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]
Nov 28, 2012, 3:55 am
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: Alaska MVPG 100K, IHG Ambassador, Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 1,704
Nov 28, 2012, 5:52 am
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Československá socialistická republika
Posts: 375
If I change an award to a date within 21 days, do I have to pay both the $75 quick-ticketing fee and the $150 change fee or just the $150 change fee?
Nov 28, 2012, 6:28 am
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE, AA EXP MM, UA Gold MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, HH Dia, IHG Plat
Posts: 4,777
Fees, Holds, and Routing
Since the original post hasn't been updated in awhile, I'd just like to get the latest on fees and holds:
- Does US still hold awards, even if there aren't yet enough miles in your account? For how long? Excepting Air China?
- Do you still pay just the $50 ticketing fee, and not a phone booking fee since you can't book Star awards online?
- Does US generally accept US-New Zealand routings via Asia, since NZ and UA don't release award space on the direct flights?
Thanks....
- Does US still hold awards, even if there aren't yet enough miles in your account? For how long? Excepting Air China?
- Do you still pay just the $50 ticketing fee, and not a phone booking fee since you can't book Star awards online?
- Does US generally accept US-New Zealand routings via Asia, since NZ and UA don't release award space on the direct flights?
Thanks....
Nov 28, 2012, 6:35 am
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,439
1. Yes, 3 days, and you can hold CA too.
2. Just a $50 fee IME
3. Yes.
2. Just a $50 fee IME
3. Yes.
Nov 28, 2012, 6:49 am
Join Date: May 2000
Location: Naples, Florida
Posts: 7,419
There are oneway awards but charged at roundtrip cost.
LHR-FRA is a waste of miles. Quick search on expedia.co.uk shows LHR-FRA on LH available at a base fare of £13...less than the $50 US will charge to make the booking!! Unless you must have lounge access you may as well travel in Y on this route.
LHR-FRA is a waste of miles. Quick search on expedia.co.uk shows LHR-FRA on LH available at a base fare of £13...less than the $50 US will charge to make the booking!! Unless you must have lounge access you may as well travel in Y on this route.
LHR 15:10 FRA 17:50 Direct 1h 40m Lufthansa 909 £66
"This Airline may charge an additional fee depending on your method of payment. The additional fee is not included in the Total Price displayed. The fee will be calculated directly by the airline after you enter your payment details and shown on the payments page prior to completing your booking. Please see the table below for details."
You are correkt - I will use this booking!
Nov 28, 2012, 9:05 am
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2009
Programs: Gold, plat, diamond and more
Posts: 3,360
The funny thing about US Airways, they do not allow selecting Panama for some reason. I was told that all flights to Buenos Aires need to go through IAH.
Is it true?
It was weird, but I got a distinct impression that operator did not want to look up anything, and was just telling me that nothing is available.
Strangely enough, if I login into United, I can see flights available everyday. I asked him about it and at first he was appalled that I could see it, and when I told him that I have membership with united as well, he went on to tell me that the seats maybe were not released. None of them!!! Is it even possible?
Is it true?
It was weird, but I got a distinct impression that operator did not want to look up anything, and was just telling me that nothing is available.
Strangely enough, if I login into United, I can see flights available everyday. I asked him about it and at first he was appalled that I could see it, and when I told him that I have membership with united as well, he went on to tell me that the seats maybe were not released. None of them!!! Is it even possible?
I don't mean to sound like a broken record, but you're sure that from Hawaii (not North America) it's not valid to route to EU via Asia?
(From North America I can certainly see why so, and so is the case with most other airlines also.)
I have followed this thread for the last few months, and I don't recall seeing at least anything here recently that would have any first hand expirences, either not being able to do this, or being able to do this... but I do think that some had said before that it "should" work. So that was wrong then, and there are first hand reports here that it will not work (that from Hawaii it's not valid to route to EU via Asia)?
(From North America I can certainly see why so, and so is the case with most other airlines also.)
I have followed this thread for the last few months, and I don't recall seeing at least anything here recently that would have any first hand expirences, either not being able to do this, or being able to do this... but I do think that some had said before that it "should" work. So that was wrong then, and there are first hand reports here that it will not work (that from Hawaii it's not valid to route to EU via Asia)?
Good luck^
Nov 28, 2012, 12:08 pm
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: HNL
Programs: DL PM/1MM, BW DE (lifetime), HH DE, Marriott PE (lifetime), National Emerald Executive
Posts: 7,205
Im more than puzzled why several long time members/posters on this thread are negative on this subject. Some of these posters keep telling newbies to search etc, yet they have missed several reports of HI-EU via Asia. I have booked several of these, and even reported here doing it as RTW (ouotbound via pacific, return via atlantic). Admittedly my last report was EU-HI but that shouldnt matter.
Good luck^
Good luck^
Nov 28, 2012, 12:34 pm
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE, AA EXP MM, UA Gold MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, HH Dia, IHG Plat
Posts: 4,777
Any Chance of "Upgrade" if Forced to Book Coach on a C Class Award?
This would be the return portion of the itinerary, involving the very long overwater segment from SYD to SFO on UA. Does a US C class award carry any weight with UA for a space-available "upgrade" (actually just getting the class of service she booked), SYD lounge access etc.?
Or if a AKL-SFO Y seat opens up, does the C award carry any weight with NZ for similar treatment?
Unfortunately, my mother is not able to make the multiple transfers in Asia required to stay in C class all the way.
Or if a AKL-SFO Y seat opens up, does the C award carry any weight with NZ for similar treatment?
