has to go back too)
BOM-JFK- Any date between January 25th - Feb 5th.
I did a search on United.com for this trip about a month ago using their multi-city feature and it found me a trip for 80k points and $250 in fees, which I though was a pretty good price. I didn't have the points in my account then. Now I do. I redid that search and am greeted with an error screen saying that nothing was found. :confused:
Searching for each leg individually shows availability, so I don't see why the multi-city wouldn't. Anyway, doing one-way searches for each leg, shows
JFK-LHR 30k+$5
LHR-BOM 30k + $190
BOM-JFK 40k + $65. (Also shows business class for 60k+$35..which I am SERIOUSLY considering..but I don't have enough points...Also- is it a good value?)
A similar search on Delta.com shows 220k miles + $400!!!!!!!!! SO I know I'm not doing something right.
If someone out of the goodness of their heart, could do a search for me and find me a good deal, I'll say countless prayers for you! :)
I'd also be satisfied, if someone could give me a link to a website or something that would do this search for me. Links to blogs would also help.
A few questions.
1. What do these alphabets (http://cwsi.net/united.htm) mean? and do they hold any importance to me?
2. If my mother has about 55k points in her UA account, could she book a ticket for me, without breaking any of the T&C?
3. How does one use Awardtravelr.com? Doing a search shows me a LOT of results, but where exactly do I find out what's the cost of that trip?
Also- What's the advantage of using the ANA search site as opposed to the UA site?
4. Would using ExpertFlyer help me any?
5. If I were to book a flight using miles and then later on had to change something, could it be done? Is there a fee involved? If I cancelled the trip, would ALL the miles and the fees paid, be refunded? How long does it take?
6. Is there a way to pay for part of my trip in cash? Or the only way to do this, is to book award tickets for the legs I want to use miles for and then just buy a ticket separetely for the remainder?
7. Is there a way to get a agent at the airport to upgrade my seat, if I've used miles to pay for them?
I'd appreciate any help that I can get.
Thanks.
NAREN10216
Jul 29, 12, 7:03 pm
Use NYC instead of JFK.
Came up with following itenerary...
dec 1 EWR - LHR
DEC 23 LHR - MUC - DOH - BOM
JAN 31 LHR - FRA - EWR
80,000 miles + $224
Taxes/Fees
September 11th Security Fee $2.50
Germany Passenger Service Charge $43.20
Qatar Passenger Service Charge $0.50
U.K. Air Passenger Duty $125.60
U.K. Passenger Service Charge $38.70
U.S. APHIS User Fee $5.00
U.S. Immigration User Fee $7.00
U.S. Customs User Fee $5.50
Germany Airport Security Charge $7.70
India Passenger Service Fee $5.82
India Development Fee $12.10
Taxes/Fees
Cost per mile
Miles cost is $35 per 1,000 miles
1 award 80,000 miles
Additional taxes/fees $253.62
Total Price 80,000 Miles and $253.62
Want to save your miles? Consider one of these options.
Purchase this Reservation in Economy for $4,684.52 without redeeming miles
Purchase.Purchase this Reservation in First/Business Class for $10,956.12 without redeeming miles
Purchase..Flight Details
Sat., Dec. 1, 2012 | New York/Newark, NJ (EWR - Liberty) to London, England (LHR - Heathrow)
Depart:
21:10
Sat., Dec. 1, 2012
New York/Newark, NJ (EWR - Liberty) Arrive:
09:25 +1 Day
Sun., Dec. 2, 2012
London, England (LHR - Heathrow) Travel Time:
7 hr 15 mn Flight: UA8
Aircraft: Boeing 757-200
Fare Class: United Economy (X)
Meal: Dinner
Rail service available between Newark Liberty Airport and Manhattan.
Sun., Dec. 23, 2012 | London, England (LHR - Heathrow) to Mumbai (Bombay), India (BOM)
Depart:
07:15
Sun., Dec. 23, 2012
London, England (LHR - Heathrow) Arrive:
10:10
Sun., Dec. 23, 2012
Munich, Germany (MUC) Flight Time:
1 hr 55 mn Flight: LH2483
Operated by Lufthansa.
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Fare Class: Economy (X)
Meal: Snack or Brunch
No Special Meal Offered.
