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Rules for Open Jaw & Stopover Award Flights (Consolidated)

Old Apr 23, 2013, 6:22 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Presented as Q&A format (Originally posted by Alex_B)

Q: What is a stopover?
A: A stopover on an international itinerary is any break in your air travel for more than 24 hours except at the destination.

Q: What is an open-jaw?
A: An open-jaw is where you travel by your own means (either land, sea or a separate air ticket) between two points in a journey.

Q: How many stopovers am I allowed on a roundtrip award?
A: One stopover, in addition to the destination, is permitted (an unlimited number of stops less than 24hours is allowable).

Q: How many open-jaws are allowed on a roundtrip award?
A: Two open-jaws are permitted. These must be at the stopover, destination or origin.

Q: Can I have a stopover or open-jaw on a one-way award?
A: No

Q: Can I have a open-jaw at both the stopover and destination?
A: Yes, plenty of posters have reported success in booking this

Q: Can I transit my destination multiple times (e.g. fly to JNB, fly to CPT and then return home via JNB)?
A: Yes, plenty of posters have reported success in booking this. You can only stop in your destination for > 24 hours once though.

Q: Can I cross both oceans?
A: Yes. The rule that prohibited crossing both oceans appears to have been removed from both MP and *A award rules. There are many many successful examples of people booking these itineraries.

Q: Is EWR-PVG transatlantic or transpacific?
A: US-East Asia/South East Asia is always transpacific no matter what geography might suggest.

Q: Do I pay more for a stopover or open-jaw?
A: Typically no additional mileage is required but additional taxes or fees are often payable (especially in UK with high Air Passenger Duty). Extra mileage will often be required if an open-jaw or stopover adds a higher cost region into the itinerary. Also awards wholly within CONUS, Canada and Alaska (formerly known as Series 0 awards) require additional mileage (10K miles) for a stopover of >4 hrs.

Q: What's this about a free one-way I can get on awards?
A: The concept of free one-ways is a misnomer and often confuses people, it is better to consider it a stopover in the city of origin. If you have a simple roundtrip award without a stopover, you can often create a stopover and open-jaw at your origin on the return leg to add an addition flight. E.g. I wish to book EWR-LHR (destination)-EWR which is a roundtrip US-Europe award. I could also book this as EWR-LHR (destination)-EWR (stopover)-SFO for the same mileage (and a few dollars of extra tax). The EWR segment would need to be within 330 days of booking and would be subject to the usual change fees.

Other notes:
  • The open-jaw portion must be smaller (in miles) than any other leg. -While technically true for revenue fare construction this is not strictly enforced on awards.
  • For awards between CONUS/Canada/Alaska and South Asia award regions the maximum number of segments is 5 segments each way on a round-trip and 4 segments on a one-way. (Note that many FTers report recently being read a memo that imposes an eight segment maximum on a roundtrip (4 each way). It is unclear whether this eight-segment maximum is limited to South Asia routings through Europe or North Asia, or has broader application.)
  • Stopovers and open-jaws are NOT additive. You do not get extra stops included in your itinerary simply by making an open-jaw out of it.

Seeing your fare construction on an already booked award ticket:
In order to see your award fare construction to see where your stopovers and destination are, follow these steps.

Go to http://www.saudiairlines.com/

Then hit "Manage My Bookings" and select "E-Ticket"
Enter your UA ticket number (hint: 016 will go in the first box, and then everything else in the second box). Then your last name and hit "Retrieve My Booking". On the next page you'll see a line like this under "Fare Calculation":

CHI LH X/FRA LH ROM0.00CSM/YB52 /- FLR LH X/FRA LH X/DUS LH CHI UA SEA

This example is:
ORD-FRA-FCO
Open Jaw at Destination
FLR-FRA-DUS-ORD
Stopover at origin
ORD-SEA
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Rules for Open Jaw & Stopover Award Flights (Consolidated)

Old Apr 2, 2012, 4:08 pm
  #61  
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Originally Posted by hobo13
Looks like you can also get a stopover on RT's from CONUS to Hawaii. Is that new?
No, both CO and UA have had that rule for years.
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Old Apr 2, 2012, 4:23 pm
  #62  
 
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Originally Posted by channa
No, both CO and UA have had that rule for years.
Ah man, I thought maybe it was a 'change I'd like'.... guess not.

So, what's the rule on award connection time for CONUS to Hawaii? Is it the 4 (or 6) hour domestic rule, or the 24 hour INTL rule?
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Old Apr 2, 2012, 6:58 pm
  #63  
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Originally Posted by hobo13
Ah man, I thought maybe it was a 'change I'd like'.... guess not.

So, what's the rule on award connection time for CONUS to Hawaii? Is it the 4 (or 6) hour domestic rule, or the 24 hour INTL rule?

