US Dividend Miles - Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[VH-OEG]

MEL_Traveller, of course I was just kidding

 

[Shanye2233]

I have already written an email to US Airways to tell them how amazing the agent was that helped me ...


good idea that's the right thing to do . Some of these agents spend 12 hour shifts answering phones they deserve something back .

 

[Masonic Phantom]

I have already written an email to US Airways to tell them how amazing the agent was that helped me ...


good idea that's the right thing to do . Some of these agents spend 12 hour shifts answering phones they deserve something back .

 

[anat0l]

Some of these agents spend 12 hour shifts answering phones they deserve something back .

Yeah. Less HUACA stuffing around and long sell requests.

 

[FrankC]

Folks thanks for your information and help

I am now the proud owner of a booking ex SYDNEY to GUM.

After 6 phone calls and 5 weeks of searching, my call was answered by an angel. She was wonderful and 47 mins later I got every flight that I wanted in every class
and even got a sneaky 1 night stopover in NRT.... The res agent is a legend... heres my itinerary

SYD/BKK TG new F B747
BKK/SIN TG new J
SIN/NRT UA new F B777
NRT/GUM UA old J B777
GUM/TPE BR J
TPE/SIN SQ J (regional)
SIN/BKK TG old J B777
BKK/SYD TG new F B747

for 40000 miles, $159 USD in taxes 3 x 20 hour transits, and 1 x 34 hour stopover, I am one VERY HAPPY USDM member... The only thing that could bring me down from the high is if TG subs the 9 seat new F cabin for a 10 seat old style F ... even then ... F is F

I have already written an email to US Airways to tell them how amazing the agent was that helped me ...

Can you share where you have the stopover? If it is BKK or SIN - can you share if it is on the way to or back from GUM?
Cheers

 

[Shanye2233]

Yeah. Less HUACA stuffing around and long sell requests.

I think im going to have to go back and read the rules again . Because when the agent made a mistake with my booking i had pages of people telling me to ring back and get it fixed and to play by the rules. Yet it seems the past 6 months its free willy for everyone. Maybe it has to do with the AA merger.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Can you share where you have the stopover? If it is BKK or SIN - can you share if it is on the way to or back from GUM?
Cheers

in the post you quoted the OP says they got a stopover in NRT.

 

[FrankC]

in the post you quoted the OP says they got a stopover in NRT.

*embarrassed*

 

[Alanslegal]

I have already written an email to US Airways to tell them how amazing the agent was that helped me ...

good idea that's the right thing to do . Some of these agents spend 12 hour shifts answering phones they deserve something back .

Are you using an alias to contact USDM? If not, I hope they do not audit your new accounts then.

 

[Shanye2233]

Your confused as always my good friend. Im not contacting us airways the other poster did.

 

[Kangol]

What search engine(s) are people using to look at TG J/F award availability?
I'm guessing they have the best F product from Australia to some parts of Europe?
Was looking at Swiss but alas they only allow their elites to access F award availability..

 

[anat0l]

What search engine(s) are people using to look at TG J/F award availability?
I'm guessing they have the best F product from Australia to some parts of Europe?
Was looking at Swiss but alas they only allow their elites to access F award availability..

I use ANA myself. Others prefer to use Awardtravelr.

Of the *A carriers which fly F to or from Australia, there is only TG, SQ and UA. You can't go to Europe via North America and trans-Pacific UA J and F is very rare anyway. SQ F is almost impossible to book except in some rare cases, which leaves TG F, which is noted for having generous availability.

 

[bcworld]

Has everyone taken note of the forthcoming huge UA mileage plus devaluation!? Makes me feel a bit uneasy about my DM stockpile!

 

[Kangol]

I use ANA myself. Others prefer to use Awardtravelr.

Of the *A carriers which fly F to or from Australia, there is only TG, SQ and UA. You can't go to Europe via North America and trans-Pacific UA J and F is very rare anyway. SQ F is almost impossible to book except in some rare cases, which leaves TG F, which is noted for having generous availability.

Awesome, thanks.
I've read many good TRs regarding SQ F, however given the clause below it looks like the only aircraft that you can get SQ F is the 777-300 (refitted, non-ER).

2) Award redemption on the Singapore Airlines Suites, First Class and Business Class cabin products on the A380, B777-300ER and A340-500 aircraft is currently unavailable

From: Other First Class

Available on Singapore Airlines' Boeing 777-300ER and refitted Boeing 777-300 aircraft.

