Can you not cross both oceans on a roundtrip Asia award?
Apr 16, 2012, 8:29 am
#17
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 1,782
OK, thanks everyone -- it seems like the consensus view is that it's perfectly legal to fly "around the world" on a roundtrip USA-Asian award. That makes sense because the computer offers itineraries in both directions -- and it generally works out to be the shortest flight times.
What was bizarre to me today was that -- even though I was already holding a ticketed reservation -- every agent I spoke to was CERTAIN that my itinerary was illegal, even though nobody could articulate why. And this was how I was treated as a 1K. Maybe it was just bad luck, but sheesh. Coming from the CO side of the business, I actually thought I would receive better customer service once the airlines was integrated (CO always seemed businesslike on the phone to me, while my dealings with UA's elite desk suggested they wanted to actually HELP me). I guess not right now. Maybe, as the supervisor told me, they're worried about being too lenient.
What was bizarre to me today was that -- even though I was already holding a ticketed reservation -- every agent I spoke to was CERTAIN that my itinerary was illegal, even though nobody could articulate why. And this was how I was treated as a 1K. Maybe it was just bad luck, but sheesh. Coming from the CO side of the business, I actually thought I would receive better customer service once the airlines was integrated (CO always seemed businesslike on the phone to me, while my dealings with UA's elite desk suggested they wanted to actually HELP me). I guess not right now. Maybe, as the supervisor told me, they're worried about being too lenient.
Don't take too much stock in the reward agents. There are a few good ones, but I have yet to talk to one (in 8 or 9 agents) that knew that you could have an open jaw and a stopover (much less the 2 OJs and a stopover). It's been almost a year since that was in effect. I even had to explain the difference between the two to one agent.
Apr 16, 2012, 8:33 am
#18
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: LAX
Posts: 295
Can you have stopovers/open jaws on paid tickets or are they only valid on award tix?
The rule that it is breaking is that this is a circle route. The website has long offered them as an eastbound only trip, but it's not possible when an agent is involved.
Don't take too much stock in the reward agents. There are a few good ones, but I have yet to talk to one (in 8 or 9 agents) that knew that you could have an open jaw and a stopover (much less the 2 OJs and a stopover). It's been almost a year since that was in effect. I even had to explain the difference between the two to one agent.
Don't take too much stock in the reward agents. There are a few good ones, but I have yet to talk to one (in 8 or 9 agents) that knew that you could have an open jaw and a stopover (much less the 2 OJs and a stopover). It's been almost a year since that was in effect. I even had to explain the difference between the two to one agent.
Apr 16, 2012, 2:46 pm
#19
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 1,782
Award roundtrips are allowed to have the one stopover and two open jaws though.
Apr 21, 2012, 12:58 pm
#20
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Melbourne, Florida, USA
Posts: 2,985
Interesting. For ease, I've always just searched one-ways "there and back." It sounds like the computer logic "discriminates" against two ocean awards but doesn't prohibit them. As I said, though, I cherry picked flights from my one-way searches and the computer agreed that it was a legal routing.
Apr 21, 2012, 3:27 pm
#21
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2000
Posts: 17,453
This is definitely a YMMV thing.
Interesting, in making changes, the MOST vexing problem I had was getting UA to reticket the rez in time. It would just languish on the queue. In fact, I lost one flight I booked on ANA because, without a ticket number, ANA cancelled my rez before UA ticketed it (it was cancelled 5 days after booking). It worked out OK for me, though, because an apologetic agent was able to get "replacement" nonstop UA seats reallocated for award usage for me. Perhaps this could even be a gambit to try (mostly for 1Ks without change fees). Not sure why it's hard to get UA to reticket int'l award tickets. Perhaps they're swamped -- it seemed to have something to do with recalculation of the tax payment amount.
Apr 21, 2012, 7:36 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 12
For what it's worth, I have the following R/T booked for this summer:
IAD-CDG-FRA-SIN (OPEN JAW) BKK-HKG-NRT-SFO-IAD.
