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LUS: USDM oneworld Award Bookings - (Closed to new bookings) [Master FAQ and Help]

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Old Mar 30, 2014, 12:53 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: JDiver
WIKI POST: Using US Dividend Miles for oneworld Award Flights
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.
To make a change on a USDM ticket, you need to get an agent that is trained to use the US reservation system.
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)
(Go here to print in flight purchase receipts)
Some experiences about changes to tickets, reported by members:
  • 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 <
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LUS: USDM oneworld Award Bookings - (Closed to new bookings) [Master FAQ and Help]

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Old Nov 4, 2014, 5:58 pm
  #2446  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 261
Anyone had luck getting extensions on the 3 day booking hold?

I'm waiting on a return route to open up in the 335 day window but needed to book the outbound whilst it was available.

My hope was to call every 3rd day and plead for an extension... the other option is simply paying the 2x$150 change fee - but wondering whether it is avoidable
baggyred is offline  
Old Nov 4, 2014, 6:11 pm
  #2447  
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Originally Posted by baggyred
Anyone had luck getting extensions on the 3 day booking hold?

I'm waiting on a return route to open up in the 335 day window but needed to book the outbound whilst it was available.

My hope was to call every 3rd day and plead for an extension... the other option is simply paying the 2x$150 change fee - but wondering whether it is avoidable
There have been one or two success stories for US Airways metal, but not for partner awards.

If you are flying partner airlines, USDM will be bound by the respective airline cancellation conditions. (Even if USDM told you an extended hold was possible I wouldn't accept it - with partner airlines you should always aim to ticket asap... within 48 hours as although USDM tells you '72 hours' it can often be less).
LHR/MEL/Europe FF is offline  
Old Nov 4, 2014, 6:19 pm
  #2448  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 261
Originally Posted by LHR/MEL/Europe FF
There have been one or two success stories for US Airways metal, but not for partner awards.

If you are flying partner airlines, USDM will be bound by the respective airline cancellation conditions. (Even if USDM told you an extended hold was possible I wouldn't accept it - with partner airlines you should always aim to ticket asap... within 48 hours as although USDM tells you '72 hours' it can often be less).
Ok thanks - will just cop the change fee I guess
baggyred is offline  
Old Nov 4, 2014, 7:52 pm
  #2449  
 
Join Date: Mar 2011
Posts: 177
Changes to existing booking

Sector 1 on a 4 sector trip has a class change from Z to U due to aircraft change. My question is can I now change the date or route to match the class i require on sector 1 and can i change all the other sectors for free since this is change forced by them. Thanks.
rocket69 is offline  
Old Nov 4, 2014, 9:31 pm
  #2450  
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Originally Posted by baggyred
Ok thanks - will just cop the change fee I guess
Why don't you just change your outbound date on day 2, hold again, and then day 4, hold again, and then day 6...

How long is your return out past the 335 day booking date? Or are you waiting for the return to open up?

Originally Posted by rocket69
Sector 1 on a 4 sector trip has a class change from Z to U due to aircraft change. My question is can I now change the date or route to match the class i require on sector 1 and can i change all the other sectors for free since this is change forced by them. Thanks.
Who is "them"? Is US operating the aircraft? If not, why is another airline's change of operating equipment obligating US to waive change fees?
eponymous_coward is offline  
Old Nov 4, 2014, 10:02 pm
  #2451  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Originally Posted by eponymous_coward
Why don't you just change your outbound date on day 2, hold again, and then day 4, hold again, and then day 6...
I would assume that an on hold booking has a PNR with the operating airline, and it won't change simply because some date changes are made, and that the operating airline will drop the hold by the original ticketing deadline regardless.
wheresmybagba is offline  
Old Nov 4, 2014, 10:19 pm
  #2452  
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Originally Posted by eponymous_coward
Why don't you just change your outbound date on day 2, hold again, and then day 4, hold again, and then day 6...

How long is your return out past the 335 day booking date? Or are you waiting for the return to open up?
After the 72 hours, if wanting to hold rather than purchase, need to cancel the booking and create a new one; if there is award availability, not an issue, but a risk otherwise
Dave Noble is offline  
Old Nov 4, 2014, 10:57 pm
  #2453  
soy
 
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What are the open jaw rules?
Is PER-DOH-LHR-DUB // JFK-HKG-PER a legit open jaw?

Both PER-DUB and JFK-PER are much longer than DUB-JFK, so I am thinkging this is ok
soy is offline  
Old Nov 4, 2014, 11:09 pm
  #2454  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
Originally Posted by soy
What are the open jaw rules?
Is PER-DOH-LHR-DUB // JFK-HKG-PER a legit open jaw?

Both PER-DUB and JFK-PER are much longer than DUB-JFK, so I am thinkging this is ok
Yes, that should be allowed.
wheresmybagba is offline  
Old Nov 4, 2014, 11:47 pm
  #2455  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Posts: 261
Originally Posted by Dave Noble
After the 72 hours, if wanting to hold rather than purchase, need to cancel the booking and create a new one; if there is award availability, not an issue, but a risk otherwise

Yep - that is my concern.

There were only 3 seats available and I grabbed 2.

Should I cancel there is no guarantee that the two I release go back into the melting pot - so I think I'll just wear the cost
baggyred is offline  
Old Nov 5, 2014, 12:16 am
  #2456  
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Originally Posted by soy
What are the open jaw rules?
Is PER-DOH-LHR-DUB // JFK-HKG-PER a legit open jaw?

Both PER-DUB and JFK-PER are much longer than DUB-JFK, so I am thinkging this is ok
The only concern I would have is that seems to create an around the world itinerary which I thought has ( or used to have ) its own costing
Dave Noble is offline  
Old Nov 5, 2014, 12:36 am
  #2457  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Posts: 2,349
Originally Posted by Dave Noble
The only concern I would have is that seems to create an around the world itinerary which I thought has ( or used to have ) its own costing
Crossing both oceans does not a RTW make. The RTW which was differently priced was a RTW in the true sense in that it allowed multiple stopovers...5 I think. The proposed itin is not a RTW.
wheresmybagba is offline  
Old Nov 5, 2014, 12:58 am
  #2458  
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Originally Posted by wheresmybagba
Crossing both oceans does not a RTW make. The RTW which was differently priced was a RTW in the true sense in that it allowed multiple stopovers...5 I think. The proposed itin is not a RTW.
I thought that a circle trip crossing both the atlantic and pacific oceans was the definition of an ATW journey which is why I would have been concerned;

if it prices out as a return trip journey , then the itinerary looks pretty standard and no real reason to expect it to be rejected
Dave Noble is offline  
Old Nov 5, 2014, 1:18 am
  #2459  
Moderator: American AAdvantage & Marriott Bonvoy
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Originally Posted by Dave Noble
I thought that a circle trip crossing both the atlantic and pacific oceans was the definition of an ATW journey which is why I would have been concerned
Logically yes, you're circling the globe around the world, but not with US when it comes to the rules of award tickets.
AZ Travels the World is offline  
Old Nov 5, 2014, 1:29 am
  #2460  
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Originally Posted by Dave Noble
I thought that a circle trip crossing both the atlantic and pacific oceans was the definition of an ATW journey which is why I would have been concerned;
A RTW journey is considered as one with up to 5 stops and is priced accordingly. 'RTW' journeys involving one stopover and a destination have been permitted for many years.
LHR/MEL/Europe FF is offline  


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