Question: Aeroplan Reward to South Africa - What is the "Point of Turnaround"?
Jul 5, 2016, 2:00 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 19
Aeroplan Reward to South Africa - What is the "Point of Turnaround"?
I have what may be a really stupid question about booking a flight reward from Canada to South Africa. The Flight Rewards Terms and Conditions say this:
"28.3. Intercontinental travel (travel between two continents): Two stopovers permitted in addition to the point of turnaround. One open jaw is permitted in lieu of one of the two stopovers."
What is the "point of turnaround" if you are booking an open jaw? Ideally, I would like to book this:
YHZ - CPT Stop
CPT - HDS Stop
JNB - YHZ
Is this a valid itinerary? In other words, is CPT the point of turnaround, HDS a stop, and JNB - YHZ an open jaw? Or is this invalid with CPT and HDS both being viewed as stops, JNB as the open jaw, and no point of turnaround? Sorry if I am being dense, just trying to figure it out. I know I could book YHZ-CPT and JNB-YHZ as a reward flight, and then buy a ticket from CPT-HDS, but if the CPT-HDS leg is valid for inclusion in a flight reward I'd rather save myself the $$.
"28.3. Intercontinental travel (travel between two continents): Two stopovers permitted in addition to the point of turnaround. One open jaw is permitted in lieu of one of the two stopovers."
What is the "point of turnaround" if you are booking an open jaw? Ideally, I would like to book this:
YHZ - CPT Stop
CPT - HDS Stop
JNB - YHZ
Is this a valid itinerary? In other words, is CPT the point of turnaround, HDS a stop, and JNB - YHZ an open jaw? Or is this invalid with CPT and HDS both being viewed as stops, JNB as the open jaw, and no point of turnaround? Sorry if I am being dense, just trying to figure it out. I know I could book YHZ-CPT and JNB-YHZ as a reward flight, and then buy a ticket from CPT-HDS, but if the CPT-HDS leg is valid for inclusion in a flight reward I'd rather save myself the $$.
Jul 5, 2016, 2:37 pm
#2
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,465
Should be valid.
Point of turnaround is the furthest stop from your origin. According to gcmap:
YHZ-CPT 7,471
YHZ-JNB 7,544
YHZ-HDS 7,596
Which means HDS is your destination. You have one stopover in CPT on the way there, and also an open jaw at your destination (HDS-JNB). Should be fine.
Point of turnaround is the furthest stop from your origin. According to gcmap:
YHZ-CPT 7,471
YHZ-JNB 7,544
YHZ-HDS 7,596
Which means HDS is your destination. You have one stopover in CPT on the way there, and also an open jaw at your destination (HDS-JNB). Should be fine.
Jul 5, 2016, 3:04 pm
#3
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: Accor ALL Diamond, AC Aeroplan 25K, Nexus/GE
Posts: 2,733
I also think the routing should be valid, however, it might depend on the connection points in between your planned stops. You can run into difficulty if the available routes between the stops involves connecting in the same city twice. You can travel through the same city before and after the POT, but I don't think you can touch the same city twice on the same side of the POT.
Jul 6, 2016, 1:06 pm
#7
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: All Accor Plat, 1865 Voyager, AE E35K, HH Gold,Hyatt, Hrtz Gold, Marriott Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 1,670
You should be able to book this. I booked something similar:
YYZ-GRU-JNB-VFA (stop)
VFA-JNB-CPT(stop/open jaw)
HDS-JNB (47 hour stop)
JNB-ADD-YYZ
I'm not sure where the point of turnaround is, but I was able to book it and I am in JNB 4 times. I didn't think I could stop so long in JNB. I was going to stop for 22 hours, but after chatting about it the Agent suggested she try and put the flight in for the next day and it went through. Also not sure what leaving from YHZ will do given the unpublished MPM rules.
YYZ-GRU-JNB-VFA (stop)
VFA-JNB-CPT(stop/open jaw)
HDS-JNB (47 hour stop)
JNB-ADD-YYZ
I'm not sure where the point of turnaround is, but I was able to book it and I am in JNB 4 times. I didn't think I could stop so long in JNB. I was going to stop for 22 hours, but after chatting about it the Agent suggested she try and put the flight in for the next day and it went through. Also not sure what leaving from YHZ will do given the unpublished MPM rules.