23 hr connections in CDG & HKG. 4 day stopover in NRT.
Booked in C to SIN & F on the way home for 130k UA miles total.
I originally booked this on the phone with CO premerger.
IAD-CDG-FRA-SIN (OPEN JAW) BKK-HKG-NRT-SFO-IAD.
23 hr connections in CDG & HKG. 4 day stopover in NRT.
Booked in C to SIN & F on the way home for 130k UA miles total.
I originally booked this on the phone with CO premerger.
Apr 21, 2012, 8:00 pm
#23
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 2,956
To me this means you can't have a stopover in some place that is not a normal connection point. Would be beneficial if UA could quantify this in some way.
Apr 21, 2012, 8:46 pm
#24
Join Date: Mar 2008
Programs: DL BA Amex
Posts: 916
a mini RTW award trip can be booked using a stop-over and an open-jaw.
(other threads can be found buy searching for "mini RTW")
I have found routes such as
CLE-HKG -- SIN-FCO, (stop-over) FCO-CLE
CLE-HKG -- BKK-FCO, (stop-over) FCO-CLE.
CLE-HKG -- SIN-FRA, (stop-over) FRA-CLE.
I'm sure other Asian cities will work, key is to have the open-jaw in Asia, with HKG working the best, and going TPAC then TATL working best.
FRA route was tough to find availability.
I also found a few routes the opposite directions.
I think I was also able to find something thru SYD or MLB, but I can't remember how it worked. (after many hours of pecking at the keyboard trying every city combo I could think of, they started to blur-together!)
This type of routing requires you to BUY the segment between the open-jaw cities... but it was typically around $100 for the o/w HKG-SIN or HKG-BKK.
These routes price at 60K for Y, 120K for J, or 130k for F.
(finding all segments in J or F is not easy)
(other threads can be found buy searching for "mini RTW")
I have found routes such as
CLE-HKG -- SIN-FCO, (stop-over) FCO-CLE
CLE-HKG -- BKK-FCO, (stop-over) FCO-CLE.
CLE-HKG -- SIN-FRA, (stop-over) FRA-CLE.
I'm sure other Asian cities will work, key is to have the open-jaw in Asia, with HKG working the best, and going TPAC then TATL working best.
FRA route was tough to find availability.
I also found a few routes the opposite directions.
I think I was also able to find something thru SYD or MLB, but I can't remember how it worked. (after many hours of pecking at the keyboard trying every city combo I could think of, they started to blur-together!)
This type of routing requires you to BUY the segment between the open-jaw cities... but it was typically around $100 for the o/w HKG-SIN or HKG-BKK.
These routes price at 60K for Y, 120K for J, or 130k for F.
(finding all segments in J or F is not easy)
Last edited by bajrbajr; Apr 21, 2012 at 8:59 pm
Apr 21, 2012, 11:45 pm
#26
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K MM, Marriott Life Plat, various others of little note
Posts: 2,763
Now, now, for the purposes of this discussion we're talking about the two major ones that basically span the globe from north to south, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
Apr 22, 2012, 12:18 am
#27
Ambassador: LATAM
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PNA
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 4,648
Yes I figured that. Although it would be interesting to argue with UA that any 2 ocean rule cannot apply because you have an extra ocean
Apr 22, 2012, 12:26 am
#28
Moderator: United Airlines
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: SFO
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Apr 22, 2012, 12:38 am
#29
Ambassador: LATAM
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: PNA
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 4,648
sfo-bkk-fra-sfo appears to be only two oceans
Well spotted sir!
Apr 22, 2012, 11:28 am
#30
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: UA 1K MM, Marriott Life Plat, various others of little note
Posts: 2,763
Damn curvy maps! I couldn't tell from yours but on this one, yes BKK FRA just missed the Bay of Bengal by a whisker
Well spotted sir!
Well spotted sir!