frankiwa

I recently signed up for the 100,000 mile promo and am planning an Asia trip. Thinking of LAX-NRT-HKG-KLL (or BKK or SIN, instead of KLL for the last leg) and return flight of SIN-LAX. I am thinking of using either CX or JL metal for the route.

First, which airlines stopover rules apply? Is it, BA's rules since it is "their" award I am using? Or, if i redeem them to fly JL, do JL's stopover rules apply, instead of BA's rules?

Is it possible to do a stopover in NRT AND HKG on the way to KLL? Can i also do as many stopovers as i want on the way back if i decide to go SIN-NRT-LAX on the way back for another stopover at NRT?

I'd really like to exploit any stopover rules and see as many places as possible in Asia/SE Asia for a good month long trip.

HIDDY

BA rules and by the most direct routing as far as I know.

frankiwa

BA rules, interesting.

These are the only references i could find on the ba.com site in regards to stopovers:
13.8. There are no charges for stopovers included in an Award itinerary. Where stopovers are at connecting points on the most direct route between origin and destination.

Rules seem thin on their website. Seems like you can stopover at any place you want, along the route for as long as you want, so long as it is what they consider along the "most direct route".

How do you know if LAX-NRT-HKG-KLL is considered a most direct route?
If the airline offers NRT-KLL, does that consider NRT-HKG-KLL (stop in HKG) an indirect route? Hmmm.

HIDDY

You'll find out when you phone them.

Just make sure you stick to one partner or you'll get hammered for extra miles if you use two.

NA-Flyer

OT: what is that above promotion and how to sign up for it ?

globalste

ditto, never heard of it

Mr. Bean

for those with US residence

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/miles...hase-visa.html

it may be dead anyway, though

Happy

It is BA program and BA miles you are using, of course it is under BA program rules. You are redeeming BA miles on BAEC partner award and the rules of BA program governs any award you redeem using the currency of the program, that is BA miles.

I guess you mean KUL, Kuala Lumpur, right?

This route can only be flown on CX because JL does not fly HKG-KUL.

The "most direct route" generally means you dont backtrack, dont go way out of your way to reach the final destination. In that sense, NRT-HKG-KUL is most likely considered a most direct route with HKG as a stopover, allowed under BA rules.

Likewise, your return SIN-NRT-LAX can only be done on JL because CX does not fly SIN-NRT.

That is why I have been telling you to not just looking at Single Partner for a r/t award. You just need to stick with ONE partner on one direction. The route map is your friend.

Another thing to keep in mind, JL may not stay with OneWorld. If you are interested in redeeming awards on JL, you should follow the news on this front.

jbalmuth

To my knowledge all BAEC partner one-way awards allow a free enroute stopover, and you don't need to be terribly preoccupied regarding the definition of "most direct". BAEC recently issued us two F awards from NYC to ICN on CX via HKG. Looking at a map, the "most direct" route from NYC to Seoul probably doesn't go through HKG, but that issue never arose during the booking process.

Be aware that since no partner awards with stopovers can be booked online that you need to deal with BAEC via telephone (though you can in advance check point-to-pont availability on ba.com).

ime, some BAEC telephone reps are superb while some, presumably including the newest hires, are truly and utterly imcompetent. If you run into one of the latter, be polite, hang up, and call back. Common FT advise, but expecially important here as the U.S. BAEC really has more than their share of the latter level of agents answering the phone.... Forewarned is forearmed.

frankiwa

Ah, i see now. Only 1 metal airline to each one-way final destination will still qualify for the 1 partner airline award, though i could use 2 different airlines (1 for each direction). Brilliant^

Talk of JL leaving huh. That sucks.

Be aware that since no partner awards with stopovers can be booked online that you need to deal with BAEC via telephone (though you can in advance check point-to-pont availability on ba.com).

Very good to know as well. Their policy for stopovers says that their are no charges for each stopover, but i imagine they will probably charge a booking fee to call by phone to help book the logistics for a stopover.

al613

Within USA I did on BA miles AA metal:
LAX-SFO stopover SFO-ORD-DTW stopover DTW-LGA 12,5k miles $10 tax
MEM-ORd-MKE stopover MKE-ORD-DFW stopover DFW-LAS 12,5k miles $10 tax

Any idea what are the rules for this?

Happy

Exactly. You are booking 2 One-Way awards and they cost you the same miles as 1 round trip award.

frankiwa

I guess this means that (even on a Y award ticket) you are allowed to stopover at each and every connection point along the most direct route of your trip (even on partner airlines, so long as you use BA miles)?

I also wonder if there is a limit on the number of connecting flights allowed with these unlimited stopovers, using BA miles on partner airlines (on a fairly direct route)??

--
Edit: A search on this forum reveals conflicting info on the amount of stopover and connections allowed on BA single partner airline Y awards. Anyone know the final verdict from experience? --(I am referring to a single partner airline award and NOT the two or more oneworld airline award, in which the later is a distance based award).

al613

The rep told me there is no limit. if you can fly on a revenue ticket MEM-ORD-DFW-MIA, then you can fly on miles and do stopovers. I wanted MEM-ORD-MKE-DFW and they said it would not work.



What I say IS from experience. I don't have any other info (website just says stopovers permitted, nothing else)

frankiwa

I was REALLY hoping someone would verify this in the affirmative from their own recent experience^.

So if i could find a nice (full of connections, yet fairly direct) route to India from the U.S., then i can stop at quite a few places in Asia en route to India. Sorta turn this simple award ticket into a mini-halfway-RTW ticket.