US Dividend Miles - Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[PapaRubbery]

of course you get your miles back. there is no question about that.

Then maybe I'll consider it - I'd want something firm from USDM though before committing to that. I fear a conversation that goes "Oh yep you want to change your booking, well sorry we aren't part of Star Alliance anymore, can't help you there. You'd have to go speak to each airline. Not our responsibility, we aren't part of Star Alliance anymore".

 

[smit0847]

Then maybe I'll consider it - I'd want something firm from USDM though before committing to that. I fear a conversation that goes "Oh yep you want to change your booking, well sorry we aren't part of Star Alliance anymore, can't help you there. You'd have to go speak to each airline. Not our responsibility, we aren't part of Star Alliance anymore".

No worse than being told: 'sir there is no availability across the pacific in J for the next 9 months. If you want to go via somewhere else it will be 2 separate redemptions which require twice the number of points'

 

[bcworld]

No worse than being told: 'sir there is no availability across the pacific in J for the next 9 months. If you want to go via somewhere else it will be 2 separate redemptions which require twice the number of points'

Or, sorry what, you want to take Etihad from Melbourne to London...via Abu Dhabi? What a non-sensical routing...2 awards for you!

 

[smit0847]

Or, sorry what, you want to take Etihad from Melbourne to London...via Abu Dhabi? What a non-sensical routing...2 awards for you!

Or 'as part of the new American, we've made some changes to our partner redemption chart'


(we're not trying to be nasty, we're just being realistic. They are two vastly different programs)

 

[PapaRubbery]

No worse than being told: 'sir there is no availability across the pacific in J for the next 9 months. If you want to go via somewhere else it will be 2 separate redemptions which require twice the number of points'

Fair enough, I take your point.

Well if USDM offer any last minute amazing miles buying promos I might snag enough for a RTW *cough cough* I just mean South Pacific to North America *cough cough* F trip for the fiancee and I, book it, and then just plan our lives around it.

bcworld - too right! Or claiming no redemption black out dates - just putting the cost of a redemption at hundreds of thousands of miles, as Etihad do currently.

 

[bcworld]

Well if USDM offer any last minute amazing miles buying promos

What's everyone's thought on this? Do you think we're all done and dusted?

 

[anat0l]

of course you get your miles back. there is no question about that.

How would it potentially work for changes after 1 April?

Cancellation will redeposit the miles (in the new currency). But changes to booking... probably not possible onto *A (or at all, unless forced)?

 

[anat0l]

What's everyone's thought on this? Do you think we're all done and dusted?

I'd always thought there'd be at least one more. At least for Christmas.

Given that it's mid month and nothing, looks like it may not be forthcoming. But still thinking there will be one more.

AA will definitely be more expensive than US - no doubt (except in some niche cases). But I do look forward to funding up a nice oneworld redemption or Explorer award. AA is not horrid value in and of itself; availability is not as starkers across the alliance as one thinks. And, for the *A, there's always still AV LM.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

How would it potentially work for changes after 1 April?

Cancellation will redeposit the miles (in the new currency). But changes to booking... probably not possible onto *A (or at all, unless forced)?

it will depend on the changes.

if you are flying TG SYD-Europe-SYD and there is a schedule change it is fairly easy for TG to reschedule you on their services. If you have multiple carriers, my advice has always been to allow time between connections... if you LH flight TLV-FRA is delayed or changed, then TG may not be so quick to jump to the party to reschedule their connecting flights (i just use that as an example). But if you have allowed a day in between then the TG sectors would remain unaffected.

Some have commented earlier that when BMI left star alliance that ticket revalidation was still possible. So maybe that will be the case here as well.

As for irrops on the day of travel - that won't be a problem.

USDM/AA will need to work through the issues. But no one is going to lose miles in the event of a change to their itinerary. You have paid and entered into a contract. If that's not delivered you get your miles back (at worst case this might just be an ex gratia adjustment to your miles balance). How you then get home I don't know... look for accommodation on a oneworld carrier i suppose. But you might have to settle for a lower class than you have booked (with an appropriate miles adjustment back to your account).

 

[burmans]

What's everyone's thought on this? Do you think we're all done and dusted?

Well as far as I know they haven't fired their marketing department so I'm reasonably confident we will have at least 1 more. Personally wont be using, with the two share promos recently I'm well and truly topped up (in fact possibly have too many but that last share promo was hard to resist!)

 

[spudwa]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

paying to extend is cheap... $9 total.

paying to reactivate after miles have expired is expensive... as per chart posted by Masonic phantom.

Did I read somewhere on this thread that more than one payment of $9 is necessary. I've got 300K DM riding on this :-0

Is the expiry date on my account page somewhere?

 

[bcworld]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Did I read somewhere on this thread that more than one payment of $9 is necessary. I've got 300K DM riding on this :-0

Is the expiry date on my account page somewhere?

It's on the email they send you every month.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

I'm not sure of the extent of OZ's refitting J on its aircraft (it may have done them all, it may have done no more). I know IST and SYD weren't on the initial list of destinations where these refitted aircraft were going, but I'm sure I've heard of at least one AFFer who booked SYD-ICN-LHR and allegedly was flying on the new product.

From what I can tell OZ haven't got the Quadrian(?) seats into AU as yet. They seem to be rather nice seats fromt eh reviews I've read. Also you get a lot better IFE. I couldn't believe the OZ flight I had back to Sydney was a looped 2.5 hours setup. Must be 10+ years since I last had something that bad.

The J seats into Australia are not that comfortable. Certainly found TG J to be a much better sleeping experience.

 

[spudwa]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

It's on the email they send you every month.

I can find every email e-statement except November grrrr

 

[spudwa]

Well a slight change of plan. Looks like we will only be going to Florida from Perth. I've just been on the *Alliance website and I stumbled across an awesome routing. Perth->Bangkok or Singapore->Zurich->BERMUDA->Miami Anyone had a stopover in Bermuda?

 

[Masonic Phantom]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

spudwa,
Perhaps you should sign up to Award Wallet, and all dates will be there.
https://awardwallet.com/?BackTo=/account/list.php?UserAgentID=All

Cheers M.P.

 

[bcworld]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

I can find every email e-statement except November grrrr

Well did you have any activity in November / December?

If not the expiry date will be the same as on the October statement. If you did have recent activity then you have 18 months to run and panic over!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Did I read somewhere on this thread that more than one payment of $9 is necessary. I've got 300K DM riding on this :-0

Is the expiry date on my account page somewhere?

yes. still a hefty $9.

 

[robcuk]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Just out of interest how are AA awards currently booked? Online or over the phone?

 

[anat0l]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Just out of interest how are AA awards currently booked? Online or over the phone?

Only some airlines, regions and itineraries can be booked online.

Most will be over the phone.