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]
Sep 11, 2014, 1:02 am
#2026
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: BA Gold, AA Platinum, SQ Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,582
I have a reservation for which I was trying to get NRT - BOS for Aug. I huaca and called up 5 times and none of the agent was able to find any availability on JL flights while I was able to see availability on both qantas and BA.
Sep 11, 2014, 3:04 am
#2027
Join Date: Dec 2013
Posts: 259
Were you able to book your reservation via JAL?
Sep 11, 2014, 4:30 am
#2028
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
Hi,
Does US still allow you to make voluntary changes to unaffected segments when there's a schedule change? I booked a ticket a few weeks ago, was supposed to be in C but some segments weren't available so had to fly F and paid the F price.
At the time I thought i'm paying the extra miles, lets avoid BA so I don't have to pay extra YQ too. But now i'm thinking that to save myself $250 I chose AA F out of LHR instead of BA F?!? It'll probably be the only chance I ever get to fly BA F! I've got plenty of time before the flight and was thinking if there was a schedule change in the future sometime that I actually had to call them and 'confirm', would they let me change the AA flight to the BA flight without the $150 change? Timing-wise the 2 flights are within an hour of each other.
Does US still allow you to make voluntary changes to unaffected segments when there's a schedule change? I booked a ticket a few weeks ago, was supposed to be in C but some segments weren't available so had to fly F and paid the F price.
At the time I thought i'm paying the extra miles, lets avoid BA so I don't have to pay extra YQ too. But now i'm thinking that to save myself $250 I chose AA F out of LHR instead of BA F?!? It'll probably be the only chance I ever get to fly BA F! I've got plenty of time before the flight and was thinking if there was a schedule change in the future sometime that I actually had to call them and 'confirm', would they let me change the AA flight to the BA flight without the $150 change? Timing-wise the 2 flights are within an hour of each other.
If there is a schedule change on this particular AA flight, I suppose its doable. If you have a schedule change in your itinerary on a different flight and then want to also cange the AA to BA flight, I doubt they do it free of charge because they have to add the BA-YQ... Could work perfectly, try it out! But it really depends what rep you've got on the phone... If you got a super good one, he/she changes you the flights even without charging the BA-YQ
USDM, YMMV!
Sep 11, 2014, 5:44 am
#2029
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: SYD
Posts: 2,903
So you want to change LHR-USA from AA/F to BA/F?
If there is a schedule change on this particular AA flight, I suppose its doable. If you have a schedule change in your itinerary on a different flight and then want to also cange the AA to BA flight, I doubt they do it free of charge because they have to add the BA-YQ... Could work perfectly, try it out! But it really depends what rep you've got on the phone... If you got a super good one, he/she changes you the flights even without charging the BA-YQ USDM, YMMV!
If there is a schedule change on this particular AA flight, I suppose its doable. If you have a schedule change in your itinerary on a different flight and then want to also cange the AA to BA flight, I doubt they do it free of charge because they have to add the BA-YQ... Could work perfectly, try it out! But it really depends what rep you've got on the phone... If you got a super good one, he/she changes you the flights even without charging the BA-YQ
USDM, YMMV!
goodo
Sep 11, 2014, 5:55 am
#2030
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
Good call - forgot about IB charging YQ (which was why I was avoiding BA). Going via GRU sounds like a good option then, thanks! What is JJ?
Sep 11, 2014, 6:20 am
#2031
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
Sep 11, 2014, 7:58 am
#2032
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: BA Gold, AA Platinum, SQ Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,582
All the agents tried to find availability (even in a new screen) but couldn't find any. I wanted HKG-NRT/HND (CX) and NRT-BOS (JL) but I had to do HKG-JFK (CX) and JFK-BOS (US shuttle).
Sep 11, 2014, 1:49 pm
#2033
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,066
Rang US Airways to check for CGK-BOM/DEL-CGK availability for mid-April 2015. Rep said that nothing is available for the whole month of April 2015 because MAS don't usually release award seats till 60 days prior to departure date. Is this true?
