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]
Feb 10, 2015, 8:20 am
#3376
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,397
Lucky has gotten word from AA that USDM awards will be changeable after integration, but details are still up in the air. http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.c...tage-takeover/
All other changes will require a ticket to be reissued, and therefore be repriced at AAdvantage award levels
I would also expect that AAdvantage routing rules will apply as well. In other words, if you book an award that couldn’t “legally” be priced through AAdvantage (like US to Asia via Europe, US to Australia via Asia, etc.), I wouldn’t expect to be able to make changes without paying whatever American AAdvantage would charge for that award.
USA-HKG(dest)-Europe(stop)-USA
is three AA awards (67.5k+70k+62.5k) at 200k miles...
I bet that if you reissue a ticket after the award program switches, it's not an 037 ticket but a 001 ticket...
Feb 10, 2015, 6:47 pm
#3377
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: California, USA
Programs: AA, AMEX, MARRIOTT, ANA, UAL, CHASE
Posts: 77
lax-hkg-jnb-cpt-jnb-hkg-lax - YES
I was able to get the following ticketed on CX for all segments except for the intra SA flights.
Booked in January, travel in June
lax-hkg-jnb-cpt-jnb-hkg-lax
Think I got a little lucky??
Booked in January, travel in June
lax-hkg-jnb-cpt-jnb-hkg-lax
Think I got a little lucky??
Feb 11, 2015, 4:59 pm
#3378
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: SJC
Programs: A3 *G, Marriott Plat, AS 75K
Posts: 995
tons of CA F, I tried to book using US airways but agent told me that their partnership ended Jan 28th.
Too bad~
Too bad~
Feb 11, 2015, 8:53 pm
#3379
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: AA MM PP, MR LT Plat, Globalist
Posts: 1,004
RTW awards are dead?
Has anyone recently booked a RTW ticket? I've held a USA-Europe (stopover)-Asia-USA ticket.
1st agent went to rate desk and told me my ticket was invalid since I departed from LAX and returned to SNA. But I checked a previous post and it seems LAX and SNA are co-terminals.
2nd agent eagerly took my held booking, saying he would price taxes. He came back and told me I can't cross two oceans or backtrack thru HKG:
SNA-DFW-LHR-CDG(stop)-HKG-PVG-HKG-LAX
US rates desk seems to have computers telling them invalid routes.
I suppose US RTW awards are dead?
1st agent went to rate desk and told me my ticket was invalid since I departed from LAX and returned to SNA. But I checked a previous post and it seems LAX and SNA are co-terminals.
2nd agent eagerly took my held booking, saying he would price taxes. He came back and told me I can't cross two oceans or backtrack thru HKG:
SNA-DFW-LHR-CDG(stop)-HKG-PVG-HKG-LAX
US rates desk seems to have computers telling them invalid routes.
I suppose US RTW awards are dead?
Feb 11, 2015, 9:41 pm
#3380
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
Has anyone recently booked a RTW ticket? I've held a USA-Europe (stopover)-Asia-USA ticket.
1st agent went to rate desk and told me my ticket was invalid since I departed from LAX and returned to SNA. But I checked a previous post and it seems LAX and SNA are co-terminals.
2nd agent eagerly took my held booking, saying he would price taxes. He came back and told me I can't cross two oceans or backtrack thru HKG:
SNA-DFW-LHR-CDG(stop)-HKG-PVG-HKG-LAX
US rates desk seems to have computers telling them invalid routes.
I suppose US RTW awards are dead?
1st agent went to rate desk and told me my ticket was invalid since I departed from LAX and returned to SNA. But I checked a previous post and it seems LAX and SNA are co-terminals.
2nd agent eagerly took my held booking, saying he would price taxes. He came back and told me I can't cross two oceans or backtrack thru HKG:
SNA-DFW-LHR-CDG(stop)-HKG-PVG-HKG-LAX
US rates desk seems to have computers telling them invalid routes.
I suppose US RTW awards are dead?
RTW itineraries aren't dead, and the sky isn't falling in. you just need to work out why your one isn't allowed.
I'm just wondering about MPM... your routing via CDG to PVG has you flying nearly 12,000 miles for what is essentially a LAX-PVG.
you could also add as well... stopover is not on most direct route!
Feb 11, 2015, 10:54 pm
#3381
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: SEA
Programs: AA EXP; Marriott Titanium
Posts: 51
Has anyone recently booked a RTW ticket? I've held a USA-Europe (stopover)-Asia-USA ticket.
1st agent went to rate desk and told me my ticket was invalid since I departed from LAX and returned to SNA. But I checked a previous post and it seems LAX and SNA are co-terminals.
2nd agent eagerly took my held booking, saying he would price taxes. He came back and told me I can't cross two oceans or backtrack thru HKG:
SNA-DFW-LHR-CDG(stop)-HKG-PVG-HKG-LAX
US rates desk seems to have computers telling them invalid routes.
