Originally Posted by
transpac
I infer from the
Saver chart that a Star Alliance business class award for North America to South Asia would be 125,000 miles via the Pacific and 135,000 miles via Europe (which can include a stop-over). Regarding MPMs it might be best to contact UA/MP at 1-888-674-4680 to review the vailidity of your desired routing(s).
That's a reasonable guess. You probably get this by checking the Europe to Japan/N Asia/S Asia section, which is showing 120K miles if not via US, and 135K miles via US. You can say the 135K miles is for routing involving US, Europe and Asia
crossing two oceans. So if we are to do US to Europe to N Asia/S Asia, it's also involving the same three continents
crossing two oceans and would cost the same amount of miles.
But I had been able to book US to Europe to Asia last year before the mileage increase, and the old chart shows Europe to Japan/N Asia/S Asia 105K if not via US, and also 135K if via US. And it would have cost me 135K miles then also using the same logic. Instead, I was able to use the 'higher of the two award levels' rule, i.e. 80K from US to Europe, and 105K from Europe to Asia, and constructed a US to Europe to Asia trip on a single award with 105K miles. So it should not be 135K with the current award chart either.
Having said all that, 135K is exactly what I just paid for a US to Europe to Japan award
As with UA, everything is YMMV, and if you don't like the answer, thank you politely, hang up and call back again
I have gotten 5 answers with 5 calls :
1. First agent says now US to Europe to Japan award must route through Frankfurt or Munich
2. Second agent says it should cost 135K miles initially, but after checking with her supervisor, she says it cannot be done in one award anymore
3. Third agent says there's a new 'enhancement' just last month, and TATL routing from US to Asia is not allowed anymore in one award
4. Forth agent says higher of two award levels rule is still in effect ^ and confirmed US to Europe is 105K, and Europe to Japan is 120K, and so US to Japan via Europe is 120K, which is the same as US to Japan on a TPAC routing. So I booked the award with her, and put it on hold.
5. Called fifth agent to issue the ticket the next day. Came back and said it's 135K miles. Knowing that it could have been worse if they went by what I heard from the first 3 agents, I decided to go ahead and issue the ticket at 135K.