US Dividend Miles - Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[MEL_Traveller]

question for the uninitiated. Has anyone tried to do a straight turnaround at GUM? Lets face it, I dont think theres much to do there. So if I arrive at 1pm on a UA flt from NRT and then do a 4 pm flt GUM to xx_ on the same day....would this raise eyebrows and a possible interrogation with the US customs border protection ?

i don't know how much connecting traffic there is through GUM but an honest 'In transit' on the arrival card should be fine.

I would be more concerned that USDM agent booking the itinerary might wise up that your main purpose is the 'stopover' rather than the 'destination' and might look a little more closely at the rules.

 

[zainman]

i don't know how much connecting traffic there is through GUM but an honest 'In transit' on the arrival card should be fine.

I would be more concerned that USDM agent booking the itinerary might wise up that your main purpose is the 'stopover' rather than the 'destination' and might look a little more closely at the rules.

I would be concerned about questioning by US border control... I would at least spend 1 night...

 

[Voodz]

Hi all,

After some advice about a trip to South America. Planning on Open Jaw from Sydney through to Quito and then Rio back to Sydney. Originally had some itineraries through NY but was over the MPM. I then tried through LAX and found some availability but also apparently over the MPM with one agent, and then two other agents couldnt see Avianca flights on the system. The flights I was looking at are below, however any suggestions or advice on viable routings to South America would be appreciated.

GOING
SYD - ICN Thu 11/9 OZ602 J (and Fri 12/9) 9:30 - 19:00 NIGHT IN SEOUL YES
ICN - LAX FRI 12/9 OZ202 F 1630 - 12:00 (7 hrs) YES
LAX - SAL FRI 12/9 AV523 J 13:50 - 19:50 pm (7 hr stop) OR AV521 at 1:30am YES
SAL - UIO Sat 13/9 AV457 J 8:55pm - 12:55am YES




RETURN
GIG - PTY CM872 Wed 15/10 1:27am - 6:48AM (7 hrs) or CM114 12:03 - 17:11
PTY - LAX Wed CM472 15/10 11:42 arrive 16:48PM (NIGHT IN LA)
LAX - ICN THU 16/10 1:10pm - 18:10 OZ201 FIRST AVAILABLE (2 hr layover)
ICN - SYD OZ601 17/10 2020-0820 arr Sat 18 October 8:20am

 

[sergeyvzn]

Hi all,

After some advice about a trip to South America. Planning on Open Jaw from Sydney through to Quito and then Rio back to Sydney. Originally had some itineraries through NY but was over the MPM. I then tried through LAX and found some availability but also apparently over the MPM with one agent, and then two other agents couldnt see Avianca flights on the system. The flights I was looking at are below, however any suggestions or advice on viable routings to South America would be appreciated.

GOING
SYD - ICN Thu 11/9 OZ602 J (and Fri 12/9) 9:30 - 19:00 NIGHT IN SEOUL YES
ICN - LAX FRI 12/9 OZ202 F 1630 - 12:00 (7 hrs) YES
LAX - SAL FRI 12/9 AV523 J 13:50 - 19:50 pm (7 hr stop) OR AV521 at 1:30am YES
SAL - UIO Sat 13/9 AV457 J 8:55pm - 12:55am YES




RETURN
GIG - PTY CM872 Wed 15/10 1:27am - 6:48AM (7 hrs) or CM114 12:03 - 17:11
PTY - LAX Wed CM472 15/10 11:42 arrive 16:48PM (NIGHT IN LA)
LAX - ICN THU 16/10 1:10pm - 18:10 OZ201 FIRST AVAILABLE (2 hr layover)
ICN - SYD OZ601 17/10 2020-0820 arr Sat 18 October 8:20am

Have you thought about Turkish Airlines? e.g. SYD-BKK-IST-GRU or EZE?
or SAA from Perth to Johannesburg and on to Sao Paolo or Buenos Aires?

 

[Voodz]

Have you thought about Turkish Airlines? e.g. SYD-BKK-IST-GRU or EZE?
or SAA from Perth to Johannesburg and on to Sao Paolo or Buenos Aires?

Yeah the original plan was to go through BKK to JNB and on to GRU but was planning on doing the Open Jaw into and out of different cities to minimise additional internal flights... I will have another look at availability there though. Hadn't considered Turkish, what is their product like?

