kangarooflyer88

Just thought I'd throw this question out as I think I'm starting to see a pattern emerge: Is it possible to book complex multi-transcontinental routings that involve AC segments or does the flexible pricing mess things up? From what I've read so far it seems like the answer is a no, but would be curious if it was possible what pre-requisites would be required to ensure it is bookable on such an itinerary?

-RooFlyer88

Adam Smith

You ask whether it's possible. Yes, definitely.

You ask whether flexible pricing messes things up. In what way? From a technical perspective? Not necessarily. But does the ridiculous pricing render it unattractive to include AC segments? Often, but not always.

I've recently booked or changed several complex itineraries to include AC segments without much difficulty and at reasonable cost (all in J). In one case, CPH-EWR-YYZ-YYC (SK-AC-AC) was cheaper than the partner-only pricing for the same route would have been. In another, tacking on SFO-YYC to an all-partner TATL round trip cost me 6K extra points gross (3K net after the priority reward discount). The same flight would have cost 31K points (gross) to book in J on its own.

On the other hand, if I had taken other EWR-YYZ-YYC flights, or the EWR-YYC non-stop, on that CPH-YYC bound, it would have cost me 130K points or 200K+ (for the non-stop) rather than the 68K or whatever it cost for the flights I did book. So that sucked. But in the old days, that itinerary wasn't bookable, period. The SK CPH-EWR could have been booked on its own, then a separate Market Fare reward for the AC flight(s), but not on one ticket. Or it would have been something ridiculous like EWR-YYZ-YOW-YWG-YYC in 27 hours, all in Y.

pentiumvi

Very interesting information. Your original understanding seems to align with AP's official award rules PDF which states:

"Flight Reward itineraries built in a circuitous manner may be permitted so long
as the cumulative flown distance between the origin and destination does not
exceed twice the non-stop distance for a given direction of travel."

Your first route I think is priced correctly. You're at 11,001+ miles between NA and Pacific in FIRST, which comes to 140k + 5k stop-over.

For your second route, maybe it's cause it's over 100% of direct JFK-ICN distance? You list AMM-MCT on TK, but that should actually be AMM-IST-MCT right?

tbuff

Am I running into a married segments problem?

I want to go MLE BAH (FRA LHR MXP) YUL YWG. Any of the 3 works for european stops. I can get BAH-europe-YUL YWG to price out online all in J (or thereabouts eupgrade the yul flight) i can also book MLE BAH in Y. I am unable to get MLE BAH to join with the other segments online.

If I call in can they do it?

najama2

Is the following one-way routing in AP not valid?

LHE-BAH-MLE(STOPOVER)-AUH-IAD
Aeroplan keeps trying to book it as two separate one-way tickets (LHE-BAH-MLE & MLE-AUH-IAD).

I tell them I'm trying to make use of the 5k AP stopover option but it doesn't seem to help.

allbrosca

Does this look bookable if I phone it in and any tips on the best way to feed it to the agent?
YYZ- IAD (AC or UA)
IAD-AUH (EY)
AUH-JNB (EY)
JNB-CPT (SA)
I don't know if it matters, but YYZ-CPT is approximately 8100 miles on GC Maps and YYZ-IAD-AUH-JNB-CPT is just over 12,000 miles. First flight on UA keeps me away from dynamic pricing but gives me a long layover in IAD. I had YYZ-EWR-JNB-CPT ready to phone in and EWR-JNB on UA disappeared. I shouldn't have waited

Thanks for any help.

kangarooflyer88

It should be possible since you are crossing the Atlantic for this North America to EMEA itinerary and only have 4 flights on this one-way itinerary. Where is the stopover by the way? Or are you trying to get Aeroplan to book YYZ to CPT with this routing? In any event, provided you find J partner availability for those flights on the days in question I see no reason why this shouldn't work. If I was you I'd try to stick to partner only awards since it makes ticketing much easier. You may even want to consider even flying United Y down to EWR or IAD given how short the plane ride is and if it enables you to fly the airlines and routings you prefer. Certainly I wouldn't want to have a 12 hour layover at Dulles just so I can say I flew United First for an hour to there!

As an aside, I would encourage you to have a backup routing on hand in case things go pear shaped. For instance when I was booking Sydney to Toronto via Zurich (with a stopover there) I encountered difficulties getting the whole thing to ticket. It turns out that my desired routing ex-ZRH on LX was incompatible with Aeroplan's opaque routing rules. However, since I had the agent try booking ZRH > YYZ on Tap connecting in Lisbon and everything checked out.

-RooFlyer88

allbrosca

Thanks. I may try to call in later today if I have time. There only appears to be space on one UA flight on that day, Y or J, and it's at 6 am. My back up routing is YYZ-EWR-ADD-JNB-CPT. I would prefer EY over ET. The way home looks easier. I found CPT-ADD-YYZ, so I will experience ET on that route.

kalderlake

When I call I say:

"I have a series of flights I'd like to book and was hoping you could enter them into the system and see if they work."

If the answer is "that's not how it works", I HUCA, politely. (Though that has not happened the last few times I've called.)

If yes, I say eg. "it's for one person, me, and I'm flying in J. The first flight is from YVR to IST on April 1st, 2023".

Provide the list of flights and dates, then let them see what the computer comes up with for choices, and if they need prompting on the exact flight(s) you want, tell them eg "TK 76 @" whatever the departure time is.

The better prepared you are, the better it goes, in my experience.

allbrosca

Thanks!

allbrosca

To update, I was able to book this:
YYZ- IAD (AC or UA) IAD-AUH (EY) AUH-JNB (EY) JNB-CPT (SA)
CPT-ADD (ET) ADD-YYZ (ET)
I got a very helpful agent who inputted everything one flight at a time starting with the AC flight to IAD. When we were done it came out to 131,356 points and $194.71 in fees and taxes using my last priority reward, I asked if he would sub out the AC flight for a UA one and it went down to 100,000 points, but I now have a 13 hour layover instead of a 4 hour layover,

If room on a better UA flight opens up can I switch or will it reprice? I'm sure it would if it was an AC flight,

canadiancow

If there's no AC, what is there to reprice?

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

After 1 september, would it increase to the new award pricing, if applicable?

canadiancow

Oh, yes, definitely.

LHR/MEL/Europe FF

edited: resolved!

Edited version of original post… a non-FFer friend of mine booked an itinerary with a stopover but was charged two separate awards.

Called back and the next agent repriced the ticket to include a stopover.

Hats off to Aeroplan. My friend said the agents couldn’t have been nicer, the second agent even waited in line to make sure the points had been refunded!