Change Planes. Connect time in Munich, Germany (MUC) is 1 hour 40 minutes.
Depart:
11:50
Sun., Dec. 23, 2012
Munich, Germany (MUC) Arrive:
19:30
Sun., Dec. 23, 2012
Doha, Qatar (DOH) Flight Time:
5 hr 40 mn Flight: QR10
Operated by Qatar Airways.
Aircraft: Airbus A330-300
Fare Class: Economy (X)
Meal: Meal
No Special Meal Offered.
Change Planes. Connect time in Doha, Qatar (DOH) is 1 hour 45 minutes.
Depart:
21:15
Sun., Dec. 23, 2012
Doha, Qatar (DOH) Arrive:
03:10 +1 Day
Mon., Dec. 24, 2012
Mumbai (Bombay), India (BOM) Flight Time:
3 hr 25 mn
Travel Time:
14 hr 25 mn Flight: QR200
Operated by Qatar Airways.
Aircraft: Boeing 777-300ER
Fare Class: Economy (X)
Meal: Meal
No Special Meal Offered.
Thu., Jan. 31, 2013 | Mumbai (Bombay), India (BOM) to New York/Newark, NJ (EWR - Liberty)
Depart:
03:15
Thu., Jan. 31, 2013
Mumbai (Bombay), India (BOM) Arrive:
07:35
Thu., Jan. 31, 2013
Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) Flight Time:
8 hr 50 mn Flight: LH757
Operated by Lufthansa.
Aircraft: Boeing 747-400
Fare Class: Economy (X)
Meal: Meal
No Special Meal Offered.
Change Planes. Connect time in Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) is 1 hour 10 minutes.
Depart:
08:45
Thu., Jan. 31, 2013
Frankfurt, Germany (FRA) Arrive:
12:00
Thu., Jan. 31, 2013
New York/Newark, NJ (EWR - Liberty) Flight Time:
9 hr 15 mn
Travel Time:
19 hr 15 mn Flight: UA118
Aircraft: Boeing 757-200
Fare Class: United Economy (X)
Meal: Breakfast
Rail service available between Newark Liberty Airport and Manhattan.
> View Rules and Restrictions
> Additional bag charges may apply
> Change Flights or Start New Search
I would explore redeeming BA Avios for Business Class on Royal Jordanian BOM-AMM-JFK. Although there are high fuel surcharges usually associated with Avios redemptions, there have been reports on FT indicating that fuel surcharges are minimal when redeeming on RJ from India to the U.S.
You will pay more Avios than UA miles for such a redemption, but Amex sometimes offers big percentage bonuses on Membership Rewards conversions to Avios.
I would explore redeeming BA Avios for Business Class on Royal Jordanian BOM-AMM-JFK. Although there are high fuel surcharges usually associated with Avios redemptions, there have been reports on FT indicating that fuel surcharges are minimal when redeeming on RJ from India to the U.S.
You will pay more Avios than UA miles for such a redemption, but Amex sometimes offers big percentage bonuses on Membership Rewards conversions to Avios.
I only have 50k points for now and though I didn't create a user ID for RJ, I checked the Mileage Calculator and it said that I'd need around 71,000 miles for that one way trip(+fees). UA shows me availability for 60,000...So, I'd rather just go with UA. BUT considering that I don't have enough UA points to do a business class trip, I may look into this.
thanks.
P.S- using the calculator here (http://www.rj.com/en/ffp_mileage_calculator.html), shows something called "upgrade to business class" for 54k. What's that?
jatink129
Jul 29, 12, 8:18 pm
Use NYC instead of JFK.
Came up with following itenerary...
dec 1 EWR - LHR
DEC 23 LHR - MUC - DOH - BOM
JAN 31 LHR - FRA - EWR
Total Price 80,000 Miles and $253.62
Mother of God, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!!! This is perfect! :D :D :D :D
^^^^^^^
This is the same price that I had seen a month ago from JFK and flying from Newark is no problem at all.
It just never occured to me to search for other airports around New York.
If anyone has any other recommendations or ways of upgrading this the BOM-JFK leg to Business, let me know! The only reason why I don't want to upgrade the other legs is because, I'll be travelling with someone, for the JFK-LHR and LHR-BOM and it would defeat the entire purpose of travelling with someone for company if we were sitting in different cabins. lol. :p
Also, I'd appreciate if someone could answer or direct to the answer for questions 5,6,7. Thanks!
