Help! backtracking issue with an award
Oct 16, 2013 | 8:40 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: YLW
Posts: 285
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 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.
Oct 16, 2013 | 8:45 pm
#2
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ *G; HH Diamond;
Posts: 1,675
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 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.
Oct 16, 2013 | 10:27 pm
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: ORD, HKG
Programs: UA*G, AA Emerald, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt globalist
Posts: 10,546
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.
Oct 16, 2013 | 10:28 pm
#5
Join Date: Apr 2012
Posts: 87
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.
Oct 16, 2013 | 11:12 pm
#7
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: YYZ
Posts: 1,677
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.
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.
Oct 16, 2013 | 11:42 pm
#8
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: OZ *G; HH Diamond;
Posts: 1,675
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.
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.
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?
Oct 17, 2013 | 8:35 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: YLW
Posts: 285
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.