4 hours for Hawaii.
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Old Apr 3, 2012, 1:24 pm
  #64  
 
Join Date: Jan 2007
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would this be a legal award itinerary?

could i do the following? i want to know before spending the next 90 minutes waiting for a rep to pick up the phone.

jfk - fra - edi, lhr(open jaw) - nrt (destination) - muc (stop over) - jfk
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Old Apr 3, 2012, 1:30 pm
  #65  
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Originally Posted by tennisboy
Been on hold for 20 minutes so far with an agent "who has worked here 22 years and knows you CANNOT have an open jaw and stopover on the same award ticket." ...
Time to invoke FT Rule #1 -- politely end call, call back and get another agent.
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Old Apr 3, 2012, 1:52 pm
  #66  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Houston, TX
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Originally Posted by ekartash
could i do the following? i want to know before spending the next 90 minutes waiting for a rep to pick up the phone.

jfk - fra - edi, lhr(open jaw) - nrt (destination) - muc (stop over) - jfk
Open jaws have to been a part of the destination or the origin.

1 open jaw example: JFK-LHR-IAD
2 open jaw example: JFK-LHR/CDG-IAD

Therefore your itin wouldn't work :/

Also, I'm assuming you meant your open jaw would be between edi and lhr and not lhr and nrt. It looks like you want some A380 action flying to Europe
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Old Apr 3, 2012, 1:54 pm
  #67  
 
Join Date: Nov 2009
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Originally Posted by WineCountryUA
Time to invoke FT Rule #1 -- politely end call, call back and get another agent.
If I have the time I usually like to educate them by directing them to the united website where it explicitly spells it out or asking for a supervisor (which can easily take 20-30 minute). I guess I'll just teach agents one at a time.
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Old Apr 5, 2012, 6:56 pm
  #68  
 
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: Star Alliance
Posts: 22
Question MileagePlus award R/T with stopover

A few questions here for an upcoming vacation I am planning. I am looking at booking with award miles a R/T SFO-DPS. I am finding plenty of availability booking online however I have reached an empasse, not to mention the longest UAL 800 hold on record (98:30) before my phone battery died!!!

Question #1: How do I make an online booking of MileagePlus award R/T with stopover. It must be easier than the 'multiple destinations' option on the website.

Question #2: Am I allowed a stopover in SYD with my final destination being DPS (flying a combination of UA and SQ)?

Question #3: On the following R/T route: SFO-SYD (UA)-SIN (SQ) -PER (SQ), chich city am I allowed a stopover: SYD or SIN?

Last edited by Jet_Fuel_Perfume; Apr 5, 2012 at 7:12 pm
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Old Apr 5, 2012, 8:25 pm
  #69  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
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Here are some reactions [not necessarily answers] to the questions posed in your post.

I have been able to book RT awards that include a stopover using a multiple destinations search. I don't know of another online option.

I usually search segment by segment first, and then try to combine them. Using your SYD-SIN-PER routing as an example: try to find one-way award availability SYD-SIN and then SIN-PER separately. Once you are convinced that there is availability on both legs, then try searching for SYD-PER. The website might not show you options that involve an overnight somewhere along the way.

You can certainly include a stopover in either the region of your origin or destination. Additionally, I have been able to get the website to include a stopover in a third region [i.e., in a region that is neither the origin or destination] on an award.

My general rule of thumb is that, even though the website gives you options that seem like they should not be valid, if it lets you book it I assume they are valid.

Last edited by crammer; Apr 5, 2012 at 8:32 pm
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Old Apr 15, 2012, 1:39 pm
  #70  
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 67
Booking flights with stopover with award miles.

Hi,

Booking flights from LON - MCO which are usually via EWR. As such, it counts as one trip - 60000 miles if I book as one return trip.

However, I see when you do award flight search it comes up in order of layover/connect time. To be honest, Id rather have an overnight in EWR and get plane 24 hours later than wait 9 hours. But the search facility doesnt let u do this?

Can you even book an award flight like this with a stopover?

Last edited by J.Edward; May 11, 2012 at 8:28 am
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Old Apr 15, 2012, 1:44 pm
  #71  
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Yes you can - the easiest way to do this - is book the undesirable connection online.

Within 24 hours, even better if before ticketing, call UA and get an agent to switch your flight to the one you want


You can try to force it using multicity, but if it doesnt work, see above.
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Old Apr 15, 2012, 1:44 pm
  #72  
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Yes.

Search:

1. LHR-EWR for Day x
2. EWR-MCO for Day x +1

Should give you the same mileage.
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Old Apr 15, 2012, 2:11 pm
  #73  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
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I just pretend booked GRR - ORD - LHR / LHR - BKK / BKK - GRR for 65k coach the entire way and $130 in taxes.

I am now inclined to do a round the world trip with UA.
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Old Apr 15, 2012, 8:40 pm
  #74  
 
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BWI/IAD stopover on award ticket?

Looking for verification on whether the following is a valid stopover on an award ticket.

outbound
LAX-BWI (two day stopover)
IAD-FRA-MUC (destination)
return
ZRH-AMS (overnight, less than 24 hours)
AMS-IAH-LAX

The agent couldn't get the computer to make it work and call me back (speaking to my voicemail) saying that I would need to book a separate one way for the LAX-BWI portion. I'm trying to call back, but hoped for feedback first. It seems to me that I have a valid stopover in Washington DC...not sure if the fact that I fly into BWI and out of IAD makes a difference. Doesn't seem like it should, but maybe I'm missing something...
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Old Apr 15, 2012, 8:50 pm
  #75  
 
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Seems you have RT award with stop over and open-jaw (fly into MUC and out of ZRH). Not allowed. You can have either one, but not both.
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