US Dividend Miles - Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[smit0847]

they should *look* the day before, but your flight will actually be on the day you intend to travel. (that is, if you want the flight on Friday at 00:50 ask them to check flights on Thursday. in doing that, they'll see the friday flight. or so the theory goes)

easy way to check is to confirm the arrival time (although US often gets those confused!).

Thanks- I asked them to look the day before and they said 'the Thursday flight is available'. I asked whether that lands thurs am or Fri am (as this would solve the question) and they said 'it doesn't say but I assume Thursday because it would land same day'

 

[smit0847]

Thanks- I asked them to look the day before and they said 'the Thursday flight is available'. I asked whether that lands thurs am or Fri am (as this would solve the question) and they said 'it doesn't say but I assume Thursday because it would land same day'

Just a footnote to this issue:

I spoke with an excellent USDM agent last night who was able to explain this to me very clearly. While our normal calendar days runs from 00:00-24:00, for some reason airline days run from 02:00-01:59. If you have a flight departing at 01:00 on, say, a Friday morning, if they look up flights departing on a Friday it will now show it as it only shows flights from 02:00 Friday onwards. Ask them to look for flights departing on Thursday and then they will see the flight departing 01:00 on a Friday as that is during the 'Thursday' airline day (despite the fact is actually departs on a Friday morning). Presumably your flight will land after 02:00 so you can check its the correct flight by asking when it arrives, which in most cases would be after 02:00 on the Friday.

I was panicking a bit when they were saying they could book a flight leaving at 01:00 on a Thursday because I was worried that it would be 24 hours before the flight I actually wanted (and land on Thursday rather than Friday). They assured me it landed on a Friday, arriving during an airline 'Friday' despite departing during an airline 'Thursday'.

Hope this helps!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just a footnote to this issue:

I spoke with an excellent USDM agent last night who was able to explain this to me very clearly. While our normal calendar days runs from 00:00-24:00, for some reason airline days run from 02:00-01:59. If you have a flight departing at 01:00 on, say, a Friday morning, if they look up flights departing on a Friday it will now show it as it only shows flights from 02:00 Friday onwards. Ask them to look for flights departing on Thursday and then they will see the flight departing 01:00 on a Friday as that is during the 'Thursday' airline day (despite the fact is actually departs on a Friday morning). Presumably your flight will land after 02:00 so you can check its the correct flight by asking when it arrives, which in most cases would be after 02:00 on the Friday.

I was panicking a bit when they were saying they could book a flight leaving at 01:00 on a Thursday because I was worried that it would be 24 hours before the flight I actually wanted (and land on Thursday rather than Friday). They assured me it landed on a Friday, arriving during an airline 'Friday' despite departing during an airline 'Thursday'.

Hope this helps!

checking the itinerary will confirm this. However they search for the flight or manage to find it, the correct date and time should appear on the ticket and itinerary.

If your flight is at 0100 on Friday, but they find it on a thursday, the itinerary/ticket will show the friday, not thursday.

 

[smit0847]

checking the itinerary will confirm this. However they search for the flight or manage to find it, the correct date and time should appear on the ticket and itinerary.

If your flight is at 0100 on Friday, but they find it on a thursday, the itinerary/ticket will show the friday, not thursday.

I didnt want to risk booking a flight on the wrong day because I didnt understand the schedules and then having to change it later!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I didnt want to risk booking a flight on the wrong day because I didnt understand the schedules and then having to change it later!

you could have booked and put the booking on hold. that would have confirmed the correct dates and times.

 

[smit0847]

Also, I tried to book 2x QR seats on the one flight, both appeared available but the agent said 'I've managed to get one of the QR seats but the other one is saying unconfirmed. This happens with QR all the time - even when the seats are available they suddenly pull them for a short period as we go to book it. It should confirm any minute'.

I was on hold for quite some time while he sorted something else out and then he eventually came back and said 'that QR seat is still unconfirmed. I'll put the itinerary on hold, call back in 12 or so hours and check if it is confirmed - you wont have to get us to search for a new seat, we'll just check that the existing seat is confirmed'.

I've checked the hold online and surprise, surprise that flight has dropped off the itinerary for one person. BA.com is still showing award seats available for the flight.

Has anyone had this happen before? It seems a bit odd (though agent was very competent).

 

[neon_crossing]

I am looking at flights for GUM again later in the year (yes, even with the dollar nosediving) and the agent just told me they are now unable to book JL flights more than 6 weeks out???
Has anyone else come across this?

 

[hummel]

I am looking at flights for GUM again later in the year (yes, even with the dollar nosediving) and the agent just told me they are now unable to book JL flights more than 6 weeks out???
Has anyone else come across this?

