aschuett

Thanks to this thread, I'm planning a six week trip with my wife, and meeting several others within our family on the way. But of course I have a question that seems to not be covered - or if it is my searching didn't turn it up.

Because the routes I am taking seem to be busy, I'm wondering if it may be wise to use the 5 day hold on this award type to my advantage. I just want to verify that I can construct and hold a trip with a purposely wrong date on the last flight, then change the date of that last flight on the 4th or 5th day of the hold to a date that is then 330 days out? That would help by locking in my award space on those other 10 or so segments a few days earlier, right?

ckpeter

Yes, assuming all your segments together form a valid explorer award, you can certainly hold them for 5 days with the intention to later change the date of the last segment when award space opens up at 330 days out. You can even repeatedly hold and renew the hold to get multiple 5-day holds, but there is a risk that each time you renew the hold, the award space may not be there to renew.

aschuett

Super, thanks!

Austinrunner

Doing that consumes award seats that may not ever be made available to other customers. Many of us believe that is not a fair practice.

aschuett

I certainly don't want that - I'm not here to take advantage of anything in that regard. To clarify, changing the held (not booked/reserved) seat from 325 days out to 330 days out would consume the 325 day out seat for good, and it would no longer be available even after I switched to the 330 day out flight? Thanks

azgirlnnyc

Booked/ticketed my flight - finally. Was pleasantly surprised that there was an open reward seat on every flight, which I'm still amazed at. Taxes seemed a bit high, relative to some of the threads I've read, but went through them with the agent and their were just a ton of little charges here/there - nothing stood out. So, I leave today for London, and will start my RTW itinerary from there in August. So excited! Thanks to Austinrunner for his comments/advice. I think i spent 5-6 hours on the phone with AA, but it would've been many many frustrating hours longer if I hadn't read up on this site.

LHR-NYC-SFO-NYC-MAD-AMM-DXB-JNB-HKG-SGN-HKG-MEL-SYD-BKK-NRT-CDG-LHR

Business class - $750 in taxes

Thanks again. Happy traveling

DFW25FLY

I just ticketed two Business Class Explorer Awards for December the first half of December. It took about 4-5 hours of researching on ExpertFlyer and about 30 minutes on the phone with an AAgent. Our Awards came in at Zone 7 (24,511 miles total) so it was 150,000 miles a piece and $155.00 in taxes for each ticket. I feel like I got a good deal, especially considering it's peak time in Australia!

Itinerary:

1) DFW-ORD in AA F (2 nights in ORD to enjoy the Michigan Avenue Christmas lights. Plus my significant other has never been.)
2) ORD-NRT in JAL Business (5 hour layover.)
3) NRT-SYD in Business on the Upper Deck of the QF 747 (8 full days and 8 nights in Sydney.)
4) SYD-PVG in QF Business (3.5 hour layover in PVG.)
5) PVG-LAX in AA Business (2 hour layover.)
6) LAX-DFW in AA F

Austinrunner

Congrats!

Will you have an open jaw between DXB and JNB?

A lot of those "taxes" are the UK air passenger duty (for originating in LHR). Are you using BA anywhere in your itinerary?

Austinrunner

Essentially, you are doing the equivalent of 4 "oneworld and other airline" one way awards:
(1) DFW -> ORD (AA in F) -> NRT (JL in J) (50K AA miles)
(2) NRT -> SYD (QF in J) (45K AA miles)
(3) SYD -> PVG (QF in J) (35K AA miles)
(4) PVG -> LAX (AA in J) -> DFW (AA in F) (55K AA miles)

So, had you booked these flights as "oneworld and other airline" awards, you would have paid 185K AA miles. Congrats!

