US Dividend Miles - Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[hummel]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

Can someone confirm that I am to call US Air about the schedule change and not TG even though they've done this schedule change?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

Can someone confirm that I am to call US Air about the schedule change and not TG even though they've done this schedule change?

correct - this will be the easiest option. USDM can rebook you straight away if seats are available.

If seats are NOT available then you might need to consider next steps, which might involve TG.

USDM is exactly the same as a travel agent in this case. they have issued your ticket and remain in control of it until after the first segment.

 

[Flashback]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

Latest update on oneworld entry US Airways | Loyalty just got better - more so a reminder really. Strange it still has BR on there.

 

[alieninperth]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

I think the BR relationship is continuing for a few months at least, so sort of still relevant.

 

[ms1]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

Any opinions on my 2 options to LHR?

OZ via ICN with Quadra Smartium
or
BR via BKK with Eva's Royal Laurel class.

Both flights on 777.

 

[get me outta here]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

When I read of the schedule changes on TG, I thought I would be affected, but my TG online bkg is still the original dates and times - would I expect there to be some sort of notification or something on the bkg or anything?

 

[robcuk]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

Any opinions on my 2 options to LHR?

OZ via ICN with Quadra Smartium
or
BR via BKK with Eva's Royal Laurel class.

Both flights on 777.

Cant comment on OZ just yet (Flying ICN to SYD in a week) but I thought BR were fantastic back in Dec.

 

[Flashback]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

Any opinions on my 2 options to LHR?

OZ via ICN with Quadra Smartium
or
BR via BKK with Eva's Royal Laurel class.

Both flights on 777.

Is OZ F or J? If J, then I would certainly take BR in Royal Laurel any day - it rivals a lot of F hard products IMHO: EVA Air's luxurious cabin--"Royal Laurel Class" debuts on TPE-JFK, June 2

 

[hummel]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

correct - this will be the easiest option. USDM can rebook you straight away if seats are available.

If seats are NOT available then you might need to consider next steps, which might involve TG.

USDM is exactly the same as a travel agent in this case. they have issued your ticket and remain in control of it until after the first segment.

Just to follow up, rang US at 2130 last night and got it called picked up straight away and was off the phone in 10 minutes. They did tell me that TG has to fix it but I told them just to look at it get it sorted.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

Just to follow up, rang US at 2130 last night and got it called picked up straight away and was off the phone in 10 minutes. They did tell me that TG has to fix it but I told them just to look at it get it sorted.

so they rebooked you on the TG flights?

 

[hummel]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

so they rebooked you on the TG flights?

Correct. Due to schedule change my first flight TG472 gad been pushed back a day thus missing my next flight by 7 hours.

Now re booked on the previous day however now have 9hr layover at BKK overnight.

 

[legroom]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

I just received an email from SQ stating that USDM redemption on SQ will continue ... until 31st July 2014 only.

Not that SQ places are easy to come by.

So, maybe other Star Alliance partners will gradually announce a break up date later ??



TAM Airlines and US Airways exit Star Alliance

From 31 March 2014 onwards, TAM Airlines and US Airways will no longer be members of Star Alliance.
The changes that follow as a result of each carrier's exit from Star Alliance on 31 March 2014 is summarised below.
[TABLE="width: 512"]
[TR]
[TD="width: 239, bgcolor: #EEF0F0"][/TD]
[TD="width: 137, bgcolor: #EEF0F0"]

TAM Airlines​

[/TD]
[TD="width: 136, bgcolor: #EEF0F0"]

US Airways​

[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]Accrual of KrisFlyer miles[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]✓[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, align: center"]Allowed till
31 July 2014[SUP]1[/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #EEF0F0"]Redemption for award flights[SUP]2[/SUP][/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #EEF0F0"]✓[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #EEF0F0, align: center"]Allowed till
31 July 2014[SUP]3[/SUP][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF"]Redemption for flight upgrades[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #FFFFFF, colspan: 2"]Not available from 31 March 2014 onwards[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #EEF0F0"]Recognition of Star Alliance Gold and Silver benefits (including lounge access)[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #EEF0F0, colspan: 2"]Not available from 31 March 2014 onwards[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

If you have any queries, please contact your local Singapore Airlines office. Thank you.
Yours sincerely,

Shirlene Teo
Manager Loyalty Marketing
Singapore Airlines

 

[appaz]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

but we can't book SQ J unless it's last minute (14 days out) so this doesn't change much

 

[bcworld]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

So, maybe other Star Alliance partners will gradually announce a break up date later ??

Well Eva and Air NZ already have...May and June respectively.

 

[spudwa]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

I've just compared buying miles and gifting miles on the current offer from US Airways and there is only about $100 difference. I don't understand as I've already paid for the miles I want to share. It seems like I'm paying twice. It seems to me that I should just buy as normal.

What am I missing?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

I've just compared buying miles and gifting miles on the current offer from US Airways and there is only about $100 difference. I don't understand as I've already paid for the miles I want to share. It seems like I'm paying twice. It seems to me that I should just buy as normal.

What am I missing?

buying miles and gifting miles is the same thing. You are buying miles outright and either putting them in your account or into another account.

SHARING miles is different. you are correct - you have already paid for the miles, but are transferring some of your miles to someone else. You pay 1c per mile to do that.

sharing miles can however be very advantageous when there is a 100% share bonus on (as distinct from a 100% buy or gift promo).

sharing miles, at 1c, is an ok deal for someone who actually flies on US airways (as in actually books and pays for it and earns the points the hard way).

