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 15, 2014, 5:08 pm
#2296
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
Oct 15, 2014, 7:35 pm
#2297
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 76
Exactly, as far as I know, no fuel surcharges from brazil, I don´t know also, the other segment how is it going to work.
eponymous coward, what happens about the taxes is that the segment SYD-NRT was with Asiana and they've downgraded me from first to business, because they re-scheduled all intra-asia flights operations, so is it possible to cancel without the cancellation fee? Since it is impossible to keep me in a first class ticket as it was before, because they don´t exist anymore and also is with Star alliance.
I just checked my ticket again and they´ve downgraded me in the Asiana flight but ALSO in the Thai BKK-SYD flight. I really want to cancel this award and do a new one.
eponymous coward, what happens about the taxes is that the segment SYD-NRT was with Asiana and they've downgraded me from first to business, because they re-scheduled all intra-asia flights operations, so is it possible to cancel without the cancellation fee? Since it is impossible to keep me in a first class ticket as it was before, because they don´t exist anymore and also is with Star alliance.
I just checked my ticket again and they´ve downgraded me in the Asiana flight but ALSO in the Thai BKK-SYD flight. I really want to cancel this award and do a new one.
Last edited by ironfire; Oct 15, 2014 at 8:06 pm
Oct 15, 2014, 10:56 pm
#2298
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,625
Before cancelling, I would check whether US will allow the desired routing; it has got quite a lot stricter on routings now and you may find that going via Europe from Brazil to Australia is no longer allowed
Oct 16, 2014, 8:58 am
#2299
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
eponymous coward, what happens about the taxes is that the segment SYD-NRT was with Asiana and they've downgraded me from first to business, because they re-scheduled all intra-asia flights operations, so is it possible to cancel without the cancellation fee? Since it is impossible to keep me in a first class ticket as it was before, because they don´t exist anymore and also is with Star alliance.
I just checked my ticket again and they've downgraded me in the Asiana flight but ALSO in the Thai BKK-SYD flight. I really want to cancel this award and do a new one.
I just checked my ticket again and they've downgraded me in the Asiana flight but ALSO in the Thai BKK-SYD flight. I really want to cancel this award and do a new one.
What might do that is the time changes- have you accepted them previously? (That's a legitimate reason to cancel an award without a fee.) If not, that would be your way to just redeposit the award without a fee.
Oct 16, 2014, 9:56 am
#2300
Join Date: May 2012
Posts: 76
If ANY segment on your trip is in F, you get charged F rates. Equipment changes by other airlines on some but not all of your segments don't equal "I totally get a freebie cancellation" (and even then it might just be a refund of miles).
What might do that is the time changes- have you accepted them previously? (That's a legitimate reason to cancel an award without a fee.) If not, that would be your way to just redeposit the award without a fee.
What might do that is the time changes- have you accepted them previously? (That's a legitimate reason to cancel an award without a fee.) If not, that would be your way to just redeposit the award without a fee.
Eponymous, so they´ve changed 2 of my flights(downgrade) and I have to agree with that? What can I do to cancel or transfer to Oneworld, without the fees?
I still did not accepted any change, gonna call them, but the cancellation and redeposit fee will be $150 each?
thank you again
Oct 16, 2014, 11:59 am
#2301
Moderator: American AAdvantage & Marriott Bonvoy
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2002
Location: PHX
Programs: American ExPlat; Marriott/SPG Lifetime Plat; Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 8,116
Yes, in a situation like this they will cancel, redeposit your miles and refund your taxes -- all without a penalty. Then you can start over with a oneworld itinerary. Just call them.
Oct 16, 2014, 8:38 pm
#2302
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: can
Posts: 27
some one reported this :
"April 14th, 2014 at 4:50 pm
Ricardo said,
I booked Iberia J tickets with US. All fine, miled deducted, fees and taxes paid, booking looks good at Iberia.com… except that Iberia cancelled the booking after a couple of days.
Called US again, ticked reinstated. After a couple of days, bang, reservation is no longer there at Iberia.com.
Called US to reinstate. Called Iberia to reserve seats, they say the ticket is fine, until… bang. Gone again.
Reissued a new ticket with US (this time, a new ticket with a new PNR). Will see if it gets cancelled by Iberia again in a couple of days."
i told my cousin to check with his ticket, his returning from SYD-BKK-AMM-MAD-JFK, now becomes SYD-BKK-AMM-MAD, the MAD-JFK was cancelled. i am not sure if this is related to no YQ with BA and IB now...
