Miles redemption : what does "bactracking" involve ?
 

HELP !!
I read in article 5 (general rules DC) that "backtracking is not permitted bla bla bla. "

What does it mean ? Say I want to fly Paris (zone 1) to Maldives (zone 5). the only route ( I called them) is via Singapore on the days of travel. Does this mean I have to pay Zone 1 to Zone 5 , OR, because if "backtracking", do i have to pay Zone 1 (Paris) to Zone 7 ( SIN) + Zone 7 (SIN) to Maldives ( Zone 5 ) ????

A friend of mine called and a person at diamond club just told him to pay for "2" tickets becaus ehe was flying through another zone. He didn't seem to know but as he happened to be the supervisor, my colleague trusted him, even though this seems weird. So he cancelled my friend's booking.

What do you guys think ?? Is that the rule ? for me, it says the contrary in the BMI book. My colleague read the rule to the supervisor (his name is "JAMIE") quoting "backtracking is not permitted..... unless route restrictions prevent this". But the supervisor said "that's right, and then you have to add miles". So my colleague said "but it diosn't say you have to add miles" Jamie : " "yes but it doesnt say the contrary either"... etc.

What do specialists like you think about all this ?

Thanks !

Sorry to insist... maybe the answer is so obvious ? I'd appreciate any explanation you could provide.

For what I know in all other FF programs, when they talk about backtracking they mean flying back to the hub for instance to go to another destination. They don't ask you to pay more miles for this , as they woud for instance allow you "one backtrack".

If someone on FT could let us know about BD "bactracking" rule (for instance : flying from CDG to MLE via SIN), we would appreciate. Thanks again ! At DC, they say they are going to charge two flights : CDG to SIN + Sin to Male , and not a zone 1 to Zone 5 ? are they right to do this ? there's no other way to fly between the two on my dates...

Thanks ...

I recently booked a MLE reward flight... LHR-SIN-MLE, and back MLE-SIN-BKK-LHR.

Cost... same as LHR-MLE direct (if there had been one)... as this was the most direct routing available on *A.

The good thing is... you can stopover each way in SIN... (as it is outstide Europe, and is therefore not limited to the intra-EU stopover maximum of 24 hours)

Also, have previously travelled LHR-NRT-SYD... but as there is no direct NRT-SYD on *A, was able to route via SIN, which is backtracking, but permitted as it is the most direct routing available.

As far as the 'supervisors' interpretation goes... did he by any chance get through to the new Indian call centre?

This is NOT how DC in the UK have used it... just keep ringing back, until you get an agent that is aware of the correct rules.

No, we talked to a guy in the UK, his name is "JAMIE" and he claimed to be the supervisor "of the Diamond Club". really, if this guy is a supervisor and doesn't know a rule as simple as backtracking, then ... i don't know...

What do you guys think I should do ? once a booking is cancelled, how long does it "stay" in the system ? I mean, are they able to retrieve all details ( flights were "confirmed" on checkmytrip;com etc.) once it's been cancelled ? he canceled the bookings on monday afternoon.

Thanks for any suggestion ....

You can only stopover in SIN in each direction if you are a gold member.

Only 1 stopover is allowed for anything less than gold.

BMI class any period longer than 24 hours in any place in the world as a stopover, this is what I have always been told by them.

Dino

I just spoke to BMI to try and book an SQ award and was told the one stop-over thing as well (I am Gold tho). I just said to book me on two one-way tickets - same price, and get both stop-overs. Seems like a stupid rule to me if it is worked around that easily.

Oh, and the SQ connection is still down. Seems more like they are just discouraging us from booking with SQ ...

Regs,

- Simon

Hmm... just travelled on a LON-SYD-LON as a BD*S on a DC redemption, with a stopover in each direction, and a 22 hour transit on the way out as well.

I was the only person on the booking... so seems that there maybe some DC inconsistency here too if I managed to get it! The reward guide does not state that this is a BD*G benefit... and would find it difficult to believe that they are actually able to implement it, as bookings can be made over membership years etc.

Just booked London to Sinapore via Frankfurt on Lufthansa in Bus and First, then onto the on Maldives in SQ Bus - only paid miles + cash to Maldives = £170 + taxes + 25k miles one-way - excellent value (much better than BA miles)

- coming back on Gulf Air via Delhi using fare recently published on Mileage Run board so all in all a very very goood deal
;)