Austinrunner

The award seat you release is unlikely to go back into award inventory instantaneously. Whether it ever does depends on a fresh review of the flight by operating airline analysts to determine whether the airline would be better off selling the seat for money. The frequent bottom line is that the award seat is gone for good.

azgirlnnyc

Yep - open jaw from DXB - JNB. South African Air has a direct flight I can use United Miles for. I looked into going to Nairobi, but I would have had to burn 2 segments and wanted to use them elsewhere. The only BA leg is the last one CDG-LHR, and the agent said the taxes were low. I asked her if there were any anomalies, but she said there were just several 20-30E charges, and multiplying for 16 legs added up. I changed the itinerary so many times, it was the best gateway to start/end the trip. Would have been nice to pay lower taxes, but really wanted to be ticketed before leaving the US. Thanks again for your help!

Happy

Somehow I got the suspicion of CX's YQ or YR got charged in the itinerary because of what we learned from the other thread when AA IT system priced the award wrongly by adding the fuel surcharge on airlines that AA currently dont charge. (even including AA's own flights!)

Knowing the $ amount of the taxes / fees not going to help verify the accuracy of charges, you would need to know the codes of the charges. Any YR / YQ if not on BA/IB flight would be wrongfully charged.

Austinrunner

I suspected you were overcharged. But you were not:

United Kingdom Air Passengers Duty (GB) $203.70
United Kingdom Passenger Service Charge (UB) $54.00
USDA APHIS Fee (XA) $5.00
US Immigration Fee (XY) $7.00
US Customs Fee (YC) $5.50
US International Arrival Tax (US) $16.70
US September 11th Security Fee (AY) $5.00
US Passenger Facility Charge (XF) $9.00
US International Departure Tax (US) $16.70
US September 11th Security Fee (AY) $2.50
US Passenger Facility Charge (XF) $4.50
Spanish Airport Services Charge (JD) $13.80
Spanish Security Tax (QV) $2.80
Jordan Embarkation Tax (HQ) $42.30
Jordan Passenger Terminal Use Fee (NH) $8.40
South Africa Passenger Service Charge (ZA) $38.50
South Africa Air Passenger Tax (WC) $22.90
South Africa Passenger Safety Charge (EV) $1.90
South Africa Passenger Services and Security Charge (UM) $2.40
Hong Kong Departure Tax (HK) $15.50
Vietnamese Passenger Service Charge (International) (JC) $18.00
Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) $14.40
Australian Domestic Passenger Service Charge (QR) $3.50
Australian Domestic Passenger Service Charge (QR) $3.60
Australian Safety & Security Surcharge (WG) $5.60
Australian Passenger Movement Charge (AU) $47.60
Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) $26.20
Thailand Passenger Service Charge (TS) $22.30
Japan International Passenger Facility Charge (SW) $25.80
Passenger Security Service Charge (OI) $6.30
British Airways Fuel Surcharge (YQ) $40.20
French Aviation Civile Tax (FR) $5.30
French International Passenger Service Charge (QX) $15.80
French Airport Tax (FR) $16.00
French Air Passenger Solidarity Tax (IZ) $12.60
TOTAL: $741.30

From high to low:
United Kingdom Air Passengers Duty (GB) $203.70
United Kingdom Passenger Service Charge (UB) $54.00
Australian Passenger Movement Charge (AU) $47.60
Jordan Embarkation Tax (HQ) $42.30
* British Airways Fuel Surcharge (YQ) $40.20
South Africa Passenger Service Charge (ZA) $38.50
Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) $26.20
Japan International Passenger Facility Charge (SW) $25.80
South Africa Air Passenger Tax (WC) $22.90
Thailand Passenger Service Charge (TS) $22.30
Vietnamese Passenger Service Charge (International) (JC) $18.00
* US International Arrival Tax (US) $16.70
* US International Departure Tax (US) $16.70
French Airport Tax (FR) $16.00
French International Passenger Service Charge (QX) $15.80
Hong Kong Departure Tax (HK) $15.50
Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) $14.40
Spanish Airport Services Charge (JD) $13.80
French Air Passenger Solidarity Tax (IZ) $12.60
* US Passenger Facility Charge (XF) $9.00
Jordan Passenger Terminal Use Fee (NH) $8.40
US Immigration Fee (XY) $7.00
Passenger Security Service Charge (OI) $6.30
Australian Safety & Security Surcharge (WG) $5.60
US Customs Fee (YC) $5.50
French Aviation Civile Tax (FR) $5.30
USDA APHIS Fee (XA) $5.00
US September 11th Security Fee (AY) $5.00
* US Passenger Facility Charge (XF) $4.50
Australian Domestic Passenger Service Charge (QR) $3.60
Australian Domestic Passenger Service Charge (QR) $3.50
Spanish Security Tax (QV) $2.80
US September 11th Security Fee (AY) $2.50
South Africa Passenger Services and Security Charge (UM) $2.40
South Africa Passenger Safety Charge (EV) $1.90

