Mar 30, 2014, 12:53 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
WIKI POST: Using US Dividend Miles for oneworld Award Flights
As further details become available, please fill in this wikipost.
As further details become available, please fill in this wikipost.
N.B. Booking opportunities for new Dividend Miles awards of all kinds ended 11:59 PM Wednesday, 25 March 2015. Please continue using this thread for trips booked or in progress through 24 March 2016.
Changes on USDM oneworld award tickets
This is the only official statement about changing issued USDM award tickets:
If I need to make changes to a Dividend Miles award reservation, which program’s rules will apply?
Minor changes such as date/time can be made provided seats are available without requiring a new award to be claimed. More substantive changes such as changes to stopovers or origin/destination may result in the need to reinstate the previously claimed Dividend Miles award, then claiming a new AAdvantage award under the existing AAdvantage program rules.
The old membership rules do 'generally' still appy to USDM tickets.
For awards ticketed / reticketed on 001- ticket stock, go to the AA Refunds site with your ticket number at hand (unsure if it works with 037- stock at this time)to:
- Print a receipt with ticket number (instead of Request a refund)
- See total fees, taxes, etc. attached to your ticket
- See applicable detailed fare rules
- Request a refund (may not be useful for awards)
- Some were able to change their ticket without beeing charged the USD 150.- changing fee.
- No chance to change a ticket after the first flight segment has been flown.
- ...
Old stuff
oneworld member airlines - airberlin, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, LAN, Malaysia Airlines, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, S7 Airlines (Sibir), SriLankan Airlines, TAM Airlines, US Airways and their affiliates.
Award Chart for oneworld awards using US Dividend Miles:
http://shopping.usairways.com/en-US/...wardtravel.pdf
You can use the American Airlines, British Airways, JAL, or Qantas sites to search for oneworld award inventory. AA and QF also allows you to search for award inventory using a handy 30 day calendar view. However, availability on the calendar is dependent on site coverage (e.g. QF does not include JL or MH, AA does not include CX and others). Also, the calendar view may not be completely accurate on all partners, so use it as a guide but do not rely on it fully.
One of the easiest ways to search for oneworld availability is through the use of an outside tool such as Award Nexus, ExpertFlyer, KVS Tool, or The Wandering Aramean oneworld Search.
Award Nexus has a free community membership for flyertalk members, and award email alert with premium membership. ExpertFlyer has email alerts and direct GDS access to select oneworld award inventories, such as AA, QF, and US. ExpertFlyer can also search J class certificate upgrade inventory. With KVS Tool, you can search QF, BA, JL and CX's search engines, in addition to other alliances, on your PC (Mac / Linux with CrossOver). You can also set up an alert via The Wandering Aramean oneworld Search. This tool will automatically search on QF for your alert once per day with a free account and four times per day with a paid account.
N.B. With all of the above tools, it is best to search one segment at a time. Most oneworld search engines have difficulty marrying segments.
For route searching with itinerary information, use the interactive oneworld map and timetable.
For searching Intra-North America availability, the best tool is AA.com. Unlike the other oneworld engines, AA is pretty good at marrying segments, so you can search origin to destination.
Regarding availability, the strategy that has been most effective for people looking to book award travel on oneworld is to start searching right at 330 days prior to departure. This is generally when availability is at its best. After that, availability tends to be sporadic until starting 8 weeks prior to departure where some airlines open up availability, and will vary all the way up until the day of departure.
If you're having trouble finding availability, it may be best to look at alternate airports (JL, for example, serves SAN, YVR, and BOS, in addition to the larger markets of SFO, LAX, YYZ, ORD, and JFK).
(N.B. Although US was not adding fuel surcharges to awards, there are reports that they have started doing this for awards containing BA flights.) With the exception of BA & IB, no oneworld carriers require you to pay a fuel surcharge for awards. With BA, be aware that you may have to pay both a fuel surcharge as well as the UK Air Passenger Duty departure tax for intercontinental J and F flights out of UK. These fees vary with class of service and length of flight and are determined by BA; the Air Passenger Duty (see specific thread) is due for all UK departures not under 24 hour connecting flights. APD applies to coach tickets, too, but at a reduced rate. The fuel /YQ surcharge with IB is generally considered minimal.