 

[Danger]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

I've given up - but there's good news for anyone looking for extra miles.

I had a very complex award booking for three adults in Business all mapped out, firstly to Guam and then onto Sapporo. I used the SQ and UA websites to find availability on what would have been a total of about eight flights, in and out of Perth. I ring UA and after insisting to the agent - twice - that I wanted to fly out of Perth, not Paris, failed at the first hurdle. Despite finding three Business seats on the first flight PER-SIN with SQ on the SQ website, US could only see two seats in Economy. I posted on FlyerTalk and quickly learnt that SQ availability is not necessarily an indication of alliance-wide availability. So that's that. I decided to purchase 18k miles instead (plus another 18k I got through the 100% bonus offer) and just keep that for now.

Thanks to those you spurred me on. Alas, it was not to be.

That said, I noticed someone on FlyerTalk offering to gift the miles. I'm more than happy to gift as many as I can (remembering I have the 100% bonus offer and have purchased 18k) to whoever can use them. I've no idea of the process but if you [gulp] talk me through it, I can be your gifter! Send me a PM if you're keen and know the process.

 

[bcworld]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

I've given up - but there's good news for anyone looking for extra miles.

I had a very complex award booking for three adults in Business all mapped out, firstly to Guam and then onto Sapporo. I used the SQ and UA websites to find availability on what would have been a total of about eight flights, in and out of Perth. I ring UA and after insisting to the agent - twice - that I wanted to fly out of Perth, not Paris, failed at the first hurdle. Despite finding three Business seats on the first flight PER-SIN with SQ on the SQ website, US could only see two seats in Economy. I posted on FlyerTalk and quickly learnt that SQ availability is not necessarily an indication of alliance-wide availability. So that's that. I decided to purchase 18k miles instead (plus another 18k I got through the 100% bonus offer) and just keep that for now.

Thanks to those you spurred me on. Alas, it was not to be.

That said, I noticed someone on FlyerTalk offering to gift the miles. I'm more than happy to gift as many as I can (remembering I have the 100% bonus offer and have purchased 18k) to whoever can use them. I've no idea of the process but if you [gulp] talk me through it, I can be your gifter! Send me a PM if you're keen and know the process.

Any reason you didn't consider TG ex PER?

SQ J class redemptions are only available less than 14 days before departure when Australia is involved...and yes, you can't use KF (or UA) to guage availability...ANA would be your best bet there.

 

[travelislife]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

I've given up - but there's good news for anyone looking for extra miles.

I had a very complex award booking for three adults in Business all mapped out, firstly to Guam and then onto Sapporo. I used the SQ and UA websites to find availability on what would have been a total of about eight flights, in and out of Perth. I ring UA and after insisting to the agent - twice - that I wanted to fly out of Perth, not Paris, failed at the first hurdle. Despite finding three Business seats on the first flight PER-SIN with SQ on the SQ website, US could only see two seats in Economy. I posted on FlyerTalk and quickly learnt that SQ availability is not necessarily an indication of alliance-wide availability. So that's that. I decided to purchase 18k miles instead (plus another 18k I got through the 100% bonus offer) and just keep that for now.

Thanks to those you spurred me on. Alas, it was not to be.

That said, I noticed someone on FlyerTalk offering to gift the miles. I'm more than happy to gift as many as I can (remembering I have the 100% bonus offer and have purchased 18k) to whoever can use them. I've no idea of the process but if you [gulp] talk me through it, I can be your gifter! Send me a PM if you're keen and know the process.

You should have hung in there Danger. Seats you see on any airlines program is not necessarily indicative of what they release to partner airlines (ie. in Star Alliance and One World, this is true for most airlines not just SQ.

The tools to search for availability are clearly discussed in various places here (United site, saver category only, ANA tool, Aeroplan, KVS).

Also did you ring UA or US Airways, as that could be your issue as well.

You set yourself an ambitious target for your first redemption in the program that's for sure! Don't give up, do it!

You can't transfer your miles to someone else's account through gifting. All this means is you buy miles for someone else's account. You can share your miles to someone else's account but it isn't advised if you have bought miles as it will cost you just as much again.

 

[anat0l]

Re: Change of Award Cabin - Before travel starts - ? Possible on partner airlines

That said, I noticed someone on FlyerTalk offering to gift the miles. I'm more than happy to gift as many as I can (remembering I have the 100% bonus offer and have purchased 18k) to whoever can use them. I've no idea of the process but if you [gulp] talk me through it, I can be your gifter! Send me a PM if you're keen and know the process.

You can gift as many miles as you like and they'll all receive whatever bonus you've spun up when you process the gifting.

Remember that the promotional quota counts against the recipient of bonus miles, not the person who purchases them (although the purchaser and the recipient can be the same person, of course!)

Gifting is pretty much the same as buying in terms of process. All you need to do is fill in a few more details about the person who will receive your gift, and that's it.


Interesting experience today. I knew I had a 100% buy and gift bonus during the month, so my sister said last night to get her some miles. When I brought up Gift Miles today for me, it only had a 75% bonus! I cycled through my family's accounts and no one had 100%. Almost committed to defeat, I tried again with my account to Gift Miles and the bonus was 100%. Obviously, and not wanting to tempt fate again, I completed the transaction there and then.