I would explore redeeming BA Avios for Business Class on Royal Jordanian BOM-AMM-JFK. Although there are high fuel surcharges usually associated with Avios redemptions, there have been reports on FT indicating that fuel surcharges are minimal when redeeming on RJ from India to the U.S.
You will pay more Avios than UA miles for such a redemption, but Amex sometimes offers big percentage bonuses on Membership Rewards conversions to Avios.
I only have 50k points for now and though I didn't create a user ID for RJ, I checked the Mileage Calculator and it said that I'd need around 71,000 miles for that one way trip(+fees). UA shows me availability for 60,000...So, I'd rather just go with UA. BUT considering that I don't have enough UA points to do a business class trip, I may look into this.
thanks.
P.S- using the calculator here (http://www.rj.com/en/ffp_mileage_calculator.html), shows something called "upgrade to business class" for 54k. What's that?
You're looking at the wrong mileage calculator. You would not be redeeming RJ points, you would be redeeming BA Avios for flights on RJ. And the fact that you only have 50,000 Avios currently doesn't matter: you have 100,000 Amex MR points, which can be converted to Avios.
For BOM-AMM-JFK in RJ, BA should charge 42.5K Avios in Coach, and 85K Avios in Business. If you hit a 50% bonus opportunity on MR conversions to BA Avios, 57,000 MR would convert to just over 85,000 Avios.
NAREN10216
Jul 29, 12, 9:01 pm
(1) jan 31 mumbai - nyc business class avail on qatar airways
would book asap.. To lock in.
(5) date changes allowed with no fees upto 21 days prior to
departure. Check under ual - award fees..
(6) no miles + cash available on mp awards.
(7) i dont belive upgrades to award tkts avail at gate.
I would lockin the trip. Worst case scenario is $150 fee to
cancel and re-deposit miles up until 24 hours prior to
first departure.. So for $150 risk... It is a good deal..
Have a great time in london and mumbai..
jatink129
Jul 29, 12, 9:22 pm
(1) jan 31 mumbai - nyc business class avail on qatar airways
would book asap.. To lock in.
(5) date changes allowed with no fees upto 21 days prior to
departure. Check under ual - award fees..
(6) no miles + cash available on mp awards.
(7) i dont belive upgrades to award tkts avail at gate.
I would lockin the trip. Worst case scenario is $150 fee to
cancel and re-deposit miles up until 24 hours prior to
first departure.. So for $150 risk... It is a good deal..
Have a great time in london and mumbai..
So if I cancel the trip with less than 21 days left, I will pay $150 fee? and cancelling before is free? Is that it?
BOM-JFK- 60k +$35 on United.com for Qatar, is that the one you're referring to? Or something cheaper somewhere else?
You're looking at the wrong mileage calculator. You would not be redeeming RJ points, you would be redeeming BA Avios for flights on RJ. And the fact that you only have 50,000 Avios currently doesn't matter: you have 100,000 Amex MR points, which can be converted to Avios.
For BOM-AMM-JFK in RJ, BA should charge 42.5K Avios in Coach, and 85K Avios in Business. If you hit a 50% bonus opportunity on MR conversions to BA Avios, 57,000 MR would convert to just over 85,000 Avios.
AAAAh!! :facepalm:
Any idea how often do these bonus oppurtunities come along?
You're looking at the wrong mileage calculator. You would not be redeeming RJ points, you would be redeeming BA Avios for flights on RJ. And the fact that you only have 50,000 Avios currently doesn't matter: you have 100,000 Amex MR points, which can be converted to Avios.
For BOM-AMM-JFK in RJ, BA should charge 42.5K Avios in Coach, and 85K Avios in Business. If you hit a 50% bonus opportunity on MR conversions to BA Avios, 57,000 MR would convert to just over 85,000 Avios.
AAAAh!! :facepalm:
Any idea how often do these bonus oppurtunities come along?
The bonus opportunities come and go. Sometimes they're for transfers to BA, sometimes DL. The percentages can also vary, but 50% is the highest I can recall for transfers to BA.
