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 programs 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]
Aug 28, 2014, 1:55 pm
#1862
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
Aug 29, 2014, 7:13 am
#1864
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
Aug 29, 2014, 11:33 am
#1865
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: A3 *S
Posts: 87
I have the following booked with USDM miles
JFK->TXL (AirBerlin, Economy)
TXL->MXP (AirBerlin, Economy
MXP->HKG (Cathay Pacific, Business)
HKG->JFK (Cathay Pacific, First)
I paid 120,000 USDM miles as one of the segments was in First.
At the time, the MXP->HKG segment did not have F availability, but now a seat has opened up close to departure.
I understand that since I paid F award prices, I should be able to call US Airways to try to get switched into the available F seat for the usual $150 change fee.
However, when I called, the agent said she was unable to upgrade me on OneWorld partner flights. She would have to redeposit the award for $150, plus charge me $50 to rebook it on a brand new itinerary. But of course the HKG->JFK flight no longer has F availability (as I am holding one of them.)
Is this normal? Should she be able to switch me from J to F on my old ticket without cancelling and re-booking the entire itinerary?
From what I have read in FlyerTalk it should be possible, but I have only seen references to people doing this when US was *A, I haven't seen any talk of it since US joined OneWorld.
JFK->TXL (AirBerlin, Economy)
TXL->MXP (AirBerlin, Economy
MXP->HKG (Cathay Pacific, Business)
HKG->JFK (Cathay Pacific, First)
I paid 120,000 USDM miles as one of the segments was in First.
At the time, the MXP->HKG segment did not have F availability, but now a seat has opened up close to departure.
I understand that since I paid F award prices, I should be able to call US Airways to try to get switched into the available F seat for the usual $150 change fee.
However, when I called, the agent said she was unable to upgrade me on OneWorld partner flights. She would have to redeposit the award for $150, plus charge me $50 to rebook it on a brand new itinerary. But of course the HKG->JFK flight no longer has F availability (as I am holding one of them.)
Is this normal? Should she be able to switch me from J to F on my old ticket without cancelling and re-booking the entire itinerary?
From what I have read in FlyerTalk it should be possible, but I have only seen references to people doing this when US was *A, I haven't seen any talk of it since US joined OneWorld.
Aug 29, 2014, 2:50 pm
#1866
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
@ fizban
Call again, as long as you get a Rep at the phone that knows how to do it right... They can change single flight segments (if they want...)!
Call again, as long as you get a Rep at the phone that knows how to do it right... They can change single flight segments (if they want...)!
Aug 29, 2014, 8:25 pm
#1867
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,764
So I already booked and ticketed a trip for 120K miles to North Asia, when US wasn't charging YQ on BA F.
I just noticed that there is availability for QR F (as opposed to QR J on my ticket) for a segment. If I pay the $150 change fee to get the QR F segment, what is the likelihood that the agent will now assess YQ?
Thanks!
I just noticed that there is availability for QR F (as opposed to QR J on my ticket) for a segment. If I pay the $150 change fee to get the QR F segment, what is the likelihood that the agent will now assess YQ?
Thanks!
Aug 30, 2014, 5:42 am
#1868
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
So I already booked and ticketed a trip for 120K miles to North Asia, when US wasn't charging YQ on BA F.
I just noticed that there is availability for QR F (as opposed to QR J on my ticket) for a segment. If I pay the $150 change fee to get the QR F segment, what is the likelihood that the agent will now assess YQ?
Thanks!
I just noticed that there is availability for QR F (as opposed to QR J on my ticket) for a segment. If I pay the $150 change fee to get the QR F segment, what is the likelihood that the agent will now assess YQ?
Thanks!
Aug 30, 2014, 6:23 pm
#1869
Join Date: Apr 2008
Programs: QFF
Posts: 242
Does QR have blackout dates for awards? I am unable to find any availability DOH-India (all ports), even in Y post December 10. Plenty of availability till Dec 9.
Any ideas?
Any ideas?
Aug 31, 2014, 2:49 pm
#1870
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: MAD
Programs: UA, US, AA, Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt
Posts: 374
successful OW booking
First time booking a OW award with US rather than their partner airlines. Successful and surprisingly easy to book. Combo of US domestic first, US envoy and Qatar business.
Jan 2015: US ATL>PHL, US PHL>MAD, QR MAD>DOH, QR DOH>PNH
Feb 2015: QR PNH>DOH, QR DOH>MAD (stopover in Europe)
July 2015: US MAD>PHL, US PHL>ATL
120K miles and $116 in fees/taxes.
Jan 2015: US ATL>PHL, US PHL>MAD, QR MAD>DOH, QR DOH>PNH
Feb 2015: QR PNH>DOH, QR DOH>MAD (stopover in Europe)
July 2015: US MAD>PHL, US PHL>ATL
120K miles and $116 in fees/taxes.
Aug 31, 2014, 2:53 pm
#1871
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: MAD
Programs: UA, US, AA, Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt
Posts: 374
When I was working on the booking referred to in my post above, I found DOH>DEL award availability in Jan & Feb 2015 using the KVS tool and US confirmed it was available also.
Aug 31, 2014, 5:07 pm
#1872
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,461
Sep 1, 2014, 12:59 am
#1874
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,412
grrr.... 
Have an international F booking, one leg is in coach. Business class has now opened. Have called twice and both agents (one went to a supervisor) are saying they need to cancel the whole ticket and redeposit the miles if they want to change the single leg (which is 9 hours, so worth changing).
I know HUACA is recommended - unless they have recently clamped down on this?
Any tips on what I can say to avoid the cancellation? (the remaining legs have zero availability) Or do I just keep trying?
UPDATE: third agent - seems to know what they were doing. Could see the seats and changed the ticket to business class!! (yay). Asked me to go on hold to see whether I needed to be charged the $150 change fee (I was happy to pay) but came back and said 'oh, in order to reissue the tickets we will need to cancel and rebook' (cry)
While the agent had me on hold I went onto the CX system and also checkmytrip and both showed business (U) class. Back to X after the call.
Have an international F booking, one leg is in coach. Business class has now opened. Have called twice and both agents (one went to a supervisor) are saying they need to cancel the whole ticket and redeposit the miles if they want to change the single leg (which is 9 hours, so worth changing).
I know HUACA is recommended - unless they have recently clamped down on this?
Any tips on what I can say to avoid the cancellation? (the remaining legs have zero availability) Or do I just keep trying?
UPDATE: third agent - seems to know what they were doing. Could see the seats and changed the ticket to business class!! (yay). Asked me to go on hold to see whether I needed to be charged the $150 change fee (I was happy to pay) but came back and said 'oh, in order to reissue the tickets we will need to cancel and rebook' (cry)
While the agent had me on hold I went onto the CX system and also checkmytrip and both showed business (U) class. Back to X after the call.
Last edited by LHR/MEL/Europe FF; Sep 1, 2014 at 1:55 am