Oct 14, 2013, 4:55 pm
Last edit by: NewbieRunner
Update 08APR2014: Star Alliance Awards must have been booked by March 30, 2014. They are no longer available through US. This thread is mostly useful for historic purposes, and discussing issues such as schedule changes/route changes that affect FTers existing *A awards booked before 3/31/2014.
Discussion on using US miles to book oneworld awards is available here.
If you are looking for discussion on US's new partner awards that use various partners not in oneworld (many of whom are former *A partners), see the devoted thread on using US miles to book NON-oneworld partners here.
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Update 07JAN14: American Airlines award tickets bookable online on usairways.com or through reservation.
Please see the devoted thread on using US miles to book AA here.
Discussion on using US miles to book oneworld awards is available here.
If you are looking for discussion on US's new partner awards that use various partners not in oneworld (many of whom are former *A partners), see the devoted thread on using US miles to book NON-oneworld partners here.
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Update 07JAN14: American Airlines award tickets bookable online on usairways.com or through reservation.
- Award travel must be wholly on American Airlines or a combination of American Airlines and US Airways.
- American Airlines awards cannot be combined with any of our current partner.
- American Airlines award travel chart (PDF)
Please see the devoted thread on using US miles to book AA here.
Star Alliance Award Bookings Using US Airways Miles - FAQ and Help Thread [MERGED]
May 23, 2013, 4:42 pm
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Executive Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,663
Easy question for the experts
Let's say I book award travel on a partner airline and all of the flights are in business class except one that is in coach (because a business class seat is unavailable). As I watch the flights over time, if a business class seat becomes available, can I just call US and get it since I have technically already paid the requisite miles for it?
If the answer is YES, I suppose the difficulty will come in if the seat becomes available after the merger since US will have no *A relationship and I will be on my own with the other carrier (in this case SN).
If the answer is YES, I suppose the difficulty will come in if the seat becomes available after the merger since US will have no *A relationship and I will be on my own with the other carrier (in this case SN).
May 23, 2013, 4:57 pm
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: CLT
Programs: AA Plat Pro, HH Diamond, SPG Plat / Life Gold
Posts: 30
I've read a lot about phantom availability (seats that show as available but really aren't) showing on the United award booking engine for Lufthansa First class, but what about Lufthansa Coach? Has that been an issue too? It seems like it is since I'm seeing flights available on United but not on ANA. I haven't tried calling to book yet. I'd prefer to have a solid itinerary in had before calling.
Also, another question, really just looking for opinions or feedback on this:
We are booking a trip to the Maldives next Spring. I may still be able to find Business availability (not on LH) if I play with the dates a little, but we are short the points to fly in Business. It would cost us approximately $1300 to buy the necessary points right now during the bonus point promo. Is it worth paying that to fly Business? We've flown first/business domestically but not international and we've survived coach to Asia a couple times. I think we're looking at some combination of UA, Turkish, Singapore, and/or ANA if it makes a difference.
Edit: Perhaps I should have put this in the Star Alliance thread.
Also, another question, really just looking for opinions or feedback on this:
We are booking a trip to the Maldives next Spring. I may still be able to find Business availability (not on LH) if I play with the dates a little, but we are short the points to fly in Business. It would cost us approximately $1300 to buy the necessary points right now during the bonus point promo. Is it worth paying that to fly Business? We've flown first/business domestically but not international and we've survived coach to Asia a couple times. I think we're looking at some combination of UA, Turkish, Singapore, and/or ANA if it makes a difference.
Edit: Perhaps I should have put this in the Star Alliance thread.
The $1300 is absolutely worth it if your planning on going US > MLE via SIN. You will be wishing you did after the first long haul flight in coach. Remember you also get lounge access as well (in event your not *Gold).
If you can find any availability to get to Europe or Asia in business you should have no issues finding your other necessary legs via BKK on Thai. You could expand your search to include OZ and potentially BR when they join star in a month.
