Last edit by: WineCountryUA
Presented as Q&A format (Originally posted by Alex_B)
Q: What is a stopover?
A: A stopover on an international itinerary is any break in your air travel for more than 24 hours except at the destination.
Q: What is an open-jaw?
A: An open-jaw is where you travel by your own means (either land, sea or a separate air ticket) between two points in a journey.
Q: How many stopovers am I allowed on a roundtrip award?
A: One stopover, in addition to the destination, is permitted (an unlimited number of stops less than 24hours is allowable).
Q: How many open-jaws are allowed on a roundtrip award?
A: Two open-jaws are permitted. These must be at the stopover, destination or origin.
Q: Can I have a stopover or open-jaw on a one-way award?
A: No
Q: Can I have a open-jaw at both the stopover and destination?
A: Yes, plenty of posters have reported success in booking this
Q: Can I transit my destination multiple times (e.g. fly to JNB, fly to CPT and then return home via JNB)?
A: Yes, plenty of posters have reported success in booking this. You can only stop in your destination for > 24 hours once though.
Q: Can I cross both oceans?
A: Yes. The rule that prohibited crossing both oceans appears to have been removed from both MP and *A award rules. There are many many successful examples of people booking these itineraries.
Q: Is EWR-PVG transatlantic or transpacific?
A: US-East Asia/South East Asia is always transpacific no matter what geography might suggest.
Q: Do I pay more for a stopover or open-jaw?
A: Typically no additional mileage is required but additional taxes or fees are often payable (especially in UK with high Air Passenger Duty). Extra mileage will often be required if an open-jaw or stopover adds a higher cost region into the itinerary. Also awards wholly within CONUS, Canada and Alaska (formerly known as Series 0 awards) require additional mileage (10K miles) for a stopover of >4 hrs.
Q: What's this about a free one-way I can get on awards?
A: The concept of free one-ways is a misnomer and often confuses people, it is better to consider it a stopover in the city of origin. If you have a simple roundtrip award without a stopover, you can often create a stopover and open-jaw at your origin on the return leg to add an addition flight. E.g. I wish to book EWR-LHR (destination)-EWR which is a roundtrip US-Europe award. I could also book this as EWR-LHR (destination)-EWR (stopover)-SFO for the same mileage (and a few dollars of extra tax). The EWR segment would need to be within 330 days of booking and would be subject to the usual change fees.
Other notes:
Seeing your fare construction on an already booked award ticket:
In order to see your award fare construction to see where your stopovers and destination are, follow these steps.
Go to http://www.saudiairlines.com/
Then hit "Manage My Bookings" and select "E-Ticket"
Enter your UA ticket number (hint: 016 will go in the first box, and then everything else in the second box). Then your last name and hit "Retrieve My Booking". On the next page you'll see a line like this under "Fare Calculation":
CHI LH X/FRA LH ROM0.00CSM/YB52 /- FLR LH X/FRA LH X/DUS LH CHI UA SEA
This example is:
ORD-FRA-FCO
Open Jaw at Destination
FLR-FRA-DUS-ORD
Stopover at origin
ORD-SEA
Q: What is a stopover?
A: A stopover on an international itinerary is any break in your air travel for more than 24 hours except at the destination.
Q: What is an open-jaw?
A: An open-jaw is where you travel by your own means (either land, sea or a separate air ticket) between two points in a journey.
Q: How many stopovers am I allowed on a roundtrip award?
A: One stopover, in addition to the destination, is permitted (an unlimited number of stops less than 24hours is allowable).
Q: How many open-jaws are allowed on a roundtrip award?
A: Two open-jaws are permitted. These must be at the stopover, destination or origin.
Q: Can I have a stopover or open-jaw on a one-way award?
A: No
Q: Can I have a open-jaw at both the stopover and destination?
A: Yes, plenty of posters have reported success in booking this
Q: Can I transit my destination multiple times (e.g. fly to JNB, fly to CPT and then return home via JNB)?
A: Yes, plenty of posters have reported success in booking this. You can only stop in your destination for > 24 hours once though.
Q: Can I cross both oceans?
A: Yes. The rule that prohibited crossing both oceans appears to have been removed from both MP and *A award rules. There are many many successful examples of people booking these itineraries.
Q: Is EWR-PVG transatlantic or transpacific?
A: US-East Asia/South East Asia is always transpacific no matter what geography might suggest.
Q: Do I pay more for a stopover or open-jaw?
A: Typically no additional mileage is required but additional taxes or fees are often payable (especially in UK with high Air Passenger Duty). Extra mileage will often be required if an open-jaw or stopover adds a higher cost region into the itinerary. Also awards wholly within CONUS, Canada and Alaska (formerly known as Series 0 awards) require additional mileage (10K miles) for a stopover of >4 hrs.
