Apr 23, 2013, 6:22 pm
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)
Dec 24, 2012, 7:53 pm
#451
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: ZRH, CGN
Programs: AA Gold, *G
Posts: 257
Are Stopovers Allowed on MileagePlus One-Way Awards?
Hi All,
I'm new to the United program and just wanted to ask if stopovers are permitted on one-way award travel.
My hunch is no, but perhaps some of you may have had different experiences.
Thanks!
I'm new to the United program and just wanted to ask if stopovers are permitted on one-way award travel.
My hunch is no, but perhaps some of you may have had different experiences.
Thanks!
Last edited by FlyinHawaiian; Dec 24, 2012 at 8:14 pm Reason: vague, non-descriptive thread title
Dec 24, 2012, 8:05 pm
#452
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: EWR-SEA-IAD
Programs: UA 1P MM, AS MVP G*, SPG Gold, Hyatt Plat, IHG Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 977
Officially no, BUT you can sometimes get the system to give it to you in some connecting cities along the way. Domestic stopover= greater than 4 hours. All up to the system
Dec 24, 2012, 8:41 pm
#453
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: ZRH, CGN
Programs: AA Gold, *G
Posts: 257
Thanks!
I'll see what the search engine gives me with different dates.
I'll see what the search engine gives me with different dates.
Dec 24, 2012, 9:09 pm
#454
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
Programs: UA Plat 1.997MM, Hyatt Discoverist, Marriott Plat/LT Gold, Hilton Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 66,867
On international trips, a less than 24 hour connection is not considered a stopover.
Dec 24, 2012, 9:27 pm
#455
Join Date: Jun 2004
Programs: UA-1K, AA-Gold, H GP-LIfeTime Diamond
Posts: 821
.bomb does not show this as an option, after finding separate HKG-BKK availability, just call in and request those flights and it should be just an one way award.
Dec 24, 2012, 10:46 pm
#456
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: MCI
Programs: Southwest A-List, AMC Stubs A-List, Chick-fil-A-List
Posts: 399
Does anyone have recent experience using coterminals on award routings? Specifically I am considering:
MCI-SFO
15 hour layover
SJC-NRT-ICN
ICN-NRT
stopover 5 days
NRT-SJC
8 hour layover
SFO-MCI
MCI-SFO
15 hour layover
SJC-NRT-ICN
ICN-NRT
stopover 5 days
NRT-SJC
8 hour layover
SFO-MCI
Dec 24, 2012, 11:49 pm
#457
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: ZRH, CGN
Programs: AA Gold, *G
Posts: 257
Does that mean that as long as I find availability, I can build in < 24 hr layovers on an international one way award?
Dec 25, 2012, 2:24 am
#458
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: A3 *G, AA exePlat, AS MVP 75k Gold, JL sapphire, UA silver
Posts: 4,035
Dec 25, 2012, 5:04 am
#459
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Dec 25, 2012, 5:53 am
#460
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,317
What you are saying is that one could fly LAX-SFO-LAX-NYC
Dec 25, 2012, 5:59 am
#461
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
No, I'm not. But if you paid extra for the stopover in SFO on that itinerary then, yes, that would actually be a valid routing.
There is no explicit rule prohibiting use of the same connection point more than once. The OP's itinerary of IAD-VNO, VNO-KTM, HKT-IAD shouldn't be a problem at all, even with using FRA in and out of VNO to make the trip work.
If you weren't allowed to transit a city more than once that would break pretty much every "spur" destination on the map.
You cannot fly out and back on a spur like that if you aren't actually stopping (either stopover or destination) - though I've had it booked that way once, knowing it was breaking the rules - but once there is a "fare break" at the spur point passing back through really isn't a problem.
There is no explicit rule prohibiting use of the same connection point more than once. The OP's itinerary of IAD-VNO, VNO-KTM, HKT-IAD shouldn't be a problem at all, even with using FRA in and out of VNO to make the trip work.
If you weren't allowed to transit a city more than once that would break pretty much every "spur" destination on the map.
You cannot fly out and back on a spur like that if you aren't actually stopping (either stopover or destination) - though I've had it booked that way once, knowing it was breaking the rules - but once there is a "fare break" at the spur point passing back through really isn't a problem.
Dec 25, 2012, 6:10 am
#462
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: body: A stone's throw from SFO, mind: SE Asia
Programs: Some of this 'n some of that
Posts: 17,263
I was recently ticketed BKK-xxx-BKK and decided, mid-trip, to add a segment and open jaw creating BKK-xxx-BKK-yyy. On three different calls it wasn't able to be ticketed because, 'you can't have an open jaw at your starting point.'
Being a quick trip I didn't have the leisure to work further on this but is there any reality to having my request denied?
Being a quick trip I didn't have the leisure to work further on this but is there any reality to having my request denied?
Dec 25, 2012, 6:19 am
#463
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,317
I tried YYZ-FRA-KRK(stop)-FRA-BKK + return, and noone could get it ticketed.
Had to give up and route thru an inconvenient route via VIE and IST with an overnight.
Dec 25, 2012, 6:26 am
#464
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: PSM
Posts: 69,232
Sorry you had trouble. I can only speak to my experiences but they were very different from yours.
Dec 25, 2012, 6:29 am
#465
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Chicago
Posts: 887
I was recently ticketed BKK-xxx-BKK and decided, mid-trip, to add a segment and open jaw creating BKK-xxx-BKK-yyy. On three different calls it wasn't able to be ticketed because, 'you can't have an open jaw at your starting point.'
Being a quick trip I didn't have the leisure to work further on this but is there any reality to having my request denied?
Being a quick trip I didn't have the leisure to work further on this but is there any reality to having my request denied?