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]
Oct 3, 2014, 8:09 am
#2221
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
In that case the agent is incorrect and the price should be the same at 60K miles. The transit in DOH would make no difference.
When you go to ticket it should sort itself out, but it it doesn't ask it to go to the rate desk.
Oct 3, 2014, 8:53 am
#2222
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 27
So I have a situation… for about I week I have been trying to book a ORD-NRT on JAL F award on a particular day. BA can book it, AA can book it, but every day of the week DM agents kept telling me they could not see the seat available (I called twice a day). Yesterday I finally got an agent who said she could see the seat but when she tried to book, the system would not confirm it… she said her supervisor reported the issue (not sure about this one).
What to do now? Keep playing the agent roulette? Or is this something that really does happen and DM is the only program that can’t confirm the seat? Anyone had a similar situation before?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
What to do now? Keep playing the agent roulette? Or is this something that really does happen and DM is the only program that can’t confirm the seat? Anyone had a similar situation before?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thank you.
Oct 3, 2014, 11:27 am
#2223
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
There are many reports that USDM can't see some availability on flights on different partners... So nothing new and special...
Check alternative flights !
Oct 3, 2014, 11:39 am
#2224
Join Date: Jul 2012
Programs: AA EXP, BAEC Gold, *Gold, Skyteam E+
Posts: 62
.......
Last edited by LAXR202W; Feb 3, 2016 at 3:00 pm
Oct 3, 2014, 12:38 pm
#2225
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: New York City
Posts: 801
I am on a US award ticket JFK-HKG and a BA award ticket HKG-SIN, with both legs being on CX.
I can through check from JFK-SIN, right?
I can through check from JFK-SIN, right?
Oct 3, 2014, 2:21 pm
#2226
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
Oct 3, 2014, 2:41 pm
#2227
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
I would be surprised if CX was not prepared to check bags from one CX flight to another CX flight
Oct 3, 2014, 4:32 pm
#2228
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
Oct 3, 2014, 6:40 pm
#2229
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 13
US Airways - Awards - Europe to South America via Africa?
Hello All,
I see that US Airways include South African as one of their partners.
The award travel chart tells me that I need 70K to travel from Europe to South America.
Under US Airways' award rules, can I travel from eg. London to Sao Paolo with a stopover in Joburg using South African? Is this routing accepted? The website does not give much information about acceptable routes and the telephone reservations people don't seem too sure either. I just wonder if US Air think it's too far in miles - if I go from LHR to GRU via CLT it's under 8k in distnace - LHR to GRU via JNB is more than 10K.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
I see that US Airways include South African as one of their partners.
The award travel chart tells me that I need 70K to travel from Europe to South America.
Under US Airways' award rules, can I travel from eg. London to Sao Paolo with a stopover in Joburg using South African? Is this routing accepted? The website does not give much information about acceptable routes and the telephone reservations people don't seem too sure either. I just wonder if US Air think it's too far in miles - if I go from LHR to GRU via CLT it's under 8k in distnace - LHR to GRU via JNB is more than 10K.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
Oct 4, 2014, 2:59 am
#2230
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 177
Tax
A situation where have flights with BA booked and paid the high taxes, now want to change to CX as their is availability and the taxes are lower.
I assume US will charge the US$150 change fee but the key is do they refund the difference in the taxes ???
I assume US will charge the US$150 change fee but the key is do they refund the difference in the taxes ???
Oct 4, 2014, 3:06 am
#2231
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
they will reassess the taxes and surcharges and any balance due will be refunded.
Oct 4, 2014, 9:17 am
#2233
Join Date: Feb 2001
Programs: IHG Diamond, HH Diamond, BW Diamond Select, Accor Silver, Marriott Gold
Posts: 4,228
Oct 4, 2014, 9:20 am
#2234
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
Hello All,
I see that US Airways include South African as one of their partners.
The award travel chart tells me that I need 70K to travel from Europe to South America.
Under US Airways' award rules, can I travel from eg. London to Sao Paolo with a stopover in Joburg using South African? Is this routing accepted? The website does not give much information about acceptable routes and the telephone reservations people don't seem too sure either. I just wonder if US Air think it's too far in miles - if I go from LHR to GRU via CLT it's under 8k in distnace - LHR to GRU via JNB is more than 10K.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
I see that US Airways include South African as one of their partners.
The award travel chart tells me that I need 70K to travel from Europe to South America.
Under US Airways' award rules, can I travel from eg. London to Sao Paolo with a stopover in Joburg using South African? Is this routing accepted? The website does not give much information about acceptable routes and the telephone reservations people don't seem too sure either. I just wonder if US Air think it's too far in miles - if I go from LHR to GRU via CLT it's under 8k in distnace - LHR to GRU via JNB is more than 10K.
Any ideas? Thanks in advance.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...lp-thread.html
Oct 4, 2014, 6:32 pm
#2235
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: PEK
Posts: 44
I want to book award travel in Japan Airlines next June to HND.Can I book it now?Is there something rule that only have to advance 3 months to book JL tickets before departing date?Thanks