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 19, 2014, 8:45 am
#2326
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: FLL
Programs: US CP, AA Plat, DL Silver, EY Gold, Kimpton IC, SPG Plat
Posts: 409
Please see http://Help.KVSTool.com/#TimeOut
Any plans to integrate a date range search for awards?
Oct 19, 2014, 11:25 am
#2327
Formerly known as jlars77
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: ORD
Posts: 361
Just noticed also there's only one flight per day and three carriers flying that route direct, so with only 6 F seats it could be tough. CX is also known to open award space last minute, and blogger Lucky (onemileatatime) wrote about this recently. I personally couldn't wait until last minute...and especially with potential OWA devaluations on the horizon.
Oct 19, 2014, 2:10 pm
#2328
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Florida
Programs: US CP, MR Gold, SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat
Posts: 441
Good to know, exactly why I asked, appreciate it.
Go Gators
Edit: just realized AA's new J seats on the 767 is an option as well, anyone have experience with those?
Last edited by GNVGator; Oct 19, 2014 at 3:26 pm
Oct 19, 2014, 3:29 pm
#2329
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Worldwide
Posts: 12,949
http://Help.KVSTool.com/#PowerSearch
Oct 19, 2014, 5:53 pm
#2330
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: FLL
Programs: US CP, AA Plat, DL Silver, EY Gold, Kimpton IC, SPG Plat
Posts: 409
How I did not know about the power search button is beyond me. This is better than I expected. Thank you!
Oct 20, 2014, 6:36 am
#2331
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: PEK
Posts: 44
Booking JL award tickets with US miles,do I pay for the YQ fee?
Oct 20, 2014, 5:55 pm
#2333
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: FLL
Programs: US CP, AA Plat, DL Silver, EY Gold, Kimpton IC, SPG Plat
Posts: 409
No YQ with JL
Oct 20, 2014, 10:32 pm
#2334
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: Starwood Gold, Hilton Gold, Mariott Gold, AMEX Plat, US CP
Posts: 273
Does anyone see any problem with this being booked for 120K north asia first award (2 segments are in business...
phx-ord-nrt-hgk(Dest)- DME- (Stopover)- NRT - ORD - PHX
basically dest is hong kong with a stopover in moscow.
phx-ord-nrt-hgk(Dest)- DME- (Stopover)- NRT - ORD - PHX
basically dest is hong kong with a stopover in moscow.
Oct 20, 2014, 11:22 pm
#2335
Formerly known as jlars77
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: ORD
Posts: 361
I think this violates at least 3 rules and I don't see a way you can include Moscow in a N Asia award...but perhaps this can be worked in a different zone by a more knowledgeable FT'er.
Oct 20, 2014, 11:33 pm
#2336
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
Oct 20, 2014, 11:48 pm
#2337
Join Date: Dec 2012
Location: Phoenix, AZ
Programs: Starwood Gold, Hilton Gold, Mariott Gold, AMEX Plat, US CP
Posts: 273
Phx-jfk-waw-ath (stopover) -cdg - tpe (dest) - nrt - sjc - phx.
On a 90k north Asia award (before it went to 110k).
Both ath n dme are in europe. What am I missing? Could I go to dme first as stopover then hgk as dest?
I've seen people use hgk on here as dest n the signapore as stopover...
Oct 21, 2014, 1:52 am
#2338
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: SYD
Posts: 2,903
This past summer we did
Phx-jfk-waw-ath (stopover) -cdg - tpe (dest) - nrt - sjc - phx.
On a 90k north Asia award (before it went to 110k).
Both ath n dme are in europe. What am I missing? Could I go to dme first as stopover then hgk as dest?
I've seen people use hgk on here as dest n the signapore as stopover...
Phx-jfk-waw-ath (stopover) -cdg - tpe (dest) - nrt - sjc - phx.
On a 90k north Asia award (before it went to 110k).
Both ath n dme are in europe. What am I missing? Could I go to dme first as stopover then hgk as dest?
I've seen people use hgk on here as dest n the signapore as stopover...
North America - Europe - Asia (destination).
Now you want to do (on the inbound): Asia - Europe - Asia - North America.
With HKG being your destination, your return from HKG to PHX flies to Europe then back to Asia and then onto North America. There's no way that would be within the MPM of PHX-HKG.
goodo
Oct 21, 2014, 5:45 pm
#2339
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Bergen, Norway
Programs: AA PLT, CC Concierge, A3*G
Posts: 291
Would appreciate any help in this case:
I booked BGO-EZE next week with a proper detour to be able to try TAM First before they cut it entirely on Oct 31st, and ended up with BGO-LHR-(overnight layover)-JFK-GRU-EZE on BA/JJ F (and short-/medium-haul C). Now in the meantime, TAM have decided to cut First early on the 8 hour JFK-GRU flight and I'm downgraded and stuck with a rather stupid itinerary in business (767 angled seats on a redeye + US immigration)... My options are, as far as I can tell:
a) Call USDM, try to have them find a new (and possibly more direct) itinerary in First. However, there's no regular inventory available, so that's only possible if they can pull some strings with BA/AA/JJ and get them to open up an extra F seat. But the main "issue" is that the ticket was booked months ago before USDM started charging BA YQ, so they'll probably reprice the ticket, adding $300-600 (?) into the equation. Also, is the downgrade a valid reason to avoid the change fee (and quick ticketing fee)?
b) Keep the booking as is. Bring the original confirmation at check-in, claim that I wasn't notified about any changes, ask to be rebooked into F on another carrier. Politely escalate to station manager if necessary. Could this work?
I booked BGO-EZE next week with a proper detour to be able to try TAM First before they cut it entirely on Oct 31st, and ended up with BGO-LHR-(overnight layover)-JFK-GRU-EZE on BA/JJ F (and short-/medium-haul C). Now in the meantime, TAM have decided to cut First early on the 8 hour JFK-GRU flight and I'm downgraded and stuck with a rather stupid itinerary in business (767 angled seats on a redeye + US immigration)... My options are, as far as I can tell:
a) Call USDM, try to have them find a new (and possibly more direct) itinerary in First. However, there's no regular inventory available, so that's only possible if they can pull some strings with BA/AA/JJ and get them to open up an extra F seat. But the main "issue" is that the ticket was booked months ago before USDM started charging BA YQ, so they'll probably reprice the ticket, adding $300-600 (?) into the equation. Also, is the downgrade a valid reason to avoid the change fee (and quick ticketing fee)?
b) Keep the booking as is. Bring the original confirmation at check-in, claim that I wasn't notified about any changes, ask to be rebooked into F on another carrier. Politely escalate to station manager if necessary. Could this work?
Oct 21, 2014, 5:58 pm
#2340
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
(b) I am pretty sure will not work at all
(a) If there is no availability, then you will likely be out of luck ; if you can get rebooked onto a BA flight, then pretty sure that you will be assessed the curent fees
(a) If there is no availability, then you will likely be out of luck ; if you can get rebooked onto a BA flight, then pretty sure that you will be assessed the curent fees