Looks like there is one of the three daily SYD-SIN return flights (SQ212/211) on a refitted 777-300.. is that the route you were referring to about rare cases of F award availability?

 

[anat0l]

Awesome, thanks.
I've read many good TRs regarding SQ F, however given the clause below it looks like the only aircraft that you can get SQ F is the 777-300 (refitted, non-ER).

...

Looks like there is one of the three daily SYD-SIN return flights (SQ212/211) on a refitted 777-300.. is that the route you were referring to about rare cases of F award availability?

I'm not exactly sure myself. Others here can comment. Certainly the availability on SQ F for anything except regional SQ flights (operated by 772, old cradle F) that I've heard of is between Australia and Singapore. So yes, SYD or MEL.

Probably best to use Awardtravelr to see if the availability is there for such flights. I think I've seen it shown on ANA before, but ANA still "autoblocks" any F availability (if any) for certain aircraft on SQ flights when it displays results.

I guess the other thing is that whilst US DM seems not to see or book this F availability, others have had success using Avianca (which can also freely display such availability if it is there).

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Has everyone taken note of the forthcoming huge UA mileage plus devaluation!? Makes me feel a bit uneasy about my DM stockpile!

it's not good news. DL has been down that path for a long time, and my optimism was that US/AA would be kept in check by UA (matching due to competition). now with UA devaluing I fear it won't be long for US.

if we increase a first class award to Europe by 60% that's going to bring it to around $5000 all up including taxes. it's effectively moving first-class-at-economy prices to first-class-at-business prices. but it's still half the retail cost.

at least they haven't banned F redemptions entirely and if it opens LH and SQ F it will be a bonus (probably unlikely though).

 

[jgm]

You can't go to Europe via North America and trans-Pacific UA J and F is very rare anyway.

Not true. We are flying MEL-LAX(UA)-PHX-DEN(US), DEN-ORD(UA)-CPH(SK)-SIN-MEL(SQ) in Feb. All in J. We were originally going to the US via ICN, but SWMBO didn't fancy going through Korea, & the UA direct availability opened up so I changed. Our destination is DEN, but we have a stopover in CPH, and as destinations and stopovers are in reality only different names for the same effect, you could have just over 24hrs in the US, and a really long stay in Europe.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Not true. We are flying MEL-LAX(UA)-PHX-DEN(US), DEN-ORD(UA)-CPH(SK)-SIN-MEL(SQ) in Feb. All in J. We were originally going to the US via ICN, but SWMBO didn't fancy going through Korea, & the UA direct availability opened up so I changed. Our destination is DEN, but we have a stopover in CPH, and as destinations and stopovers are in reality only different names for the same effect, you could have just over 24hrs in the US, and a really long stay in Europe.

your destination is CPH. as such it is an illegal itinerary, but who cares since it's ticketed

was the cost calculated as 110k? if it had priced at 120k (destination Europe) then I don't know whether the trip via the states would have come back invalid.

(the destination is determined as the farthest point on the itinerary, this can't be chosen by the passenger. it is what it is via great circle mapper)

 

[anat0l]

Not true. We are flying MEL-LAX(UA)-PHX-DEN(US), DEN-ORD(UA)-CPH(SK)-SIN-MEL(SQ) in Feb. All in J. We were originally going to the US via ICN, but SWMBO didn't fancy going through Korea, & the UA direct availability opened up so I changed. Our destination is DEN, but we have a stopover in CPH, and as destinations and stopovers are in reality only different names for the same effect, you could have just over 24hrs in the US, and a really long stay in Europe.

By rights your itinerary violates US DM rules, but as mentioned if it is ticketed then so be it.

There are subtle differences between 'stopover' and 'destination', but in many cases the difference is irrelevant.

UA Trans-Pacific J or F is not impossible but it is certainly rare. Although it requires the roundabout method, getting OZ F or NH F to the US is much easier than banking on UA F. Nevertheless, it's good if you've managed to bag it.

 

[Kangol]

I was hoping on buying some by the end of the year during a 100% promo but it looks like this targeted offer doesn't apply to me.

US Airways Targeted 100% Bonus On Purchased Miles Through November 30, 2013 - One Mile at a Time - One Mile at a Time

What's the maximum number of miles you can buy in a calendar year (bonuses aside)?