Award Question
 

An agent told me that I could use a OW award for the following iteniary: DFW-LAX-HKG-AKL-HKG-LAX-HNL-DFW. Distance would be measured by far point to far point (DFW TO AKL). This doesn't sound right.

It happens to be right for your proposed routing based on current schedules. The rule is distance is measured for each flight, which could include a landing but not a transit. If there is a single flight number that will shorten the distance. For example JFK-HKG is the distance, even though it goes JFK-YVR-HKG. You want to go DFW-LAX-HKG-AKL-HKG-LAX-HNL-DFW and every one of those sectors is a separate flight number, thus a separate mileage calculation. All you have to do is to talk AA into making LAX-HNL-DFW a single flight number, and you'd be all set (and spend only a few hours in HNL as a stopover is not allowed without increasing the mileage).

What I don't understand is that I was told I could have a stopover in Hong kong and Hawaii. The agent said, after checking with the reference department, that the total distance would be measured from DFW to AKL and return, even though I was stopping in Hong Kong and backtracking to Hawaii. This is a lot of flying for the OW award.

What mileage are you being charged for the OW award? AKL-DFW-AKL would be under 13,881 miles which falls into the 20K miles category while your actually routing is 33,471 miles ... I presume you are being charged the 35K award category.

Well, I havn't been charged yet, but was told it would be at the 20k category. This is why I questioned it. It doesn't sound right.