* The inclusion of just one BA flight caused an increase in taxes, fees, etc. of $87.10.

Had the itinerary started and ended in CDG instead of LHR (CDG -> NYC -> SFO -> NYC -> MAD -> AMM -> DXB, JNB -> HKG -> SGN -> HKG -> MEL -> SYD -> BKK -> NRT -> CDG):
French Aviation Civile Tax (FR) $9.50
French International Passenger Service Charge (QX) $33.50
French Airport Tax (FR) $15.90
French Air Passenger Solidarity Tax (IZ) $50.00
USDA APHIS Fee (XA) $5.00
US Immigration Fee (XY) $7.00
US Customs Fee (YC) $5.50
US September 11th Security Fee (AY) $5.00
US September 11th Security Fee (AY) $2.50
Spanish Airport Services Charge (JD) $13.80
Spanish Security Tax (QV) $2.80
Jordan Embarkation Tax (HQ) $42.30
Jordan Passenger Terminal Use Fee (NH) $8.40
South Africa Passenger Service Charge (ZA) $38.50
South Africa Air Passenger Tax (WC) $22.90
South Africa Passenger Safety Charge (EV) $1.90
South Africa Passenger Services and Security Charge (UM) $2.40
Hong Kong Departure Tax (HK) $15.50
Vietnamese Passenger Service Charge (International) (JC) $18.00
Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) $14.40
Australian Domestic Passenger Service Charge (QR) $3.50
Australian Domestic Passenger Service Charge (QR) $3.60
Australian Safety & Security Surcharge (WG) $5.60
Australian Passenger Movement Charge (AU) $47.60
Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) $26.20
Thailand Passenger Service Charge (TS) $22.30
Japan International Passenger Facility Charge (SW) $25.80
Passenger Security Service Charge (OI) $6.30
TOTAL: $455.70

dcenter

Hey all, long-time lurker who after much reading and brainstorming is finally coming to the experts for help constructing an itinerary.

First question that is unclear to me is, is it possible to book an itinerary >50k miles? The first post seemed to imply that that will be the longest trip possible?

Next, below is what I have brainstormed so far. According to the oneworld online planning tool, this is a valid itinerary, but I'd welcome any suggestions to improve routing, etc.

BOS-NRT JL (stop)
HND-HKG CX (stop)
HKG-PER CX (stop)
PER-MEL QF (stop and overland xfer)
SYD-AKL LA (stop)
AKL-HKG-JNB CX (stop)
JNB-LHR-GIG BA (stop -- seems a little out of the way for that connection, and I was trying to avoid BA...)
GIG-SCL LA (stop)
SCL-EZE LA (stop)
EZE-JFK AA (stop)
JFK-LAX-HNL AA (end)

gcmap shows this itinerary as 51,786 miles.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be gladly welcomed!!

Thanks!

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

If you start in BOS, and end in HNL, then you cannot have an "overland transfer" within your award itinerary. You are entitled to a maximum of one open jaw on an Explorer award; if you start in BOS and end in HNL, that is your one open jaw.

As far as I know, 50K flown miles is the maximum permitted on an Explorer award.