How To Search For oneworld Award Availability

[sergeyvzn]

Not necessarily but most likely
Typically the taxes are around $150

 

[auriga]

If I find availability on the Enrich website for award seats in J, am I correct to assume this will be available for other one world airlines wanting to book this? i.e. can I ring up US airways to book such a flight.

Also, what is the average taxes/surcharge for say Mel-CDG return via US airways award boooking? For Enrich, it is about $1k.

I do not think the availability is the same. Seats seem to be available most days on the Enrich website using MH miles, but certainly not showing up quite as often using BA website. I presume USDM will not see more availability than BA.

 

[d.diddy_13]

I do not think the availability is the same. Seats seem to be available most days on the Enrich website using MH miles, but certainly not showing up quite as often using BA website. I presume USDM will not see more availability than BA.

I agree, I seem to be having the same issue... looks like they only release x2 J seats to BA for each flight which is what US can only see/book?

 

[legroom]

If I find availability on the Enrich website for award seats in J, am I correct to assume this will be available for other one world airlines wanting to book this? i.e. can I ring up US airways to book such a flight.

Also, what is the average taxes/surcharge for say Mel-CDG return via US airways award boooking? For Enrich, it is about $1k.

Personal experience of 1: yes

$USD278.27 (incl. booking fee)

Also for SYD xMEL CDG

 

[noviceFF]

Is there a best time to call US Airways reservations?? I just tried and got the automated: "we're busy, please call back" and hung up on.

 

[smit0847]

Is there a best time to call US Airways reservations?? I just tried and got the automated: "we're busy, please call back" and hung up on.

8 - 10pm AEST

 

[noviceFF]

This may be a dumb question but it seems like a lot of the search tools (AA, Qantas, BA Avios) returns no/little flight availability in J for Sep (for SYD to LHR/CDG) but I have slight better luck with breaking up the legs via BA AVIOS with SYD to KUL then KUL to LHR, is that the way you guys tend to search for Australia/Europe flights??

 

[anat0l]

This may be a dumb question but it seems like a lot of the search tools (AA, Qantas, BA Avios) returns no/little flight availability in J for Sep (for SYD to LHR/CDG) but I have slight better luck with breaking up the legs via BA AVIOS with SYD to KUL then KUL to LHR, is that the way you guys tend to search for Australia/Europe flights??

Yes.

As I put in my little tips, it's usually easier to search point-to-point and piece together your itinerary manually, rather than put in the start and end point and expect the engines to spit out connections for you.

The only notable exception would be looking up direct flights for an AA award on QF between Australia and LHR (e.g. SYD-LHR on QF1 or MEL-LHR on QF9, and vice versa).

 

[noviceFF]

Ah yes. I've been on the darn computer so long I forgot what I read and my eyes are all blurry... Thx for the tips and sorry for asking the same stuff over again.
One final question, I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on the US dividend mile promotion and supplementing the left over miles (needed for J class) via SPG promotion purchase which will get me the 120K miles needed for Oz/Europe. The SPG will take 2 wks to get into the dividend miles account, i.e. end of month.
What are my chances of scoring an award return flight for J class in Sep if I wait to book then? Am I taking a gamble with buying the miles now?? I don't want to end up with all these miles with nowhere to go.

 

[anat0l]

One final question, I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on the US dividend mile promotion and supplementing the left over miles (needed for J class) via SPG promotion purchase which will get me the 120K miles needed for Oz/Europe. The SPG will take 2 wks to get into the dividend miles account, i.e. end of month.
What are my chances of scoring an award return flight for J class in Sep if I wait to book then? Am I taking a gamble with buying the miles now?? I don't want to end up with all these miles with nowhere to go.

Your chances... well I guess your guess is as good as mine.

You should likely check first for the seat availability. If it isn't there to start with......

Not sure why it should take two weeks to transfer SPG to US DM, unless you mean you are saving the SPG points for a transfer, or need an account, or a few SPG stays coming up that is delaying.

September is a busy month for premium travel from what I've seen. It seems difficult to get seats during that month. But if you want it bad enough and you have found the seats, I'd say go for it. At worst, you can use your miles another time - they aren't completely worthless (irrespective of what might happen in the interim).

Sorry that doesn't help you, but the answer to your question is based on all other participants in the "game", and not something which is hard and true (and not even something which can be heuristically guessed).

 

[legroom]

Ah yes. I've been on the darn computer so long I forgot what I read and my eyes are all blurry... Thx for the tips and sorry for asking the same stuff over again.
One final question, I'm thinking of pulling the trigger on the US dividend mile promotion and supplementing the left over miles (needed for J class) via SPG promotion purchase which will get me the 120K miles needed for Oz/Europe. The SPG will take 2 wks to get into the dividend miles account, i.e. end of month.
What are my chances of scoring an award return flight for J class in Sep if I wait to book then? Am I taking a gamble with buying the miles now?? I don't want to end up with all these miles with nowhere to go.

