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 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.
Update1: Recent reports suggest that a stopover at origin is no longer permitted, which closes the free one-way option.
Update2: added SO/OJ at origin on two PNRs (identical in routing) with two different agents on 7/6/14 without any issues/questions.
Q: When I try to book my OJ itinerary online, the website errors out. Does that mean there is something wrong with my itinerary?
A: Not necessarily. The website typically can't handle complex itineraries. These must generally be called in.
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
Previous thread on this topic:
Rules for Open Jaw & Stopover Award Flights (Consolidated)
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 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.
Update1: Recent reports suggest that a stopover at origin is no longer permitted, which closes the free one-way option.
Update2: added SO/OJ at origin on two PNRs (identical in routing) with two different agents on 7/6/14 without any issues/questions.
Q: When I try to book my OJ itinerary online, the website errors out. Does that mean there is something wrong with my itinerary?
A: Not necessarily. The website typically can't handle complex itineraries. These must generally be called in.
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
Previous thread on this topic:
Rules for Open Jaw & Stopover Award Flights (Consolidated)
Consolidated: Rules for Open Jaw & Stopover Award Flights [2014]
#46
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
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#47
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 2
Thanks for all the replys. I got rid of LHR and kept CDG as stopover. The website gave me the following route: EWR-LHR-LGW-PEK-CDG(Stopover)-EWR. Called in to see if I can do EWR to PEK direct flight and got the same answer as that counted as around the world flight. Seems I cant cross both oceans?
#48
Join Date: Jul 2013
Programs: Mileage Plus, AAdvantage, Executive Club
Posts: 198
Thanks for all the replys. I got rid of LHR and kept CDG as stopover. The website gave me the following route: EWR-LHR-LGW-PEK-CDG(Stopover)-EWR. Called in to see if I can do EWR to PEK direct flight and got the same answer as that counted as around the world flight. Seems I cant cross both oceans?
#49
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: southUSA
Posts: 398
TATL First
Which *A airlines offer TATL first availability through UA award redemption.
#51
Join Date: Jun 2013
Location: Orange County, CA
Posts: 115
Hi, thought I’d share some info and also ask a question:
I was able to successfully price out a ticket after calling United for these two trips:
- LAX-IST / IST-MLE // MLE-IST-IAH-LAX
- LAX-FRA-CDG / CDG-SIN-BKK // BKK-TPE-LAX
However, for my latest trip idea, I was unable to price out the ticket and the United agent said that its because the computer thinks its a round-the-world trip, which I don’t agree, since my second example was successfully priced out. Here’s the itinerary:
LAX-IST / IST-MLE // MLE-SIN-BKK-TPE-LAX
Is this trip legal? Isn’t this just the basic NAmerica to Asia (MLE) via Europe (IST)? I'm guessing hang up and call again?
Any help is appreciated! Thanks!!
I was able to successfully price out a ticket after calling United for these two trips:
- LAX-IST / IST-MLE // MLE-IST-IAH-LAX
- LAX-FRA-CDG / CDG-SIN-BKK // BKK-TPE-LAX
However, for my latest trip idea, I was unable to price out the ticket and the United agent said that its because the computer thinks its a round-the-world trip, which I don’t agree, since my second example was successfully priced out. Here’s the itinerary:
LAX-IST / IST-MLE // MLE-SIN-BKK-TPE-LAX
Is this trip legal? Isn’t this just the basic NAmerica to Asia (MLE) via Europe (IST)? I'm guessing hang up and call again?
Any help is appreciated! Thanks!!
#52
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 940
Question from the newbie
Hi, guys, if I wanna visit Sydney and Fiji from Kuala Lumpur in one trip, do I pay for the higher amount of miles required or it depends on other factors?
According to United award chart
Kuala Lumpur - Fiji 50K return business class
Kuala Lumpur - Sydney 90K return business class
I tried to search for an itenary on united.com for several dates but it kept showing me an error page.
Singapore - Fiji (staying in Fiji for 5 nights, anytime between June - September)
Fiji - Sydney (staying in Sydney for 7 nights)
Sydney - Singapore
If searched separately, I can get such flight segments
KUL-BKK-SYD (9 June) -Stopover
SYD-AKL-NAN (16 June) - Destination
NAN-AKL-MEL-BKK-KUL (22June)
However, united.com gave me error page when I put them together. Is there something which I'm missing?
According to United award chart
Kuala Lumpur - Fiji 50K return business class
Kuala Lumpur - Sydney 90K return business class
I tried to search for an itenary on united.com for several dates but it kept showing me an error page.
Singapore - Fiji (staying in Fiji for 5 nights, anytime between June - September)
Fiji - Sydney (staying in Sydney for 7 nights)
Sydney - Singapore
If searched separately, I can get such flight segments
KUL-BKK-SYD (9 June) -Stopover
SYD-AKL-NAN (16 June) - Destination
NAN-AKL-MEL-BKK-KUL (22June)
However, united.com gave me error page when I put them together. Is there something which I'm missing?
Last edited by Dolphinyong; Jan 5, 2014 at 6:08 am
#53
formerly sahiljain22
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: BOS;NYC;YVR;YYZ;DEL;BOM
Programs: Amex Plat; HH Diamond; SPG Plat; Hyatt Diamond; United 1K; National EE; HSBC Premier
Posts: 532
Do you guys know if I can force an open jaw on an inter island HI roundtrip redemption? It seems like 1 stopover is allowed so HNL-OGG (stopover) OGG-LIH (destination) LIH-HNL (return to origin) is 10k miles. But I can't seem to find anything about open-jaws.
#54
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Harrisburg, PA
Programs: MP, Marriott, HHonors
Posts: 231
award travel with multiple destinations
Just asking if anyone can comment on using award travel with multiple destinations and if it caused a problem. I would like to fly into Miami for a cruise, but I don't like the return flight options, so was going to return home by flying out of Fort Lauderdale. In theory, there should be no problems, but if anyone has experience and advises flying into and out of FLL, please let me know.
Thanks!!
~kar
Thanks!!
~kar
#55
formerly sahiljain22
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: BOS;NYC;YVR;YYZ;DEL;BOM
Programs: Amex Plat; HH Diamond; SPG Plat; Hyatt Diamond; United 1K; National EE; HSBC Premier
Posts: 532
Why not book each ticket separately then?
#57
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: IAD
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#58
Moderator: United Airlines
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inter island awards are not regular *A awards but you should be able to create two separate OWs to effectively create an OJ.
#59
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#60
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