Are you sure about that? ANA is showing LHR-GIG as a connecting flight at least through December, and i have a LHR-GIG award booked for mid-August which is definitely stopping at GRU. Wouldn't mind if it was switched to a nonstop though!

Maybe the flights haven't been loaded yet?
It will only operate three days a week I think using a A330 - you might be flying on one of the days it doesn't operate.

Routing YVR-ICN/PEK-SYD valid for redemption ?
 

Dear all,

as I'm currently in the process of looking into redemption opportunities to SYD I was wondering if the routes that come up on Star Alliance.com are in fact valid to redeem my DC miles on.

There are things like YVR-ICN-SYD, YVR-PEK-SYD & of course the YVR-AKL-SYD !

The Asia connection does seem like quiet a stretch but if *A is suggesting these routes... :confused: Would I be able to stopover in ICN ?

Thanks,
S

ICN makes a good stopover as Asiana tends to have good availability, a lovely airport and a direct flight to SYD - so no reason why this wouldn't be allowed. The general rules for BD are; if its on staralliance.com you will be fine, if its not then common sense (and agent roulette) has to prevail.

Some people have had problems with the Asia routings, others have had them go through fine. ICN and PEK (as well as the AKL) example should all be fine though.

I think the problems usually occur when people have tried to push it further and go via BKK / SIN etc, which then gets the 'computer says no' treatment.

CDG-BKK-LAX or LAX-BKK-CDG
 

Is it allowed to fly this route one-way with a stopover in BKK and is this Zone 1 to Zone 3 ?

You wouldn't be allowed this on an award ticket since the most direct route would be to go across the Atlantic and not across the Pacific.

If you wanted this route, then you'd have to do two one-way redemptions.

Would any of the routes below be accepted by ICC, as a Z1-Z3 redemption? Availability on those dates for direct routes is null, even in Y. I'm planning to book them as 2 one-way tickets, but if this would make a difference, I'm OK with booking it a return ticket too.

1. OTP-FRA-LAX (stopover)-ORD-EWR and JFK-ORD-IST-OTP
2. OTP-FRA-SFO(stopover)-JFK and JFK-ORD-IST-OTP
3. OTP-IST-NRT-ORD-EWR and JFK-ORD-IST-OTP

1. No. for being backtracking.
2. No. Backtracking.
3. no. You should fly over the Atlantic.
besides, the nr.3 is a round the world routing.

Would lack of availability for other more direct flights bring any justification for the routes OTP-FRA-SFO(stopover)-JFK and JFK-ORD-IST-OTP? Is the problem just with FRA-SFO-JFK, or with JFK-ORD-IST-OTP?

Could I then replace this by OTP-FRA-SFO and SFO-JFK(stopover)-ORD-IST-OTP?

Unlikely that there will be such a lack of availability that it forces you to go as far as backtracking through SFO. Thats Like flying FRA-BKK-DXB almost. If your proposed routing was the only one available they would charge you as 2 one ways.

Is there no way you could switch your stopovers? You would have no problem booking this:

OTP-FRA-JFK(stop)-SFO
SFO-ORD(stop)-IST-OTP

I don't think they will assess valid routings based on availability. For your first option you want to end up on the east coast of US so travelling to west coast to get there is an obvious backtrack.

OTP-FRA-SFO will be fine - this shows as a valid route on staralliance.com
JFK-ORD-IST is also backtracking so not sure if you would get this, is there a reason you have picked ORD or are you planning the route around availability

If you check on staralliance.com for NYC-OTP it may give you some other possible routes to check out

I could be late in the game, but I'm planning a trip between 26/28-Dec and 02/04-Jan in US, with NYE in New York and potentially another few days in an interesting US city.

Availability to NYC from Europe between 26-Dec and 29-Dec is zero (I tried IST, FRA, MUC, MAD, FCO, AMS, CDG...), and what I proposed were the only routes that actually made "some" sense. If anybody is aware of a route that I missed, I will be deeply obliged for any advise. If this is OT on this thread, PMs will be highly appreciated.

28th GVA-JFK with LX in C on the new A330 with fully flat C seats
28th ZRH-JFK with LX on all C config plane

2nd EWR-MUC with CO in C
2nd JFK-MUC with LH in C and F
3rd JFK-MUC with LH in C and F
4th EWR-MUC with CO in C
4th JFK-MUC with LH in C and F
4th JFK-ZRH with LX on all C config plane

plus lots more

Using the great feedback here, I went back to drawing board and came up with the following itinerary for the return leg. Would it be allowed by ICC as Z3-Z1?

29.12 SFO-LAX 19:00 – 20:24 UA 319 Y
29.12 LAX-JFK 22:45 – 07:00 UA 757 F (overnight)
04.01 JFK-MUC 20:25 – 10:25 LH 346 C (overnight)
05.01 MUC-OTP 15:40 – 18:35 LH E95 C

If this would be OK, would I be charged F miles for return ticket, or C miles? UA has only Economy and BusinessFirst on their 757 planes, and seat does not really look like F seat...