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]
Apr 18, 2015, 2:19 am
#4141
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,204
Apr 18, 2015, 5:24 am
#4142
Join Date: Nov 1999
Location: SYD
Posts: 2,903
I don't think it should also. But, again based on what I was told, when JAL joined OneWorld they had to massively overhaul their award travel routing and other rules in order to comply with "the OneWorld requirements."
It doesn't dictate individual programme rules, not by a long shot. However, there do seem to be some common routing rules/restrictions on award redemption that are OW wide (some of it is regulatory, e.g. can't go US-Japan-Guam on all non-US airlines, or can't transit via Canada between points in US, but other parts are OW specific). If you look at OW airline distance-based awards, it is very similar. Some airlines (like AA used to) restrict it even more than they have to, others less. OW just dictates the framework, but individual airlines adapt it to their own needs, just have to stay within the framework rules. (It seems like.) It's not program rules, just award travel routing and ticketing rules, I believe.
Anyway, sorry for taking this a bit OT here..
It doesn't dictate individual programme rules, not by a long shot. However, there do seem to be some common routing rules/restrictions on award redemption that are OW wide (some of it is regulatory, e.g. can't go US-Japan-Guam on all non-US airlines, or can't transit via Canada between points in US, but other parts are OW specific). If you look at OW airline distance-based awards, it is very similar. Some airlines (like AA used to) restrict it even more than they have to, others less. OW just dictates the framework, but individual airlines adapt it to their own needs, just have to stay within the framework rules. (It seems like.) It's not program rules, just award travel routing and ticketing rules, I believe.
Anyway, sorry for taking this a bit OT here..
goodo
Apr 18, 2015, 7:09 am
#4143
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Singapore
Programs: KF Gold
Posts: 140
Thanks everyone for their responses. I guess i'll have to wait a while longer to try the Apartments on EY. If I wanted to change to a direct BA flight on the return leg (LHR-SIN) would that be possible or would they still have to return my initial SIN-ZRH leg on CX to inventory first?
Apr 18, 2015, 2:42 pm
#4144
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,549
Thanks everyone for their responses. I guess i'll have to wait a while longer to try the Apartments on EY. If I wanted to change to a direct BA flight on the return leg (LHR-SIN) would that be possible or would they still have to return my initial SIN-ZRH leg on CX to inventory first?
Apr 18, 2015, 5:46 pm
#4145
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ *G; HH Diamond;
Posts: 1,644
I am providing a data point with regard to what types of changes are allowed for USDM booking.
Current booking is:
SFO-HND-HKG-PVG//SHA-HKG//HKG-SFO
I believe PVG is the destination and HKG is the stop-over point on the inbound.
I called wanting to change the outbound to:
SFO-HKG-PVG.
AA Gold Desk (yes, I know there is no such a desk, but that's how CSR answered) acted as the middleman on the phone with USDM agent.
The info relayed back to me from USDM agent is that:
the only no-fee, no-additional-mile change can be done for *this* reservation is date change only. Routing *must* remain the same.
Should I HUCA?
Current booking is:
SFO-HND-HKG-PVG//SHA-HKG//HKG-SFO
I believe PVG is the destination and HKG is the stop-over point on the inbound.
I called wanting to change the outbound to:
SFO-HKG-PVG.
AA Gold Desk (yes, I know there is no such a desk, but that's how CSR answered) acted as the middleman on the phone with USDM agent.
The info relayed back to me from USDM agent is that:
the only no-fee, no-additional-mile change can be done for *this* reservation is date change only. Routing *must* remain the same.
Should I HUCA?
Apr 19, 2015, 2:54 am
#4147
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: SPG Platinum
Posts: 1,686
Has anyone had success adding on AY operated by Flybe flights to USDM bookings now that we are merged and running on the AA system?