Q: What's this about a free one-way I can get on awards?
A: The concept of free one-ways is a misnomer and often confuses people, it is better to consider it a stopover in the city of origin. If you have a simple roundtrip award without a stopover, you can often create a stopover and open-jaw at your origin on the return leg to add an addition flight. E.g. I wish to book EWR-LHR (destination)-EWR which is a roundtrip US-Europe award. I could also book this as EWR-LHR (destination)-EWR (stopover)-SFO for the same mileage (and a few dollars of extra tax). The EWR segment would need to be within 330 days of booking and would be subject to the usual change fees.
Other notes:
- The open-jaw portion must be smaller (in miles) than any other leg. -While technically true for revenue fare construction this is not strictly enforced on awards.
- For awards between CONUS/Canada/Alaska and South Asia award regions the maximum number of segments is 5 segments each way on a round-trip and 4 segments on a one-way. (Note that many FTers report recently being read a memo that imposes an eight segment maximum on a roundtrip (4 each way). It is unclear whether this eight-segment maximum is limited to South Asia routings through Europe or North Asia, or has broader application.)
- Stopovers and open-jaws are NOT additive. You do not get extra stops included in your itinerary simply by making an open-jaw out of it.
Seeing your fare construction on an already booked award ticket:
In order to see your award fare construction to see where your stopovers and destination are, follow these steps.
Go to http://www.saudiairlines.com/
Then hit "Manage My Bookings" and select "E-Ticket"
Enter your UA ticket number (hint: 016 will go in the first box, and then everything else in the second box). Then your last name and hit "Retrieve My Booking". On the next page you'll see a line like this under "Fare Calculation":
CHI LH X/FRA LH ROM0.00CSM/YB52 /- FLR LH X/FRA LH X/DUS LH CHI UA SEA
This example is:
ORD-FRA-FCO
Open Jaw at Destination
FLR-FRA-DUS-ORD
Stopover at origin
ORD-SEA
Rules for Open Jaw & Stopover Award Flights (Consolidated)
#1651
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: UA Primier Gold, DL nada, HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 186
is this a correct example of an open jaw at origination?
KGL-BKK (dest)
BKK-ZRH (stopover)-JAX
I tried last night to change a ticket previously booked
JAX-HKT
BKK-ZRH (stopover)-JAX
and the agent informed me that to change my origin to KGL I would have to book 2 one ways and she couldn't otherwise price the award.
I have great flights in F from Bkk and an event in ZRH on a fixed date. I'd love to try to find a way to incorporate an unexpected need to go to KGL into this trip to Thailand and was able to find a different flight to KGL. Is there a way to salvage this roundtrip I've already booked or do I have to turn this into 3 oneways (and lose my stopover opportunity) to use awards for these trips? Thanks for any advice.
KGL-BKK (dest)
BKK-ZRH (stopover)-JAX
I tried last night to change a ticket previously booked
JAX-HKT
BKK-ZRH (stopover)-JAX
and the agent informed me that to change my origin to KGL I would have to book 2 one ways and she couldn't otherwise price the award.
I have great flights in F from Bkk and an event in ZRH on a fixed date. I'd love to try to find a way to incorporate an unexpected need to go to KGL into this trip to Thailand and was able to find a different flight to KGL. Is there a way to salvage this roundtrip I've already booked or do I have to turn this into 3 oneways (and lose my stopover opportunity) to use awards for these trips? Thanks for any advice.
#1652
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: UA S, Marriott P
Posts: 1,154
According to gcmap you would be going backwards for phl-add-cmn at 10452 miles over Atlantic.
I dont think you can go backwards like that. And you want to continue going East - i dont think it will qualify as OJ.
Your destination is SIN so all you have is one-way PHL-SIN, no OJ or SO allowed.
#1653
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, UA Nobody, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,372
according to KVS MPM for PHL-CMN is 4437 via Atlantic and 14032 via Pacific.
According to gcmap you would be going backwards for phl-add-cmn at 10452 miles over Atlantic.
I dont think you can go backwards like that. And you want to continue going East - i dont think it will qualify as OJ.
Your destination is SIN so all you have is one-way PHL-SIN, no OJ or SO allowed.
According to gcmap you would be going backwards for phl-add-cmn at 10452 miles over Atlantic.
I dont think you can go backwards like that. And you want to continue going East - i dont think it will qualify as OJ.
Your destination is SIN so all you have is one-way PHL-SIN, no OJ or SO allowed.
is this a correct example of an open jaw at origination?
KGL-BKK (dest)
BKK-ZRH (stopover)-JAX
I tried last night to change a ticket previously booked
JAX-HKT
BKK-ZRH (stopover)-JAX
and the agent informed me that to change my origin to KGL I would have to book 2 one ways and she couldn't otherwise price the award.
