China Airlines Award Ticket
Jun 8, 2019, 6:02 pm
#61
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 629
So I have a question. I am trying to go MNL-TPE-LAX-DCA on one award. I can find TPE-LAX-DCA on Delta.com. The method you outline would allow an agent to find MNL-TPE-LAX using the instructions giving, but can they add the DL flight LAX-DCA after they've successfully gotten MNL-LAX on CI?
Jun 8, 2019, 10:54 pm
#62
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,205
So I have a question. I am trying to go MNL-TPE-LAX-DCA on one award. I can find TPE-LAX-DCA on Delta.com. The method you outline would allow an agent to find MNL-TPE-LAX using the instructions giving, but can they add the DL flight LAX-DCA after they've successfully gotten MNL-LAX on CI?
I would suggest, if you are a PM or higher and can do free redeposits, to first price out and perhaps even ticket MNL-TPE-LAX. Then once that is secured see about adding LAX-DCA. But there is an issue with that also, as DL will look for NEW award inventory on MNL-TPE-LAX two flights, so if you got the last seat on those, you won't be able to change it, as DL now will not use your existing inventory and will always first book you a new ticket in current inventory (price) and then release the old inventory right after (same as revenue, ensuring that they don't miss an opportunity to charge you more, and to make flight changes practically impossible with airlines like KE which ever only release 1 O and 2 X seats).
Your best bet is probably to first ensure MNL-TPE-LAX works and prices out right, by having the rest agent to the step right before ticketing. When that is validated and good, instead of ticketing have the agent add on LAX-DCA and see what that does to the price. If it increases it too much, then book the two parts separately, as the moment any DL flight goes in, any human understand logic goes out of the window with award pricing. Hopefully it'll still price as a valid through fare then, but there is zero transparency to awards now the moment DL flights enter the equation.
I would book the TPE-LAX-DCA online and then call to add the MNL-TPE. I’ve done the reverse; ATL-LAX-TPE and then called to have the TPE-XXX segment added. As soon as an agent picks up, ask to be transferred to manual reissues. If you’re flying business class, you need OZ on the LAX-DCA segment, and OZ may only be available from TPE-LAX-DCA and not LAX-DCA by itself.
How it works now, the two existing segments will require new inventory (which may be higher priced than current as booked for the DL flight; remember, moment you do any change, you lose your current inventory and give it up), so IMO this is more risk, if the DL flight only has one OZ seat and not two, then this will not be possible. What I mean is, doing what you say is same as someone else buying TPE-LAX-DCA, and then you call to book MNL-TPE-LAX-DCA, as the existing inventory and price booked there is irrelevant, as the moment you do a change it is really a new booking, that will replace the old one that'll get canceled right as the new ticket is getting issued. It doesn't work how it used to that ticketing something has you hold that inventory and that still gets honored at time of change/reticket.
Last edited by RealHJ; Jun 8, 2019 at 11:00 pm
Jun 9, 2019, 1:20 am
#63
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 629
Possibly, but the moment you add in a DL flight, pricing can go totally out of whack. Basically, without DL flights, the pricing is normal standard pricing for valid routes on a through fare, as yours certainly is. Adding in the DL flight may double, triple to quadruple plus your cost.
I would suggest, if you are a PM or higher and can do free redeposits, to first price out and perhaps even ticket MNL-TPE-LAX. Then once that is secured see about adding LAX-DCA. But there is an issue with that also, as DL will look for NEW award inventory on MNL-TPE-LAX two flights, so if you got the last seat on those, you won't be able to change it, as DL now will not use your existing inventory and will always first book you a new ticket in current inventory (price) and then release the old inventory right after (same as revenue, ensuring that they don't miss an opportunity to charge you more, and to make flight changes practically impossible with airlines like KE which ever only release 1 O and 2 X seats).
Your best bet is probably to first ensure MNL-TPE-LAX works and prices out right, by having the rest agent to the step right before ticketing. When that is validated and good, instead of ticketing have the agent add on LAX-DCA and see what that does to the price. If it increases it too much, then book the two parts separately, as the moment any DL flight goes in, any human understand logic goes out of the window with award pricing. Hopefully it'll still price as a valid through fare then, but there is zero transparency to awards now the moment DL flights enter the equation.
When you did that, did you get a sympathetic agent just do an even exchange and after adding in the additional flight segment, have the fare calculation remain as it was to TPE only without even pricing in the TPE-destination segment and without doing a normal re-ticket as they are supposed to? If so, that was likely a one-off...
