hennaLisa

Need to fly ATL - HNL (stopover 2 weeks) - DPS
Will American Airlines let me do this for 35k miles per coach ticket?

HNL

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HNL is considered a North American Gateway, so it's one award from ATL to DSP

eamus

With a handle like yours I should know better than bicker, but I believe HNL is only a North American gateway to Japan. So while your statement is correct, the OP should understand that if the redemption to get to DPS goes (on JL) via NRT or HND then it should be possible to do a stopover in HNL, but if you have to go back to LAX, for example, in order to get to DPS, then HNL is not the gateway and you can't do the stopover there.

I found this out in the reverse when, last summer, we were looking for a stopover coming back from Tokyo and Honolulu was an option (albeit the agent initially told me it was not, and, in the end, we came home via New York anyway...)

HNL

You are correct.

TrojanHorse

I will say a title of "Can I get away with this" LOL will probably not be in too many of my search parameters

guv1976

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In order to have a free stopover at HNL on an ATL-DPS award, the "over-water" carrier (which might be either HA or JL) would have to publish an ATL-DPS through-fare that permits travel via HNL. I'd be surprised if a through-fare that permits routing via HNL exists, but you never know.

Note that from HNL, HA flies to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan. To get to DPS from those places on an AA partner, one would have to further connect in HKG, KUL, or SIN.

jridge

It is also a gateway for South Pacific. For example, I've done SYD-HNL-DFW with stopover in HNL repeatedly including a few months ago.

hennaLisa

Thank you for the thoughts.

Is HA a partner with AA?

Any suggestions for where to look for a published fare for JAL or American Airlines - I'll try their websites and see what comes up.

If I call up AA and ask the reservations line, is there a chance they would just do it for me?

I have two young kids (2 and 5) who can't swallow the whole journey across the pacific in one gulp. I really hope we can stop mid-way!

guv1976

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"Is HA a partner with AA?"

Yes.

Just call AA. If there is a published through-fare from ATL to DPS that allows routing via HNL, then the award should permit the stopover. But prepare to be disappointed.

DeltaFlyingProf

JL publishes ATL-DPS as a MPM based fare with MPM of 12,390. BUT JL does not fly to DPS from Tokyo it seems. So a connection would be necessary. I am not sure this is worth it. Multiplying connections with children 2 and 5 is worse than a single long flight if you ask me.

PS: ITA always seems to split the fare in HNL. Not sure why, so if AA can't get their computer to price such a routing the OP may be out of luck anyway, or he'll have to pay with more miles

hennaLisa

I really appreciate all the helpful thoughts. I called AA and the woman was very helpful. She tried one route (stopping in Honolulu for two weeks, and then connecting in Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur before arriving in Bali). The system broke it into two flights, costing more miles than we have. She couldn't tell why, but thought it might have come up to too many MPMs. She was able to get us to Fukuoka Japan with a two week stopover in Hawaii... but that is not what we were hoping for.

DeltaFlyingProf - Thank you for your insights! How did you find the published fare? We would prefer a couple of weeks to adjust in Hawaii before continuing on even if it means more stops. Our son has sensory processing difficulties which make sleep really hard for him and it would just be really nice to stop midway and adjust a bit before crossing more time zones. Plus, we've never been there and would enjoy it. Can you tell me what "ITA" means?

bbmatt

you can't use HA as it is not oneworld. Since OP must use other oneworld carriers to get to bali, HA is not possible. As HNL mentioned, NRT/HND must be the overwater leg...

I would try HNL to NRT/HND then to HKG/KUL then to DPS via CX or MH.

Also, I know Qatar has a bali route from Singapore now, so if that's available you can fly to SIN via NRT/HND as well.

another option is to fly to just fly to a LCC hub like KUL/SIN/MNL and take air air asia/tiger/cebu or the like to DPS.

the BA site works wonders for building these itineraries, if you search each leg you need one by one!

report back on if these works! i love putting these puzzles together =) just came ack from a HNL-LAX-NRT-HKG-RGN with a stopover in LA =)

guv1976

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"you can't use HA as it is not oneworld."

HA is one of AA's many non-oneworld partners. There is no prohibition against mixing oneworld and non-oneworld carriers on AA's "oneworld and Other Airlines" awards. But whether HA has a published through-fare from ATL to DPS is another story.

DeltaFlyingProf

Finding the fare can be done with a subscription to expertflyer.com or KVS (there are threads about both on flyertalk).
As for ITA, it is at matrix.itasoftware.com and when used with detailed routing options can be used to price complex routing. Looking at the details it gives will show you if a single fare or several fares are combined.

I was able to get a single fare by asking for a return. However you need to take a JL coded flight operated by CX from HKG and that's not possible on an award.

An alternative you might consider is to fly to Jakarta. JL does fly there on their own metal and from there a ticket to DPS is not very expensive. Do build some time for the connection in case of mishap, or make sure the CGK-DPS can be changed at little or no cost.

DeltaFlyingProf

You are correct, AA will allow to mix HA with other carriers. However HA does not publish a fare between ATL and DPS.