US Airways Dividend Miles - US/*A Awards to Australia

I'm sure this question has been posted about 10,000 times so please don't yell.

My partner and I are wanting to travel to Australia on award tickets. I was wondering if anyone can provide some strategies for securing the coveted F award seats.

1. Do I have to book award travel at 364 days out?

2. Are there origination cities that are better than others (eg: LAX, SFO, JFK)?

3. Are there departure and return days that are better to secure awards?

4. Suggestions on which carriers to redeem miles on...

We were hoping to travel in January 2007 but thought it might be too late to book travel now.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

First, a lot depends on when in January you want to travel. Over new year's will be more difficult than later in January.

I've had good luck getting award tickets to Australia using Air New Zealand or UA (never tried to get a Qantas award). The best way to find availability is to open an Air Canada AeroPlan account, and then you can check *A award availability on their site. While this isn't perfect, and there might be instances where a ticket is available on the AC site but not with US miles, I have never not been able to get a ticket using US miles once I found available flights on the AC site.

For award tickets like this, it really pays to do all the work you can before calling US, as most US agents won't seach all the options and will tell you nothing is available once they check just UA.

I would just call and see what’s available - US will more than likely link you up with Qantas. I have had success with a January booking, but I had to be flexible on my departure and return date. Mid week travel is usually the easiest booking.

Couple years back I booked an award on Qantas in C only six months out... took about an hour with a very patient agent, and an open jaw routing, and traveling on Christmas (technically I had no Christmas Eve that year). It was tough, but doable. I think a lot depends on getting the right agent; might be worth trying to call off-hours. The agent I called actually laughed at me when I called in July for an award ticket that winter, but he was a nice guy and I think he was up for a challenge.

Good luck...

I agree, go with Qantas, but only book Biz. I was disappointed with the F offering, and I don't think it's worth the points.
Definitely book 330 days out. Book the departure and place it on hold for 10 days(? someone confirm the amount of time you can hold the res without ticketing). Use expert flyer for that month to find U seat availability for QF. You will often find this LAX-MEL or MEL-LAX. Other Aussie arrivals can be in BNE or AKL-somewhere else. SFO/LAX/HNL/JFK are your choices. QF is starting service to SFO this spring so you that may open up as well. I was never able to find JFK-SYD seats available in any class. Others have reported Air New Zealand is good but you pay a premium in points. Definitely use the QF agreement to your advantage (and before they take it away from us).

First, a lot depends on when in January you want to travel. Over new year's will be more difficult than later in January.

I've had good luck getting award tickets to Australia using Air New Zealand or UA (never tried to get a Qantas award). The best way to find availability is to open an Air Canada AeroPlan account, and then you can check *A award availability on their site. While this isn't perfect, and there might be instances where a ticket is available on the AC site but not with US miles, I have never not been able to get a ticket using US miles once I found available flights on the AC site.

For award tickets like this, it really pays to do all the work you can before calling US, as most US agents won't seach all the options and will tell you nothing is available once they check just UA.

That's interesting. Speaking as a US Res agent, there is a function on our system which enables us to search availabilty on ALL *A carriers. UA is not given prority. I work in the European res centre so maybe they operate differently in the US..

That's interesting. Speaking as a US Res agent, there is a function on our system which enables us to search availabilty on ALL *A carriers. UA is not given prority. I work in the European res centre so maybe they operate differently in the US..

Then I wish all US res agents would use that functionality. Many times I have called US and been told that nothing is available, but the flights magically open up when I ask about the specific flight numbers I found on the aeroplan site.

Some US international desk agents are good and will search many options, but I've found that most will do a fast search and then tell me that nothing is available (when in fact there is something available).

Even the domestic agents (non-CP) tend to want to get people off the phone ASAP. I've had friends and family members call US to get Hawaii awards on UA only to be told that nothing is available. Then I'll call the CP line and the agent will spend a few minutes and find me available flights (and then book the flights using the non-CP's miles).

Using Australia as an example, I was trying to book a flight there for last August. The first agent said that nothing was available, and made a comment that the UA flights to Australia fill up fast. I then looked at the aeroplan site, found Air New Zealand flights on the days I wanted to fly, called back US, was again told nothing was available, told them the flight numbers I found through aeroplan, and got the award.

The only time that every agent looks up *A availability without my having to ask is when I want an entirely international trip (like MUC-PVG-MUC).

SOBE ER DOC, my partner and I have twice booked awards on QF using US miles. The earliest you can book is 330 days out - but we booked about 10 months prior to our departure so as so accommodate our return date. It took some time with a patient agent, but we got C seats. With several return calls, both trips we got F one way and C the other. The key here is that we had to use the miles for an F award even if we only got it one way. We didn't care...and to be honest, the service was so good both times, it was worth it. On our second trip, we had to book coach seats and keep calling back til space opened. It did.

Trying to get saver C or F awards on UA with US miles will be impossible. We ended up getting premium award seats with UA miles for our Feb trip this year.

I have heard of people having good luck booking AC awards to HNL and then to SYD.

For the record, most, if not all of QF's 747's have the lie-flat product in C as well as F. I would probably only book C the next time because C was awesome. The service both times was outstanding.

Bottom line, it is not too late to book for Jan '07 as long as you remain flexible. At the worst, book connections if necessary...or book economy seats with business miles and call back every day to check for seats that may have opened up. Good luck! :)