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 29, 2012, 7:58 am
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: ZRH
Programs: M&M SEN (*G), HH Diamond
Posts: 2,418
Travel between Europe and Japan/North Asia/South Asia/Australia/New Zealand is not permitted via North America.
May 29, 2012, 11:37 am
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVPG 100K, IHG Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,704
Last year, I flew into GMP on OZ and out of ICN on TG. It's a stopover. The agent had no problem booking it after checking with a supervisor.
May 29, 2012, 11:51 am
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 3,032
Actually, if I'm not mistaken, it shouldn't even count as a stopover if the transit is < 24 hours. ICN/GMP and NRT/HND are just co-terminals.
May 29, 2012, 11:52 am
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: STL
Programs: US Silver, AA Gold
Posts: 509
May 29, 2012, 11:57 am
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVPG 100K, IHG Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,704
That's exactly what I am trying to bring up that they are co-terminals...
Though I have no real experience in OP's situation - flying into MUC and out of another European city.
May 29, 2012, 3:30 pm
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: DCA
Programs: US Silver, UA Plat, HHonors Diamond, SPG Gold
Posts: 212
I'm guessing this spreads to other weeks in November.
You will need to liaise with US on this one. If they can't help, call Swiss, tell them your flight has been cancelled (they'll still be able to see the original leg) and ask them if they can make an alternative arrangement for you (day before or after for example).
If they can't then your only option is to reroute.
You will need to liaise with US on this one. If they can't help, call Swiss, tell them your flight has been cancelled (they'll still be able to see the original leg) and ask them if they can make an alternative arrangement for you (day before or after for example).
If they can't then your only option is to reroute.
I spoke with Swiss and it looks like it's a schedule change (moving to flights 5x per week in the winter). i asked about opening up award space and they informed me that because I have a confirmed F ticket on a cancelled LX flight, US can simply rebook me on another LX flight (day after or before) in whatever the lowest fare is available for F class service, despite there not being award space per se available.
I think this makes sense on a theoretical level - anybody think I can actually get US to do it?
May 29, 2012, 3:34 pm
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
it just took them a while to realise as they were saying 'tokyo narita' as one airport, but then only 'haneda' as the second. They didn't realise it should also have been 'tokyo haneda'! They thought it was two separate cities!
May 29, 2012, 3:36 pm
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: AU
Programs: former Olympic Airways Gold (yeah - still proud of that!)
Posts: 14,408
I spoke with Swiss and it looks like it's a schedule change (moving to flights 5x per week in the winter). i asked about opening up award space and they informed me that because I have a confirmed F ticket on a cancelled LX flight, US can simply rebook me on another LX flight (day after or before) in whatever the lowest fare is available for F class service, despite there not being award space per se available.
I think this makes sense on a theoretical level - anybody think I can actually get US to do it?
I think this makes sense on a theoretical level - anybody think I can actually get US to do it?
May 29, 2012, 5:30 pm
Join Date: Sep 2011
Posts: 24
Valid Route?
I'm planning on a business trip to Tokyo in Feb/Mar and would like to know if this might be a valid route/allowed by US.
SYD-BKK-NRT ( Stopover )
HND-KIX-FRA-OPO ( Destination ) to visit family.
OPO-FRA-BKK-SYD
( I might reverse it and go to OPO first and stop in NRT on the way back )
SYD-BKK-FRA-OPO
OPO-FRA-KIX-HND
NRT-BKK-SYD
The reason for adding KIX, is so that I have an alternative, to maximise availability rather than to/ex NRT.
I'm looking to book this -14D and hopefully get LH F.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
SYD-BKK-NRT ( Stopover )
HND-KIX-FRA-OPO ( Destination ) to visit family.
OPO-FRA-BKK-SYD
( I might reverse it and go to OPO first and stop in NRT on the way back )
SYD-BKK-FRA-OPO
OPO-FRA-KIX-HND
NRT-BKK-SYD
The reason for adding KIX, is so that I have an alternative, to maximise availability rather than to/ex NRT.
I'm looking to book this -14D and hopefully get LH F.
Your thoughts would be appreciated.
May 29, 2012, 5:31 pm
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,439
Good luck finding Lufthansa first class award space, but yes, that should be a valid routing.
May 29, 2012, 8:25 pm
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: CBR
Programs: QF WP, AC*G
Posts: 1,223
May 29, 2012, 9:12 pm
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Philadelphia
Posts: 297
As per the oh-so-hard-to-read 1st post in this thread:
MPM and routing restrictions are loosely enforced.