Apr 19, 2015, 6:54 am
#4148
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Singapore
Programs: KF Gold
Posts: 140
Could anyone please recommend the best time to get hold of a double agent? Just rang up to amend my US Airways award flight with both the AA and US Airways consultants unable to assist - something to do with one of my flights booked under a different code (BA U) so it requires a double agent. Went on hold for about 30 mins without any success so I'm guessing there's a limited roster on Sundays. Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Apr 19, 2015, 7:04 am
#4149
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: AA, UA
Posts: 210
2 links to prevent AA from charging change fees
Tried to change dates of my US-issued award ticket on JL and QF. I would like to share three tips:
1. If you are not AA EXP or Plat, call US Dividend Miles to change your US-issued award tickets for faster handling. You will need to speak to AAgents who used to be US agents, and if the first AAgent you speak to isn't one, you'll be transferred to one.
2. If you just want to change dates of your flight (can be on different carriers), it should be free of charge. AAgents will try to milk $150 out of you, so below is the webpage that says date changes are free, and you might need it to rebuff the AAgent. Go to "General" section:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/aboutUs/arriving.jsp#faqs
"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."
3. As long as your new outbound travel date is beyond 21 days of your original BOOKING date, date changes are free. Otherwise it's $75:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/re...ard-travel.jsp
"Changes to your travel date
If you change your outbound award travel date to within 21 days of the original booking date, a $75 award processing fee will apply, provided the new date is valid for the original award type claimed
This award processing fee will be waived for Executive Platinum, Platinum and Gold members using miles from their account"
The free date changes are handy when your current itinerary is mixed-class and you want to grab that first/business class seat when it's opened up closer to the departure.
1. If you are not AA EXP or Plat, call US Dividend Miles to change your US-issued award tickets for faster handling. You will need to speak to AAgents who used to be US agents, and if the first AAgent you speak to isn't one, you'll be transferred to one.
2. If you just want to change dates of your flight (can be on different carriers), it should be free of charge. AAgents will try to milk $150 out of you, so below is the webpage that says date changes are free, and you might need it to rebuff the AAgent. Go to "General" section:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/aboutUs/arriving.jsp#faqs
"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."
3. As long as your new outbound travel date is beyond 21 days of your original BOOKING date, date changes are free. Otherwise it's $75:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/re...ard-travel.jsp
"Changes to your travel date
If you change your outbound award travel date to within 21 days of the original booking date, a $75 award processing fee will apply, provided the new date is valid for the original award type claimed
This award processing fee will be waived for Executive Platinum, Platinum and Gold members using miles from their account"
The free date changes are handy when your current itinerary is mixed-class and you want to grab that first/business class seat when it's opened up closer to the departure.
Apr 19, 2015, 11:16 am
#4150
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
2. If you just want to change dates of your flight (can be on different carriers), it should be free of charge. AAgents will try to milk $150 out of you, so below is the webpage that says date changes are free, and you might need it to rebuff the AAgent. Go to "General" section:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/aboutUs/arriving.jsp#faqs
"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."
3. As long as your new outbound travel date is beyond 21 days of your original BOOKING date, date changes are free. Otherwise it's $75:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/re...ard-travel.jsp
"Changes to your travel date
If you change your outbound award travel date to within 21 days of the original booking date, a $75 award processing fee will apply, provided the new date is valid for the original award type claimed
This award processing fee will be waived for Executive Platinum, Platinum and Gold members using miles from their account"
The free date changes are handy when your current itinerary is mixed-class and you want to grab that first/business class seat when it's opened up closer to the departure.
http://www.aa.com/i18n/aboutUs/arriving.jsp#faqs
"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."
3. As long as your new outbound travel date is beyond 21 days of your original BOOKING date, date changes are free. Otherwise it's $75:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/re...ard-travel.jsp
"Changes to your travel date
If you change your outbound award travel date to within 21 days of the original booking date, a $75 award processing fee will apply, provided the new date is valid for the original award type claimed
This award processing fee will be waived for Executive Platinum, Platinum and Gold members using miles from their account"
The free date changes are handy when your current itinerary is mixed-class and you want to grab that first/business class seat when it's opened up closer to the departure.
Your quotation (3.) refers to changes on AAdvantage award tickets, not to USDM tickets.
Apr 19, 2015, 12:00 pm
#4151
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,204
You can change 037 tickets, but that, of course, all must done w/in the same (US) system, which does not allow booking of a large part of AY flights (the ones operated by BE (Flybe) Finland as you mention).