How it works now, the two existing segments will require new inventory (which may be higher priced than current as booked for the DL flight; remember, moment you do any change, you lose your current inventory and give it up), so IMO this is more risk, if the DL flight only has one OZ seat and not two, then this will not be possible. What I mean is, doing what you say is same as someone else buying TPE-LAX-DCA, and then you call to book MNL-TPE-LAX-DCA, as the existing inventory and price booked there is irrelevant, as the moment you do a change it is really a new booking, that will replace the old one that'll get canceled right as the new ticket is getting issued. It doesn't work how it used to that ticketing something has you hold that inventory and that still gets honored at time of change/reticket.
I would suggest, if you are a PM or higher and can do free redeposits, to first price out and perhaps even ticket MNL-TPE-LAX. Then once that is secured see about adding LAX-DCA. But there is an issue with that also, as DL will look for NEW award inventory on MNL-TPE-LAX two flights, so if you got the last seat on those, you won't be able to change it, as DL now will not use your existing inventory and will always first book you a new ticket in current inventory (price) and then release the old inventory right after (same as revenue, ensuring that they don't miss an opportunity to charge you more, and to make flight changes practically impossible with airlines like KE which ever only release 1 O and 2 X seats).
Your best bet is probably to first ensure MNL-TPE-LAX works and prices out right, by having the rest agent to the step right before ticketing. When that is validated and good, instead of ticketing have the agent add on LAX-DCA and see what that does to the price. If it increases it too much, then book the two parts separately, as the moment any DL flight goes in, any human understand logic goes out of the window with award pricing. Hopefully it'll still price as a valid through fare then, but there is zero transparency to awards now the moment DL flights enter the equation.
When you did that, did you get a sympathetic agent just do an even exchange and after adding in the additional flight segment, have the fare calculation remain as it was to TPE only without even pricing in the TPE-destination segment and without doing a normal re-ticket as they are supposed to? If so, that was likely a one-off...
How it works now, the two existing segments will require new inventory (which may be higher priced than current as booked for the DL flight; remember, moment you do any change, you lose your current inventory and give it up), so IMO this is more risk, if the DL flight only has one OZ seat and not two, then this will not be possible. What I mean is, doing what you say is same as someone else buying TPE-LAX-DCA, and then you call to book MNL-TPE-LAX-DCA, as the existing inventory and price booked there is irrelevant, as the moment you do a change it is really a new booking, that will replace the old one that'll get canceled right as the new ticket is getting issued. It doesn't work how it used to that ticketing something has you hold that inventory and that still gets honored at time of change/reticket.
Jun 9, 2019, 1:25 am
#64
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Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
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Possibly, but the moment you add in a DL flight, pricing can go totally out of whack. Basically, without DL flights, the pricing is normal standard pricing for valid routes on a through fare, as yours certainly is. Adding in the DL flight may double, triple to quadruple plus your cost.
I would suggest, if you are a PM or higher and can do free redeposits, to first price out and perhaps even ticket MNL-TPE-LAX. Then once that is secured see about adding LAX-DCA. But there is an issue with that also, as DL will look for NEW award inventory on MNL-TPE-LAX two flights, so if you got the last seat on those, you won't be able to change it, as DL now will not use your existing inventory and will always first book you a new ticket in current inventory (price) and then release the old inventory right after (same as revenue, ensuring that they don't miss an opportunity to charge you more, and to make flight changes practically impossible with airlines like KE which ever only release 1 O and 2 X seats).
Your best bet is probably to first ensure MNL-TPE-LAX works and prices out right, by having the rest agent to the step right before ticketing. When that is validated and good, instead of ticketing have the agent add on LAX-DCA and see what that does to the price. If it increases it too much, then book the two parts separately, as the moment any DL flight goes in, any human understand logic goes out of the window with award pricing. Hopefully it'll still price as a valid through fare then, but there is zero transparency to awards now the moment DL flights enter the equation.
When you did that, did you get a sympathetic agent just do an even exchange and after adding in the additional flight segment, have the fare calculation remain as it was to TPE only without even pricing in the TPE-destination segment and without doing a normal re-ticket as they are supposed to? If so, that was likely a one-off...
