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]
Mar 23, 2015, 12:58 am
#3916
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
Expert flyer is showing U2
Checking on the AA site for DFW-SYD , it is also not showing as available though
The Qantas site is showing it as available
Checking on the AA site for DFW-SYD , it is also not showing as available though
The Qantas site is showing it as available
Last edited by Dave Noble; Mar 23, 2015 at 1:22 am
Mar 23, 2015, 2:46 am
#3918
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 71
Just got off the phone...tried to get Cathay Pacific on the return HKG-ORD-PHL, but they claim no availability although BA.com does show it. Seems I am getting hit with tons of fees by the BA HKG-LHR coach they offered me.
PHL-LAX: 1/16 US538 First
LAX-BNE: 1/16 QF16 Business
SYD-HKG: 1/30 QF127 Business
HKG-LHR-PHL: 2/4 BA26 Coach/US774 First
Total: 55,000 Miles + $608.00
Not sure what to do...I have this on hold until March 25. Any other return options people see from Hong Kong not using BA?
Also, the representative said that March 25 is the last day they are taking award bookings.
PHL-LAX: 1/16 US538 First
LAX-BNE: 1/16 QF16 Business
SYD-HKG: 1/30 QF127 Business
HKG-LHR-PHL: 2/4 BA26 Coach/US774 First
Total: 55,000 Miles + $608.00
Not sure what to do...I have this on hold until March 25. Any other return options people see from Hong Kong not using BA?
Also, the representative said that March 25 is the last day they are taking award bookings.
Mar 23, 2015, 2:57 am
#3919
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
On the 4th February there seems to be availability on Cathay Pacific from HKG-LHR
Wouldn't it be 110k miles ?
Wouldn't it be 110k miles ?
Mar 23, 2015, 3:04 am
#3920
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 71
They told me 55,000 miles to which I am very surprised.
Last edited by robdls; Mar 23, 2015 at 3:05 am Reason: Update
Mar 23, 2015, 3:09 am
#3921
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
Sorry I messed up...they offered HKG-LHR-PHL: 2/4 CX Coach/ BA First. What I really wanted was HKG-LAX-PHL CX First/ US First which BA is showing available, but US could not see. Any options that avoid BA would be ideal in Business/First.
They told me 55,000 miles to which I am very surprised.
They told me 55,000 miles to which I am very surprised.
Mar 23, 2015, 4:51 am
#3923
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Singapore
Programs: BA Gold, HH Gold, IHG Diamond Elite
Posts: 102
Hi guys, I currently have a ticketed itinerary.
SIN-DOH-LHR(Destination)-NRT(Stopover)/HND-HKG-SIN.
As of now, I have made use of the 1x stopover or multi city rule in Tokyo, however is it possible to change the LHR sector to CDG? Will the itenerary now be invalid because the CDG/LHR becomes an open jaw?
Pls advise thx!
SIN-DOH-LHR(Destination)-NRT(Stopover)/HND-HKG-SIN.
As of now, I have made use of the 1x stopover or multi city rule in Tokyo, however is it possible to change the LHR sector to CDG? Will the itenerary now be invalid because the CDG/LHR becomes an open jaw?
Pls advise thx!
Mar 23, 2015, 5:02 am
#3924
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,406
Hi guys, I currently have a ticketed itinerary.
SIN-DOH-LHR(Destination)-NRT(Stopover)/HND-HKG-SIN.
As of now, I have made use of the 1x stopover or multi city rule in Tokyo, however is it possible to change the LHR sector to CDG? Will the itenerary now be invalid because the CDG/LHR becomes an open jaw?
Pls advise thx!
SIN-DOH-LHR(Destination)-NRT(Stopover)/HND-HKG-SIN.
As of now, I have made use of the 1x stopover or multi city rule in Tokyo, however is it possible to change the LHR sector to CDG? Will the itenerary now be invalid because the CDG/LHR becomes an open jaw?
Pls advise thx!
Can you close the open jaw? Just fly CDG-LHR on BA?
Mar 23, 2015, 6:14 am
#3925
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA Plat Pro; DL Gold; UA Silver; IHG Plat; Marriott Titanium; Hyatt Globalist; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 104
Sorry I messed up...they offered HKG-LHR-PHL: 2/4 CX Coach/ BA First. What I really wanted was HKG-LAX-PHL CX First/ US First which BA is showing available, but US could not see. Any options that avoid BA would be ideal in Business/First.
They told me 55,000 miles to which I am very surprised.
They told me 55,000 miles to which I am very surprised.
Mar 23, 2015, 7:59 am
#3926
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 71
wow if they quoted u only half the miles for what is clearly a 110k redemption i wouldnt even think twice about ticketing it.. you are saving 55k miles to pay probably 400+ more in fees which is easily a win granted you have to sit economy from HKG to LHR. ticket and then try to change route afterwards?