I suppose US RTW awards are dead?
1st agent went to rate desk and told me my ticket was invalid since I departed from LAX and returned to SNA. But I checked a previous post and it seems LAX and SNA are co-terminals.
2nd agent eagerly took my held booking, saying he would price taxes. He came back and told me I can't cross two oceans or backtrack thru HKG:
SNA-DFW-LHR-CDG(stop)-HKG-PVG-HKG-LAX
US rates desk seems to have computers telling them invalid routes.
I suppose US RTW awards are dead?
Wouldn't HKG be the destination since it is further from SNA/LAX than PVG? In that case you're transiting your destination on the inbound, which the system might not look too favorably on?
Feb 11, 2015, 11:05 pm
#3382
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
In that case it is a side trip to PVG, again, not generally allowed due to back-tracking.
There are lots of potential issues with the itinerary.
Feb 12, 2015, 3:09 am
#3383
Join Date: Aug 2004
Programs: AA (EP), Hilton (Diamond), Marriott Bonvoy (Titanium)
Posts: 8,937
Feb 12, 2015, 7:38 am
#3384
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Newport Beach
Programs: AA-EXP HH-Plt, bunch of others
Posts: 8
Has anyone experienced problems booking OW flights on American Eagle?
I tried to book LAX-YVR-NRT on AA/JL yesterday. US rep was able to find the flight I wanted (LAX-YVR on AA5794) but was unable to book the reservation. The rep kept getting error messages when selecting the flight. After 30 minutes of holding while tech support researched the problem she gave up.
I tried to book LAX-YVR-NRT on AA/JL yesterday. US rep was able to find the flight I wanted (LAX-YVR on AA5794) but was unable to book the reservation. The rep kept getting error messages when selecting the flight. After 30 minutes of holding while tech support researched the problem she gave up.
Feb 12, 2015, 12:58 pm
#3385
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: AA MM PP, MR LT Plat, Globalist
Posts: 1,004
Successfully ticketed!
I called again and the competent agent immediately noted that the rates desk had rejected my routing. She put me on hold, while she tried to find a routing "that would work." After a while, she came back and suggested I change CDG-HKG-PVG to ORY-LHR-PVG:
SNA-DFW-LHR-CDG/ORY(stop)-LHR-PVG (AA F to LHR, then BA F)
PVG-HKG-LAX (J)
(Note: While I cut my SNA--PVG leg by >700 miles, I transit London twice.)
I accepted, hoping she'd be my advocate for this new routing. After another hour on the phone, two tickets priced to $1270 total, including fuel surcharges, and 220K miles. She told me she had to pass thru many system prompts to confirm my tickets.
I felt I lucked out this time and will never attempt any such booking again, even if you give me the miles!
The likely culprit was the backtracking thru HKG on my first routing: CDG-HKG-PVG (dest.), PVG-HKG-LAX (return).
MPM was possibly a factor--anyone know US's MPM between LAX-PVG?
SNA-DFW-LHR-CDG/ORY(stop)-LHR-PVG (AA F to LHR, then BA F)
PVG-HKG-LAX (J)
(Note: While I cut my SNA--PVG leg by >700 miles, I transit London twice.)
I accepted, hoping she'd be my advocate for this new routing. After another hour on the phone, two tickets priced to $1270 total, including fuel surcharges, and 220K miles. She told me she had to pass thru many system prompts to confirm my tickets.
I felt I lucked out this time and will never attempt any such booking again, even if you give me the miles!
The likely culprit was the backtracking thru HKG on my first routing: CDG-HKG-PVG (dest.), PVG-HKG-LAX (return).
MPM was possibly a factor--anyone know US's MPM between LAX-PVG?
Last edited by eethan; Feb 12, 2015 at 4:05 pm
Feb 12, 2015, 10:01 pm
#3386
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
HKG-JNB-HKG is not hard. There are almost always a pair of J seats everyday.
It is the LAX-HKG-LAX that is much harder.
Feb 13, 2015, 1:18 am
#3388
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,767
Feb 14, 2015, 8:10 am
#3389
Join Date: Feb 2011
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold, UA-Premier Silver, AA EXP, Hilton Gold, SPG Plat.
Posts: 191
US Airways Award Miles
I have been racking up USAir Dividend Miles at a rapid clip due to extensive work-related travel. My strategy is to bank miles in advance of the merger of the two FF programs. I typically use my miles for premium cabin long-haul redemptions. Just out of curiosity I checked the USAir website for random award availability and the mile requirements are absolutely ridiculous. Again, I do plan to wait a couple of months in hopes of more reasonable redemption options when both programs merge, but what I see on USAir website is jaw-dropping. Am I doing something wrong? Is this typical? YIKES!
Feb 14, 2015, 9:49 am
#3390
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: PHL / SFO
Programs: free agent
Posts: 797
You're going to need to be a lot more specific about what you're trying to achieve. Where & when would definitely help!