jayu

Hi all, I'm relatively new to this forum and this is my first time planning and booking a United Award Flight.

Here's my general itinerary:
TBS*-IST-FRA-JFK-SNA

*Tbilisi, Georgia, which is considered 'Europe'

It priced successfully online at 50,000 miles as a Europe-N.America business class flight.

But here's the thing.

I'm young (20's), single, saved up a good chunk of money, have tons of free time (I've been traveling full time for almost 1 year), have 50,000 miles to burn, and want to take as many layovers as possible legally from TBS to LAX/SNA just for fun.

So.... the big question(s):

1. How many <23-hour layovers are possible on a reward flight?
2. Is there a limit of the number of segments?
3. Is there a limit to the number of MPM (maximum permitted mileage)
4. How many consecutive <23-hour layovers have you done?
5. Am I crazy? (yes)
6. Is something like this legal and possible?

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=TBS-IST...FK-YYZ-SFO-SNA

And here's the Europe-only map:

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=TBS-IST...RU-CDG-LHR-DUB

Thanks all!

Kacee

You should try for JFK-LAX rather than JFK-SNA. It's a much better aircraft with lie-flat seats in the front cabin.

I think you will have difficulty booking more than four segments on the one-way award.

appenzeller

Since about 6 months all I can price automatically on a one-way award are four segments - so your trip needs to be scaled down but you can still try to have three 23 hours transfers

jayu

This guy did 7 cities on a European one-way award, in one of the craziest tickets I've seen. (Zagreb, Croatia to Munich, Germany, via Rome, Frankfurt, Brussels, Oslo, Amsterdam?!?!)

http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=ZAG-DBV...RU-OSL-AMS-MUC

He did, however, have to book the flight over the phone with an agent, which I'm willing to do.

http://milevalue.com/how-to-see-seve...00-mile-award/

I'm willing to book via an agent, and I got tons of time to talk to an agent(s).

noah

You should be able to book

TBS-IST-XXX-XXX-SNA/LAX

That is likely one stop in Europe and one stop in North America. With Turkish's network, you pretty much can stop anywhere there is an onward flight to North America -- assuming availability. For example

TBS-IST-AMS-ORD-SNA
TBS-IST-MUC-SFO-SNA
TBS-IST-LIS-EWR-SNA

etc

You could also choose to do stops in North America, for example

TBS-IST-BOS-SFO-SNA

Kacee

This is what I'd try to do:

TBS-IST-JFK-SFO-SNA

You get TK J IST-JFK, ps lie-flat on the transcon to SFO, and one day each in NYC and SF.

Top that

MatthewLAX

I think you can squeeze out five segments, since this is a Europe award.

Try TBS-IST-BUD-BRU-JFK-LAX (TBS-IST-BUD on TK, BUD-BRU-JFK on SN, JFK-LAX on UA). BUD is great if you have not been there, but certainly there are many other options as well you could sub in for BUD.

I bet you will be successful.

milesunited

It's all personal preference but I'd try incorporating more European cities instead of NA cities: Austria, Portugal, Oslo, Norway...

pushmyredbutton

Before the apparent "4 segment rule" was in place...I did a one way with:

JFK-FRA-SIN-BWN-SIN-CGK-BKK-PNH-BKK for 32,500 miles with a 20-23 hour stopover in SIN, BWN, CGK, PNH.

sbm12

Any connection can be up to 24 hours on an international itinerary.

MPM doesn't apply but there may be a maximum number of segments permitted on an award.

Most I did was 3 overnights en route from ARN-IST. Great trip.

redtailshark

1. More than you think.
2. In theory.
3. Sometimes not.
4. Nine
5. No. You're just getting into the game and want a little more value. Crazy, outrageous, no.
6. Yes. It's been done numerous times by certain people.

^ That's a good one. I have flown 9 segs on intra-EU o/w and 11 on US-Asia o/w before, but in light of the apparent regime crackdown and the fact that - for now - some of this is still possible in spite of the new tacit dictate and preventative measures, I don't wish to be more specific here. I suggest that those who have/can do these things, also don't be too specific about methods - it doesn't take much back-end work for this capability to be eliminated and it's in our interest that the number of people perpetrating these itins remains low via natural selection.

DWFI

Before the crackdown, IIRC I went LAX-JFK/EWR-ORD-IAH-SFO-HKG-SIN-CGK-BKK-MNL-PEK or something ridiculous but it took a lot of effort to ticket and there is no way UA would do anything like that anymore.

jayu

Thanks, all. I'm going to try booking a ridiculous route over the phone and I'll let you all know what my itinerary will look like. =)

jayu

So, I just got off a 2 hour phone call (1 hour hold, 1 hour call) and booked

TBS-IST-MAD-ZRH-LIS-VIE-JFK-SFO-SNA, all are long layovers.

The rep did indeed say that there is a "4 segment maximum", but each segment has a layover in between.

noah

You should go buy a lottery ticket. Congrats.