It's best to periodically check the Amex redemptions page, and/or the apprpropriate FT forums (BA, Amex, and MilesBuzz!).
The bonus opportunities come and go. Sometimes they're for transfers to BA, sometimes DL. The percentages can also vary, but 50% is the highest I can recall for transfers to BA.
It's best to periodically check the Amex redemptions page, and/or the apprpropriate FT forums (BA, Amex, and MilesBuzz!).
Is this the redemption page (http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/travel/newpointstransfer.aspx?mrip=532EmEm0809GlNoNotr) Or Is it this one (http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/search/?N=13000000&mrnavlink=topnav%3aTravelAirlines&ResetBreadcrumb=true)? Just want to make sure I bookmark the right page.
I think I'm just going to book that UA trip in the morning. I'm too afraid of losing out on the 80k itinerary if I wait for the BA transfer bonus that may or may not happen. :(
I appreciate your help though. Thanks!
deltame
Jul 29, 12, 9:53 pm
So if I cancel the trip with less than 21 days left, I will pay $150 fee? and cancelling before is free? Is that it?
Thanks!
Not quite. You should check the various award ticket fees at unite.com as linked below:
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/ticketing.aspx
guv1976, would you please shed more light on using BA Avios for the return leg? OP wants to stopover at LHR and if the outbound is booked as one way then he wouldn't be able to stopover using UA miles (on OW awards). Or are you thinking of something else that could yield more value?
The bonus opportunities come and go. Sometimes they're for transfers to BA, sometimes DL. The percentages can also vary, but 50% is the highest I can recall for transfers to BA.
It's best to periodically check the Amex redemptions page, and/or the apprpropriate FT forums (BA, Amex, and MilesBuzz!).
Is this the redemption page (http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/travel/newpointstransfer.aspx?mrip=532EmEm0809GlNoNotr) Or Is it this one (http://www.membershiprewards.com/catalog/search/?N=13000000&mrnavlink=topnav%3aTravelAirlines&ResetBreadcrumb=true)? Just want to make sure I bookmark the right page.
I think I'm just going to book that UA trip in the morning. I'm too afraid of losing out on the 80k itinerary if I wait for the BA transfer bonus that may or may not happen. :(
I appreciate your help though. Thanks!
Locking in the trip with UA miles sounds like a good idea, if you can get what you want for a reasonable number of miles.
Because I am using a BlackBerry, I cannot easily view the two links you posted. My recollection is that there is an Amex page showing how many frequent-flyer points MR points convert to in each program.
So if I cancel the trip with less than 21 days left, I will pay $150 fee? and cancelling before is free? Is that it?
Thanks!
Not quite. You should check the various award ticket fees at unite.com as linked below:
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/ticketing.aspx
guv1976, would you please shed more light on using BA Avios for the return leg? OP wants to stopover at LHR and if the outbound is booked as one way then he wouldn't be able to stopover using UA miles (on OW awards). Or are you thinking of something else that could yield more value?
No, I did not realize that the Mileage Plus quote included a free stopover at LON, based upon a roundtrip award redemption between the U.S. and India.
Will Mileage Plus let the OP book the outbound in Coach, the return in Business, and still allow a free stopover in LON on the outbound? If so, that sounds like the way to go.
Of course, if the OP had some AA miles, NYC-LON in Coach could be booked for 20K miles for December travel, and LON-BOM in Coach could be booked for 20K AA miles as well (on a number of AA partners). The OP could then use AA miles, UA miles, or BA Avios for the BOM-JFK return.
jatink129
Jul 29, 12, 10:16 pm
Not quite. You should check the various award ticket fees at unite.com as linked below:
https://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/ticketing.aspx
guv1976, would you please shed more light on using BA Avios for the return leg? OP wants to stopover at LHR and if the outbound is booked as one way then he wouldn't be able to stopover using UA miles (on OW awards). Or are you thinking of something else that could yield more value?
Thanks for that link! I think what Guv was implying was to book a JFK-LHR-BOM flight and then book the BOM-JFK flight separately using BA? Or did I misunderstand you?
Locking in the trip with UA miles sounds like a good idea, if you can get what you want for a reasonable number of miles.
Because I am using a BlackBerry, I cannot easily view the two links you posted. My recollection is that there is an Amex page showing how many frequent-flyer points MR points convert to in each program.
