Mar 30, 2014, 12:53 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
WIKI POST: Using US Dividend Miles for oneworld Award Flights
As further details become available, please fill in this wikipost.
As further details become available, please fill in this wikipost.
N.B. Booking opportunities for new Dividend Miles awards of all kinds ended 11:59 PM Wednesday, 25 March 2015. Please continue using this thread for trips booked or in progress through 24 March 2016.
Changes on USDM oneworld award tickets
This is the only official statement about changing issued USDM award tickets:
If I need to make changes to a Dividend Miles award reservation, which program’s rules will apply?
Minor changes such as date/time can be made provided seats are available without requiring a new award to be claimed. More substantive changes such as changes to stopovers or origin/destination may result in the need to reinstate the previously claimed Dividend Miles award, then claiming a new AAdvantage award under the existing AAdvantage program rules.
The old membership rules do 'generally' still appy to USDM tickets.
For awards ticketed / reticketed on 001- ticket stock, go to the AA Refunds site with your ticket number at hand (unsure if it works with 037- stock at this time)to:
- Print a receipt with ticket number (instead of Request a refund)
- See total fees, taxes, etc. attached to your ticket
- See applicable detailed fare rules
- Request a refund (may not be useful for awards)
- Some were able to change their ticket without beeing charged the USD 150.- changing fee.
- No chance to change a ticket after the first flight segment has been flown.
- ...
Old stuff
oneworld member airlines - airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines (Sibir), SriLankan Airlines, TAM Airlines, US Airways and their affiliates.
Award Chart for oneworld awards using US Dividend Miles:
http://shopping.usairways.com/en-US/...wardtravel.pdf
You can use the American Airlines, British Airways, JAL, or Qantas sites to search for oneworld award inventory. AA and QF also allows you to search for award inventory using a handy 30 day calendar view. However, availability on the calendar is dependent on site coverage (e.g. QF does not include JL or MH, AA does not include CX and others). Also, the calendar view may not be completely accurate on all partners, so use it as a guide but do not rely on it fully.
One of the easiest ways to search for oneworld availability is through the use of an outside tool such as Award Nexus, ExpertFlyer, KVS Tool, or The Wandering Aramean oneworld Search.
Award Nexus has a free community membership for flyertalk members, and award email alert with premium membership. ExpertFlyer has email alerts and direct GDS access to select oneworld award inventories, such as AA, QF, and US. ExpertFlyer can also search J class certificate upgrade inventory. With KVS Tool, you can search QF, BA, JL and CX's search engines, in addition to other alliances, on your PC (Mac / Linux with CrossOver). You can also set up an alert via The Wandering Aramean oneworld Search. This tool will automatically search on QF for your alert once per day with a free account and four times per day with a paid account.
N.B. With all of the above tools, it is best to search one segment at a time. Most oneworld search engines have difficulty marrying segments.
For route searching with itinerary information, use the interactive oneworld map and timetable.
For searching Intra-North America availability, the best tool is AA.com. Unlike the other oneworld engines, AA is pretty good at marrying segments, so you can search origin to destination.
Regarding availability, the strategy that has been most effective for people looking to book award travel on oneworld is to start searching right at 330 days prior to departure. This is generally when availability is at its best. After that, availability tends to be sporadic until starting 8 weeks prior to departure where some airlines open up availability, and will vary all the way up until the day of departure.
If you're having trouble finding availability, it may be best to look at alternate airports (JL, for example, serves SAN, YVR, and BOS, in addition to the larger markets of SFO, LAX, YYZ, ORD, and JFK).
(N.B. Although US was not adding fuel surcharges to awards, there are reports that they have started doing this for awards containing BA flights.) With the exception of BA & IB, no oneworld carriers require you to pay a fuel surcharge for awards. With BA, be aware that you may have to pay both a fuel surcharge as well as the UK Air Passenger Duty departure tax for intercontinental J and F flights out of UK. These fees vary with class of service and length of flight and are determined by BA; the Air Passenger Duty (see specific thread) is due for all UK departures not under 24 hour connecting flights. APD applies to coach tickets, too, but at a reduced rate. The fuel /YQ surcharge with IB is generally considered minimal.
