US Dividend Miles - Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[MEL_Traveller]

Aghhh thank you. I totally missed that, I have only been looking at the ow list of partners on the web link I added

bear in mind you cannot combine partners and oneworld flights. So if you go down the Air China path you will lose oneworld options.

 

[anat0l]

Thank you. Around $200 for Europe, Asia same or less??

The booking fee is US$50 per passenger per booking. (I believe this is correct - haven't done this for a while).

If you book your travel within 21 days of when you are going to depart, you will pay an additional "expedited ticketing" fee of US$75 per passenger per booking.

All other fees and charges depend on where you are travelling, as levied by the respective airports and governments through which you are travelling. Don't forget that departing Australia carries the ~A$50 per passenger, so that usually accounts for the most in a booking. Most other countries and airports levy their own taxes and airport improvement levies of around US$5 - US$20 each.

So expect to pay a total of around US$200 or so, including the booking fees (but excluding expedited ticketing, as most will book well out of 21 days before departure).

Departing from the UK can be substantially more due to the UK Air Passenger Duty charge, plus the not so trivial UK airports passenger service charge. Germany and Switzerland may have other environmental / air travel levies which noticeably increase the charges as well.

If you travel with British Airways or Iberia (and possibly Finnair), you will also be liable to pay their carrier-imposed fuel surcharges, which will increase your payment between US$50 - US$400.

 

[bcworld]

you will also be liable to pay their carrier-imposed fuel surcharges, which will increase your payment between US$50 - US$400.

Or substantially more. SYD-LHR rtn on BA has a YQ of A$763. The total payment for that itinerary would be about USD1300!

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

bear in mind you cannot combine partners and oneworld flights. So if you go down the Air China path you will lose oneworld options.

So does that mean I need to fly the whole way using Air China?
So to clarify, if I am going to Europe I would need to fly to Europe ONLY on Air China and can't use QF or CX?
Can it be one way using Air China to Europe and then on the other way use a mix of the OW carriers like CX/QF etc

 

[bcworld]

So does that mean I need to fly the whole way using Air China?
So to clarify, if I am going to Europe I would need to fly to Europe ONLY on Air China and can't use QF or CX?
Can it be one way using Air China to Europe and then on the other way use a mix of the OW carriers like CX/QF etc

The whole itinerary must be either OneWorld OR other partners, not a mix of both.

If you go down the other partners route you currently have this list to choose from - you can mix any of these together, but not with OneWorld airlines:

Travel on any one or combination of the following US partner airlines - Aegean Airlines, Air China, Air New Zealand1, Hawaiian Airlines2
, Jet Airways, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines3
, South African Airways, TAP Portugal,
and Turkish Airlines3

Some of the Star Alliance airlines here will no longer be partners soon. In fact, Air NZ is already gone, SQ and TK at the end of July. That will basically leave Air China as a means of getting to Europe...maybe SA from PER.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So does that mean I need to fly the whole way using Air China?
So to clarify, if I am going to Europe I would need to fly to Europe ONLY on Air China and can't use QF or CX?
Can it be one way using Air China to Europe and then on the other way use a mix of the OW carriers like CX/QF etc

Have a look at the award charts... there are two. One for partner airlines, the other lists oneworld airlines.

you can select from one chart or the other. you cannot select from both on the same ticket.

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

The whole itinerary must be either OneWorld OR other partners, not a mix of both.

Thanks bcworld and MEL_Traveller for your prompt response

 

[phantompharter]

hey everyone.

Got a question regarding a guam itinerary I have coming up in a week.
Am using it to position to get to the US with another FF program which leaves guam a day later.

Just noticed that there is a flight that leaves a little bit earlier from Guam but am not sure about the turnaround time being sufficient so thought Id ask here.
If this is not the right forum could a mod please direct me to the right one.

We arrive in Guam at 04:40am and then the possible flight out leaves at 06:50am. A little over two hours.
But am concerned as I would need to go through immigration into Guam and then back out again as the flights would be on two different tickets - and not sure if I can just walk over the new flight without first heading out in guam proper.
Also concerned if the first flight is delayed a little (or a lot) as there is no recourse on separate tickets.

