Scoop

Just had some time to take a good look at this. Seems to me that one of the best deals is the South Pacific -> South Pacific chart.

You could do SYD-AKL-PPT for only 25K in economy (Is 40K using Air New Zealand chart). That's over 3,900 miles, a long way to go for only 25K.

Scoop

Sorry for more South Pacific navel-gazing. I just noticed that Guam is included in the South Pacific for * awards. Think this might be a glaring mistake, as the only way I know to get there is on ANA via Japan.

So... I assume if you take a stopover in Japan you'd have to change that to an Asia 1 award?

Something like this happens in Canada as well. If you want an award, say YYZ-YGR, the redemption rate is 15,000. BUT YYZ-YHZ-YGR is an allowable routing for that reward. If you take a stopover in YHZ, the point count goes up to 25,000.

Scoop

Star chart is in error, as confirmed by the SE desk. Guam has been moved to 'Asia 2'. From Sydney, allowable routings are:

syd-sin-kix-gum
syd-akl-kix-gum
syd-bkk-kix-gum

booked a * award from syd-akl in C for 35,000 points. quick, painless, got the flights I wanted, over easter.

Vaab

Inter-Asia flights look good. 50k for First Class on SQ from NRT to SIN?

Shareholder

UA has finally joined the club and issued their new STAR Award Chart. While most of the awards are in line with AC's chart for NAmerica and Europe, those to the rest of the world are considerably "cheaper". In fact, when one factors in the ease with which Mileage Plus miles are earned -- 100% for domestic discounted trips, 25% bonus as Premier and 100% bonus as PremEx and 1K -- Aeroplan is even worse than many had considered it to be.

For example:

South Asia
Y�AC75/UA60
J/C�AC100/UA90
F�AC&UA120

India/Central Asia
Y�AC130/UA80
J/C�AC185/UA120
F�AC240/UA160

Africa
Y�AC130/UA80
J/C�AC185/UA120
F�AC240/UA160

I wonder how RD will respond to this one?

There is a direct link to the UA Acrobat download in one of the posts on page 2:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/Forum50/HTML/012751.html

Andrew Yiu

You're right. UA's star alliance chart is a lot more generous. From what I observed, the only thing which AC is better than UA is the intra-Asia awards.

Scoop

It's a mixed bag for the australia/oceania rewards as well. Economy australia-oceania is 20K, but exec is 35K as opposed to 25K/35K for AC.

I note, however, that they still include Guam in Oceania.

wombat

If UA comes up with 'short haul' awards, then RD will have no more grounds to extoll aeroplan as the best program.

Hopefully he responds to the requests for program benefit information soon.

airbus320

Good point Wombat !

On Flyertalk chat, Rupert extolled Aeroplan has being a generous program. This does not seem to be the case...

Shareholder

I wonder if AC's chart is higher because more of its members redeem awards on other STAR carriers than do UA's members. which means AC must pay more money out than does UA? Would I trade off short haul awards for getting to Africa or India so "cheaply"? Not sure, not likely. At the same time, politically -- remember the outcry when AC changed the awards to the western territories? -- don't think even Aeroplan would be that stupid.

Altaflyer

A couple of recent observations - for those of you that want to sample the best in Business Class I was recently advised by Aeroplan that one CAN go from YVR to SIN to PER on SQ and return PER to AKL to LAX on NZ, then AC to YVR on one award for 100,000 miles!! The SQ routing fits within MPM and does not violate other rules (help desk confirmed). The SQ to OZ only works to PER as other cities are over the MPM.

Also, the intra-OZ/NZ/Pacific award for 35K in J is permitted on PER-PPT - this is 5868 miles one way and over 15 hours of flying in International J!!

Of course, good luck actually booking any of these!!

Cloud Lounger

I take it that when requesting a reward that I cannot use aeroplan miles on the United star chart? Its a saving of 20k from YOW/HEL in J/C compared to Aeroplan's

Altaflyer

No, unfortunately you cannot.

Andrew Yiu

That's correct - if you're using Aeroplan points, then you are governed by the Aeroplan Star Alliance chart.

makin'miles

The Star chart seems to indicate not, but I am just wondering if the 20/30/50K Asia 1 awards include a stopover/open-jaw? Has anyone booked a stopover on one of these awards?