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)
#721
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Miami, FL
Programs: UA 1MM, AA Plat, Marriott LT Titanium, Hyatt Glob, IHG ♢ Amb, Hilton ♢, Hertz Pres
Posts: 6,016
I have a question about my award ticket, not sure this is the right thread, so sorry if I a posting here incorrectly. But in case it is,
I have booked a roundtrip business class award tickets from LAX to BKK. The first part of the ticket is already used (I am in Thailand now). I want to extend my trip and now change the return to leave back from Sydney Australia returning to LAX and I would be flying economy class (since they don't have business avail). I believe this is considered an open jaw, thus my post here.
1- can I do this? I don't mind if there is a change fee, I assume there will be.
2- will they redeposit the 20,000 miles difference that I didn't need, or do I lose this?
3- one other weird question, if I ended up just buying a ticket home from Sydney, I would lose the 2nd part of my ticket and the 60,000 miles I used, correct? There is no way to save them at this point, right?
Thanks much!
I have booked a roundtrip business class award tickets from LAX to BKK. The first part of the ticket is already used (I am in Thailand now). I want to extend my trip and now change the return to leave back from Sydney Australia returning to LAX and I would be flying economy class (since they don't have business avail). I believe this is considered an open jaw, thus my post here.
1- can I do this? I don't mind if there is a change fee, I assume there will be.
2- will they redeposit the 20,000 miles difference that I didn't need, or do I lose this?
3- one other weird question, if I ended up just buying a ticket home from Sydney, I would lose the 2nd part of my ticket and the 60,000 miles I used, correct? There is no way to save them at this point, right?
Thanks much!
#722
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: MDT
Programs: UA 1MM
Posts: 280
I'm holding a United reservation right now but I can't add the free domestic leg after the trip, and I can't figure out why not. The rep added it in but it's pricing it as a roundtrip with 1 open jaw and 1 stopover, and an additional 1 segment one way (the leg I thought would be consider the 2nd open jaw).
ATL-HKG (stopover)
HKG-MEL (1st open jaw)
SYD-ATL
ATL-SEA (3 months later) (2nd open jaw?) - not being counted as an open jaw
Total: 160k miles + 25k miles for first class one way for ATL-SEA? What am I doing wrong?
ATL-HKG (stopover)
HKG-MEL (1st open jaw)
SYD-ATL
ATL-SEA (3 months later) (2nd open jaw?) - not being counted as an open jaw
Total: 160k miles + 25k miles for first class one way for ATL-SEA? What am I doing wrong?
#723
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 6
I am not sure this is true. I was able to get to the reservation screen on united.com with the following routing (I have left some of the normal layovers out, not sure if I need to list those).
BOS -> PMI
Open Jaw
BCN -> BOS
Stopover
BOS -> YYZ
When I try to book this, most of the BCN -> BOS options that are available go away when I tack on YYZ. Do I just need to call to be able to book this? Any explanation why the BCN -> BOS options would become limited?
BOS -> PMI
Open Jaw
BCN -> BOS
Stopover
BOS -> YYZ
When I try to book this, most of the BCN -> BOS options that are available go away when I tack on YYZ. Do I just need to call to be able to book this? Any explanation why the BCN -> BOS options would become limited?
#724
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, UA Nobody, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,372
I'm holding a United reservation right now but I can't add the free domestic leg after the trip, and I can't figure out why not. The rep added it in but it's pricing it as a roundtrip with 1 open jaw and 1 stopover, and an additional 1 segment one way (the leg I thought would be consider the 2nd open jaw).
ATL-HKG (stopover)
HKG-MEL (1st open jaw)
SYD-ATL
ATL-SEA (3 months later) (2nd open jaw?) - not being counted as an open jaw
Total: 160k miles + 25k miles for first class one way for ATL-SEA? What am I doing wrong?
ATL-HKG (stopover)
HKG-MEL (1st open jaw)
SYD-ATL
ATL-SEA (3 months later) (2nd open jaw?) - not being counted as an open jaw
Total: 160k miles + 25k miles for first class one way for ATL-SEA? What am I doing wrong?
What you're trying to construct is a trip with two stopovers HKG and ATL which isn't permitted. If you ditch the HKG stopover (or make is less than 24hrs), you might be able to get it to ticket, although it's not really the spirit of the rules.
#725
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
Uh, yeah, you are breaking the rules, to put it mildly. That is not an "open jaw" ticket. That is a "round the world ticket" with an open jaw. You need to get your butt back to IAD flying eastward. "Open jaw" is pretty much like a "return" ticket, but just with a little something missing. e.g. I fly NRT-CDG, and then PRA-BKK-NRT. I just get my own butt from Paris to Prague.