Right now, I value cost over pleasure. Business class would be sweet but I'd rather save those CSP and AMEX points and use them for another similar trip again...rather than blowing them on one trip. :D
Oh and both those links show what you're talking about...so give them a look later on, when you can..and let me know.
thanks!
No, I did not realize that the Mileage Plus quote included a free stopover at LON, based upon a roundtrip award redemption between the U.S. and India.
Will Mileage Plus let the OP book the outbound in Coach, the return in Business, and still allow a free stopover in LON on the outbound? If so, that sounds like the way to go.
Of course, if the OP had some AA miles, NYC-LON in Coach could be booked for 20K miles for December travel, and LON-BOM in Coach could be booked for 20K AA miles as well (on a number of AA partners). The OP could then use AA miles, UA miles, or BA Avios for the BOM-JFK return.
Yes..There's a stopover in there. LHR.
I'm probably not going to book the business on the return, but why would UA not allow me the stopover, if my return was business class? Have they forbidden this before?
Could you PLEASE elaborate on the AA miles 20k redemption? JFK-LHR-BOM would work out to 40k, that's 20k less than UA! So, how do I go about doing this? And why do you say IF? I do have the ability to book AA, don't I? I thought BA Avios points could be used with AA.
PresskittJon
Jul 29, 12, 10:51 pm
Could you PLEASE elaborate on the AA miles 20k redemption?
MileSAAver Off-Peak award http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/free-ticket-award-chart.jsp
Remember AAdvantage program is different than Avios. Can book awards with partners but each airline that you have miles/points with is the one whose rules you have to follow so you can't book MileSAAver off peak awards with Avios.
jatink129
Jul 29, 12, 11:29 pm
MileSAAver Off-Peak award http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/free-ticket-award-chart.jsp
Remember AAdvantage program is different than Avios. Can book awards with partners but each airline that you have miles/points with is the one whose rules you have to follow so you can't book MileSAAver off peak awards with Avios.
Thanks for the link! Maybe it might be worth my while accumulating some AA points. Is there a certain time when the off-peak awards are available?
lovetotravel
Jul 30, 12, 12:55 am
Thanks for the link! Maybe it might be worth my while accumulating some AA points. Is there a certain time when the off-peak awards are available?
Offpeak award dates are listed at the bottom of the page in the link given to you for the award chart.
jatink129
Jul 30, 12, 4:56 am
Offpeak award dates are listed at the bottom of the page in the link given to you for the award chart.
Oye Vey! I feel Like an idiot! :facepalm: Sorry about that...! :(
newbieflyer1
Jul 30, 12, 7:36 am
i did BOS to HYD on united for bussiness class for 120k+$65 on QR leaving on nov first week and return dec first week
No, I did not realize that the Mileage Plus quote included a free stopover at LON, based upon a roundtrip award redemption between the U.S. and India.
Will Mileage Plus let the OP book the outbound in Coach, the return in Business, and still allow a free stopover in LON on the outbound? If so, that sounds like the way to go.
Of course, if the OP had some AA miles, NYC-LON in Coach could be booked for 20K miles for December travel, and LON-BOM in Coach could be booked for 20K AA miles as well (on a number of AA partners). The OP could then use AA miles, UA miles, or BA Avios for the BOM-JFK return.
Yes..There's a stopover in there. LHR.
I'm probably not going to book the business on the return, but why would UA not allow me the stopover, if my return was business class? Have they forbidden this before?
Could you PLEASE elaborate on the AA miles 20k redemption? JFK-LHR-BOM would work out to 40k, that's 20k less than UA! So, how do I go about doing this? And why do you say IF? I do have the ability to book AA, don't I? I thought BA Avios points could be used with AA.
Booking an AA award flight from JFK to LHR with BA Avios would require you to pay BA's steep fuel surcharges. If you were to book the same AA flight with AAdvantage miles, you would pay no fuel surcharges. And the AAdvantage program allows a free stopover at the North American gateway, so you could even book JFK-LAX-LHR for 20K miles, and get a free stopover at LAX!
jatink129
Aug 1, 12, 9:56 pm
Booking an AA award flight from JFK to LHR with BA Avios would require you to pay BA's steep fuel surcharges. If you were to book the same AA flight with AAdvantage miles, you would pay no fuel surcharges. And the AAdvantage program allows a free stopover at the North American gateway, so you could even book JFK-LAX-LHR for 20K miles, and get a free stopover at LAX!
