Help! backtracking issue with an award
 

The cornerstone of the itinerary is 2 seats in J on LH440 A380 service from IAH to FRA. However, we ultimately want to end up at LHR for a few nights. It's an 18th birthday gift to my son...ok, and maybe a bit to myself, too :)

This was my initial routing, which backtracks, so is invalid:

SEA-IAH-FRA-LHR STOP LHR-FRA-SEA

The only idea I can come up with after spending wayyy too much time putting together dates and flights that work is to drop the FRA-LHR-FRA segments and buy a return ticket so I'm simply flying SEA-IAH-FRA STOP FRA-SEA.

If anyone has any better suggestions, I would greatly appreciate some input.

TIA.

This sounds ok to me from either UA or US programs. Who is calling this backtracking?

Aeroplan!

It sounded to me like he ran an automated check in their system and it kicked it back due to the routing.

PMUA also may call this backtracking, I have encountered numerous backtracking routing problems during PMUA days, it is only the merger eliminate backtracking rules thanks to new UA using CO's system.

PMUA had notoriously MANY absurd award rules, other than no backtracking, it also has MPM rule, not to mention additional miles if you want to fly to Asia from US via TATL instead of TPAC.

Help! backtracking issue with an award
 

Try calling again and talking to another agent. I've seen flights from Canada to the UK routed through Germany on the aeroplan website, so I'd be surprised if this is above the max permitted miles on that route.

It turns out the old, "hang up and call back" method worked! The next agent was able to book it for me without issue.

Your issue is you're way over MPM for SEA-LHR. MPM5 is 6039. Your itinerary is 7513 miles.

Even SEA-IAH-FRA is over MPM. MPM5 is 6418. That's 7106.

Aeroplan doesn't care about backtracking in the traditional sense but you must be under MPM.

EDIT: Good job booking that! HUACA does work, but I'm surprised how you slipped that one by as MPM is typically strictly enforced.

LH's C fare for SEA-LHR has this listed in the allowed routing:
10. SEA-UA/LH/AC-HOU/DEN/CHI-UA/LH/AC-WAS/NYC/EWR/CLE/CHI-LH-
ZRH/VIE/SNN/PAR/MUC/MAN/LON/HAM/GVA/GLA/FRA/EDI/DUS/DUB/
BRU/BRS/BHX/BFS/BER/AMS-LH-LON

Does that count?

Oh so it is allowed in a published routing. Interesting!

What's more is I also snagged 2 J seats on the A380 IAH-FRA...having said that, the cost of YQ and taxes was outrageous since all award space on UA flights coming back, that I checked, are already booked up. With the exceptoion of SEA IAH, it's all LH metal - $$$. I'm still looking at other options.