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Rules for Open Jaw & Stopover Award Flights (Consolidated)

Old Apr 23, 2013, 6:22 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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:
  • 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
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Rules for Open Jaw & Stopover Award Flights (Consolidated)

Old Nov 20, 2013, 2:14 pm
  #2386  
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
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Stop-overs are not allowed on one-way awards. CDG-BKK in F on a TG A380 is awesome though
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 2:24 pm
  #2387  
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Originally Posted by orli-flier
I am trying to book a one way award from CDG to SYD with a stopover in BKK. When I called to book, agent said no. I have heard folks making 10 stops on one award, what am I missing? Thanks!
Exaggerate much? You are allowed zero stopovers on a one-way ticket, and one stop-over on a roundtrip (in addition to a stop-over at your destination).
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 2:31 pm
  #2388  
 
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Originally Posted by orli-flier
I am trying to book a one way award from CDG to SYD with a stopover in BKK. When I called to book, agent said no. I have heard folks making 10 stops on one award, what am I missing? Thanks!
I wonder whether you could book this as a round trip with an open jaw — CDG-BKK outbound, BKK-SYD return. It should price as a CDG-BKK flight plus a BKK-SYD flight, so anywhere from 80,000 miles to 140,000 miles (50k/62.5k/80k + 30k/45k/60k) depending on class of service on each segment. This would let you book a stopover, e.g. make your return BKK-SYD // stopover // SYD-AKL.
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 2:34 pm
  #2389  
 
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Originally Posted by mherdeg
I wonder whether you could book this as a round trip with an open jaw — CDG-BKK outbound, BKK-SYD return. It should price as a CDG-BKK flight plus a BKK-SYD flight, so anywhere from 80,000 miles to 140,000 miles (50k/62.5k/80k + 30k/45k/60k) depending on class of service on each segment. This would let you book a stopover, e.g. make your return BKK-SYD // stopover // SYD-AKL.
Except that the definition of an OJ is that it has to be the shortest of the 3 distances.
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 2:37 pm
  #2390  
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Originally Posted by crnk
Except that the definition of an OJ is that it has to be the shortest of the 3 distances.
So just call it two one-ways. It really doesn't matter. The point is that OP cannot get a stopover in BKK for the price of a one way CDG-SYD.
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 2:49 pm
  #2391  
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Originally Posted by orli-flier
I have heard folks making 10 stops on one award, what am I missing? Thanks!
UA used to allow multiple under 24 hour connections on a one way award but now thats pretty much being limited to 3 stops/4 flights. But based on the timing of the 2 flights, the longest one can go without going over 24 hours is Arrive 6:30AM on TG931 and depart 7:10PM on TG 475
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 2:56 pm
  #2392  
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Originally Posted by mherdeg
I wonder whether you could book this as a round trip with an open jaw — CDG-BKK outbound, BKK-SYD return. It should price as a CDG-BKK flight plus a BKK-SYD flight, so anywhere from 80,000 miles to 140,000 miles (50k/62.5k/80k + 30k/45k/60k) depending on class of service on each segment. This would let you book a stopover, e.g. make your return BKK-SYD // stopover // SYD-AKL.
You can book this as a roundtrip without an open-jaw.

CDG - BKK (stopover)
BKK - SYD
SYD - BKK (or other) - CDG

Or you could add an open jaw and go

CDG - BKK (stopover) BKK - SYD // AKL - BKK (or other) - CDG
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 3:38 pm
  #2393  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
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Originally Posted by orli-flier
I am trying to book a one way award from CDG to SYD with a stopover in BKK. When I called to book, agent said no. I have heard folks making 10 stops on one award, what am I missing? Thanks!
Stopovers aren't allowed on one-way flights.
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 3:51 pm
  #2394  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
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I'v been trying to rearrange a flight r/t flight I already booked, but am running into significant resistance. Essentially I've been told they are limiting R/T flights to 4 segments each way because people have been abusing the system and booking ridiculous numbers of segments. Is this now policy??
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 4:05 pm
  #2395  
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Originally Posted by exmike
I'v been trying to rearrange a flight r/t flight I already booked, but am running into significant resistance. Essentially I've been told they are limiting R/T flights to 4 segments each way because people have been abusing the system and booking ridiculous numbers of segments. Is this now policy??
What is your routing?

Whatever it is, your record has no-doubt been noted now...
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 4:15 pm
  #2396  
 
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Originally Posted by MatthewLAX
What is your routing?

Whatever it is, your record has no-doubt been noted now...
LAX-ICN-TPE destination, open jaw NRT-BKK-CDG stopover CDG-YUL-LAX

Tried to change last leg to CDG-IST-YUL-LAX a day later for five total segments on return flight
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 5:05 pm
  #2397  
 
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Originally Posted by exmike
LAX-ICN-TPE destination, open jaw NRT-BKK-CDG stopover CDG-YUL-LAX

Tried to change last leg to CDG-IST-YUL-LAX a day later for five total segments on return flight
I count 5 segments on the half of the RT one way, which should be allowed. I recently just booked a ticket with 5 segments each way, double open jaw and stopover. Just took some patience and asking the phone agent to book it--getting the right agent sure is a huge plus to a smooth redemption.
Note that mine was a NZ ticket and I am not sure if Asia has the same or potentially different restrictions.
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Old Nov 20, 2013, 5:32 pm
  #2398  
 
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Originally Posted by crnk
I count 5 segments on the half of the RT one way, which should be allowed. I recently just booked a ticket with 5 segments each way, double open jaw and stopover. Just took some patience and asking the phone agent to book it--getting the right agent sure is a huge plus to a smooth redemption.
Note that mine was a NZ ticket and I am not sure if Asia has the same or potentially different restrictions.
Yeah I specifically noted that it was five segments and he was firm about it being 4, and this is after I was sent to some US based help desk. sigh.
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Old Nov 21, 2013, 2:26 am
  #2399  
 
Join Date: Jul 2012
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Could a helpful chap tell me what this should price as: NRT-NAN (des)-NRT (s/o)-GUM. I'm hoping 40k TIA
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Old Nov 21, 2013, 4:54 am
  #2400  
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Originally Posted by crnk
I count 5 segments on the half of the RT one way, which should be allowed.
Originally Posted by exmike
Yeah I specifically noted that it was five segments and he was firm about it being 4, and this is after I was sent to some US based help desk. sigh.
The wiki should probably be updated. There are lots and lots of reports that UA has sent a memo implementing a four segment rule in each direction.
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