Apr 19, 2015, 1:07 pm
#4152
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SUX
Programs: BA Silver; HHonors Gold; SPG Gold; Points but dirt with everyone else
Posts: 8,050
Just changed the return on an award ticketed in January for August travel. Routing was HKG-CX-LHR-BA-IAD all in F, now HKG-CX-BOS-US-DCA all in F. Be prepared for horrendous hold times if changing a USDM award. First you've got to get an AAgent. They will tell you they can't change a US award, so they put you on hold for a US-capable agent. (Is it really that hard to have a number that rings directly to agents who can handle USDM bookings? Or at least a way for a frontline agent to quickly get one?) I then got unlucky and had an agent who believed it was simply impossible to change partner awards from before the end of USDM. Fortunately, she was willing to check with her supervisor. Unfortunately, her supervisor was busy and there was a long, long hold before the supervisor set her straight. (One so long that she came back on and told me she was still on hold.) Then she couldn't find the CX inventory, but she was willing to look again before I could cross-check the JL system with BA, and then she found it. Then there was the long hold for the rates desk to re-calculate the taxes and surcharges (no more BA and no LHR transit meant big savings), but eventually I got a good verdict there.
I paid the $150 change fee. I haven't seen anything that convinces me that I'm entitled to make a change for free, and I didn't want to sit on hold any longer than I already had. I booked this award with the idea that if HKG-JFK/BOS came available, I'd happily pay the $150 to save on the BA extortion charges. Would like to avoid having to transit KUL to get from HKG to DPS on the outbound if space opens up, but absent AA making a definitive statement on date/routing changes without fee, I'll keep what I've got and still be pretty happy.
I paid the $150 change fee. I haven't seen anything that convinces me that I'm entitled to make a change for free, and I didn't want to sit on hold any longer than I already had. I booked this award with the idea that if HKG-JFK/BOS came available, I'd happily pay the $150 to save on the BA extortion charges. Would like to avoid having to transit KUL to get from HKG to DPS on the outbound if space opens up, but absent AA making a definitive statement on date/routing changes without fee, I'll keep what I've got and still be pretty happy.
Apr 19, 2015, 1:55 pm
#4153
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: London
Posts: 878
From what I read it seems that some people were successful in making a class-of-service change. I'm interested in the same, specifically changing COS (J -> F) and date, but no carrier or routing changes. Does anyone know how the extra mileage calculated? Based on the historical US charts or AA charts?
Apr 19, 2015, 3:12 pm
#4154
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
From what I read it seems that some people were successful in making a class-of-service change. I'm interested in the same, specifically changing COS (J -> F) and date, but no carrier or routing changes. Does anyone know how the extra mileage calculated? Based on the historical US charts or AA charts?
'Upgrading' with paying the difference of miles is only possible with an AAdvantage award ticket.
Apr 19, 2015, 5:49 pm
#4155
Join Date: May 2010
Programs: AA, UA
Posts: 210
I specified that DATE CHANGES are free, and that's explicitly stated in the AA link/FAQs. Other "major" changes require re-issuance of the ticket, that will cost $150 mileage re-deposit fee and new pricing at AA chart levels.
USDM rules are no longer applicable as the program has retired. AA rules are the only rules the AAgents follow. That's why date/time changes are free, unless the change is made within 21 days of the original booking date.
When you make a change to your US-issued award, the US number attached to your ticket will be revised as your AA # by the AAgent.
USDM rules are no longer applicable as the program has retired. AA rules are the only rules the AAgents follow. That's why date/time changes are free, unless the change is made within 21 days of the original booking date.
When you make a change to your US-issued award, the US number attached to your ticket will be revised as your AA # by the AAgent.
There is no official statement that the change of a USDM ticket will be free of charge. Your quotation (2.) clearly differs between a ticket issued under USDM rules and one (reissued) under AAdvantage rules...
Your quotation (3.) refers to changes on AAdvantage award tickets, not to USDM tickets.
Your quotation (3.) refers to changes on AAdvantage award tickets, not to USDM tickets.