"April 14th, 2014 at 4:50 pm
Ricardo said,
I booked Iberia J tickets with US. All fine, miled deducted, fees and taxes paid, booking looks good at Iberia.com… except that Iberia cancelled the booking after a couple of days.
Called US again, ticked reinstated. After a couple of days, bang, reservation is no longer there at Iberia.com.
Called US to reinstate. Called Iberia to reserve seats, they say the ticket is fine, until… bang. Gone again.
Reissued a new ticket with US (this time, a new ticket with a new PNR). Will see if it gets cancelled by Iberia again in a couple of days."
i told my cousin to check with his ticket, his returning from SYD-BKK-AMM-MAD-JFK, now becomes SYD-BKK-AMM-MAD, the MAD-JFK was cancelled. i am not sure if this is related to no YQ with BA and IB now...
The IB leg which was cancelled by unknown reason before now rebooked automatically...Ticket is fine now.
Does anyone notice that?
Oct 16, 2014, 8:45 pm
#2303
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: can
Posts: 27
Eponymous, so they´ve changed 2 of my flights(downgrade) and I have to agree with that? What can I do to cancel or transfer to Oneworld, without the fees?
I still did not accepted any change, gonna call them, but the cancellation and redeposit fee will be $150 each?
thank you again
I still did not accepted any change, gonna call them, but the cancellation and redeposit fee will be $150 each?
thank you again
Just call US , tell them this is unacceptable change ,you want to request to get your tax refunded & miles redeposited without a penalty.
Even you could request to get the $50 processing fee refund, i did this once before and made it~
Last edited by yan212gzcn; Oct 16, 2014 at 9:01 pm
Oct 17, 2014, 10:11 am
#2304
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: FLL
Programs: US CP, AA Plat, DL Silver, EY Gold, Kimpton IC, SPG Plat
Posts: 409
I managed to book this in about ten minutes with one of the best agents:
MIA-JFK-NRT AA F-JL Z
NRT-SYD JL Z
SYD-LAX QF P
LAX-MIA AA F
Is JL Z really first or is it business? Still waiting for tickets and pnrs to show in other systems
MIA-JFK-NRT AA F-JL Z
NRT-SYD JL Z
SYD-LAX QF P
LAX-MIA AA F
Is JL Z really first or is it business? Still waiting for tickets and pnrs to show in other systems
Oct 17, 2014, 10:36 am
#2305
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Worldwide
Posts: 12,949
Oct 17, 2014, 6:26 pm
#2306
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Home: Arlington, VA; Home airports: IAD/DCA/BWI
Programs: Active: AA, UA, DL
Posts: 4,095
Executive Summary in bold.
* BA flights within South Africa can be ticketed without special instructions and without frustration.
After months of frustration trying redeem US award miles for travel on BA flights, operated by ComAir, within South Africa, I finally succeeded this evening, 10/17/14. Multiple agents were able to see and book the flights without trouble and without question.
* How do you calculate mileage required for open-jaw awards? Help!!! Agent and rate desk way of calculating doesn't make sense!
How do you calculate the mileage required for an open jaw, specifically, originating South America going to South & Central Asia, returning to Africa? GRU-BKK-JNB
When I booked a ticket months ago, I was quoted and charged one rate. After I called back and made changes months later, even though the regions remained the same, the rate desk said that the mileage required was originally calculated incorrectly. So, in order to process the changes I wanted, the difference in mileage would've had to be charged to get the "correct" rate. But how they calculated the "correct" rate made absolutely no sense.
Method 1: (Standard practice with other airlines) Half of the sum of round-trip mileage for the outbound and inbound.
50% x (Round-Trip Mileage Between South America and South & Central Asia + Round-Trip Mileage Between Africa and South & Central Asia)
= 50% x (120k + 90k)
= 105k
Method 2: (Used when ticket was originally issued) Maximum of round-trip mileage for the outbound and round-trip mileage for the inbound
max (Round-Trip Mileage Between South America and South & Central Asia, Round-Trip Mileage Between Africa and South & Central Asia)
= max(120k, 90k)
= 120k
"Method" 3: (Used when ticket was re-issued after making changes) Whatever the rate desk said.
My guess behind the "math"
50% x (Round-Trip Mileage Between South America and South & Central Asia + Round-Trip Mileage Between Africa and South America)
= 50% x (120k + 140k)
= 130k
The rate desk person's logic didn't make any sense. She said that the calculation must use South America as the origin/termination points each way. But none of the trips (outbound or inbound) involve traveling between South America and Africa!