 

[sergeyvzn]

Yeah the original plan was to go through BKK to JNB and on to GRU but was planning on doing the Open Jaw into and out of different cities to minimise additional internal flights... I will have another look at availability there though. Hadn't considered Turkish, what is their product like?

The TK product is fantastic
You should structure your trip just to try them - you'll be swept off your feet

 

[Flashback]

The TK product is fantastic
You should structure your trip just to try them - you'll be swept off your feet

I wouldn't say swept off your feat .. yes, it is an excellent J product, but it still doesn't compare to F!

 

[sergeyvzn]

I wouldn't say swept off your feat .. yes, it is an excellent J product, but it still doesn't compare to F!

The seat wouldn't compare to an F suite of course but the rest is good and better than some airlines's F. I flew them on both an A320 and a B777-300ER, the food/wine was heaps better than say Thai's first and so was the service which was very attentive, nothing was too much trouble at all, lots of smiles and a really great attitude. And I'm saying nothing about their lounge in IST...you should try it, it's just fabulous. I was particularly taken by a masseur walking around offering a head and shoulder massage to whoever fancied it, a little detail but a very nice one

 

[Flashback]

The seat wouldn't compare to an F suite of course but the rest is good and better than some airlines's F. I flew them on both an A320 and a B777-300ER, the food/wine was heaps better than say Thai's first and so was the service which was very attentive, nothing was too much trouble at all, lots of smiles and a really great attitude. And I'm saying nothing about their lounge in IST...you should try it, it's just fabulous. I was particularly taken by a masseur walking around offering a head and shoulder massage to whoever fancied it, a little detail but a very nice one

I have flown them, on their 77W IST-NRT as well as experiencing the lounge. Was nice, but I wouldn't say fabulous. I found the head/shoulder massage pretty rubbish too, TBH.

 

[anat0l]

Is anyone really finding MPM to be a huge barrier?

I booked my sister on BNE-SIN-HND/NRT-SEA-NRT-BKK-BNE successfully recently. I was looking at some routing options for others and just happened to find out the MPM for BNE-SEA for shiggles.

Turns out BNE-SIN-HND/NRT-SEA (stopover in TYO, irrelevant though) is greater mileage than the 25M MPM for BNE-SEA.

The excess is only about 600 miles, but still.

When you do the calculations trying to meet MPM, it seems that almost any attempt to get from eastern Australia to west America will break 25M MPM unless you can find availability on direct Transpacific, viz. UA or NZ. Which, as most of us know, is somewhat a Herculean effort.

I know that HUACA, praying to the Gods etc. "solves everything", but have people found that MPM seems to be generally almost non-applicable? Maybe they only care if your distance mileage / routing really takes the mickey...

 

[Flashback]

Is anyone really finding MPM to be a huge barrier?

I booked my sister on BNE-SIN-HND/NRT-SEA-NRT-BKK-BNE successfully recently. I was looking at some routing options for others and just happened to find out the MPM for BNE-SEA for shiggles.

Turns out BNE-SIN-HND/NRT-SEA (stopover in TYO, irrelevant though) is greater mileage than the 25M MPM for BNE-SEA.

The excess is only about 600 miles, but still.

When you do the calculations trying to meet MPM, it seems that almost any attempt to get from eastern Australia to west America will break 25M MPM unless you can find availability on direct Transpacific, viz. UA or NZ. Which, as most of us know, is somewhat a Herculean effort.

I know that HUACA, praying to the Gods etc. "solves everything", but have people found that MPM seems to be generally almost non-applicable? Maybe they only care if your distance mileage / routing really takes the mickey...

There was for a while a big emphasis on MPM, but that seems to have fortunately died down.

My next challenge ... 3 seats in J from PER-LHR mid Jan, returning late Jan / early Feb.......

 

[anat0l]

My next challenge ... 3 seats in J from PER-LHR mid Jan, returning late Jan / early Feb.......

Ouch! Good luck!

The "3 seats" part (i.e. 3 people travelling on the same schedule) probably hurts more than the seasonal time of travel part.

 

[Flashback]

Ouch! Good luck!

The "3 seats" part (i.e. 3 people travelling on the same schedule) probably hurts more than the seasonal time of travel part.