PHL-LAX: 1/16 US538 First
LAX-BNE: 1/16 QF16 Business
SYD-HKG: 1/30 QF127 Business
HKG-ORD-PHL: 2/4 CX806/US552 First
Total: 140,000 Miles + 129.28
Just need to make up my mind now...before Wednesday the release the hold.
Mar 23, 2015, 8:33 am
#3927
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,425
Partner award flight cancelled; can anyone at US help?
I have a US Airways issued award ticket on Cathay Pacific from EWR. My flight has been cancelled. Cathay assigned me a flight from JFK. I'd rather fly a day earlier from EWR, but there isn't an award ticket in inventory for that flight. Is there anyone at US who can call Cathay to see if they'd help me? So far, the answer I'm getting from US rez is "no."
This is odd because I recently had the reverse situation happen. I booked a US Airways flight with Avios that got cancelled. They moved me to a flight 12 hours earlier, but I much preferred the flight 12 hours later. BA called US Airways, and the problem was solved.
Any way to solve this problem?
This is odd because I recently had the reverse situation happen. I booked a US Airways flight with Avios that got cancelled. They moved me to a flight 12 hours earlier, but I much preferred the flight 12 hours later. BA called US Airways, and the problem was solved.
Any way to solve this problem?
Mar 23, 2015, 8:46 am
#3928
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: AMS
Programs: DL Silver,DM Silver, HH Gold VIP, IHG Platinum
Posts: 28
I couldn't find a direct answer so I post it here. Back in november I managed to get a nice trip ticketed. However I noticed two things to my award booking. 1st thing is merged name,this usually doesn't happen when I fly with my national carrier as I happen to have multiple spaces in my last name. When I travel with other carriers my name usually get merged and I haven't experienced any issues with that(so no biggy).
What my real concern is that my dob is not displayed correctly. Today I went online to select a seat on Cathay F, and noticed according to them my dob was april 6 instead of june 4. I discovered that this information has been entered wrongly in my USDM account(by myself), a common mistake when you write down a date in EU formatting instead of US. However, when I booked this itinerary the agent never asked for my dob or to confirm my dob according to their system.
What is the best I can do, call US and ask them to change it? Or maybe don't worry about it all? I have 1 layover in the UK and since they require API I am worrying a bit about this..
Thank you all in advance guys!
What my real concern is that my dob is not displayed correctly. Today I went online to select a seat on Cathay F, and noticed according to them my dob was april 6 instead of june 4. I discovered that this information has been entered wrongly in my USDM account(by myself), a common mistake when you write down a date in EU formatting instead of US. However, when I booked this itinerary the agent never asked for my dob or to confirm my dob according to their system.
What is the best I can do, call US and ask them to change it? Or maybe don't worry about it all? I have 1 layover in the UK and since they require API I am worrying a bit about this..
Thank you all in advance guys!
Mar 23, 2015, 8:50 am
#3929
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
I couldn't find a direct answer so I post it here. Back in november I managed to get a nice trip ticketed. However I noticed two things to my award booking. 1st thing is merged name,this usually doesn't happen when I fly with my national carrier as I happen to have multiple spaces in my last name. When I travel with other carriers my name usually get merged and I haven't experienced any issues with that(so no biggy).
What my real concern is that my dob is not displayed correctly. Today I went online to select a seat on Cathay F, and noticed according to them my dob was april 6 instead of june 4. I discovered that this information has been entered wrongly in my USDM account(by myself), a common mistake when you write down a date in EU formatting instead of US. However, when I booked this itinerary the agent never asked for my dob or to confirm my dob according to their system.
What is the best I can do, call US and ask them to change it? Or maybe don't worry about it all? I have 1 stopover in the UK and since they require API I am worrying a bit about this..
Thank you all in advance guys!
What my real concern is that my dob is not displayed correctly. Today I went online to select a seat on Cathay F, and noticed according to them my dob was april 6 instead of june 4. I discovered that this information has been entered wrongly in my USDM account(by myself), a common mistake when you write down a date in EU formatting instead of US. However, when I booked this itinerary the agent never asked for my dob or to confirm my dob according to their system.
What is the best I can do, call US and ask them to change it? Or maybe don't worry about it all? I have 1 stopover in the UK and since they require API I am worrying a bit about this..
Thank you all in advance guys!
Mar 23, 2015, 8:57 am
#3930
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 10,073
I think it's pretty nice of Cathay to have kept your booking to the same day, but just departing from a different airport in the region.
If US can't/won't do it (and their hands are probably tied since they can only book into award inventory), have you tried contacting Cathay and explaining that you didn't want to be displaced to JFK? They might be able to move you to a different EWR flight as a courtesy, but if not I guess it's not the end of the world.
If US can't/won't do it (and their hands are probably tied since they can only book into award inventory), have you tried contacting Cathay and explaining that you didn't want to be displaced to JFK? They might be able to move you to a different EWR flight as a courtesy, but if not I guess it's not the end of the world.