Award travel on Air China
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 352
Award travel on Air China
I just booked a *A award, the first segment of which is on CA from KWL to PVG. I have a few questions for the experts on here:
1. Currently there is only one F award seat available; I need two F seats. Cabin looks empty. Anyone have any experience on when the other F seat will open up? Currently about 3 weeks away from departure.
2. I have an overnight layover in PVG, before continuing on to ICN on OZ (and then on to America on OZ), all in business class. Same itinerary. Will Air China check my bags all the way through to America, even with the overnight, or will I have to claim them at PVG and re-check the next morning?
3. What kind of baggage allowance will I have if I'm in Y on CA, then after the overnight, connecting to C international on OZ? Will I get the international C allowance or just domestic Y?
Thanks!
1. Currently there is only one F award seat available; I need two F seats. Cabin looks empty. Anyone have any experience on when the other F seat will open up? Currently about 3 weeks away from departure.
2. I have an overnight layover in PVG, before continuing on to ICN on OZ (and then on to America on OZ), all in business class. Same itinerary. Will Air China check my bags all the way through to America, even with the overnight, or will I have to claim them at PVG and re-check the next morning?
3. What kind of baggage allowance will I have if I'm in Y on CA, then after the overnight, connecting to C international on OZ? Will I get the international C allowance or just domestic Y?
Thanks!
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 352
I just spent some time looking at availability on several domestic routes on CA that week (the week of May 6, 2012). I could find hardly any flights with two F seats available for award travel. Is that normal on CA? Do they ever open up?
#3
Senior Moderator; Moderator, Eco-Conscious Travel, United and Flyertalk Cares
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Fulltime travel/mostly Europe
Programs: UA 1.7 MM;; Accor & Marriott Pt; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 17,831
IME, Air China opens up one F seat at a time. There's a good chance that you'll book seat #1 and as you do a new seat will pop up.
Just a word of caution that you want to make sure this gets ticketed. I ticketed award travel through UA last year and though I received ticket numbers and a confirmation, it was never pushed through to Air China. This created huge hassles in China, including being denied boarding since they did not have the ticket. Call Air China a few days after you get the award to make sure they see it too.
Just a word of caution that you want to make sure this gets ticketed. I ticketed award travel through UA last year and though I received ticket numbers and a confirmation, it was never pushed through to Air China. This created huge hassles in China, including being denied boarding since they did not have the ticket. Call Air China a few days after you get the award to make sure they see it too.
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 352
IME, Air China opens up one F seat at a time. There's a good chance that you'll book seat #1 and as you do a new seat will pop up.
Just a word of caution that you want to make sure this gets ticketed. I ticketed award travel through UA last year and though I received ticket numbers and a confirmation, it was never pushed through to Air China. This created huge hassles in China, including being denied boarding since they did not have the ticket. Call Air China a few days after you get the award to make sure they see it too.
Just a word of caution that you want to make sure this gets ticketed. I ticketed award travel through UA last year and though I received ticket numbers and a confirmation, it was never pushed through to Air China. This created huge hassles in China, including being denied boarding since they did not have the ticket. Call Air China a few days after you get the award to make sure they see it too.
#5
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: HHonor Dia, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 550
Just a word of caution that you want to make sure this gets ticketed. I ticketed award travel through UA last year and though I received ticket numbers and a confirmation, it was never pushed through to Air China. This created huge hassles in China, including being denied boarding since they did not have the ticket. Call Air China a few days after you get the award to make sure they see it too.
Though my case is not as extreme as this.
Booking award with united, then made change. Air China never got the updated itinerary (even though united swore up and down it's all good).
A lot of hassle going back and forth, but finally settled.
#7
Senior Moderator; Moderator, Eco-Conscious Travel, United and Flyertalk Cares
Join Date: Jun 1999
Location: Fulltime travel/mostly Europe
Programs: UA 1.7 MM;; Accor & Marriott Pt; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 17,831
True. I could have worded it better. Obviously, the number of F award seats (or F seats at all) is finite so another is not always going to come open. I have not seen they they release more than 1 at a time though. YMMV
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 352
We got a little distracted on question #1 and I still can't get a straight answer out of question #3 (baggage allowance). I called CA, who said 1 piece/20 kg per pax. US Airways (who booked the ticket) said I should get the international C allowance. Who is right? Thanks!
#9
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 42,031
We got a little distracted on question #1 and I still can't get a straight answer out of question #3 (baggage allowance). I called CA, who said 1 piece/20 kg per pax. US Airways (who booked the ticket) said I should get the international C allowance. Who is right? Thanks!
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 352
Thanks for the good news! Is there anything I can point them to when I'm checking in? I don't speak Mandarin so this might be especially difficult.
I think it might have been hard enough to convince them to give me the international C allowance if my layover were just a couple of hours, but it will probably be even more difficult since my layover is overnight (~ 15 hours). I would love to be able to point them to some specific rule or something like that. Any magic words to say?
Also, in order to get this allowance, do I need to check my bags all the way through to the final destination? Will they even do that with such a long overnight connection?
I think it might have been hard enough to convince them to give me the international C allowance if my layover were just a couple of hours, but it will probably be even more difficult since my layover is overnight (~ 15 hours). I would love to be able to point them to some specific rule or something like that. Any magic words to say?
Also, in order to get this allowance, do I need to check my bags all the way through to the final destination? Will they even do that with such a long overnight connection?
#11
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 160
Seconded this. Always verify with partner airline (especially with Air China, apparently it's pretty common).
Though my case is not as extreme as this.
Booking award with united, then made change. Air China never got the updated itinerary (even though united swore up and down it's all good).
A lot of hassle going back and forth, but finally settled.
Though my case is not as extreme as this.
Booking award with united, then made change. Air China never got the updated itinerary (even though united swore up and down it's all good).
A lot of hassle going back and forth, but finally settled.
Luckily OZ ran same route, so changed flight from CA to OZ..
#12
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Chicago
Programs: Cards with lots of logos on them
Posts: 591
I am glad that I read this post as I have an upcoming itinerary that I booked via UA that includes portions on AC, CA and OZ. When I checked online, AC seems to show my reservation but I have not called CA or OZ yet. Hopefully they show my res as well. If not, how do I go about this? Just call UA over and over until they force it through?
#13
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: HHonor Dia, Marriott Plat, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 550
How did you get your case settled? I had similar experience recently: it's UA award ticket with last segment on Air China, however the reservation had never been confirmed with CA, though at UA's side everything's fine. Called UA several times and get the ticket reissued, CA still could not confirm it.
Luckily OZ ran same route, so changed flight from CA to OZ..
Luckily OZ ran same route, so changed flight from CA to OZ..
They generate new PNR and new eticket#.
After that, CA does see it.
I am glad that I read this post as I have an upcoming itinerary that I booked via UA that includes portions on AC, CA and OZ. When I checked online, AC seems to show my reservation but I have not called CA or OZ yet. Hopefully they show my res as well. If not, how do I go about this? Just call UA over and over until they force it through?
If partner don't see your reservation, then hound UA to get it resolved. Ask them to reissue ticket if needs be.
#14
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Southeast USA
Programs: various
Posts: 6,710
For future reference: the first week of May is a National Holiday in China and that is a particularly bad time to find award availability, as there is a good chance seats can be sold (all classes of service) at full price. Anything April 28-May 10 is in the iffy zone.
#15
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 160
Also wondering is this situation possible that, current reservation is cancelled but could not get a new reservation due to the seats are withdrawn or for some reason not available in such short gap between two reservations?