Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Miles&Points > Discontinued Programs/Partners > US Airways | Dividend Miles (Pre-Consolidation with American Airlines)
Reload this Page >

Making a one-way award reservation. Tips?

Register
Community
Wiki Posts
Today's Posts
Search

Making a one-way award reservation. Tips?

 
Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Mar 3, 2008, 11:17 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
Making a one-way award reservation. Tips?
I'm likely going to fly CHS-PHL, one-way, next week. What's the best way to use miles in this case?

I ask because the website says to call Reservations in order to make a one-way awards res. But if I call, I get charged a fee. I'm thinking that I can just book online a CHS-PHL 25K rt, and then I just don't fly the PHL-CHS leg. But that seems too easy...

Does anyone know a slick way for me to do this more efficiently -- ideally using just 12.5K miles!!

Related issue: the flight I'd like to take, 3806, is actually being quoted as a 25K-mile leg. It's likely to become a 12.5K leg as the day (3/13) nears. If I want to take only that flight, will it cost me 50K miles if I book it via telephone now?

Thanks in advance!
tommyleo is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2008, 11:36 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Washington, DC (DCA)
Programs: UA, AA, AS, SPG.
Posts: 3,463
Yeah you have to pay for roundtrip travel. If you booked now and the flight you want is showing 25k it would cost you 37.5k. You could always pick a random return date and maybe you would be able to use it at some point.

How full is the flight? You can standby onto any same day flight regardless of Saver availability. I would book a 12.5k flight and standby for the flight you really want.
uva185 is offline  
Old Mar 3, 2008, 11:47 pm
  #3  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
Originally Posted by uva185
You can standby onto any same day flight regardless of Saver availability. I would book a 12.5k flight and standby for the flight you really want.
I thought about that. But the flight I prefer is in the afternoon and it has no 12.5K-mile trips scheduled after it. Isn't it necessary to fly standby on an earlier flight than your original res? I thought that if you tried to fly standby on a later flight, it wouldn't work because your res would be cancelled because you would be a no-show for your originally scheduled flight. Or am I missing something here?
tommyleo is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2008, 12:43 am
  #4  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Washington, DC (DCA)
Programs: UA, AA, AS, SPG.
Posts: 3,463
Originally Posted by tommyleo
I thought about that. But the flight I prefer is in the afternoon and it has no 12.5K-mile trips scheduled after it. Isn't it necessary to fly standby on an earlier flight than your original res? I thought that if you tried to fly standby on a later flight, it wouldn't work because your res would be cancelled because you would be a no-show for your originally scheduled flight. Or am I missing something here?
I was told by the CP desk for award travel you could standby earlier or later. This past summer I booked an 8am DCA-CAE with the intention of skipping it, going to the airport at 5pm and taking the 6pm DCA-CAE. At check-in I told the agent I wanted to standby for the 6pm flight and gave her my printed confirmation for the 8am flight. No questions were asked and I was promptly given a boarding pass for the 6pm flight.
uva185 is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2008, 7:29 am
  #5  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
Originally Posted by uva185
I was told by the CP desk for award travel you could standby earlier or later. This past summer I booked an 8am DCA-CAE with the intention of skipping it, going to the airport at 5pm and taking the 6pm DCA-CAE. At check-in I told the agent I wanted to standby for the 6pm flight and gave her my printed confirmation for the 8am flight. No questions were asked and I was promptly given a boarding pass for the 6pm flight.
Wow. I would have thought that your res would have been cancelled when you no-showed the earlier flight. Can you fly standby for a later flight with a paid ticket?
tommyleo is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2008, 11:30 am
  #6  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Washington, DC (DCA)
Programs: UA, AA, AS, SPG.
Posts: 3,463
Originally Posted by tommyleo
Wow. I would have thought that your res would have been cancelled when you no-showed the earlier flight. Can you fly standby for a later flight with a paid ticket?
They say no, but if push came to shove I would be willing to test it out. If the flights were only several hours apart you could claim a meeting ran late or you got into an accident. I'm not sure you could get away with booking a 6am flight and then taking the 9pm flight.

The thing with award tickets is its kinda like a full Y ticket. They are refundable and changeable. So even if they cancelled it I could just re-book it. On the day of departure I'm sure IM could open up Saver availability on any flight that is wide open should you need to rebook. Going standby is just MUCH EASIER.

Also, be sure to ask the GA for an upgrade.
uva185 is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2008, 11:53 am
  #7  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
Originally Posted by uva185
Also, be sure to ask the GA for an upgrade.
Actually, I ask the TA first!! That seems to work a lot lately... ^
tommyleo is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2008, 1:02 pm
  #8  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Washington, DC (DCA)
Programs: UA, AA, AS, SPG.
Posts: 3,463
Originally Posted by tommyleo
Actually, I ask the TA first!! That seems to work a lot lately... ^
The only reason I say GA is they are less likely to look at the fare class. (Since saver awards are technically not upgradeable)
uva185 is offline  
Old Mar 4, 2008, 1:26 pm
  #9  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: PHL
Programs: Former long-time US GP; now AA dirt
Posts: 4,904
Originally Posted by uva185
The only reason I say GA is they are less likely to look at the fare class. (Since saver awards are technically not upgradeable)
In my experience, it's been the GA's who have been sticklers about the fare class (maybe it's a PHL thing?). For some reason, the TA's have been more likely to UG me. Besides, if you ask the TA first and get denied, you can always ask the GA. I like being able to double my chances.
tommyleo is offline  



Advanced Search
Reply Closed Thread Share
Forum Jump

Contact Us - Manage Preferences Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.