I have spent the last couple of hours on the phone to UA about this award. unfortunately, I need to buy about 7000 miles to book, so when I got the OK out of the first (and second) agents, i couldn't get a booking - now, when I call back, they say it is invalid...:

BSL-FRA-SIN-CMB return, with a stop in SIN.

this isn't showing up as a route in their system - however, if I drop the BSL and leave from FRA, it soes show up as a valid route.

The last two agents, however, have claimed that FRA-SIN-CMB is over miles allowed - but it seems to be the only way to CMB (except for DE, but I'm ignoring them for the moment).

Object of exercise is to get to CMB and stop in SIN where i can buy a cheap hop to MEL, thereby getting a really cheap pseudo-RTW out of this.

I'm not sure why you're hearing that this isn't a valid route. Looking at the StarAlliance Electronic Timetable I see various flights that take the route you described. Below is a sample return itinerary that I pulled from the timetable. If it's published in the StarAlliance Timetable it's valid.

As to the issue of CMB being over the miles allowed, I'm not familiar with this rule. Maybe someone else can address this.

22 NOV 05 Fly BSL to CMB
=========== Multipart 3 Flight Segments
----------- Part 1: ------------------------------------
LH 3815 Dep: BSL 6:25 PM Arr: FRA 7:30 PM
----------- Part 2: ------------------------------------
LH 776 Dep: FRA 10:35PM Arr: SIN 5:15 PM
----------- Part 3: ------------------------------------
SQ 468 Dep: SIN 10:45PM Arr: CMB 0:30 AM


30 NOV 05 Fly CMB to BSL
=========== Multipart 3 Flight Segments
----------- Part 1: ------------------------------------
SQ 469 Dep: CMB 1:45 AM Arr: SIN 7:40 AM
----------- Part 2: ------------------------------------
SQ 326 Dep: SIN 2:35 PM Arr: FRA 8:45 PM
----------- Part 3: ------------------------------------
LH 3816 Dep: FRA 9:50 PM Arr: BSL 10:35PM

Sounds like UA has a problem with the double connect for some reason or other. It seems about the most direct Star routing to CMB from BSL (another option might be BSL-VIE-SIN on LX/OS). I think that should go to a sup or something. Yes, the milage may be over and it is a fairly long routing, but there aren't any better options that I know of available as a Star award using UA miles - so what do they expect you to do?

Note DE isnt an option as Condor is not a *A member.

Try routing through VIE with OS. They fly VIE-CMB nonstop twice per week. You can use that as your stopover en-route to turnaround in SIN, if I'm reading the original post correctly.
BSL-x/VIE-CMB-SIN-x/FRA or VIE-BSL - or vice-versa if you want to do SIN before CMB. On the return OS fly CMB-MLE before heading back to VIE though. First option should be direct routing and also well within mileage.

thanx to all. i called up UA 'til i got an agent willing to make the booking (had an INFURIATING conversation with a US 'team leader' in the interim, which i don't wish to have to recall...)

ok. so, i managed to get it sorted (a bit cheekily, i'll have you know... ticketed now though.)

UA 60k award, BSL - MAA:

BSL - FRA - SIN (7 day stopover) - MAA - xFRA - BSL

this is considerably better than the 70k award i was looking at for BSL - CMB. and from SIN i have a 450 EURO flight SIN - MEL - SIN, and from MAA i have a 150-odd EUR MAA - CMB - MAA

so, i have my visit home, my india holiday, my singapore business stopover, my evening in frankfurt and my colombo wedding for about EUR 600 + 60k miles.

the moral of the story? call the Drecksau (see: dict.leo.org and put it in the plural) till you get one that will book it for you.



efato