US Dividend Miles - Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[travelislife]

united.com is working. seats to nrt are available in Y or F at 0545/0550 for example

Yea but United doesn't show any SQ availability these days which is a PIA.

 

[anat0l]

Yea but United doesn't show any SQ availability these days which is a PIA.

Have you tried ANA?

I'd get back to you now but I'm not at a PC.

 

[travelislife]

Okay, using ANA (thanks anat0l, I haven't used it in ages but did have an account already) I found space on SIN-NGO and SIN-KIX on the 18th, both flights departing just after midnight and getting in at about 9am. Annoyingly there isn't any availability from those two places to Tokyo with a decent connection!

 

[JohnK]

Agree. It's important to check the aircraft type and J seating because some offer a really bad product.
Any *A fly FCO-CDG direct?

Wouldn't that be domestic Europe business class product on any carrier?

From memory Finnair, British Airways have ordinary business class anyway.

 

[boomy]

Wouldn't that be domestic Europe business class product on any carrier?

From memory Finnair, British Airways have ordinary business class anyway.

Some airlines, like TK, offer a reasonable J product while others can be really shocking, mostly on A319s.

 

[anat0l]

Some airlines, like TK, offer a reasonable J product while others can be really shocking, mostly on A319s.

Which is fine if your hub point into Europe is IST, or want to bounce back and forth as such.

Other than that, almost every other EuroBusiness is essentially Economy-with-centre-block.

 

[anat0l]

I'm looking at TG flights to and from MEL in ANA, and one is marked with aircraft as "777" and the other is "773".

The way I interpret this is that the one marked "773" means there is a chance (or that it is) operated by a refurbished Boeing 777-300 with new staggered Business fully flat product. The other one marked "777" is either pot luck, or likely a non-refurbished aircraft with the older 2-2-2 angle flat Business product.

Barring aircraft substitutions, is this a reasonable interpretation?


Would a 70 minute connection at BKK be doable? This would be a TG J to TG J connection. In my experience, I've done a similarly timed TG F to OZ J connection before even though my first TG flight was delayed by about 10-20 minutes, but still made it. The fact that this is TG to TG rather than just TG to another *A gives me some confidence that this might be fine.

 

[Flashback]

Some airlines, like TK, offer a reasonable J product while others can be really shocking, mostly on A319s.

If you're lucky .. when we flew LGW-IST, it was originally supposed to be the "decent" J, but we ended up with coughpy J (TK), so they do still have planes in circulation on LON-IST that run the usual rubbish EU J!

 

[bcworld]

Barring aircraft substitutions, is this a reasonable interpretation?

Correct - TG461/2 is scheduled with 77W for the summer timetable. The other combo is typically 772ER.

 

[Flippantflyer]

Correct - TG461/2 is scheduled with 77W for the summer timetable. The other combo is typically 772ER.

I just booked TG462 MEL-BKK for end August. When I went to select seats it showed the new staggered business class layout. Not sure that guarantees anything but fingers crossed.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I just booked TG462 MEL-BKK for end August. When I went to select seats it showed the new staggered business class layout. Not sure that guarantees anything but fingers crossed.

it's been loaded in the schedule from 1 April. you will want to keep an eye on the seating... if they swap the aircraft you could be separated. (happened in the reverse for some others I know where they went from a standard to the new, and they were separated on different sides of the aircraft)

 

[bcworld]

it's been loaded in the schedule from 1 April. you will want to keep an eye on the seating... if they swap the aircraft you could be separated. (happened in the reverse for some others I know where they went from a standard to the new, and they were separated on different sides of the aircraft)

Correct...and also allocated a vegetarian Hindu meal at the same time!

 

[burmans]

They don't help at all! Am currently trying to sort out the schedule change I mentioned earlier and there is nothing they can do at the moment let alone when they aren't in Star.

I did say try, if there is genuinely nothing they can do then yes, there is nothing they can do. But thats true of most FF programs whether in *A or Oneworld. Not sure how being in *A helps if there genuinely is no availability, in fact your post indicates that currently being in *A has not helped.

 

[hedge]

Would getting this be approved being just an issue of HUACing? It would be for a trip in early March.

PER-SIN-CDG/FRA-IST(stopover)-CDG/FRA-JFK(destination)- xx_xx_ - PER

I don't really mind the routing on the way (xx_xx_) home since I don't plan to stop anywhere and get out. I plan to just go with what the agent suggests.

edit: I have seen other successful travel itineraries go to NA via EU so I hope it's possible!

 

[anat0l]

Would getting this be approved being just an issue of HUACing? It would be for a trip in early March.

PER-SIN-CDG/FRA-IST(stopover)-CDG/FRA-JFK(destination)- xx_xx_ - PER

I don't really mind the routing on the way (xx_xx_) home since I don't plan to stop anywhere and get out. I plan to just go with what the agent suggests.

edit: I have seen other successful travel itineraries go to NA via EU so I hope it's possible!

I'd say HUACA but foremost, prayer. To be curt, you're probably better off refining your itinerary, because I can't see it being ticketed except through fluke.

The main resistance is the open jaw between CDG and FRA, which you've attempted to do twice, combined with having a stopover.

 

[hedge]

Sorry I must have used the wrong syntax. I don't mind flying through CDG or FRA or any other port really. Just would like to get to Turkey on the way to NA.

 

[Flashback]

Good luck getting PER-SIN outside of 14 days prior to the trip e.g. it ain't gonna happen kiddo. PER-BKK will be your only option. I don't think there's any *A flights SIN-FRA/CDG anyway.

 

[anat0l]

Sorry I must have used the wrong syntax. I don't mind flying through CDG or FRA or any other port really. Just would like to get to Turkey on the way to NA.

Ah right... my erroneous interpretation.

Have you considered flying direct to IST from Asia, then seeing if any IST-North America availability on TK? That means you won't have to fly via CDG or FRA either on the way to Europe or on the way to North America. Transiting another hub may become necessary for the sake of availability, but check out direct options to IST first.

I don't think there's any *A flights SIN-FRA/CDG anyway.

Well there are, but they are nigh impossible to get seats on (so I know what you mean)

 

[jgm]

I knew that status match would come in handy one day.

Thanks mate.

I don't know how handy it is. UA RCC's are nothing to write home about. Very limited selection of booze, free WiFi (but most US airports have that anyhow). snacks (and the Australian definitions apply here - EXTREMELY limited selection which includes cheese, carrots, bananas, sweet biscuits & lollies). If you're after a feed or shower, forget it.

 

[hedge]

Good luck getting PER-SIN outside of 14 days prior to the trip e.g. it ain't gonna happen kiddo. PER-BKK will be your only option. I don't think there's any *A flights SIN-FRA/CDG anyway.

So I have read. BKK would probably be better for availability.

Ah right... my erroneous interpretation.

Have you considered flying direct to IST from Asia, then seeing if any IST-North America availability on TK? That means you won't have to fly via CDG or FRA either on the way to Europe or on the way to North America. Transiting another hub may become necessary for the sake of availability, but check out direct options to IST first.



Well there are, but they are nigh impossible to get seats on (so I know what you mean)

Thank you, this is a good tip. This will save backtracking and wasted time.

I have read the thread and found that the best way is to check the ANA booking tool to see availability?