Because of the scare availability of the new flights I needed to add, I had to give up on doing a HUACA and decided to let the agent pull out the additional 10k miles. I figured that I could post on FT to get advice to determine whether US Airways was right or if I should call back or write US customer service for a refund in miles.
Please help!!!
* BA flights within South Africa can be ticketed without special instructions and without frustration.
After months of frustration trying redeem US award miles for travel on BA flights, operated by ComAir, within South Africa, I finally succeeded this evening, 10/17/14. Multiple agents were able to see and book the flights without trouble and without question.
* How do you calculate mileage required for open-jaw awards? Help!!! Agent and rate desk way of calculating doesn't make sense!
How do you calculate the mileage required for an open jaw, specifically, originating South America going to South & Central Asia, returning to Africa? GRU-BKK-JNB
When I booked a ticket months ago, I was quoted and charged one rate. After I called back and made changes months later, even though the regions remained the same, the rate desk said that the mileage required was originally calculated incorrectly. So, in order to process the changes I wanted, the difference in mileage would've had to be charged to get the "correct" rate. But how they calculated the "correct" rate made absolutely no sense.
Method 1: (Standard practice with other airlines) Half of the sum of round-trip mileage for the outbound and inbound.
50% x (Round-Trip Mileage Between South America and South & Central Asia + Round-Trip Mileage Between Africa and South & Central Asia)
= 50% x (120k + 90k)
= 105k
Method 2: (Used when ticket was originally issued) Maximum of round-trip mileage for the outbound and round-trip mileage for the inbound
max (Round-Trip Mileage Between South America and South & Central Asia, Round-Trip Mileage Between Africa and South & Central Asia)
= max(120k, 90k)
= 120k
"Method" 3: (Used when ticket was re-issued after making changes) Whatever the rate desk said.
My guess behind the "math"
50% x (Round-Trip Mileage Between South America and South & Central Asia + Round-Trip Mileage Between Africa and South America)
= 50% x (120k + 140k)
= 130k
The rate desk person's logic didn't make any sense. She said that the calculation must use South America as the origin/termination points each way. But none of the trips (outbound or inbound) involve traveling between South America and Africa!
Because of the scare availability of the new flights I needed to add, I had to give up on doing a HUACA and decided to let the agent pull out the additional 10k miles. I figured that I could post on FT to get advice to determine whether US Airways was right or if I should call back or write US customer service for a refund in miles.
Please help!!!
Last edited by Wiirachay; Oct 18, 2014 at 9:12 am
Oct 18, 2014, 12:42 am
#2307
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 9
I booked the following trip a month ago.
SVG-LHR-AMS-KUL-PER(destination)-KUL-LHR-SVG.
Things have changed and I'd like to change the routing to:
SVG-LHR-DOH-KUL-PER(destination?)-MEL(stopover?)-KUL-LHR-SVG.
First of all, would that routing be allowed? I arrive in PER with Malaysia Airlines, and would travel PER-MEL with Qantas.
Second, if the routing is allowed, is it "easy" to make the changes calling US Airways?
SVG-LHR, KUL-PER, KUL-LHR, LHR-SVG remains the same. Same flights.
SVG-LHR-AMS-KUL-PER(destination)-KUL-LHR-SVG.
Things have changed and I'd like to change the routing to:
SVG-LHR-DOH-KUL-PER(destination?)-MEL(stopover?)-KUL-LHR-SVG.
First of all, would that routing be allowed? I arrive in PER with Malaysia Airlines, and would travel PER-MEL with Qantas.
Second, if the routing is allowed, is it "easy" to make the changes calling US Airways?
SVG-LHR, KUL-PER, KUL-LHR, LHR-SVG remains the same. Same flights.
Oct 18, 2014, 2:00 am
#2308
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,625
I think that the problems there are that Perth is not the destination and that you are wanting to do a stopover in Perth at a point that is not a OW hub
Distance wise it should otherwise be ok
Distance wise it should otherwise be ok
Oct 18, 2014, 6:59 am
#2309
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: FLL
Programs: US CP, AA Plat, DL Silver, EY Gold, Kimpton IC, SPG Plat
Posts: 409
It's definitely First:
http://Help.KVSTool.com/#JL
http://Help.KVSTool.com/#JL
Oct 18, 2014, 7:52 am
#2310
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
* How do you calculate mileage required for open-jaw awards? Help!!! Agent and rate desk way of calculating doesn't make sense!
How do you calculate the mileage required for an open jaw, specifically, originating South America going to South & Central Asia, returning to Africa?
How do you calculate the mileage required for an open jaw, specifically, originating South America going to South & Central Asia, returning to Africa?