Trying to be as creative as possible with award routing and looking for others with experience.... Are two (less than 24 hour layovers) allowed on routing JFK-LHR-(23.5 hr layover)-AMS-(14 hr layover)-CPT? I’ve found low miles available on each leg, but unsure if this should price as two one ways or one!?

You should be allowed up to 23:59 at EVERY change-of-planes point enroute on an int'l ticket. . . .

YEARS ago, on a cheapo fare - something like, $583 from CLE to NRT, I believe I did something like . . . .

CLE/CVG/ORD - 23 hours

ORD/DTW/LAX - 23 hours

LAX/NRT - destination for a few days

NRT/PDX - 20ish hours

PDX/SLC - 20ish hours

SLC/ATL/PIT

The whole thing priced out as one round trip!

However, beware that, due to married segment logic(or, more accurately illogic!), when you put the low miles segments together, it may cost you
more miles than you thought it would.

No such thing as a "layover". Those transfers between segments are either "connections" at <24 hours or "stopovers" at 24+ hours. So long as the itinerary can be ticketed, OP may have a <24 connection at every station.

To ARKANGEL's point, this does not mean that OP's ticket will ultimately be as cheap as he wishes.

Just out of curiosity, what happens if you book a 23:30 layover, then a schedule change comes along and moves it to > 24 hrs? Are you required to rebook on an earlier flight to keep it on a single ticket?

No. I've had it happen before, and the new schedule stays. The computer isn't THAT smart!

I didn't realize that the OP is talking about an award ticket.

Since Delta has eliminated free stopovers on award tickets, I have occasionally had trouble getting the system to price this kind of thing correctly, but, after a phone call or 2, the agents seem to be able to manipulate something to get it to work.

Good luck, and DO keep us posted as to how it works out!

If a carrier chose to audit schedule changes, it might deny the 24+ "connection, but once it's done an auto rebook, just leave it alone and it will stick.

I seem to recall that there is no 24 hr rule on award tix anymore.

I can't go digging now, but maybe someone else can confirm?


In the end though, for any of this, it's just going to come out as whatever the phone agent tells you, since there's no more award calendar, and it won't give you the middle legs as available for awards with the online tool.

The real question is - how many times should you HUCA before you give up, if they don't give you the answer you want?

Yes, and no . . . .

On any international ticket - it doesn't matter if it's a Delta ticket, or OAL - (I believe it's an IATA thing, but, surely, someone will correct me if I'm wrong) - you can stay at any valid connecting city up to 24 hours before there's a fare break.

True, that, DL does it segment by segment now, but, if you do, for example - -

JFK/AMS - 23 hours in AMS

AMS/PRG

It should price as one continuous fare from JFK to PRG, assuming that the same level of miles is available on both legs.

If you stay in AMS 25 hours, it'll price each leg individually and add up the cost in miles of both legs together.

Like I said upthread . . . . I do "less than 24 hour stopovers" all the time, and if I call, and the agent gives me additive pricing, as opposed to through pricing, I explain it to them, and they usually can figure out how to reprice it, somehow.

Lol... I know Dave.

In fact, right at this very moment I'm in Paris on a 23:55 minute layover from a flight that "arrived" at 7am today and I have to head to the airport at 5 for a 6:55 CDG-BUD.

(Lunch was delicious, thank you. )

I use them all the time too.

What I was talking about was specific to award tix and DL, but I can't find anything about it after having searched for a good solid 60 seconds.

Maybe I was just thinking of the elimination of Stopovers.

I guess my main point was, that, even though they publicized that no free stopovers would be permitted on award tix anymore, if you do "less than 24 hour connections" on int'l award tix, it'll <usually> still price out without a fare break.

I'm not really sure what the "delicious lunch" reference is?!?

UPDATE - After a few calls I was able to book at (what we assume is) low level biz tickets @ 95k miles. I also moved my routing a bit: BOS-LHR-(10 hrs)-AMS-(23.5 hrs)-CDG-JNB. The starting quote was 185k miles and become lower each call thereafter. Finally found the right person this morning.

There was also a mention of a "new system" that rolled out this morning that the agents had trained on a few months ago. Not sure if that plays into the "correct" pricing.

Thanks all!

Yay!

10 Hours at LHR might be a little tough, depending on what time it is.

That's a little scary!

THE reason to do a stopover in Paris, of course

Indeed, enhancements never seem to be good news.