Known Problems / Workaround:
- Dep 00:00AM : Some agents have difficulty finding flights leaving between midnight and 2 AM. This is because the US systems show it leaving the day before. If the agent cannot find it, please ask to look at the day before. > source <
- LA : Flights put on hold will be cancelled after 24h. Workaround: Issue the ticket immediately. > source <
- JL : US Rep cannot find available seats. Workaround: "Always have to remind Rep to open JL reservations on a new screen". > source <
- MH : US Rep cannot find awards in First Class. Workaround: First class needs to be booked in P-cl instead of Z-cl (as on most other OW carriers). > source < booking classes: > KVS <
- All : If you are booking outbound flights at the US Air 335 day window US Air will often allow you to put your reservation on a longer than 3 day hold to capture the return seats once they open up at T+335. There is a report of this for 30 days here, and FT user beofotch was successful in getting a 13 day hold here. Workaround: Huaca until you get an agent who is competent enough to do this. It may help to act naive and ask for your return flight on your preferred date even if it is after T+335 days. Once they get an error from the computer may be a good time to bring it up.
- ...
Fixed Problems:
- CX : US Rep cannot find seats on flight CX 645 HKG-DOH. Workaround: none so far, search for different routing/carrier (CMB/DXB/...?)... > source < > fixed <
> fixed < - CX : US Rep cannot find seats on flight CX 640 DOH-HKG. They admit, the flight exists, but are unable to book <source>. Workaround: none so far, search for different routing/carrier
> fixed < - BA/Comair : US rep could not see / or unable to book intra-South Africa flights in BA flight number operated by Comair despite AA treats Comair a full fledged oneworld member under BA, in the same context as KA under CX. Only one reported success booking - poster reported agent had trouble at first but on consulting a supervisor was told "where to look"; the agent did not give any further information. Most everyone else reported unable to book Comair flights.
> fixed < - IB : Flights will be cancelled after ticket issued. Workaround: None yet... > source <
> fixed <
LUS: USDM oneworld Award Bookings - (Closed to new bookings) [Master FAQ and Help]
Jul 23, 2014, 12:27 pm
#1501
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,625
If you set youself up a BA Executive Club account, you can check availability there and then phone US to book
Jul 23, 2014, 12:28 pm
#1502
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
Call Reservations
- You can also call Reservations at 800-428-4322. You'll be charged a non-refundable service fee of $30 per person for travel within the U.S. and Canada and $40 for international travel.
- Travel on partner airlines must be booked through Reservations (no service fee).
- ...
Jul 23, 2014, 2:14 pm
#1503
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Wine Country, Finger Lakes
Programs: LFFRS BOD
Posts: 1,355
So that's the only 2 ways to see award availability then..? call or become a BA club member?
The flights are on Finnair and Airberlin
thanks hopefully I can see what I am looking for .
ETA: how do I see award travel on this British Airways site using USair miles?
I don't see it.. :-(
The flights are on Finnair and Airberlin
thanks hopefully I can see what I am looking for .
ETA: how do I see award travel on this British Airways site using USair miles?
I don't see it.. :-(
Last edited by duranza; Jul 23, 2014 at 2:43 pm
Jul 23, 2014, 3:45 pm
#1504
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
So that's the only 2 ways to see award availability then..? call or become a BA club member?
The flights are on Finnair and Airberlin
thanks hopefully I can see what I am looking for .
ETA: how do I see award travel on this British Airways site using USair miles?
I don't see it.. :-(
The flights are on Finnair and Airberlin
thanks hopefully I can see what I am looking for .
ETA: how do I see award travel on this British Airways site using USair miles?
I don't see it.. :-(
The BA site is for you to check AWARD SEATS AVAILABILITY, NOT for you to do booking. Once you find availabilities that can work for you, CALL USDM to give the agent the EXACT date, city pair, Carrier and flight number, so the agent can immediately know where to look. This is a much better way then calling without any idea what is out there.
First, you need to get yourself a BAEC FF account. It is free and it allows you to do award seat search even you do not have a single Avio in it. (Avio is BA's name for "mile")
Second, go to the Executive Club tab, and choose the area Spending Avio / Book Flight with Avio.