How it works now, the two existing segments will require new inventory (which may be higher priced than current as booked for the DL flight; remember, moment you do any change, you lose your current inventory and give it up), so IMO this is more risk, if the DL flight only has one OZ seat and not two, then this will not be possible. What I mean is, doing what you say is same as someone else buying TPE-LAX-DCA, and then you call to book MNL-TPE-LAX-DCA, as the existing inventory and price booked there is irrelevant, as the moment you do a change it is really a new booking, that will replace the old one that'll get canceled right as the new ticket is getting issued. It doesn't work how it used to that ticketing something has you hold that inventory and that still gets honored at time of change/reticket.
I would suggest, if you are a PM or higher and can do free redeposits, to first price out and perhaps even ticket MNL-TPE-LAX. Then once that is secured see about adding LAX-DCA. But there is an issue with that also, as DL will look for NEW award inventory on MNL-TPE-LAX two flights, so if you got the last seat on those, you won't be able to change it, as DL now will not use your existing inventory and will always first book you a new ticket in current inventory (price) and then release the old inventory right after (same as revenue, ensuring that they don't miss an opportunity to charge you more, and to make flight changes practically impossible with airlines like KE which ever only release 1 O and 2 X seats).
Your best bet is probably to first ensure MNL-TPE-LAX works and prices out right, by having the rest agent to the step right before ticketing. When that is validated and good, instead of ticketing have the agent add on LAX-DCA and see what that does to the price. If it increases it too much, then book the two parts separately, as the moment any DL flight goes in, any human understand logic goes out of the window with award pricing. Hopefully it'll still price as a valid through fare then, but there is zero transparency to awards now the moment DL flights enter the equation.
When you did that, did you get a sympathetic agent just do an even exchange and after adding in the additional flight segment, have the fare calculation remain as it was to TPE only without even pricing in the TPE-destination segment and without doing a normal re-ticket as they are supposed to? If so, that was likely a one-off...
How it works now, the two existing segments will require new inventory (which may be higher priced than current as booked for the DL flight; remember, moment you do any change, you lose your current inventory and give it up), so IMO this is more risk, if the DL flight only has one OZ seat and not two, then this will not be possible. What I mean is, doing what you say is same as someone else buying TPE-LAX-DCA, and then you call to book MNL-TPE-LAX-DCA, as the existing inventory and price booked there is irrelevant, as the moment you do a change it is really a new booking, that will replace the old one that'll get canceled right as the new ticket is getting issued. It doesn't work how it used to that ticketing something has you hold that inventory and that still gets honored at time of change/reticket.
Jun 9, 2019, 10:47 am
#65
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,205
Good to know though that you've had experience like this. That gives some hope.
Jun 10, 2019, 4:36 am
#66
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That's the way it should be. IME, though, how the dumbed down and buggy system works nowadays is that it always requires that, so say you book KE flights and want to change one flight, while leaving another as it is; you cannot as there is was ever only 1 O. Now, in the end global ticketing and/or manual reissue can make it work with the existing inventory, but it sure is like pulling teeth.
Good to know though that you've had experience like this. That gives some hope.
Good to know though that you've had experience like this. That gives some hope.
Jun 10, 2019, 7:55 pm
#67
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Arlington, VA USA
Posts: 670
Since what I'm looking for has DL and I have not status, I'm leaning towards using my stash of Lifemiles to travel on BR instead form MNL to TPE and buy a ticket LAX to IAD (I want an overnight in LAX both to break up the journey but also see a friend in Los Angeles). I was looking forward to flying CI, but the hassle isn't worth it. The big issue I face if even just booking TPE-LAX-DCA on Delta.com and then buying a ticket MNL to TPE is that CI is the most expensive carrier between MNL and TPE and if I fly anyone other than CI (like BR) I would have to clear customs at TPE and recheck my bag, which I'd rather not do. Plus, BR has three flights a day between TPE and LAX vs the one for CI (which oddly flies to Ontario of all places), so I can also have a longer overnight layover in LAX (~17 hours instead of ~12 hours) which I'd prefer.
Jun 10, 2019, 9:08 pm
#68
Join Date: Sep 2014
Programs: IHG Platinum
Posts: 629
Thanks to everyone for your advice.