Unfortunately, you are not the only person holding that view.

No risks. No rewards

That's my view on this "game".

 

[noviceFF]

I rang SPG today and was advised it can take between 10-14 business days to transfer across to dividend miles. I'm planning on buying the points from them there and then. Maybe the SPG person got their facts wrong?? I'll call again tomorrow to double check.

Your chances... well I guess your guess is as good as mine.

You should likely check first for the seat availability. If it isn't there to start with......

Not sure why it should take two weeks to transfer SPG to US DM, unless you mean you are saving the SPG points for a transfer, or need an account, or a few SPG stays coming up that is delaying.

September is a busy month for premium travel from what I've seen. It seems difficult to get seats during that month. But if you want it bad enough and you have found the seats, I'd say go for it. At worst, you can use your miles another time - they aren't completely worthless (irrespective of what might happen in the interim).

Sorry that doesn't help you, but the answer to your question is based on all other participants in the "game", and not something which is hard and true (and not even something which can be heuristically guessed).

 

[anat0l]

I rang SPG today and was advised it can take between 10-14 business days to transfer across to dividend miles. I'm planning on buying the points from them there and then. Maybe the SPG person got their facts wrong?? I'll call again tomorrow to double check.

I guess it doesn't matter. You can plan for 10-14 business days (which corresponds to about 2-3 real weeks), but who cares - you're going to get the points into your account as soon as you can for the purpose that you want to achieve as soon as you can.

But do yourself a favour and check the award seat availability first anyway.

 

[RAM]

Thanks.This really is a great help.I had given up on BA because of the address issue but I feel like I am going to be a new BA executive Club member from Manhattan now just to do searches.
I am sure my neice wont steal my card!

Strange,

I signed up for BA exec Club in late March using a GMail address and Aust street address. Accessed it today looking at a SYD/LHR rtn booking no problems. I have turned off cookies though - that may have something to do with it I suppose.

 

[noviceFF]

What does the folks here think of the Nexus search tool? My eyes are literally popping out from staring at the screen too long (from the BA, QFF, JML and AA websites)...

I guess it doesn't matter. You can plan for 10-14 business days (which corresponds to about 2-3 real weeks), but who cares - you're going to get the points into your account as soon as you can for the purpose that you want to achieve as soon as you can.

But do yourself a favour and check the award seat availability first anyway.

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

The most commonly used tools to search for award availability in oneworld are:

• BA British Airways (Executive Club, or Avios)
• QF Qantas Airways (Frequent Flyer)
• AA American Airlines (AAdvantage)
• JL Japan Airlines (Mileage Bank)

I am wondering what tool am I suppose to use to find flights flying Qatar? I have used the different search engines but none of them seem to return any flights using Qatar. They are part of Oneworld but can we use them as well with our points? I thought we could. Am I doing something wrong?

 

[anat0l]

I am wondering what tool am I suppose to use to find flights flying Qatar? I have used the different search engines but none of them seem to return any flights using Qatar. They are part of Oneworld but can we use them as well with our points? I thought we could. Am I doing something wrong?

I don't know what availability is like on Qatar, but having used BA it has returned results with Qatar flights (i.e. going via Doha).

Some others on here have reported success booking itineraries that involve Qatar Airways, so unless they know something I don't, I'm assuming they have also used one of these tools (but my money is on BA).

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

I don't know what availability is like on Qatar, but having used BA it has returned results with Qatar flights (i.e. going via Doha).

Some others on here have reported success booking itineraries that involve Qatar Airways, so unless they know something I don't, I'm assuming they have also used one of these tools (but my money is on BA).

Wonderful thanks for your help anat01. I was looking last night and not having any luck. I have just taken your advice and now tried the BA tool again and this morning it is returning some Qatar flights

 

[Jacques Vert]

Wonderful thanks for your help anat01. I was looking last night and not having any luck. I have just taken your advice and now tried the BA tool again and this morning it is returning some Qatar flights

I booked some flights on QR as part of a Classic J award. Found the seats using ExpertFlyer. JV

 

[Newk]

I rang SPG today and was advised it can take between 10-14 business days to transfer across to dividend miles. I'm planning on buying the points from them there and then. Maybe the SPG person got their facts wrong?? I'll call again tomorrow to double check.

all the transfer places say something like this. It covers them for delays and people ringing up asking where the points are. In real life some transfers happen almost immediately. And some (are you listening Diners Club?) take for ever....to the extent that you have to hound them long after the quoted time