Last edited by whitie8lax; May 23, 2013 at 5:03 pm
May 23, 2013, 5:09 pm
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: SEA/ORD/ADB
Programs: TK ELPL (*G), AS 100K (OWE), BA Gold (OWE), Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 7,763
Let's say I book award travel on a partner airline and all of the flights are in business class except one that is in coach (because a business class seat is unavailable). As I watch the flights over time, if a business class seat becomes available, can I just call US and get it since I have technically already paid the requisite miles for it?
If the answer is YES, I suppose the difficulty will come in if the seat becomes available after the merger since US will have no *A relationship and I will be on my own with the other carrier (in this case SN).
If the answer is YES, I suppose the difficulty will come in if the seat becomes available after the merger since US will have no *A relationship and I will be on my own with the other carrier (in this case SN).
May 23, 2013, 6:01 pm
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Silver
Posts: 477
The TK IST>MLE leg has issues w being bootable on USDM. I tried to book my itin with that flight and USDM could not find the availability even though other tools showed availability.
The $1300 is absolutely worth it if your planning on going US > MLE via SIN. You will be wishing you did after the first long haul flight in coach. Remember you also get lounge access as well (in event your not *Gold).
If you can find any availability to get to Europe or Asia in business you should have no issues finding your other necessary legs via BKK on Thai. You could expand your search to include OZ and potentially BR when they join star in a month.
The $1300 is absolutely worth it if your planning on going US > MLE via SIN. You will be wishing you did after the first long haul flight in coach. Remember you also get lounge access as well (in event your not *Gold).
If you can find any availability to get to Europe or Asia in business you should have no issues finding your other necessary legs via BKK on Thai. You could expand your search to include OZ and potentially BR when they join star in a month.
Thanks for the feedback on business class too. I'll have to keep searching for availability. We've done Southeast Asia a couple times in coach and survived the long hauls, but it's not fun
Husband hesitant to spend the money seeing as how this trip is already going to cost a fortune even using miles and points for the flights and hotel.Edit: Just checked the list of *A airlines again and saw Thai is on there. Not sure how I missed that!
Last edited by LA_FadeAway; May 23, 2013 at 7:10 pm
May 23, 2013, 6:55 pm
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Baltimore MD
Posts: 3,457
Let's say I book award travel on a partner airline and all of the flights are in business class except one that is in coach (because a business class seat is unavailable). As I watch the flights over time, if a business class seat becomes available, can I just call US and get it since I have technically already paid the requisite miles for it?
If the answer is YES, I suppose the difficulty will come in if the seat becomes available after the merger since US will have no *A relationship and I will be on my own with the other carrier (in this case SN).
If the answer is YES, I suppose the difficulty will come in if the seat becomes available after the merger since US will have no *A relationship and I will be on my own with the other carrier (in this case SN).
Though anecdotally just recently I had an itinerary where one leg was in coach and availability opened up and I called and was able to get them to switch it without paying the change fee about a week before departure.... though my request had been refused a couple months prior.
FDW
May 24, 2013, 7:54 pm
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Silver
Posts: 477
So, just had another idea on our trip to MLE. Thinking about doing the stop over in Sri Lanka. Would an open jaw routing like this be legal with *A:
LAX-ICN-BKK-CMB
MLE-SIN-NRT-LAX
We'd buy the one way CMB - MLE
LAX-ICN-BKK-CMB
MLE-SIN-NRT-LAX
We'd buy the one way CMB - MLE
May 24, 2013, 7:57 pm
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Silver
Posts: 477
double post, Sorry!
May 24, 2013, 8:08 pm
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Toronto (YYZ)
Posts: 6,279
I've read a lot about phantom availability (seats that show as available but really aren't) showing on the United award booking engine for Lufthansa First class, but what about Lufthansa Coach? Has that been an issue too? It seems like it is since I'm seeing flights available on United but not on ANA. I haven't tried calling to book yet. I'd prefer to have a solid itinerary in had before calling.