Since what I'm looking for has DL and I have not status, I'm leaning towards using my stash of Lifemiles to travel on BR instead form MNL to TPE and buy a ticket LAX to IAD (I want an overnight in LAX both to break up the journey but also see a friend in Los Angeles). I was looking forward to flying CI, but the hassle isn't worth it. The big issue I face if even just booking TPE-LAX-DCA on Delta.com and then buying a ticket MNL to TPE is that CI is the most expensive carrier between MNL and TPE and if I fly anyone other than CI (like BR) I would have to clear customs at TPE and recheck my bag, which I'd rather not do. Plus, BR has three flights a day between TPE and LAX vs the one for CI (which oddly flies to Ontario of all places), so I can also have a longer overnight layover in LAX (~17 hours instead of ~12 hours) which I'd prefer.
Since what I'm looking for has DL and I have not status, I'm leaning towards using my stash of Lifemiles to travel on BR instead form MNL to TPE and buy a ticket LAX to IAD (I want an overnight in LAX both to break up the journey but also see a friend in Los Angeles). I was looking forward to flying CI, but the hassle isn't worth it. The big issue I face if even just booking TPE-LAX-DCA on Delta.com and then buying a ticket MNL to TPE is that CI is the most expensive carrier between MNL and TPE and if I fly anyone other than CI (like BR) I would have to clear customs at TPE and recheck my bag, which I'd rather not do. Plus, BR has three flights a day between TPE and LAX vs the one for CI (which oddly flies to Ontario of all places), so I can also have a longer overnight layover in LAX (~17 hours instead of ~12 hours) which I'd prefer.
Jun 11, 2019, 8:15 am
#69
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Thanks to everyone for your advice.
Since what I'm looking for has DL and I have not status, I'm leaning towards using my stash of Lifemiles to travel on BR instead form MNL to TPE and buy a ticket LAX to IAD (I want an overnight in LAX both to break up the journey but also see a friend in Los Angeles). I was looking forward to flying CI, but the hassle isn't worth it. The big issue I face if even just booking TPE-LAX-DCA on Delta.com and then buying a ticket MNL to TPE is that CI is the most expensive carrier between MNL and TPE and if I fly anyone other than CI (like BR) I would have to clear customs at TPE and recheck my bag, which I'd rather not do. Plus, BR has three flights a day between TPE and LAX vs the one for CI (which oddly flies to Ontario of all places), so I can also have a longer overnight layover in LAX (~17 hours instead of ~12 hours) which I'd prefer.
Since what I'm looking for has DL and I have not status, I'm leaning towards using my stash of Lifemiles to travel on BR instead form MNL to TPE and buy a ticket LAX to IAD (I want an overnight in LAX both to break up the journey but also see a friend in Los Angeles). I was looking forward to flying CI, but the hassle isn't worth it. The big issue I face if even just booking TPE-LAX-DCA on Delta.com and then buying a ticket MNL to TPE is that CI is the most expensive carrier between MNL and TPE and if I fly anyone other than CI (like BR) I would have to clear customs at TPE and recheck my bag, which I'd rather not do. Plus, BR has three flights a day between TPE and LAX vs the one for CI (which oddly flies to Ontario of all places), so I can also have a longer overnight layover in LAX (~17 hours instead of ~12 hours) which I'd prefer.
Jun 11, 2019, 1:16 pm
#70
Moderator: Hyatt; FlyerTalk Evangelist
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They've been trying to build that up as an alternative to LAX.
FT thread: China Airlines announces nonstop TPE- ONT (Ontario)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chines...Gabriel_Valley
FT thread: China Airlines announces nonstop TPE- ONT (Ontario)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chines...Gabriel_Valley
Jun 11, 2019, 5:05 pm
#71
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: West LA
Programs: DL DM
Posts: 957
They've been trying to build that up as an alternative to LAX.
FT thread: China Airlines announces nonstop TPE- ONT (Ontario)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chines...Gabriel_Valley
FT thread: China Airlines announces nonstop TPE- ONT (Ontario)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chines...Gabriel_Valley
Jun 12, 2019, 2:59 am
#72
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Just flew both going AMS-TPE-AKL. A350 has benefit of lower cabin altitude. Otherwise they're the same, except 777 has a mini J cabin behind the onboard bar. CI uses the same J seat.
Oct 7, 2019, 1:03 am
#74
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: San Francisco
Programs: DL
Posts: 466
I have had recent success booking TPE->SFO and then tacking on SIN-TPE after ticketing.
Oct 7, 2019, 1:05 am
#75
Join Date: Sep 2019
Posts: 8
Did you do this by calling? An agent told me if they can't see the routing originally they can't add the second flight if they book the initial TPE-> SFO/LAX. Might just have to try HUCA