I have just booked:
CPH-SIN(stopover)-PEK in SQ C

Firstly I tried to book,
ARN-CPH-SIN(stopover)-PEK in SK/SQ C
But I was told that it was not valid routing.

The routing validation has indeed become much more stricter than before.

I don't understand how route A is that much different to route B :confused:

All

I have 200K Amex points that I am about to transfer to BMI (I would get 100K miles) to book an award. The thing is that I would transfer the points ONLY if I can get the award I want.

Basically, I would book BRU-BOS-BRU in C for 2 person.
My understanding is that this would cost me:
- 67500 miles for 1st ticket
- 37500 miles + 210£ for the 2nd ticket
--> Total = 105,000 miles + 210£ + taxes

Alternatively, I could in F.
My understanding is that this would cost me:
- 50000 miles + 280£ per ticket
--> Total = 109,000 miles + 560£ + taxes

I looked in the ANA tool and the award I want seem to be available.

My questions:
- Can I buy the missing 5,000 miles?
- Can I rely on ANA for award availability?
- How should I proceed now? I guess I need to go ahead with the transfer but I will run the risk that the award becomes not available while my points are being transferred, right?
- If the award becomes unavailable, I will keep them and book another award (probably in septembre).I have head that BMI miles will be devaluated over the summer 2011, is that true?

Thanks for your help

Are these different AMEX points to the ones alot of us transferred at 1:1?

It is a Belgian Amex and the rate is 2:1 unfortunately

F is 2.5 x Y now so would be 62500 + £350 + taxes each
and if redeeming F on LH there is no cash+miles and an additional 'premium' on top

I would appreciate if someone could please let me know if BMI permits routings from North America to Australia via Europe or Asia? Many thanks!

I've never heard of that routing being permitted as one award.

Actually it is permitted. Routing comes up via Beijing if you look for flights from per-jfk. I believe I got syd-pek-jfk to come up on ana once. Can't remember what dates I searched. per-jnb-jfk is permitted and longer than per-pek-jfk so you may be able to force Asian routing if it doesn't come up.

The question was "does bmi permit these routings". Do you have evidence it does ?

if it shows up on ANA as a standard route why would it not be permitted?

AFAIK BMI only limits some seats that show up on ANA not the routing.

bmi doesn't 'limit' what's available on ANA - they have their own, LH controlled, market based availability logic guiding the paramenters of what is made available to DC members from the Starnet availability database.

ANA is not bmi, and the visible availability and offered routings certainly aren't 'standard' to all airlines - some use the MPM concept, others use simple zones etc. etc. They are two different airlines, with two different sets of availability, rules, practises, cost bases, sets of agreements with their partners etc. etc.

As Oxon Flyer has noted, I haven't said it's not possible, only that in the last number of years, I have not heard of a successful redemption on a routing via Europe. Not from the east coast, and certainly not from the west coast. You are free to go back through the annual report your successful redeption threads and see if you can find anything. Asian routings would be more common (ICN especially) as the polar route considerably shortens many trips from the colder half of North America.

Moreover, bmi has been tightening up significantly in the last 18 months on 'irregular' routings that might have been possible in the past, so even if someone got away with it a few years ago, it's unlikely they would now.

I called and was offered per-sin-fra-jfk on May 4(or was it 5th). Was told there is no availability on SAA in business which seems odd.

There are two things I want to point:

1, SQ Business award seat on SIN-FRA on 747 and FRA-JFK on 747 are very rare. You are very lucky if you find SQ C availability.

2, SAA is South African Airways(SA). Singapore Airlines(SQ) is SIA.

I do realize SAA is South African Airways. The standard route from Perth to JFK is using SAA.