I think I remember reading something about that being for domestic JL bookings? In that case I would HUACA.

 

[CJEMNMAC]

I think I remember reading something about that being for domestic JL bookings? In that case I would HUACA.

I am looking at flights for GUM again later in the year (yes, even with the dollar nosediving) and the agent just told me they are now unable to book JL flights more than 6 weeks out???
Has anyone else come across this?

Not related to GUM but definitely re JL. I just made a USDM with 2 x JL international sectors..... HUACA 6 times....... 2 of the 6 calls told me you cannot book JL more than 30 days from departure and would not search because " there is no point "..

 

[smit0847]

I think I remember reading something about that being for domestic JL bookings? In that case I would HUACA.

Redeem US Airways Miles On Japan Airlines More Than 90 Days Out? - One Mile at a Time

Only for wholly domestic Japan bookings.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am looking at flights for GUM again later in the year (yes, even with the dollar nosediving) and the agent just told me they are now unable to book JL flights more than 6 weeks out???
Has anyone else come across this?

Not related to GUM but definitely re JL. I just made a USDM with 2 x JL international sectors..... HUACA 6 times....... 2 of the 6 calls told me you cannot book JL more than 30 days from departure and would not search because " there is no point "..

unless this is a very recent development? I booked JL flights for the middle of the year a couple weeks ago no worries. (I'm not aware of any changes to availability.)

 

[sergeyvzn]

just as I was about to book a trip to Brazil via South Africa on SAA that used to still be a partner they are no longer a partner:shock:

shock horror what do we do now???

Have to rethink the whole next Christmas/New Year trip and probably go elsewhere as there is no availability on Qatar from Perth either

 

[Beta4Me]

just as I was about to book a trip to Brazil via South Africa on SAA that used to still be a partner they are no longer a partner:shock:

shock horror what do we do now???

Have to rethink the whole next Christmas/New Year trip and probably go elsewhere as there is no availability on Qatar from Perth either

LifeMiles?

 

[sergeyvzn]

LifeMiles?

Yes, this was the solution, booked 2 J seats on South African PER-JNB-GRU return for 170K each but I reckon the same thing for 120K USDM with a stopover in South Africa would've been much nicer
I'm going to book SYD-PER-SYD tomorrow for 30K USDM to connect to the trip, will report when it's done

 

[Beta4Me]

Yes, this was the solution, booked 2 J seats on South African PER-JNB-GRU return for 170K each but I reckon the same thing for 120K USDM with a stopover in South Africa would've been much nicer
I'm going to book SYD-PER-SYD tomorrow for 30K USDM to connect to the trip, will report when it's done

Well done, but that is a bugger!

 

[cove]

That is what we would call a long cut but for that destination is the only choice. My other Perth relatives had to fly home to Perth by going thru to Sydney and then back as the only option out of South Africa.

 

[baggyred]

Hi Guys - just wanting to check the rules for transiting wholly inside Australia.

I've currently got a return flight booked to Melbourne - however if possible would like a quick stopover in Sydney (under 24 hours)

I was thinking of changing the flight from Per->Mel (Dest) to Per->Syd->Mel (Dest)

Total time in Syd would only be 18 hours so wouldn't be a stopover per se'

Am I going to run into any issues here?

 

[sergeyvzn]

Hi Guys - just wanting to check the rules for transiting wholly inside Australia.

I've currently got a return flight booked to Melbourne - however if possible would like a quick stopover in Sydney (under 24 hours)

I was thinking of changing the flight from Per->Mel (Dest) to Per->Syd->Mel (Dest)

Total time in Syd would only be 18 hours so wouldn't be a stopover per se'

Am I going to run into any issues here?

Isn't that it's no longer than 4 hours when you connect while travelling entirely within a zone? Or might be confusing it with rules for travel entirely within US, it's then definitely no longer than 4 hours if connecting, say you go SFO-LAX-JFK and then you can't spend more than 4 hours in LAX

 

[baggyred]

Isn't that it's no longer than 4 hours when you connect while travelling entirely within a zone? Or might be confusing it with rules for travel entirely within US, it's then definitely no longer than 4 hours if connecting, say you go SFO-LAX-JFK and then you can't spend more than 4 hours in LAX

Oh bugger - that would stuff me up. However I was more thinking there might be MPM issues! I know there was a chart somewhere showing MPM calcs

Found this though

Stopovers: Travel within the continental U.S., Canada and Alaska

A stopover is defined as a stay of more than 4 hours between connections if a connecting flight is available within 4 hours. Outside the continental U.S., Canada and Alaska, a stopover is defined as a stay of more than 24 hours between connections.

 

[get me outta here]

You can't organise it so that you have an over nighter in SYD as there is no better connection?

Oh bugger - that would stuff me up