Sorry but this is totally wrong. An RTW ticket is defined by the number of stops. There is no "two ocean rule" and no rule about "returning in the same direction" with respect to RT award tickers regardless of whether or not they are OJ.
#726
Moderator: Budget Travel forum & Credit Card Programs, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: YYJ/YVR and back on Van Isle ....... for now
Programs: UA lifetime MM / *A Gold
Posts: 14,427
I'm holding a United reservation right now but I can't add the free domestic leg after the trip, and I can't figure out why not. The rep added it in but it's pricing it as a roundtrip with 1 open jaw and 1 stopover, and an additional 1 segment one way (the leg I thought would be consider the 2nd open jaw).
ATL-HKG (stopover)
HKG-MEL (1st open jaw)
SYD-ATL
ATL-SEA (3 months later) (2nd open jaw?) - not being counted as an open jaw
Total: 160k miles + 25k miles for first class one way for ATL-SEA? What am I doing wrong?
ATL-HKG (stopover)
HKG-MEL (1st open jaw)
SYD-ATL
ATL-SEA (3 months later) (2nd open jaw?) - not being counted as an open jaw
Total: 160k miles + 25k miles for first class one way for ATL-SEA? What am I doing wrong?
EmailKid
#727
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, UA Nobody, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,372
There is a two ocean rule on *A Awards, check the website. What nobody seems to be able to answer is how Saver Awards (which now include partner flights) differ from *A Awards; if they're the same then why does .bomb list them separately with two different sets of rules.
#728
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 90
hi everyone
i have a question: is it possible to fly to the city of origin on route to another region?
for example
SIN - ICN (stopover)
ICN - SIN
SIN - MLE (destination)
MLE - SIN
is this possible?
i have a question: is it possible to fly to the city of origin on route to another region?
for example
SIN - ICN (stopover)
ICN - SIN
SIN - MLE (destination)
MLE - SIN
is this possible?
#729
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, UA Nobody, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,372
I am not sure this is true. I was able to get to the reservation screen on united.com with the following routing (I have left some of the normal layovers out, not sure if I need to list those).
BOS -> PMI
Open Jaw
BCN -> BOS
Stopover
BOS -> YYZ
When I try to book this, most of the BCN -> BOS options that are available go away when I tack on YYZ. Do I just need to call to be able to book this? Any explanation why the BCN -> BOS options would become limited?
BOS -> PMI
Open Jaw
BCN -> BOS
Stopover
BOS -> YYZ
When I try to book this, most of the BCN -> BOS options that are available go away when I tack on YYZ. Do I just need to call to be able to book this? Any explanation why the BCN -> BOS options would become limited?
#730
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
If I were going this, I'd first book RT on the web (SIN>ICN>BKK>MLE (dest) MLE>SIN) with no stopover.
Then I'd go back on the phone and do a date change on ICN>BKK>MLE.
Then if you really need to route ICN>MLE through SIN, go back and make that change. Preferably after you have arrived at ICN.
#731
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 90
Good question. I think doubling back through SIN could be a problem. Can you get to MLE from ICN w/o going through SIN.
If I were going this, I'd first book RT on the web (SIN>ICN>BKK>MLE (dest) MLE>SIN) with no stopover.
Then I'd go back on the phone and do a date change on ICN>BKK>MLE.
Then if you really need to route ICN>MLE through SIN, go back and make that change. Preferably after you have arrived at ICN.
If I were going this, I'd first book RT on the web (SIN>ICN>BKK>MLE (dest) MLE>SIN) with no stopover.
Then I'd go back on the phone and do a date change on ICN>BKK>MLE.
Then if you really need to route ICN>MLE through SIN, go back and make that change. Preferably after you have arrived at ICN.
i'm just wondering about it. wish to find out if we can do this.
will give me more choices.
#732
Join Date: Feb 2013
Posts: 6
What's the 24hr rule with regard to making changes to award flights, I can't find a reference to this but I have seen it mentioned.
#733
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA Gold, UA Nobody, Hilton Gold
Posts: 2,372
Shouldn't charge you within 24hrs. The window for free refunds and changes seems to be identical to revenue tickets.
#734
Join Date: Apr 2010
Posts: 90
i have tried many times on UA website, it seems that the city of origin or final destination cannot be used as a transit for routing
#735
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
That would make sense to me. If you could use the origin/destination for transit, then you could effectively book 2 RTs for the price of one.