thanks, i completely understand that. if it shows available today, I would hope that it should be available for next 2 weeks too. hopefully it works out.

You should probably have a back up itinerary, especially as you need so many seats and are unwilling to separate them. I've had availability change while I was clicking on flights using the Multi-Segment tool (so about 5 minutes), and that was for ONE seat. Some of the flights you're looking at may only have 6 award seats available, and if someone else books two of them you're out of luck. Two weeks is a looooong time in terms of award availability.

Finally reached an agent who could/would find what I was looking for. Okay, I have two verrrry long layovers, some hefty taxes, and the SFO-SLC segment is in coach, but I got my low-tier, peak-season award: SFO-CDG (4-day stopover)-NBO-SFO.

Many, many thanks for the information and advice. This Kettle is going to Kenya! :D

Before I even attempt this I want to see if people think this is possible to redeem with low level partner awards. Does this qualify as a valid open jaw?

JFK-PVG-DPS on MU

SIN-CDG/AMS-JFK on AF/KL

Need some help with:

LAX-LIS (with stopover in LHR) - around 12/13/11 - 12/17/11
CDG - LAX - 1/10/12

It appears that the AF business class does not fully-flat beds (at least the A330 that delta is showing biz award seas as available), so I'd prefer to fly Delta.

Can I get away with only paying 100,000 for this trip? One stopover and one open jaw right?

Thanks in advance!

How many travelers?

With your flexibility the outbound is not too difficult, although you have some interesting connection times:

12/14: LAX-ATL-LHROR: LAX-SLC-ATL-LHRLHR to LIS should be available pretty much anytime on KL or AF. Use the AF or Flying Blue website. If a "Classic Award" is available you can book it.

Availability is not great on the return. AF or KLM would be better - their planes are much better than the 767-300 that DL flies, but Delta is the only option on the 10th. If you can delay until the 12th both the direct CDG-LAX flights on AF have availability. Otherwise:

1/10: CDG-ATL-LAXSearch for One-Ways, write down the ones that price at the "low" level, then use the multi-segment tool.

Thanks for the tip on flying back on Jan 12 on AF. I just reread the rules on delta.com and it says that stopovers are allowed, as are open-jaws, but an open-jaw also counts as as stop-over? So I can't stopover in LHR, fly to LIS (open segment), CDG to LAX then?

I have found some good flights with 100,000 (flying into LHR, out of CDG) - now i'm just getting greedy, trying to make sure that I have fully-flat bed on the outbound. :P Thanks for the tips, I think I'm finally getting the hang of it.

Hahaha! Well, keep in mind the flat bed on the outbound is going to cost you a lot in taxes. DL only consistently has the flat bed (as of now) on the LHR route, and you pay EXORBITANT fees to depart LHR.

Honestly, for the return flight the flat beds aren't an advantage - I take the AF CDG-LAX pretty frequently, and although it's a long flight the chairs are super comfy, and fine for napping, which is really all you want to do on the westbound flights. That way when you arrive at LAX at 5pm (and then deal with immigration, luggage, and traffic) you can have dinner and an early bedtime - no jetlag!

I'm not sure about the open-jaw/stopover rules - I *think* you're allowed one of each, although you're right, the rules don't seem to say that. Your bigger problem might be the max of 8 segments.

Yikes! I hope you have those on hold - I can't get them to come up anymore on those dates!

I don't think the open jaw is the challenge, the Maximum Permitted Mileage is the potential problem. Hopefully someone will chime in who has successfully done something similar successfully.

I took MPM in consideration when planning this.

When I try to book SIN-JFK, they want to route me through NRT which is only 233 miles shorter than routing through CDG and only 110 miles shorter than routing through AMS. Both options come in well under the 5% allowed difference from MPM operating under the assumption that routing through NRT is exactly equal to the MPM. If anything, the TATL MPM would be higher than the TPAC MPM for this route.

The engine dies when I try to search for DPS so I don't know how they would route it. Presumably since DL doesn't fly there, it'd have to be through a partner. The only partner flights are:
- KL via either SIN or AMS
- SU via SVO (subject to seasonal availability)
- KE via ICN
- MU via PVG

Of those options, routing through ICN and PVG are by far and away the shortest (ICN is shorter than PVG by 2 miles!). I know KE has annoying blackout dates which is why I thought about MU. But hey, on wednesday, the shortest routing with a partner will be via TPE on CI. We can all try to figure out how to book a CI award :p

Delta fare rules SIN-JFK call for a TPAC routing irrespective of MPM. That's (fairly?) typical of USA-Asia trips although exceptions have been cited.

An RTW award might serve you.

Yeah sorry, i meant for the LAX to Europe segment (it would be nice to have a lie-flat). I just flew back from CDG in AA biz and it was not a fully lie-flat but i stayed awake the entire time as the flight started at noon so it was not like i needed it.

Anyway, ended up taking the AF LAX-CDG-LIS, CDG-LAX. Nice to not have a connection in the U.S. to worry about. The last time in, passport control took AGES (they should have a line for citizens only (and not citizens & permanent residents)

Thanks again for all the tips here! Flyertalk always comes through!

Yes, no problem booking both an open jaw and a stopover on an award ticket (at least an international one).

I've seen reports of people getting US-India TPAC on award tickets, despite the DL routing rules requiring TATL routing. It seems the trick is that you have to be 100% on partner metal and the operating carrier needs to publish a fare with the routing you want. Getting back from SIN to JFK on AF/KL should be feasible then. However, DL.dumb is unlikely to be able to do it.