I have great flights in F from Bkk and an event in ZRH on a fixed date. I'd love to try to find a way to incorporate an unexpected need to go to KGL into this trip to Thailand and was able to find a different flight to KGL. Is there a way to salvage this roundtrip I've already booked or do I have to turn this into 3 oneways (and lose my stopover opportunity) to use awards for these trips? Thanks for any advice.
KGL-BKK (dest)
BKK-ZRH (stopover)-JAX
I tried last night to change a ticket previously booked
JAX-HKT
BKK-ZRH (stopover)-JAX
and the agent informed me that to change my origin to KGL I would have to book 2 one ways and she couldn't otherwise price the award.
I have great flights in F from Bkk and an event in ZRH on a fixed date. I'd love to try to find a way to incorporate an unexpected need to go to KGL into this trip to Thailand and was able to find a different flight to KGL. Is there a way to salvage this roundtrip I've already booked or do I have to turn this into 3 oneways (and lose my stopover opportunity) to use awards for these trips? Thanks for any advice.
Last edited by alex_b; Jul 11, 2013 at 11:30 am Reason: Misread airport code initially.
#1654
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: UA Primier Gold, DL nada, HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 186
Thanks. She said that because I was changing regions for my origin that it was no longer roundtrip. The example on the rules is Newark-Paris/London-DC or something like that where both of the cities are in the same region. Is it a problem that I'm trying to route an open jaw at origin roundtrip Africa-Asia/Asia-USA? I can't find it excluded in the rules.
#1655
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, UA Nobody, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,372
Thanks. She said that because I was changing regions for my origin that it was no longer roundtrip. The example on the rules is Newark-Paris/London-DC or something like that where both of the cities are in the same region. Is it a problem that I'm trying to route an open jaw at origin roundtrip Africa-Asia/Asia-USA? I can't find it excluded in the rules.
#1656
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: DL; MileagePlus; other airlines
Posts: 150
Booking award trip from NY to Berlin with a stopover
I know that some international award trips allow you to have a stop over with the reservation. How do I build my itinerary to book such an award? Trying to go from NYC to Berlin through CDG, I know it's possible through united, just don't know how to build the itinerary.
#1657
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Kitchener, ON, Canada
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 1,266
Reward Itinerary Question - adding open jaw/stopover
Hey folks.
I have already booked a trip to Walvis Bay, Namibia this October, mostly on South African to JNB out of JFK. Currently, its scheduled as:
YYZ - LGA
JFK - JNB
JNB - WVB.
I would like to change that trip to go to Windhoek, Namibia instead... and then, just to mess with everyone... in a perfect world, I'd like a 3-4 day stopover in Johannesburg on the way back, and then a 4 day stopover in London, England.
I think United allows an open jaw and a stopover, correct? No chance of two stopovers?
In a perfect world, I'd like to do:
YYZ - LGA
JFK - JNB
JNB - WDH
open jaw
WVB - JNB
stopover
JNB - LHR
stopover
LHR - YYZ
but I realize that itinerary probably breaks all sorts of rules. So - what if I change the reward to WDH (and pay a small change fee as a 1P)... and did:
YYZ - LGA
JFK - JNB
JNB - WDH
(open jaw, with a revenue ticket to JNB)
JNB - LHR
stopover
LHR - YYZ
Is that my best bet?
I have already booked a trip to Walvis Bay, Namibia this October, mostly on South African to JNB out of JFK. Currently, its scheduled as:
YYZ - LGA
JFK - JNB
JNB - WVB.
I would like to change that trip to go to Windhoek, Namibia instead... and then, just to mess with everyone... in a perfect world, I'd like a 3-4 day stopover in Johannesburg on the way back, and then a 4 day stopover in London, England.
I think United allows an open jaw and a stopover, correct? No chance of two stopovers?
In a perfect world, I'd like to do:
YYZ - LGA
JFK - JNB
JNB - WDH
open jaw
WVB - JNB
stopover
JNB - LHR
stopover
LHR - YYZ
but I realize that itinerary probably breaks all sorts of rules. So - what if I change the reward to WDH (and pay a small change fee as a 1P)... and did:
YYZ - LGA
JFK - JNB
JNB - WDH
(open jaw, with a revenue ticket to JNB)
JNB - LHR
stopover
LHR - YYZ
Is that my best bet?
#1658
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, UA Nobody, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,372
This seems like your best bet and should work. Bear in mind that if you're in a premium cabin the additional taxes for stopping in London are likely to be high.
#1659
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,740
Shouldn't the distance of OJ needs to be the shortest distance of the 3? In this case it probably is not.