Yep, looking at just flying whY over - it's going to be 3 adults and 2 children (1 lap infant, 1 infant). $7k on EK vs $10k on QF (EK flights!!). And QF wonder why they're losing bookings/money. Given it's so soon it's the easiest option. Can take a block of 4 seats also for them which makes doing whY quite easy. It's split into the 2 sectors with an overnight in DXB in each direction so that'll help too. Also arrives at the nice close LGW

 

[legroom]

Folks

Hypothetical Qs

Could you reschedule a * Alliance trip after US Airways enters Oneworld ?

What would happen to your miles were you to cancel such trips ? Back to AA perhaps ?

I do realise it is hypothetical but looking forward to 'real' trip in 2015 with a 2014 booking !!

Thanks in advance

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Folks

Hypothetical Qs

Could you reschedule a * Alliance trip after US Airways enters Oneworld ?

What would happen to your miles were you to cancel such trips ? Back to AA perhaps ?

I do realise it is hypothetical but looking forward to 'real' trip in 2015 with a 2014 booking !!

Thanks in advance

yes you can.

cancellation of ticket would see miles returned to your account. If USDM and AAdvantage are merged at that stage your miles would go back into the new program.

Unless you were doing a very simple award redemption, you need to be careful of schedule changes - you will not be able to be reaccommodated on star alliance flights once USDM has left star.

 

[burmans]

yes you can.

cancellation of ticket would see miles returned to your account. If USDM and AAdvantage are merged at that stage your miles would go back into the new program.

Unless you were doing a very simple award redemption, you need to be careful of schedule changes - you will not be able to be reaccommodated on star alliance flights once USDM has left star.

I think this states it well, yes it will be possible to change but you certainly wont have the same options. Dependant on where you are travelling this may not always be a negative.

 

[bcworld]

Is anyone really finding MPM to be a huge barrier?

I booked my sister on BNE-SIN-HND/NRT-SEA-NRT-BKK-BNE successfully recently. I was looking at some routing options for others and just happened to find out the MPM for BNE-SEA for shiggles.

Turns out BNE-SIN-HND/NRT-SEA (stopover in TYO, irrelevant though) is greater mileage than the 25M MPM for BNE-SEA.

The excess is only about 600 miles, but still.

When you do the calculations trying to meet MPM, it seems that almost any attempt to get from eastern Australia to west America will break 25M MPM unless you can find availability on direct Transpacific, viz. UA or NZ. Which, as most of us know, is somewhat a Herculean effort.

I know that HUACA, praying to the Gods etc. "solves everything", but have people found that MPM seems to be generally almost non-applicable? Maybe they only care if your distance mileage / routing really takes the mickey...

For Aus - West Coast USA within MPM transit points are limited - SYD: PVG/PEK/ICN and MEL: PVG/PEK. I think when I last looked into this BNE was a bit stuck, unless you could find something miraculous on NZ, but since then Eva came along and BNE-TPE-West Coast should be well within MPM.

Like you say though, even after MPM came into play BNE were still successfully getting west coast awards via the major asian *A hubs...SIN and BKK.

 

[legroom]

My assumption is with a single airline (say TG), it should be easier to accommodate any schedule changes post US Airways exit from * Alliance.

Is that a reasonable position ?

Thanks

I think this states it well, yes it will be possible to change but you certainly wont have the same options. Dependant on where you are travelling this may not always be a negative.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

My assumption is with a single airline (say TG), it should be easier to accommodate any schedule changes post US Airways exit from * Alliance.

Is that a reasonable position ?

Thanks

it all depends.

USDM may not be able to help you in the event of a star alliance partner change post merger. you will be relying on the airline to change flights and handle it accordingly. if you need to reticket you could be out of luck. let's say there is a reschedule ex Europe but the connecting flight out of bangkok doesn't have award seats left. previously you could have got TG to create award inventory and then have USDM ticket that.

that would be an unlikely scenario post merger.

 

[jgm]

Unless you were doing a very simple award redemption, you need to be careful of schedule changes - you will not be able to be reaccommodated on star alliance flights once USDM has left star.

This was not the case when BMI left *A. We had a couple schedule changes on SQ - one of which required a re-validation by BA. There were many postings on FT of others with similar experiences, although some did have difficulties. I would expect to see a similar situation with US.