Are there partner airlines' websites that you would recommend for checking CGK-India flight availability?
I typically redeem for Y when available; however, I'm might go for J on this return trip as it only costs 5k more than Y. But I'm willing to redeem my miles for any class I can get hold of if options are limited.
Are there partner airlines' websites that you would recommend for checking CGK-India flight availability?
I typically redeem for Y when available; however, I'm might go for J on this return trip as it only costs 5k more than Y. But I'm willing to redeem my miles for any class I can get hold of if options are limited.
Sep 11, 2014, 8:25 pm
#2034
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: HGP Diamond, HH Gold, BAEC, AA
Posts: 18
Anyone successfully changed class on one leg of an award recently? I've made 4 calls and get the same answer to redeposit/reticket each time, which I don't want to do to possibly lose the other leg in CX F. The last rep even sounded pretty on top of her USDM game.
I'm told that changing the flight on one leg is possible as long as it's in the same class. And that changing the class, even on the same flight, always requires redeposit/reticket.
I'm told that changing the flight on one leg is possible as long as it's in the same class. And that changing the class, even on the same flight, always requires redeposit/reticket.
Sep 11, 2014, 8:30 pm
#2035
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
Anyone successfully changed class on one leg of an award recently? I've made 4 calls and get the same answer to redeposit/reticket each time, which I don't want to do to possibly lose the other leg in CX F. The last rep even sounded pretty on top of her USDM game.
I'm told that changing the flight on one leg is possible as long as it's in the same class. And that changing the class, even on the same flight, always requires redeposit/reticket.
I'm told that changing the flight on one leg is possible as long as it's in the same class. And that changing the class, even on the same flight, always requires redeposit/reticket.
Sep 11, 2014, 8:38 pm
#2036
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: HGP Diamond, HH Gold, BAEC, AA
Posts: 18
Sep 11, 2014, 10:08 pm
#2037
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 36
Are there partner airlines' websites that you would recommend for checking CGK-India flight availability?
I typically redeem for Y when available; however, I'm might go for J on this return trip as it only costs 5k more than Y. But I'm willing to redeem my miles for any class I can get hold of if options are limited.
I typically redeem for Y when available; however, I'm might go for J on this return trip as it only costs 5k more than Y. But I'm willing to redeem my miles for any class I can get hold of if options are limited.
Sep 11, 2014, 10:43 pm
#2038
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: BOS
Programs: BA Gold, AA Platinum, SQ Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,582
It's not true that MAS releases seats only 60 days in advance. The agent may not be aware that they need to open up a new screen to check availability.
J is totally worth it when you consider the 5k increment in miles. You can search for availability segment by segment on ba.com. Check for CGK-KUL, KUL-BOM, DEL-KUL, KUL-CGK. Even though open-jaws within the same region are not allowed you'll find people often get away with it.
J is totally worth it when you consider the 5k increment in miles. You can search for availability segment by segment on ba.com. Check for CGK-KUL, KUL-BOM, DEL-KUL, KUL-CGK. Even though open-jaws within the same region are not allowed you'll find people often get away with it.
I did a couple of searches for CGK-KUL-BOM and I found a lot of award availability in both coach and J in April 2015.
I am reasonably sure you won't be able to ticket CGK-KUL-BOM/DEL-KUL-CGK as the open jaw must be in a partner hub or US destination. You will be able to hold the reservation but it will fall apart when you try to price/ticket it.
Have you tried Jet? Jet is a US airways partner and it may workout on a jet flight. That way you can take a stop over in Bom and have del as your destination.
Sep 11, 2014, 11:09 pm
#2039
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: NYC
Programs: No longer loyal "over-entitled" 1K
Posts: 3,822
It is only when you try to stop over that cause the problem.
Sep 12, 2014, 12:35 am
#2040
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 36
Unfortunately Jet only flies as far as SIN. And since they can't combine MH with 9W they'll have to either start their journey from SIN or use MH all the way.