Thank you!
Did you get a chance to look at those 2 links for the Amex redemption? I've saved both as bookmarks anyway.. :D Just wanted to know.
Oh and does this announcement about Qatar Airways (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18682857-post1.html) affect me? Considering my LHR-BOM will be Lufthansa and Qatar Airways?
jatink129
Aug 1, 12, 10:28 pm
Also- Is it legal to buy/sell United Premier Global Upgrades? Like this guy. (http://www.sell.com/28PFH1)
nightan
Aug 2, 12, 1:45 pm
MileSAAver Off-Peak award http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/free-ticket-award-chart.jsp
Remember AAdvantage program is different than Avios. Can book awards with partners but each airline that you have miles/points with is the one whose rules you have to follow so you can't book MileSAAver off peak awards with Avios.
Sorry to hijack OP's query, but I was looking at the chart and realized that I have a few questions.
1) AA doesn't have any direct/indirect flights to India. So the 45,000 miles listed for Mile Saver award is from a partner? Most likely BA?
2) In the case that the award is on a codeshare partner, aren't the taxes and fees levied by the operating airline?
3) The column next shows the min and max taxes and fees. This seems to be off especially for the award to India. I recently looked for a award booking to Delhi and the miles required for the roundtrip was 90,000 but the taxes and fees came to >$600!!! What gives?
Appreciate someone's time in answering these.
nightan
Aug 2, 12, 1:54 pm
Thank you!
Did you get a chance to look at those 2 links for the Amex redemption? I've saved both as bookmarks anyway.. :D Just wanted to know.
Oh and does this announcement about Qatar Airways (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/18682857-post1.html) affect me? Considering my LHR-BOM will be Lufthansa and Qatar Airways?
The announcement just stops any future mileage accrual from QR to UA from Sept 14th. Additionally Sept 14th is the last day to book any award travel on QR using UA miles. Provided you were able to get the booking into the system and it is ticketed, QR will honor it for a year.
UA Fan
Aug 2, 12, 1:55 pm
OP do you have any plans to visit other countries in Europe? If you can leave from some other country (or even some other airport apart from LHR??) You can shave off half the taxes as you will not have to.pay the UK APD. With Avila you can fly to FRA or CDG for 4500 points and $20 in taxes.
jatink129
Aug 2, 12, 6:27 pm
The announcement just stops any future mileage accrual from QR to UA from Sept 14th. Additionally Sept 14th is the last day to book any award travel on QR using UA miles. Provided you were able to get the booking into the system and it is ticketed, QR will honor it for a year.
Thank you for clarifying that! ^
OP do you have any plans to visit other countries in Europe? If you can leave from some other country (or even some other airport apart from LHR??) You can shave off half the taxes as you will not have to.pay the UK APD. With Avila you can fly to FRA or CDG for 4500 points and $20 in taxes.
Hi there! Yes, the plan is to arrive in London, stay there for 10 days then go to Edinburgh,Rome and Paris (probably not in that order...Not decided yet) and then return to London and fly to Bombay from there.
What does APD mean? :confused: I will have 2 checked bags that I will leave in London, because won't I have to pay for those bags, flying between Edinburgh,Paris and Rome?
I can fly from London Gatwick or Stansted probably, if need be. Could you please elaborate on how I'd go about reducing my taxes and booking the ticket?
Thanks.
aglp2k
Aug 2, 12, 7:18 pm
What does APD mean?
Air Passenger Duty. It is another form of tax for people departing from LHR. However It does not apply to pax connecting thru LHR within 24 hours of arrival.
jatink129
Aug 2, 12, 8:17 pm
Air Passenger Duty. It is another form of tax for people departing from LHR. However It does not apply to pax connecting thru LHR within 24 hours of arrival.
My total taxes on this trip will be around $250...so how much will I save?
I think whatever money I save will be lost in the money that I'll have to pay for the checked luggage on those flights.
PresskittJon
Aug 2, 12, 9:16 pm
Sorry to hijack OP's query, but I was looking at the chart and realized that I have a few questions.