Also, another question, really just looking for opinions or feedback on this:
We are booking a trip to the Maldives next Spring. I may still be able to find Business availability (not on LH) if I play with the dates a little, but we are short the points to fly in Business. It would cost us approximately $1300 to buy the necessary points right now during the bonus point promo. Is it worth paying that to fly Business? We've flown first/business domestically but not international and we've survived coach to Asia a couple times. I think we're looking at some combination of UA, Turkish, Singapore, and/or ANA if it makes a difference.
Edit: Perhaps I should have put this in the Star Alliance thread.
Also, another question, really just looking for opinions or feedback on this:
We are booking a trip to the Maldives next Spring. I may still be able to find Business availability (not on LH) if I play with the dates a little, but we are short the points to fly in Business. It would cost us approximately $1300 to buy the necessary points right now during the bonus point promo. Is it worth paying that to fly Business? We've flown first/business domestically but not international and we've survived coach to Asia a couple times. I think we're looking at some combination of UA, Turkish, Singapore, and/or ANA if it makes a difference.
Edit: Perhaps I should have put this in the Star Alliance thread.
I booked my trip to Maldives just last week for later this year.
Try and see if you can route via IST and then onward to MLE with TK. Their flight gets in the morning vs. SQ which gets in the evening. (I searched SQ over many weeks and only the later flight was avail. for award bookings) I say this because depending on the resort you are staying at, their air-shuttles only operate from 6AM-4PM. Otherwise you will have to overnight in Male.
Oh, BTW the TK lounge in IST is AMAZING!
May 24, 2013, 8:11 pm
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: Toronto (YYZ)
Posts: 6,279
May 24, 2013, 8:13 pm
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2012
Programs: US CP ; LH FTL ; *G
Posts: 1,630
May 24, 2013, 8:44 pm
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Silver
Posts: 477
We're going late March into early April 2014. I was watching that TK flight for weeks and then of course availability vanished completely right before my bonus miles we were waiting for posted. Looks like they pulled all availability on that route from Oct. 31, 2013 onward (perhaps due to the merger?). How were you able to book it anyway? I've heard there is a problem with it being married to a segment to CMB.
Right now, the SIN - MLE morning flight is still available for both coach and business; however, we're thinking of routing through CMB now and just paying for the one way hop from CMB to MLE. No matter which way we go, we're going to spend four or five nights on a stopover somewhere and I've always been intrigued by Sri Lanka.
Right now, the SIN - MLE morning flight is still available for both coach and business; however, we're thinking of routing through CMB now and just paying for the one way hop from CMB to MLE. No matter which way we go, we're going to spend four or five nights on a stopover somewhere and I've always been intrigued by Sri Lanka.
Last edited by LA_FadeAway; May 24, 2013 at 8:59 pm
May 24, 2013, 8:47 pm
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Silver
Posts: 477
May 24, 2013, 11:52 pm
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: NYC
Programs: Mileage Plus, Aadvantage, Skymiles, Marriott, Priority Club, SPG, Amtrak, Hertz
Posts: 834
JFK-FRA-SIN / 14 hr layover in SIN
SIN-CMB/ 2.5 weeks in Sri Lanka
CMB-MLE-IST/ on the ground for 60 min in MLE, 4 day stopover in IST
IST-YYZ-EWR
I'm flying coach. The US agent only charged me 60,000 miles. She thought IST was a the destination, and just ignored the fact that I'm going to Sri Lanka.
May 25, 2013, 1:37 am
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Sydney, Australia
Programs: QR/AC Gold, VA Silver, IHG Plat, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 1,581
I just want to check on this. Looking at the USDM membership guide online, it was not that clear.
If I book an award in 1 PNR for 3 people travelling together, and then I want to change the dates of the flights for that PNR, do I need to pay $150 per PNR, or $150 per person (ie $450)?
If I book an award in 1 PNR for 3 people travelling together, and then I want to change the dates of the flights for that PNR, do I need to pay $150 per PNR, or $150 per person (ie $450)?
May 25, 2013, 1:44 am
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ZRH
Programs: M&M SEN (*G), HH Diamond
Posts: 2,418