Unfortunately, my mother is not able to make the multiple transfers in Asia required to stay in C class all the way.
Nov 28, 2012, 1:47 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
I'm booked in [First, Business] but one of my flights is in [Business, Coach] - can I change it to the higher class?
Yes, before travel commences, you can change the class of service on a segment if a seat becomes available. There should be no cost to do this. Note that you must have paid the higher mileage rate when you originally ticketed the award. (reported okay as of 27 Oct. 2011 by mercflight and confirmed by ArizonaGuy - thanks!)
Any advice?
Nov 28, 2012, 3:27 pm
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 543
Hi all,
So I booked the following open jaw award ticket the other day using US miles:
IAD-NRT-AKL / SYD-LAX-PHX-DCA
All international legs are in business (I) and the two domestic legs are in first (O). IAD-NRT on NH, NRT-AKL on NZ, SYD-LAX on UA, and LAX-PHX-DCA on US.
What happens if there is a schedule change that makes a connection between carriers illegal? For instance, what if my connection in NRT is not legal? This happened to me on a domestic run on UA (also booked using US miles), and UA was willing to rebook me on a direct flight between my cities (yay!) even though there was otherwise no award inventory left on the direct flight.
If my connection in NRT becomes illegal, will *someone* (NZ, I guess?) be permitted to overbook me into award space on another set of flights (say, IAD-LAX on UA and LAX-AKL on NZ)? Same question on the LAX-PHX-DCA segments. If that connection goes illegal (currently have 38 minutes, so it could happen), will US be willing to rebook me on LAX-IAD nonstop on UA even if there is no award inventory?
So I booked the following open jaw award ticket the other day using US miles:
IAD-NRT-AKL / SYD-LAX-PHX-DCA
All international legs are in business (I) and the two domestic legs are in first (O). IAD-NRT on NH, NRT-AKL on NZ, SYD-LAX on UA, and LAX-PHX-DCA on US.
What happens if there is a schedule change that makes a connection between carriers illegal? For instance, what if my connection in NRT is not legal? This happened to me on a domestic run on UA (also booked using US miles), and UA was willing to rebook me on a direct flight between my cities (yay!) even though there was otherwise no award inventory left on the direct flight.
If my connection in NRT becomes illegal, will *someone* (NZ, I guess?) be permitted to overbook me into award space on another set of flights (say, IAD-LAX on UA and LAX-AKL on NZ)? Same question on the LAX-PHX-DCA segments. If that connection goes illegal (currently have 38 minutes, so it could happen), will US be willing to rebook me on LAX-IAD nonstop on UA even if there is no award inventory?
Nov 28, 2012, 3:58 pm
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: AGP/GIB
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA EXP
Posts: 358
other than the ANA tool, what do you consider to be the best free/paid sites for finding award availability?
Nov 28, 2012, 5:26 pm
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,387
This would be the return portion of the itinerary, involving the very long overwater segment from SYD to SFO on UA. Does a US C class award carry any weight with UA for a space-available "upgrade" (actually just getting the class of service she booked), SYD lounge access etc.?
Or if a AKL-SFO Y seat opens up, does the C award carry any weight with NZ for similar treatment?
Or if a AKL-SFO Y seat opens up, does the C award carry any weight with NZ for similar treatment?
http://www.usairways.com/en-US/divid...mberguide.html
For travel with our airline partners, no changes of any kind are permitted once travel has commenced. Before travel commencement, changes to the point of origin, destination, airline carrier or stopover are permitted but are subject to a service fee, provided the new itinerary is allowed with the original award redeemed. A fee applies to change flight times and/or dates before travel begins. Changes must be requested by contacting Reservations and are subject to award seat availability. Paper tickets may require re-issuance at an authorized US Airways ticketing facility.
Airline partners cannot change Dividend Miles award reservations or tickets at any time.
Airline partners will accommodate members only in the cabin in which the ticket was issued, including instances where a member had elected to accept an award ticket with flights in a cabin class lower than intended for the award redeemed.
Airline partners cannot change Dividend Miles award reservations or tickets at any time.
Airline partners will accommodate members only in the cabin in which the ticket was issued, including instances where a member had elected to accept an award ticket with flights in a cabin class lower than intended for the award redeemed.
Nov 28, 2012, 6:07 pm
Join Date: Dec 2009
Posts: 5,439
Nov 28, 2012, 6:55 pm
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Programs: Flying: VA; Buying: AA, AS, AV, BA, UA!
Posts: 2,349
Nov 29, 2012, 12:30 am
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: SPG Platinum, Marriott Platinum, PC Platinum, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 321
Need some help for the return portion of an award reservation (outbound travel completed) for 2 pax in business
Current reservation:
12/2 DEL-BKK
12/3 BKK-HKG-SFO
This was fine when I booked the award 6 months back but now I need to be back in office on 12/3 morning. I tried awardnexus and also Expertflyer (paid member). I can travel on 12/1 or 12/2 to reach SFO on 12/2. Thought I would ask the more experienced members if there is some specific routes I should be looking at. Any help is appreciated
Current reservation:
12/2 DEL-BKK
12/3 BKK-HKG-SFO
This was fine when I booked the award 6 months back but now I need to be back in office on 12/3 morning. I tried awardnexus and also Expertflyer (paid member). I can travel on 12/1 or 12/2 to reach SFO on 12/2. Thought I would ask the more experienced members if there is some specific routes I should be looking at. Any help is appreciated