Jul 7, 2016, 6:45 am
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Posts: 19
Hmmm, interesting. I just called yesterday, and agent told me I could NOT do:
YHZ-LHR-JNB-CPT stop
CPT-JNB-HDS stop (obviously not my preferred routing but the CPT-HDS direct flight is not available)
HDS - JNB overnight stop (23.5 hr)
JNB-ADD-LHR-YHZ
She told me the reason I could not book this was that I can't transit through JNB that many times, and said the only way it would be valid would be if the CPT-HDS direct flight becomes available. Of these, she would only let me book YHZ-LHR-JNB-CPT and JNB-ADD-LHR-YHZ.
YHZ-LHR-JNB-CPT stop
CPT-JNB-HDS stop (obviously not my preferred routing but the CPT-HDS direct flight is not available)
HDS - JNB overnight stop (23.5 hr)
JNB-ADD-LHR-YHZ
She told me the reason I could not book this was that I can't transit through JNB that many times, and said the only way it would be valid would be if the CPT-HDS direct flight becomes available. Of these, she would only let me book YHZ-LHR-JNB-CPT and JNB-ADD-LHR-YHZ.
Jul 7, 2016, 9:17 am
#9
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: YYZ
Programs: All Accor Plat, 1865 Voyager, AE E35K, HH Gold,Hyatt, Hrtz Gold, Marriott Gold, NEXUS
Posts: 1,670
Hmmm, interesting. I just called yesterday, and agent told me I could NOT do:
YHZ-LHR-JNB-CPT stop
CPT-JNB-HDS stop (obviously not my preferred routing but the CPT-HDS direct flight is not available)
HDS - JNB overnight stop (23.5 hr)
JNB-ADD-LHR-YHZ
She told me the reason I could not book this was that I can't transit through JNB that many times, and said the only way it would be valid would be if the CPT-HDS direct flight becomes available. Of these, she would only let me book YHZ-LHR-JNB-CPT and JNB-ADD-LHR-YHZ.
YHZ-LHR-JNB-CPT stop
CPT-JNB-HDS stop (obviously not my preferred routing but the CPT-HDS direct flight is not available)
HDS - JNB overnight stop (23.5 hr)
JNB-ADD-LHR-YHZ
She told me the reason I could not book this was that I can't transit through JNB that many times, and said the only way it would be valid would be if the CPT-HDS direct flight becomes available. Of these, she would only let me book YHZ-LHR-JNB-CPT and JNB-ADD-LHR-YHZ.
I think you should be able to do that. I would HUACA (hang up and call again and try with another agent).
Jul 7, 2016, 9:32 am
#10
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: YYZ
Programs: Accor ALL Diamond, AC Aeroplan 25K, Nexus/GE
Posts: 2,733
I've been told many times that it's not allowed. It didn't seem to matter that I was only connecting in the offending duplicated city and not stopping, but was told I couldn't transit it multiple times. HUCA might work, since you might get an agent to do it, but I've been told 'no' many times.
The Aeroplan website will also not allow you to book it. If you try a simple multi-city itinerary, and choose some familiar destinations that force you to go back through the same city twice, the "select" button becomes greyed out on those particular flight combinations for the 2nd leg options that route through that city, if you've already selected a routing on the first leg that uses it.
The Aeroplan website will also not allow you to book it. If you try a simple multi-city itinerary, and choose some familiar destinations that force you to go back through the same city twice, the "select" button becomes greyed out on those particular flight combinations for the 2nd leg options that route through that city, if you've already selected a routing on the first leg that uses it.
Jul 7, 2016, 11:37 am
#11
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Spatially speaking or metaphysically speaking?
Programs: Aeropain: Zirconia Status; Altitude: Marianas Trench Status; UA MP: 1 Kick to the curb status
Posts: 623
I've been told many times that it's not allowed. It didn't seem to matter that I was only connecting in the offending duplicated city and not stopping, but was told I couldn't transit it multiple times. HUCA might work, since you might get an agent to do it, but I've been told 'no' many times.
The Aeroplan website will also not allow you to book it. If you try a simple multi-city itinerary, and choose some familiar destinations that force you to go back through the same city twice, the "select" button becomes greyed out on those particular flight combinations for the 2nd leg options that route through that city, if you've already selected a routing on the first leg that uses it.
The Aeroplan website will also not allow you to book it. If you try a simple multi-city itinerary, and choose some familiar destinations that force you to go back through the same city twice, the "select" button becomes greyed out on those particular flight combinations for the 2nd leg options that route through that city, if you've already selected a routing on the first leg that uses it.
Jul 7, 2016, 11:39 am
#12
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: YVR
Posts: 1,465
You can't stop in the same city more than once on each side of the trip. However, for example, stopping in JNB once before the destination, and then once again after the destination, is no problem.