#1661
Join Date: Apr 2010
Programs: UA Primier Gold, DL nada, HHonors Gold, IHG Platinum
Posts: 186
"You cannot open jaw from Africa to the United States" was the response when I tried calling in today. She spent some time and put me on hold and said by changing my flights from
JAX-HKT
Bkk-zrh-STOPOVER-ZRH(via IAD)-JAX
to
KGL-BKK
Bkk-ZRH-STOPOVER-ZRH(via IAD)-JAX
I was asking her to make me a one way trip from KGL to IAD with 2 stopovers.
Is there a best time of day to try again or am I out of luck? Anyone see any other "creative" options that I should consider? I have another award JAX-ADD-KGL purchased to get to KGL if I can change this flight.
Otherwise, I could leave 8/15. Need to go to KGL for 2 days, need to be in ZRH on 8/29, return to US by 9/4 and would still like to go to Koh Samui 8/23-8/26 if possible. I think that unfortunately the unexpected work may cause us to have to dump our vacation to Thailand and perhaps look for some diversion in Africa or Europe instead. If that is the case, as UA Gold I could still completely change my trip and keep the same confirmation number and just pay the "change origin/destination" $25 right rather than have to redeposit and start over for $100/ticket? Thanks for your help!
JAX-HKT
Bkk-zrh-STOPOVER-ZRH(via IAD)-JAX
to
KGL-BKK
Bkk-ZRH-STOPOVER-ZRH(via IAD)-JAX
I was asking her to make me a one way trip from KGL to IAD with 2 stopovers.
Is there a best time of day to try again or am I out of luck? Anyone see any other "creative" options that I should consider? I have another award JAX-ADD-KGL purchased to get to KGL if I can change this flight.
Otherwise, I could leave 8/15. Need to go to KGL for 2 days, need to be in ZRH on 8/29, return to US by 9/4 and would still like to go to Koh Samui 8/23-8/26 if possible. I think that unfortunately the unexpected work may cause us to have to dump our vacation to Thailand and perhaps look for some diversion in Africa or Europe instead. If that is the case, as UA Gold I could still completely change my trip and keep the same confirmation number and just pay the "change origin/destination" $25 right rather than have to redeposit and start over for $100/ticket? Thanks for your help!
#1662
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: EWR
Programs: Cattle Class
Posts: 556
Hi,
How should I ticket this?
NYC-DUB (stop>24)- VNO- (stop > 24) - LHR (stop>24) - NYC
NYC DUB is in Y saver, couldn't find Buz saver, rest is in Buz saver.
How should this one get ticketed?
Im guessing roundtrip (NYC-DUB-VNO / LHR-NYC) + one way within europe(VNO-LHR).
Is that correct? Don't want to spend too many miles.
How should I ticket this?
NYC-DUB (stop>24)- VNO- (stop > 24) - LHR (stop>24) - NYC
NYC DUB is in Y saver, couldn't find Buz saver, rest is in Buz saver.
How should this one get ticketed?
Im guessing roundtrip (NYC-DUB-VNO / LHR-NYC) + one way within europe(VNO-LHR).
Is that correct? Don't want to spend too many miles.
#1663
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: UA S, Marriott P
Posts: 1,154
Hi,
How should I ticket this?
NYC-DUB (stop>24)- VNO- (stop > 24) - LHR (stop>24) - NYC
NYC DUB is in Y saver, couldn't find Buz saver, rest is in Buz saver.
How should this one get ticketed?
Im guessing roundtrip (NYC-DUB-VNO / LHR-NYC) + one way within europe(VNO-LHR).
Is that correct? Don't want to spend too many miles.
How should I ticket this?
NYC-DUB (stop>24)- VNO- (stop > 24) - LHR (stop>24) - NYC
NYC DUB is in Y saver, couldn't find Buz saver, rest is in Buz saver.
How should this one get ticketed?
Im guessing roundtrip (NYC-DUB-VNO / LHR-NYC) + one way within europe(VNO-LHR).
Is that correct? Don't want to spend too many miles.
Did you mean that all your stops are less or more than 24h, in which case they are StopOvers
Your destination is VNO, without SO you can do nyc-dub-vno / vno-lhr-nyc
#1664
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: EWR
Programs: Cattle Class
Posts: 556
no, full trip
EWR-YYZ-DUB(5 days)-FRA-CPH-VNO(20 days)-CPH-LHR(5 days)-DUS-EWR
rest of the connections are regular ones (<24 hours)
EWR-DUB in Y
DUB-VNO in J
VNO-LHR in J
LHR-DUS in J
#1665
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: UA S, Marriott P
Posts: 1,154
EWR-DUB-(StopOver)-VNO
(OpenJaw) LHR-EWR
but you will pay extra in taxes for LHR, unless you can get around it by not flying J into/out it.