I can vouch for this, which I did in the post before, by saying I was allowed to get both a stopover AND an open-jaw on an itinerary last week when the rules TECHNICALLY state that "One stopover (subject to conditions) is permitted on an award, or ONE open-jaw."
I don't want to know the rules, I want to know people's personal experiences.
May 29, 2012, 10:16 pm
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,579
I'm planning on a business trip to Tokyo in Feb/Mar and would like to know if this might be a valid route/allowed by US.
SYD-BKK-NRT ( Stopover )
HND-KIX-FRA-OPO ( Destination ) to visit family.
OPO-FRA-BKK-SYD
( I might reverse it and go to OPO first and stop in NRT on the way back )
SYD-BKK-FRA-OPO
OPO-FRA-KIX-HND
NRT-BKK-SYD
SYD-BKK-NRT ( Stopover )
HND-KIX-FRA-OPO ( Destination ) to visit family.
OPO-FRA-BKK-SYD
( I might reverse it and go to OPO first and stop in NRT on the way back )
SYD-BKK-FRA-OPO
OPO-FRA-KIX-HND
NRT-BKK-SYD
May 29, 2012, 10:21 pm
Original Member and FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Kansas City, MO, USA
Programs: DL PM/MM, AA ExPlat, Hyatt Glob, HH Dia, National ECE, Hertz PC
Posts: 16,579
A quick question regarding trans-atlantic vs. quicker route:
How do I convince an agent that I want to go from Europe to Asia via a trans-Atlantic (and stopover in IAD) instead of going the more natural route of DUS-BKK by heading over Asia?
Will this work? Could I simply get my itinerary set with the flights I want via the trans-atlantic route, call in, give them the flight numbers, and get lucky? Or [b]is this asking too much?[b]
How do I convince an agent that I want to go from Europe to Asia via a trans-Atlantic (and stopover in IAD) instead of going the more natural route of DUS-BKK by heading over Asia?
Will this work? Could I simply get my itinerary set with the flights I want via the trans-atlantic route, call in, give them the flight numbers, and get lucky? Or [b]is this asking too much?[b]
Of course, if you call enough times I have no doubt you may find an agent to book it, but I certainly wouldn't recommend you try and convince an agent to do it, if they rightfully point out it's against the rules, I don't recommend trying to convince them otherwise.
May 30, 2012, 1:38 am
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
Interesting data point...
I just put an award itinerary on hold. The last piece of my itinerary puzzle was my getting back home to PHL from FRA, and the only C routing I found on the ANA and UA sites for my needed return date was FRA-DTW-PHL on LH and US. But instead of telling the agent that I had only found that one routing (through DTW), I asked her what she saw on her screen.
Turns out, she saw availability on FRA-JFK on LH on the A380 (an aircraft I've yet to experience) in C -- although that award seat did NOT show up on the ANA or UA sites at all. I took this routing with a connection through LGA because it cuts my layover time in FRA by four hours while getting me on an A380 to boot. I'm not sure why the agent could see availability that I could not, but lesson learned: it can't hurt to ask, no matter how prepared you think you are when you call.
(And yes, I did ask her if the SQ FRA-JFK flight showed availability; but no luck. Yet I have until the end of June 2 to pay for the ticket, so now I can check in to see if I can get on that SQ flight instead. But I'm not holding my breath...)
I just put an award itinerary on hold. The last piece of my itinerary puzzle was my getting back home to PHL from FRA, and the only C routing I found on the ANA and UA sites for my needed return date was FRA-DTW-PHL on LH and US. But instead of telling the agent that I had only found that one routing (through DTW), I asked her what she saw on her screen.
Turns out, she saw availability on FRA-JFK on LH on the A380 (an aircraft I've yet to experience) in C -- although that award seat did NOT show up on the ANA or UA sites at all. I took this routing with a connection through LGA because it cuts my layover time in FRA by four hours while getting me on an A380 to boot. I'm not sure why the agent could see availability that I could not, but lesson learned: it can't hurt to ask, no matter how prepared you think you are when you call.
(And yes, I did ask her if the SQ FRA-JFK flight showed availability; but no luck. Yet I have until the end of June 2 to pay for the ticket, so now I can check in to see if I can get on that SQ flight instead. But I'm not holding my breath...)