Sadly, I was already booked on that Virgin flight when she decided that she wanted to join.

Would a stopover in JFK due to no availability till two days after be considered a stopover on a Europe-JFK (forced stop)-LAX (stop) - HNL routing?

They are asking for 3750 more miles pp as the routing has 2 stop overs so I guess they are doing LAX-HNL as point to point.

My point was that nothing was available from JFK till the day after. Am I just getting a stubborn agent or is that 100% concrete.

It's 100% concrete. There are boundaries that can be pushed but this isn't one of them. I'm afraid the agents have to draw the line somewhere and this would be on the otherside.

+1

Lack of availability is not a reason for DC to allow things outside of the rules. The expectation is for you to change your dates, not DC to change their rules basically.

Not ideal though when availability messes up the best laid plans!

I'm looking to redeem S Africa to China (Z6 to Z8). Online *A timetable only lists SQ via SIN, TG via BKK and SAA via HKG. The downloadable timetable also includes LX via ZRH and LH via FRA.

Would JNB-ZRH-PVG be allowed? (Currently only TG in J in available and I would much prefer LX in F.)

BTW littlevoices' amazing app shows this route with the standard Z6-Z8 miles. Is that any indication that the route is valid?

I think you would struggle to get that through, although you might manage it depending on the agent.

JNB-ZRH-PVG is 10,836 miles.
JNB-BKK-PVG is 7,387 miles

It is quite a diversion via Europe so I could imagine them refusing it. No harm in asking though.

Its a valid route so they shouldn't have any issues with it.

Just because it is a valid route for a revenue booking via LX, doesn't automatically make it a valid route for an award ticket.

These don't show up on the *A online timetable, but only the downloadable timetable which includes additional non-standard routings on some routes. Some may be acceptable for DC redemptions, some won't. YMMV

To be honest with you I have never denied a routing which comes up on the *A downloadable timetable and I have done all sorts of bookings.

One stop via Europe is a pretty normal routing for this route according to the timetable.

Off course YMMV

Indeed, plenty of us have made a lot of redemptions, but that hardly means that those redemptions have pushed the limits of what is or isn't acceptable.

According to the online version of the timetable, nothing via Europe comes up which is why I made the point. I still think there is a good chance that it will be accepted as well, but as the ICC have started to refuse SA-IST-Asia routings on occasion which are less miles that via ZRH, nothing is ever guaranteed.

I agree on pushing the limits front. But this is hardly pushing any limits as its one of the first connections the timetable gives you.

Besides in First class Europe is the only option that you have. The IC shouldn't have any issues with it. I redeemed a Asia to SA ticket just last month via BKK but they were ok with routing me via Europe too.

The desire for First Class is irrelevant though - only the routing. You can't route via an invalid route if that is the only way to get F for example.

As for the ICC, they have certainly turned down the TK example that I quoted on more than one occasion recently with more than one agent. (A friend and fellow FTer trying and failing to get the routing through which also shows up in the downloadable timetable, but not on the online version) Makes it sound like an agent by agent case then on their interpretation.

Hopefully the OP will get it through with one of the more amenable agents.

Again I agree with that and I was not saying that you can ask for a invalid route due to First being available. But if there are two choices and one is being offered with F then you can choose that one.

Which SA-IST-Asia routing is being denied now?

Thanks RAPC and lallyr for your inputs. The discussion is very helpful. ^

I don't know if it matters but I would not be stopping over in Europe. Might that have been a problem in the case of the denied IST connection?

No, it wasn't a stopover that was causing an issue as these aren't allowed at all in Europe anyway.

The routings in question for clarity were JNB-IST-BKK and JNB-IST-SIN. The reason given by the ICC was that you couldn't route via Zone 2. Obviously, this is the ICC we are talking about, so logic and consistency may not be high on the agenda ;)