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 8, 2014, 3:32 pm
#2266
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,210
Are we allowed to do multiple open jaws? I can only find availability on the following flights so hence wanted to ask
DOH-MAN (surface and stop) LHR-NYC (destination) MIA-LHR-DXB
Complicated I know! But technically they are all within the same zones but this has two open jaws.
DOH-MAN (surface and stop) LHR-NYC (destination) MIA-LHR-DXB
Complicated I know! But technically they are all within the same zones but this has two open jaws.
Oct 8, 2014, 3:36 pm
#2267
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
Oct 8, 2014, 3:48 pm
#2268
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,210
Oct 8, 2014, 3:52 pm
#2269
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=DOH-LHR-JFK
BUT...MAN might be a different story:
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=DOH-MAN-JFK
Oct 8, 2014, 4:09 pm
#2270
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,210
If your proposed open jaw is LHR/NYC then no you can't, because the open jaw distance LHR-NYC is greater than the flown segment DOH-LHR:
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=DOH-LHR-JFK
BUT...MAN might be a different story:
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=DOH-MAN-JFK
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=DOH-LHR-JFK
BUT...MAN might be a different story:
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=DOH-MAN-JFK
DOH-LHR (stop) -NYC (Destination)-LHR-DXB
Oct 8, 2014, 4:23 pm
#2271
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
If you 'close' the open jaw on the return (with a flight DXB-DOH) you could always fail to board the last flight.
Oct 8, 2014, 9:31 pm
#2272
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,314
Of course it goes without saying, avoid BA flights, or you will be sticker shocked by fees.
Oct 9, 2014, 3:16 am
#2273
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Programs: BA Silver, EY Gold, HH Diamond, IHG Plat
Posts: 12,210
For another trip say if I want to start in BKK for a USA trip but finish in DEL would adding a LHR-DOH-DEL-KUL-BKK flight be valid? There is no other connection from DEL to BKK but then LHR to BKK via DEL isn't exactly direct either.
Oct 9, 2014, 8:39 am
#2274
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 11
Hello Flyertalk friends, I have a question about an open jaw routing.
Does this seem feasible?
MIA-LAX-SYD-AKL destination with open jaw
BKK-HKG-LAX-MIA
I know I need to calculate mileage limitations, but thought someone might have attempted this before. Thanks in advance for any insight!
Does this seem feasible?
MIA-LAX-SYD-AKL destination with open jaw
BKK-HKG-LAX-MIA
I know I need to calculate mileage limitations, but thought someone might have attempted this before. Thanks in advance for any insight!
Oct 9, 2014, 11:08 am
#2275
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
Hello Flyertalk friends, I have a question about an open jaw routing.
Does this seem feasible?
MIA-LAX-SYD-AKL destination with open jaw
BKK-HKG-LAX-MIA
I know I need to calculate mileage limitations, but thought someone might have attempted this before. Thanks in advance for any insight!
Does this seem feasible?
MIA-LAX-SYD-AKL destination with open jaw
BKK-HKG-LAX-MIA
I know I need to calculate mileage limitations, but thought someone might have attempted this before. Thanks in advance for any insight!
MIA-AKL / BKK-MIA > AKL-BKK (open-jaw)
Oct 9, 2014, 5:11 pm
#2276
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
Should be doable... The 5 legs on your inbound could get an issue...
Oct 10, 2014, 5:40 am
#2277
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,724
Has anyone ever seen any availability on QF9 from DXB to LHR? I was hoping for longer than 1.5 hours in the Emirates First lounge in Dubai, but no such luck finding any QF9 availability.
Oct 10, 2014, 6:21 am
#2278
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,314
Ended up booking QF1 - which actually connects nicely to TATL flights ex-LHR, - it also only has 1 seat per flight.
Oct 10, 2014, 7:47 am
#2279
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 3,724
Thanks rankourabu. Does QF1 actually stopover in DXB? I see there's a 1.5 hour layover, was hoping to try the Emirates F lounge, but that seems like an awfully short layover.
Oct 10, 2014, 8:03 am
#2280
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,314
No, QF1 has only the same 1.5hr layover. Do they even let you go to the lounge? The only way to build EK F lounge in would be to fly a different route into DXB. I built in a day in DXB into my itinerary before taking the 2:15am flight. Hopefully can get the chauffeur to pick me up as well.