Open jaw FF awards?
 

Which FF programs (if any) permit open jaw FF awards? I have miles with US, NW, CO, and DL. (Since this is not specific to one airline I am posting it here). I would like to do an open jaw ATL-SVO, PEK or CAN or HKG-ATL. Obviously, availability will be an issue, but is this even permitted in theory? If so, what are my chances of getting in practice?

CO allows it in theory and in practice.

DL allows it.

I've done open jaws on NW.

I just did large open jaw IND-SFO return BWI-IND on CO. Also have done IND-LGA return EWR-SFO on DL. UA and NW would not allow either of these (jaw too wide) while CO, AA and DL had no problem. UA and NW do allow some open jaws and I have done IND-SFO return LAS-IND. Do not know about US. Good luck.

I think most major airlines allow open-jawed FF awards. The general rule of thumb is that the distance between the two cities that make up the "open" part must be the shortest leg of the itinerary.
Also most airlines will allow you EITHER a stopover or an open jaw on the award.

While this is certainly the policy with DL and US, the creation of an open jaw ticket is solely with the agent's discretion. I flew one on US in 1995 that was DCA-GNV and then GNV to Seattle. That open part was pretty wide open!!

Then I have done some with DL where the open part is obviously the shortest part and had to have extended discussions to get it finalized.

My point. . . there are no computer program edits on this type of ticket.

no stopovers on CO/NW unless you use more miles. Have had one instance where CO allowed the "jaw" to be longer than another leg, but the exception.

I had some AS miles, and only TW would allow stopovers. Nogo on AA, CO or NW

Had one last year in ams on the way back from mad.
From nw site using wp miles. http://www.nwa.com/asia/en/freqfly/travel/index.shtml

US allows open jaws. But they don't fly to any of the places you've mentioned other tha ATL. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

UA allows "legal" open jaws on FF award tickets. Legal is defined as the unflown portion must be shorter than either of the flown portions.

Just double-checked with NW about their policy (since some of the posts had made me nervous about a trip I was planning)
In the continental 49 states stopovers are not permitted, while open jaws are.
Hawaii and outside of US, open jaws OR stopeovers are permitted (not both).

But their partners do... they use Northwest as a partner to Asia and several airlines to Europe. Unfortunately, NW is not a partner to Europe so an open jaw using US miles would have to be on, say, Swiss Air to SVO and then on NW coming back from Asia. Is that possible?

Most of my miles are on US and NW, so it would be nice if I could do this using one of them or their partners.

By the way, does an open jaw to Europe returning from Asia take the average of the number of miles each of those destinations would cost if r/t? I.e. on NW an off-peak coach ticket to Europe is 40,000 and to Asia is 50,000. Would the trip I am proposing then cost 45,000?

AA does allow stopovers on award tickets. At least, I always have been able to book them this way.

I recently did BOS-EYW
1 week stopover
EYW-SFO
1 month (destination city)
SFO-BOS

That was using a 40K domestic F award.