Third, you then see the screen shows up with area for you to input your desired itinerary.
BA site is not very user friendly - if your itinerary requires more than one connection to get to destination, BA site may return error or not available. The best way to search is to use City Pair.
For example, if the itinerary is JFK-TXL-HEL, then you would search JFK-TXL as one search, and then use TXL-HEL as another search.
Yes, it is a lot of work but that is the way it is. If you want to find the award seat, you would be the ONLY one who would put in the time and effort to find availability, then relying on phone agent to search up and down for you.
Good Luck.
Jul 23, 2014, 4:29 pm
#1505
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Wine Country, Finger Lakes
Programs: LFFRS BOD
Posts: 1,355
thanks Happy, your detailed steps help.. and yes I joined the BA and still didn't see award availability before your post. I am only looking not planning to book as I had stated.. back to looking thanks a bunch.
ETA Sorry
Unfortunately our systems are not responding, so we are unable to process your request at the moment.
We apologise for this inconvenience and suggest you try again later.
ETA Sorry
Unfortunately our systems are not responding, so we are unable to process your request at the moment.
We apologise for this inconvenience and suggest you try again later.
Last edited by duranza; Jul 23, 2014 at 4:39 pm
Jul 23, 2014, 5:13 pm
#1506
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
thanks Happy, your detailed steps help.. and yes I joined the BA and still didn't see award availability before your post. I am only looking not planning to book as I had stated.. back to looking thanks a bunch.
ETA Sorry
Unfortunately our systems are not responding, so we are unable to process your request at the moment.
We apologise for this inconvenience and suggest you try again later.
ETA Sorry
Unfortunately our systems are not responding, so we are unable to process your request at the moment.
We apologise for this inconvenience and suggest you try again later.
Again, BA site is NOT user friendly. You would need to feel your way around. We can only provide this much help to you, the rest is up to you to learn the site hands-on.
Jul 24, 2014, 9:38 am
#1507
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Oakland, CA
Posts: 1,231
JL has changed their SFO-HND flight next year. I was originally on:
SFO-HND 7:10pm arrive 10:20pm +1
HND-SGN 1:25am - 5:15 am (depart 3 hours after arrival into HND)
Now their SFO-HND flight is 1:50am - 5:00am, which is past the once daily HND-SGN departure. Am I stuck waiting nearly a day in Tokyo (I know it's a good layover but I've already been)?
I'd be open to connect through HKG on CX but there are no open seats. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.
SFO-HND 7:10pm arrive 10:20pm +1
HND-SGN 1:25am - 5:15 am (depart 3 hours after arrival into HND)
Now their SFO-HND flight is 1:50am - 5:00am, which is past the once daily HND-SGN departure. Am I stuck waiting nearly a day in Tokyo (I know it's a good layover but I've already been)?
I'd be open to connect through HKG on CX but there are no open seats. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.
Jul 24, 2014, 12:11 pm
#1508
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
JL has changed their SFO-HND flight next year. I was originally on:
SFO-HND 7:10pm arrive 10:20pm +1
HND-SGN 1:25am - 5:15 am (depart 3 hours after arrival into HND)
Now their SFO-HND flight is 1:50am - 5:00am, which is past the once daily HND-SGN departure. Am I stuck waiting nearly a day in Tokyo (I know it's a good layover but I've already been)?
I'd be open to connect through HKG on CX but there are no open seats. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.
SFO-HND 7:10pm arrive 10:20pm +1
HND-SGN 1:25am - 5:15 am (depart 3 hours after arrival into HND)
Now their SFO-HND flight is 1:50am - 5:00am, which is past the once daily HND-SGN departure. Am I stuck waiting nearly a day in Tokyo (I know it's a good layover but I've already been)?
I'd be open to connect through HKG on CX but there are no open seats. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.
US may or may not be able to reroute you by departing from other gateways that have seats but that might not be what you want. I dont think you are hoping US would put you on a revenue seat.
There are at least 2 premises a rebooking must meet among other things:
1) Available award seats.
2) Acceptable rerouting to both you and US.