Anyone had experience with the turnaround at Guam?
Thanks

 

[get me outta here]

There was the same question on here before and maybe whoever answered it, will again. I wanted to do what you are doing instead of staying 3 days to get back to HKG on the same flight out (arr 0440 and dep at 0650). But, a few answers put me off trying.

 

[get me outta here]

Comrades,

I have my CBR - SYD - LAX on QF F for 05 May 2015. I now wish to try to change it so that I can add LAX - NYC (10 nights). On the return SFO (8 nights) and LAS (2n) and maybe Portland (2-3n). Couldn't book this before as it was too far out.

For all those of you who have done similar trips and USDM regs, could anyone pleeeese recommend a good routing - stops and side trips if necessary?

Thanks

PS. I am flexible on timings

 

[bcworld]

Comrades,

I have my CBR - SYD - LAX on QF F for 05 May 2015. I now wish to try to change it so that I can add LAX - NYC (10 nights). On the return SFO (8 nights) and LAS (2n) and maybe Portland (2-3n). Couldn't book this before as it was too far out.

For all those of you who have done similar trips and USDM regs, could anyone pleeeese recommend a good routing - stops and side trips if necessary?

Thanks

PS. I am flexible on timings

Haven't we been there and done that with this one? Remember the rules, one stopover and one destination.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Comrades,

I have my CBR - SYD - LAX on QF F for 05 May 2015. I now wish to try to change it so that I can add LAX - NYC (10 nights). On the return SFO (8 nights) and LAS (2n) and maybe Portland (2-3n). Couldn't book this before as it was too far out.

For all those of you who have done similar trips and USDM regs, could anyone pleeeese recommend a good routing - stops and side trips if necessary?

Thanks

PS. I am flexible on timings

USDM allows one destination and one stopover. Any other flights will need to be arranged separately. You could fly straight through to New york, then stop on the way back in SFO for example, with own arrangements to take you to LAS/PDX and back to SFO.

 

[get me outta here]

Ok thanks MEL_ T. I'll do side trips from SFO as it makes no diff to the city order.

 

[get me outta here]

For the 330 days out timeline, which hour of our day would they likely be able to see a QF flt from wherever their operator is located do you reckon?

 

[sergeyvzn]

Ok thanks MEL_ T. I'll do side trips from SFO as it makes no diff to the city order.

I'm doing in similar route in a couple of months (a part of QF RWT trip, not a US Airways award but there's some similarity), you can only stopover in SFO. Then you do a triangle on Alaska Airlines, they are the best carrier (IMHO) going non-stop to Portland from Las Vegas and if you have AA or QF miles you can use them to book the trip as they both partner with Alaska Airlines

 

[get me outta here]

That's good news ... so on Alaska SFO - LAS - PDX - SFO? Yes, have AA and QF milies.

I'm doing in similar route in a couple of months (a part of QF RWT trip, not a US Airways award but there's some similarity), you can only stopover in SFO. Then you do a triangle on Alaska Airlines, they are the best carrier (IMHO) going non-stop to Portland from Las Vegas and if you have AA or QF miles you can use them to book the trip as they both partner with Alaska Airlines

 

[sergeyvzn]

That's good news ... so on Alaska SFO - LAS - PDX - SFO? Yes, have AA and QF milies.

Yes, this or in the other direction

 

[get me outta here]

Been on to US for 1 hour 20mins to change my flights. Although they were quite happy to do it as it was all valid and they could see all the seats, their system would simply not allow it. The patient operator asked her supervisor and the supervisor bumped it up to her supervisor, but the system would not allow it.

The only suggestion is to cancel, redeposit the miles, and start again thereby endangering my first sector currently F on QF. Anyone hazard a guess on my chances of getting that F seat back as no availability now showing?

They said whatever I decided, it would all be at no cost to me.

 

[bcworld]

You might cancel, go to rebook, and the underlying reason for the system not allowing it remains.

 

[get me outta here]

True. Geez.

Edit: I'm going to give them another call now. Will report.