Known Problems / Workaround:
- Dep 00:00AM : Some agents have difficulty finding flights leaving between midnight and 2 AM. This is because the US systems show it leaving the day before. If the agent cannot find it, please ask to look at the day before. > source <
- LA : Flights put on hold will be cancelled after 24h. Workaround: Issue the ticket immediately. > source <
- JL : US Rep cannot find available seats. Workaround: "Always have to remind Rep to open JL reservations on a new screen". > source <
- MH : US Rep cannot find awards in First Class. Workaround: First class needs to be booked in P-cl instead of Z-cl (as on most other OW carriers). > source < booking classes: > KVS <
- All : If you are booking outbound flights at the US Air 335 day window US Air will often allow you to put your reservation on a longer than 3 day hold to capture the return seats once they open up at T+335. There is a report of this for 30 days here, and FT user beofotch was successful in getting a 13 day hold here. Workaround: Huaca until you get an agent who is competent enough to do this. It may help to act naive and ask for your return flight on your preferred date even if it is after T+335 days. Once they get an error from the computer may be a good time to bring it up.
- ...
Fixed Problems:
- CX : US Rep cannot find seats on flight CX 645 HKG-DOH. Workaround: none so far, search for different routing/carrier (CMB/DXB/...?)... > source < > fixed <
> fixed < - CX : US Rep cannot find seats on flight CX 640 DOH-HKG. They admit, the flight exists, but are unable to book <source>. Workaround: none so far, search for different routing/carrier
> fixed < - BA/Comair : US rep could not see / or unable to book intra-South Africa flights in BA flight number operated by Comair despite AA treats Comair a full fledged oneworld member under BA, in the same context as KA under CX. Only one reported success booking - poster reported agent had trouble at first but on consulting a supervisor was told "where to look"; the agent did not give any further information. Most everyone else reported unable to book Comair flights.
> fixed < - IB : Flights will be cancelled after ticket issued. Workaround: None yet... > source <
> fixed <
LUS: USDM oneworld Award Bookings - (Closed to new bookings) [Master FAQ and Help]
Jul 31, 2014, 3:40 pm
#1591
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
Also it is always a good practice to check your train schedule as early as possible at the DB window virtually at each city's train station.
We found out DB canceled one segment of our 3 segments of Stuttgart to Cologne the day before by accident, solely because we would like to know for sure at WHICH stations we connected to the next train. We stayed at a hotel just across street from the main train station the day before so it was logical we simply went to the station hall and checked our schedule at the DB booth.
The agent simply rebooked us to the direct train departed 30 min earlier. It was great as at the time of purchase, that direct train was like 70 euro extra per ticket. Hence we opted for the 2 connections. I later found the schedule change email in my inbox but we did not have internet access at the time so it was discovered later.
Jul 31, 2014, 4:56 pm
#1592
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 1999
Programs: FB Silver going for Gold
Posts: 21,805
My wife and I have a small balance of US miles. Sufficient for intra-South America awards.
Just wondering if LA awards for SCL-IPC are considered S America or South America - South Pacific?
The US website does not recoqnize IPC (SCL being the only airport on record in Chile).
Just wondering if LA awards for SCL-IPC are considered S America or South America - South Pacific?
The US website does not recoqnize IPC (SCL being the only airport on record in Chile).
Jul 31, 2014, 8:04 pm
#1593
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Gold, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 480
Probably depends on where you're located in Europe, but I don't think that would work. However, ymmv! They're pretty reasonable, and if you don't get what you want you can always HUACA until you do.
Jul 31, 2014, 9:16 pm
#1594
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Home: Arlington, VA; Home airports: IAD/DCA/BWI
Programs: Active: AA, UA, DL
Posts: 4,095
Your main constraint will be meeting the MPM x 125% rule between your origin and destination. You'll have a better chance if your US city is on the West Coast.
What are your city pairs? I can look up MPM for you.
What are your city pairs? I can look up MPM for you.
Last edited by Wiirachay; Jul 31, 2014 at 9:40 pm
Aug 1, 2014, 4:19 am
#1595
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
IPC is a new destination since March, as with the *A it wasn't possible to fly there... So it's good possible they don't know to put in what zone this island
.
Aug 1, 2014, 10:55 am
#1596
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,551
On the US website are only shown US and AA destinations, which can be booked online. All partner awards needs to be booked by telephone.
IPC is a new destination since March, as with the *A it wasn't possible to fly there... So it's good possible they don't know to put in what zone this island.
IPC is a new destination since March, as with the *A it wasn't possible to fly there... So it's good possible they don't know to put in what zone this island
.
Aug 1, 2014, 3:47 pm
#1597
Join Date: Apr 2003
Location: CLT
Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium
Posts: 1,551
So on another note - I am working on the aforementioned award ticket for my friend's honeymoon.