1) AA doesn't have any direct/indirect flights to India. So the 45,000 miles listed for Mile Saver award is from a partner? Most likely BA?
2) In the case that the award is on a codeshare partner, aren't the taxes and fees levied by the operating airline?
3) The column next shows the min and max taxes and fees. This seems to be off especially for the award to India. I recently looked for a award booking to Delhi and the miles required for the roundtrip was 90,000 but the taxes and fees came to >$600!!! What gives?
Use the Oneworld chart http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/aadvantageAllPartnerChart.jsp
2. Yes.
3. Sounds right. That is most likely a BA flight connecting through LHR so flying economy and using miles means you save a little bit of money but spend a bunch of miles and don't earn miles/tier points for the flight-->very poor value.
MileSAAver Off-Peak award http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/free-ticket-award-chart.jsp
Remember AAdvantage program is different than Avios. Can book awards with partners but each airline that you have miles/points with is the one whose rules you have to follow so you can't book MileSAAver off peak awards with Avios.
Sorry to hijack OP's query, but I was looking at the chart and realized that I have a few questions.
1) AA doesn't have any direct/indirect flights to India. So the 45,000 miles listed for Mile Saver award is from a partner? Most likely BA?
2) In the case that the award is on a codeshare partner, aren't the taxes and fees levied by the operating airline?
3) The column next shows the min and max taxes and fees. This seems to be off especially for the award to India. I recently looked for a award booking to Delhi and the miles required for the roundtrip was 90,000 but the taxes and fees came to >$600!!! What gives?
Appreciate someone's time in answering these.
AA has lots of partners that fly to India, so BA is just one of several options. If you avoid BA, there will be no fuel surcharges.
UA Fan
Aug 2, 12, 11:41 pm
My total taxes on this trip will be around $250...so how much will I save?
I think whatever money I save will be lost in the money that I'll have to pay for the checked luggage on those flights.
Based on a breakdown of the taxes given earlier, APD was $125. You could use your avios to book a LHR-FCO trip for 4.5K (?) for a flat tax of $20. You will save on a return flight to LHR and on the cost of storing your bags. Not sure if BA charges for checked bags.
Use the Oneworld chart http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/aadvantageAllPartnerChart.jsp
2. Yes.
3. Sounds right. That is most likely a BA flight connecting through LHR so flying economy and using miles means you save a little bit of money but spend a bunch of miles and don't earn miles/tier points for the flight-->very poor value.
Thanks for the response. The OW award chart really answers the questions that I had about the taxes and fees. I guess that as long as there is a possibility to use other carriers besides BA, the miles can be pretty valuable. But for Y booking using BA, very poor value.
AA has lots of partners that fly to India, so BA is just one of several options. If you avoid BA, there will be no fuel surcharges.
Agree completely with you. Only caveat is seat availability...I was on the line with AA for 1/2 hour trying other options. I actually had her manually check every since OW carrier that flies to India. There was always one segment or the other that was the culprit. I guess I'm saving my miles for a future trip!
jatink129
Aug 3, 12, 5:04 pm
A little off-topic here...But I was wondering if any of you could recommend a good insurance company.
The French Embassy has the following requirement-
"A letter from an insurance company (+ 1 copy) stating that you will be covered for any medical, hospitalization and repatriation expenses (the three words must be written) for at least $45,000 during your stay in the Schengen countries. If your current insurance company does not provide such a coverage, please find an international insurance company (and ask for the letter mentioned above with the three words)"
Found a website called insubuy.com that's offering me insurance for $30 for my one month trip while in U.K-France.
Anybody heard of them? Any recommendations?
jatink129
Aug 16, 12, 8:47 am
Use NYC instead of JFK.
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Got Newark-Heathrow-Bombay-Newark-Hartford for 80,000 points+ $250.
THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR HELP!! I truly appreciated it. Many Blessings! :) ^^^^
MDtR-Chicago
Aug 16, 12, 12:34 pm
Got Newark-Heathrow-Bombay-Newark-Hartford for 80,000 points+ $250.
I see what you did there. Very nice.
jatink129
Aug 16, 12, 7:24 pm
I see what you did there. Very nice.
Thank you! :D I'm very pleased with myself! :cool: