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Rules for Open Jaw & Stopover Award Flights (Consolidated)

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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)

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Old Apr 15, 2012, 9:00 pm
  #76  
 
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Western NY
Programs: MANY
Posts: 244
Originally Posted by npei
Seems you have RT award with stop over and open-jaw (fly into MUC and out of ZRH). Not allowed. You can have either one, but not both.
That is not true. We are allowed to have open-jaw as well as 1 stopover for RT award booking. I just booked one: ORD-NRT (Destination), BKK (open-Jaw)-FRA (Stopover for 7 days), FRA-ORD.

In fact, I think we are allowed to have two open-jaws and one stopover.

Is BWI and IAD considered co-terminal?
double_black77 is offline  
Old Apr 15, 2012, 9:33 pm
  #77  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Programs: UA 1MM, Marriot (via SPG) Lifetime Gold
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Originally Posted by double_black77
That is not true. We are allowed to have open-jaw as well as 1 stopover for RT award booking. I just booked one: ORD-NRT (Destination), BKK (open-Jaw)-FRA (Stopover for 7 days), FRA-ORD.
Well, after being on hold with a second agent, they did end up booking it. However, when she asked me to acknowledge the phone booking feed (I'm only gold), I told her I was hoping not to pay since my booking wasn't even possible online. After the agent checked with her supervisor, she cam back and said, "we have to charge you since you're not allowed to do a stopover and an open jaw and we already did you that favor."

So...I guess I'm still unsure if my itinerary is okay (although it's booked). I can't see anything in the rules that says that you can't do both, although it sounds familiar. Of course, I realize the agents don't always know all the rules either...
mtimmer is online now  
Old Apr 15, 2012, 10:12 pm
  #78  
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: AA Plat, IHG Plat, HH Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,933
Old UA rules only allowed a stopover or open jaw, and prior to the new program, there was a period where it was one stopover and one open jaw, but the new rules now state stopover and two open jaws.

http://www.united.com/web/en-US/cont...airawards.aspx
  • Two open jaws are permitted per roundtrip award. For example, you can fly from Newark to London and return from Paris to Washington Dulles.
  • A stopover is permitted on roundtrip award travel only. One stopover is permitted, unless otherwise noted. Additional mileage may be required for Saver Awards within the mainland U.S., Alaska and Canada.
I have, however, had difficulties with trying to get an "open jaw" (really a surface sector, I guess?) at the stopover point, so the BWI/IAD airport change might be what's causing problems, not the stopover + open jaw.
Antipode is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2012, 3:24 am
  #79  
 
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 67
Originally Posted by rankourabu
Yes you can - the easiest way to do this - is book the undesirable connection online.

Within 24 hours, even better if before ticketing, call UA and get an agent to switch your flight to the one you want


You can try to force it using multicity, but if it doesnt work, see above.
$25 charge for using a phone booking then?
paulfoel is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2012, 5:14 am
  #80  
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Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
Posts: 23,313
Originally Posted by paulfoel
$25 charge for using a phone booking then?
not if you book online first, and just call in to tweak.

Originally Posted by factory81
I just pretend booked GRR - ORD - LHR / LHR - BKK / BKK - GRR for 65k coach the entire way and $130 in taxes.

I am now inclined to do a round the world trip with UA.
you were allowed to cross both oceans?
Its perfectly ok to do Asia with a stop in Europe, but you cant come home via Pacific.

Last edited by iluv2fly; Apr 16, 2012 at 5:59 pm Reason: merge
rankourabu is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2012, 2:38 pm
  #81  
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: SYD+TYO+GFK
Programs: UA 1K, QF Plat, VA Gold, IHG Spire Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Gold, Coles FlyBuys
Posts: 2,805
Not sure if this helps much, but here are some excerps from the fare rules for a transatlantic saver award in business, boldface is mine.
Originally Posted by CSM
COMBINABILITY
FARE BY RULE TEXT
CIRCLE TRIPS NOT PERMITTED.
END-ON-END NOT PERMITTED. SIDE TRIPS PERMITTED WITH NO
RESTRICTIONS.
ADD-ON CONSTRUCTION IS ADDRESSED IN MISCELLANEOUS PROVISI
CATEGORY 23.
OPEN JAWS/ROUND TRIPS
FARES MAY BE COMBINED ON A HALF ROUND TRIP BASIS
-TO FORM SINGLE OR DOUBLE OPEN JAWS.
A MAXIMUM OF 2 FARE COMPONENTS PERMITTED.
-TO FORM ROUND TRIPS
PROVIDED -
COMBINATIONS ARE WITH ANY FARE FOR ANY CARRIER IN RULE
3020 IN TARIFF

FBRA1P - WITHIN AREA 1 EXCEPT US/CA
FBRA12P - BETWEEN AREA 1 AND AREA 2 EXCEPT US/CA
FBRA13P - BETWEEN AREA 1 AND AREA 3 EXCEPT US/CA
FBRA2P - WITHIN AREA 2
FBRA3P - WITHIN AREA 3
FBRINPV - BETWEEN USA/CA-AREA 1/2/3
FBRNAPV - WITHIN NORTH AMERICA EXCEPT MEXICO.
NOTE - THE CITY PAIRS BELOW ARE CONSIDERED THE SAME POINT-
BWI-WAS
FLL-MIA LAX-ONT LAX-SNA LAX-LGB LAX-BUR
ONT-SNA ONT-LGB ONT-BUR SNA-LGB SNA-BUR LGB-BUR
EWR-NYC SFO-SJC SFO-OAK SFO-SMF SJC-OAK SJC-SMF
OAK-SMF HRL-MFE EWR-ISP NYC-ISP HDN-SBS HRL-BRO
MFE-BRO HOU-IAH HOU-EFD IAH-EFD EWR-JFK JFK-ISP
JFK-NYC
WAS = DCA and IAD

It seems quite clear to me that UA did the OP no favours on the routing, his originally requested routing was well within requirements. However, the rules on the website state the $25 booking fee will be assessed regardless of whether the itinerary COULD have been booked on united.com in the first place.
TrayflowInUK is offline  
Old Apr 16, 2012, 6:39 pm
  #82  
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
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Originally Posted by TrayflowInUK
Not sure if this helps much, but here are some excerps from the fare rules for a transatlantic saver award in business, boldface is mine.
WAS = DCA and IAD

It seems quite clear to me that UA did the OP no favours on the routing, his originally requested routing was well within requirements. However, the rules on the website state the $25 booking fee will be assessed regardless of whether the itinerary COULD have been booked on united.com in the first place.
OP here...thanks for the info on this...it's helpful as it's quite likely I'll make some changes as flight time gets closer and I expect the routing may cause future problems when I try to do so.

Re the in phone fee, I had expected to pay it, although I think it never hurts to ask them to waive it since I couldn't make the reservation online. And I was taken aback when the reason they said they wouldn't do it was because they were letting me slide with a non-conforming itinerary.
mtimmer is online now  
Old Apr 30, 2012, 7:12 am
  #83  
 
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 37
Open jaw and stopover

I just called in to united about my plans for an awards trip DTW-HAM stopover-bkk and then returning HAN-DTW. the representative just told me that you can't do an open jaw and a stopover. Is she incorrect? I thought you could do both on an awards ticket. Also, will they let me route my return ticket over the pacific or will I have to go back via europe?
jkramb is offline  
Old May 9, 2012, 4:39 pm
  #84  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 756
What possible routing: UA award travel JFK to BKK or Cambodia with free stopover HK?

Need some insight from other UA members. Since UA award miles allows a freestop over as one of the benefits, I've been trying to figure out which routing to get from JFK (NY) to either Bangkok or Phnom Penh (Cambodia) with a freestop over in HK. Not sure if this is possible or cost effective, meaning if using their air partners with high fees and fuel surcharges apply, then maybe cheaper to just use a local low cost airline in Asia to fly to HK from BKK or PP instead. What do you think Thanks for any insight.
sharka is offline  
Old May 9, 2012, 4:44 pm
  #85  
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Dubai / NYC
Programs: EK-IO, UA-1K2MM, ETIHAD-GOLD, SPG-PLAT LIFETIME, JUMEIRAH SERIUS GOLD
Posts: 5,220
I just flew this route last month in F as follows
JFK - FRA LH
FRA - HKG LH
HKG - BKK TG
BKK - NRT TG
NRT - FRA LH (380)
FRA - JFK LH

Taxes were aprx $150

( I could have flown the return BKK-FRA/MUC-JFK which was avail and would have been shorter but wanted to try the LH380 in F. (note that if LH is not avail you can also fly LX)
chinatraderjmr is offline  
Old May 9, 2012, 5:42 pm
  #86  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,123
Originally Posted by sharka
Need some insight from other UA members. Since UA award miles allows a freestop over as one of the benefits, I've been trying to figure out which routing to get from JFK (NY) to either Bangkok or Phnom Penh (Cambodia) with a freestop over in HK. Not sure if this is possible or cost effective, meaning if using their air partners with high fees and fuel surcharges apply, then maybe cheaper to just use a local low cost airline in Asia to fly to HK from BKK or PP instead. What do you think Thanks for any insight.
What class of service do you want? If you want to avoid fees, you could fly UA on a variety of routes to HKG and then use TG for HKG-BKK-PNH and back.
cheltzel is offline  
Old May 9, 2012, 5:47 pm
  #87  
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Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM SK EBG LATAM BL
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Originally Posted by cheltzel
What class of service do you want? If you want to avoid fees, you could fly UA on a variety of routes to HKG and then use TG for HKG-BKK-PNH and back.
How does that avoid fees?

OP, there are no fuel surcharges on United awards (yet)

Have you tried a multicity search. There is absolutely no need to buy extra tickets in Asia. Intra Asia award space is abundant.

My personal choice would be JFK-DOH-HKG(stop)-BKK-PNH(destination)-BKK-FRA/DOH-NYC

Just type in in multicity search
NYC-HKG
HKG-PNH
PNH-NYC

and you ll be amazed.

Last thing you want is to actually fly United on your international award - in business or economy.
rankourabu is offline  
Old May 10, 2012, 1:48 am
  #88  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA, UA, GE
Posts: 5,123
Originally Posted by rankourabu
How does that avoid fees?
...
Last thing you want is to actually fly United on your international award - in business or economy.
Connecting through European airports adds fees. I was reading that a LHR transit can add well over $100 to an award ticket. From my read of the OP, it appeared they wanted to do it for the least amount of money.

But you are right, booking another carrier on a UA award ticket avoids fuel surcharges or whatever that carrier levies on their own FFP members.

I am not trying to recommend UA over QR, LH, LX, SQ, etc, etc, for hard or soft product. Just for the ease of a HKG stopover at the lowest possible amount of fees, taxes, etc.
cheltzel is offline  
Old May 10, 2012, 1:51 am
  #89  
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: UA GS>1K>Nothing; DL DM 2MM; AS 75K>Nothing>MVP
Posts: 9,341
I recently did BOS>FRA>BKK > NRT in F. Total taxes and fees $31. There are a ton a ways to do this. If you do it round trip you can make a free stopover.
5khours is offline  
Old May 10, 2012, 2:01 am
  #90  
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You're pretty much relegated, if flying into Cambodia, to limited connections.

OZ flies ICN-REP and ICN-PNH and TG flies BKK-PNH. I think is the the full *A list.

You can take a stopover on the inbound or outbound but it's unlikely you'll get ticketed for something like: XXX-HKG-ICN-REP/PHN-YYY.

So, that leaves you with: XXX-HKG-BKK-PNH// REP-ICN.....

-Or something like that.
dsquared37 is offline  


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