We were looking at flights 335 days out and now have on hold some flights on US and Cathay that are 330 days out. I wanted to add a segment to the itinerary as a placeholder to help with tweaking the dates in the future. I wanted to add CDG - CLT operated by US. I knew availability was spotty, and in-fact the US Air website for June 2015 show only 1 day where there are 2x seats CDG - CLT in business class, June 1. The US Air website and AA website don't show July 2 flights yet.
I asked a US Air agent if CDG - CLT was available July 2 in business class and to my surprise she responded "yes" and put it on my reservation. This shocked me since availability was so spotty. It is in there as "I" class. I asked her to price it out to make sure she wasn't pulling in "medium" or "high" inventory and it came to the "low" inventory price.
So did I get lucky and 2 award seats were intended to be made available? Or is there a potential glitch whereby US Operated Metal on dates where the website calendar doesn't go out to but the US Air system does (days 331 - 335) will it magically pull down award availability that may not be intended to be there?
We were looking at flights 335 days out and now have on hold some flights on US and Cathay that are 330 days out. I wanted to add a segment to the itinerary as a placeholder to help with tweaking the dates in the future. I wanted to add CDG - CLT operated by US. I knew availability was spotty, and in-fact the US Air website for June 2015 show only 1 day where there are 2x seats CDG - CLT in business class, June 1. The US Air website and AA website don't show July 2 flights yet.
I asked a US Air agent if CDG - CLT was available July 2 in business class and to my surprise she responded "yes" and put it on my reservation. This shocked me since availability was so spotty. It is in there as "I" class. I asked her to price it out to make sure she wasn't pulling in "medium" or "high" inventory and it came to the "low" inventory price.
So did I get lucky and 2 award seats were intended to be made available? Or is there a potential glitch whereby US Operated Metal on dates where the website calendar doesn't go out to but the US Air system does (days 331 - 335) will it magically pull down award availability that may not be intended to be there?
Aug 2, 2014, 12:49 am
#1598
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ZRH, MNL
Programs: FB Gold
Posts: 974
Anybody had this experience as well? I'm looking for flights DOH-HKG, there's CX640, however the agent cannot see it. Also ITA can only see the flight with it's QR codeshare #5801. I guess, US can't book the codeshare, right? BA award tool lists the CX flight as available for my dates in question. I will try again HUACA later.
Aug 2, 2014, 5:21 pm
#1599
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
This is a well known problem that has existed since US first started making OneWorld bookings. There is no workaround so you will have to find an alternative route.
Aug 2, 2014, 11:52 pm
#1600
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,762
Anybody had this experience as well? I'm looking for flights DOH-HKG, there's CX640, however the agent cannot see it. Also ITA can only see the flight with it's QR codeshare #5801. I guess, US can't book the codeshare, right? BA award tool lists the CX flight as available for my dates in question. I will try again HUACA later.
Keep calling them but also be prepared for an alternative routing which most likely would be what you eventually end up with.
Aug 3, 2014, 1:38 am
#1601
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ZRH, MNL
Programs: FB Gold
Posts: 974
Regarding alternatives: I'm looking into CX business ex-AMS with a KL-feeder flight ZRH-AMS booked with FlyingBlue.
Last edited by KL803; Aug 3, 2014 at 1:44 am
Aug 3, 2014, 9:46 am
#1602
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,391
Aug 3, 2014, 12:29 pm
#1603
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 1
IB flights removed and unable to see reservation on Iberia.com after booking rewards
I know it's in the wiki known issues but has there been any update on how to fix it? It was reported in April and it's August right now. Any help would be useful. Called US air but they said that IB can change flights and this could happen which is absolutely not acceptable. My IB flights cannot simply be dropped, should at least provide notice about a flight change or an alternative flight than simply completely removing it from my itinerary.
Aug 3, 2014, 1:10 pm
#1604
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: ZRH, MNL
Programs: FB Gold
Posts: 974
3h30m between flights, KL and CX do interline luggage, I know AMS pretty well, and there's OLCI . So far the plus sides. Of course, a cancellation would be a different story...
Aug 3, 2014, 3:22 pm
#1605
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: TPA
Programs: DL Diamond, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,256
Oneworld Award Ticket
I'm trying to book a oneworld ticket with my miles with US. I'm looking to spend up 80K miles in Business/First. I need to leave out of AMS or LHR on Aug 19/20 and return to any major city in Europe arriving on the 24th or 25th. So far I've found plenty available going but nothing for the return.
Does anyone know of any particular routings or have access to better award availability?
Does anyone know of any particular routings or have access to better award availability?