Yes, you are stuck until eventually there are SFO-HKG-SGN available if this is what you want. Or you can try search other routes and see if US could accommodate when other routes have award seats.
Jul 26, 2014, 2:54 am
#1509
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA,AA,Marriott Platinum
Posts: 329
Adding changing segment to already ticketed award
I have an already ticketed ORD-STL-MIA-GIG-MIA-CLT-ORD award in business class.
I know whatever I do I have to pay $150 to change anything, but I just want to be absolutely sure that if I make a change I will not lose the MIA-GIG-MIA segments.
For instance:
- Can I change the ORD-STL-MIA segment to ORD-MIA?
- Can I add a segment in economy (even though my award is business) and make my award with a stopover? Something likne ORD-STL-MIA-GIG(STOP)-EZE(DESTINATION)-GIG-MIA-CLT-ORD?
Again, I do NOT want to lose the existing award segments as that availability will not be there by then.
I know whatever I do I have to pay $150 to change anything, but I just want to be absolutely sure that if I make a change I will not lose the MIA-GIG-MIA segments.
For instance:
- Can I change the ORD-STL-MIA segment to ORD-MIA?
- Can I add a segment in economy (even though my award is business) and make my award with a stopover? Something likne ORD-STL-MIA-GIG(STOP)-EZE(DESTINATION)-GIG-MIA-CLT-ORD?
Again, I do NOT want to lose the existing award segments as that availability will not be there by then.
Jul 26, 2014, 3:35 am
#1510
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
Stopovers must be included in the reservation when you book. You may not add a stopover once an award has been ticketed.
Jul 26, 2014, 3:53 am
#1511
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA,AA,Marriott Platinum
Posts: 329
Thanks I got it! but at least I assume that I could add a segment to it and make it an open-jaw?
Would this be legal or open-jaw is considered to be stopover too?
Original ORD-MIA-GIG-MIA-ORD
Change ORD-MIA-GIG-EZE, GIG-MIA-ORD
Would this be legal or open-jaw is considered to be stopover too?
Original ORD-MIA-GIG-MIA-ORD
Change ORD-MIA-GIG-EZE, GIG-MIA-ORD
Jul 26, 2014, 5:46 am
#1512
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
The tricky part for you is, to find a capable agent to change the flight segments. A lot of them want to cancel the whole booking what the have NOT to do. If you get such an agent at the phone polietly hang up the phone and call again... They can definitely change flight segments in an existing booking and afterwards they just have to cancel the old ticket and issue a new one.
Jul 26, 2014, 6:00 am
#1513
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: UA,AA,Marriott Platinum
Posts: 329
Both changes are possible. The quote from the membership guide that a stopover cannot be added refers to a modification of the ticket. In such a case the ticket needs to be recalculated and reissued. But as both 'changes' cost you USD150.- per ticket that does not matter for you!
The tricky part for you is, to find a capable agent to change the flight segments. A lot of them want to cancel the whole booking what the have NOT to do. If you get such an agent at the phone polietly hang up the phone and call again... They can definitely change flight segments in an existing booking and afterwards they just have to cancel the old ticket and issue a new one.
The tricky part for you is, to find a capable agent to change the flight segments. A lot of them want to cancel the whole booking what the have NOT to do. If you get such an agent at the phone polietly hang up the phone and call again... They can definitely change flight segments in an existing booking and afterwards they just have to cancel the old ticket and issue a new one.
I guess the really tricky part is just to make sure that when this change happens they really keep the long segments (MIA-GIG)...
Has anyone actually done this with US Airways?
Jul 26, 2014, 10:03 am
#1514
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Wine Country, Finger Lakes
Programs: LFFRS BOD
Posts: 1,355
thanks Happy, your detailed steps help.. and yes I joined the BA and still didn't see award availability before your post. I am only looking not planning to book as I had stated.. back to looking thanks a bunch.
ETA Sorry
Unfortunately our systems are not responding, so we are unable to process your request at the moment.
We apologise for this inconvenience and suggest you try again later.
ETA Sorry
Unfortunately our systems are not responding, so we are unable to process your request at the moment.
We apologise for this inconvenience and suggest you try again later.
