US Dividend Miles - Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[anat0l]

Argh, had an award booking on hold and a major segment dropped out. Need to hit the drawing board and need some help:

Need to get from
ORD 10th November (preferably after 12 noon)

to SIN by 10pm ish on the 12th November to catch a flight back to ADL.

Availability in North America on a Sunday looks atrocious.

Can anyone else see anything avail?

You haven't said the number of pax and which class.

I've assumed 1 x J; Awardtravelr suggests that there is a routing but the long sector will be in J and the shorter sector to SIN will be in Y. ANA searches seem to confirm this.

 

[bcworld]

Argh, had an award booking on hold and a major segment dropped out. Need to hit the drawing board and need some help:

Need to get from
ORD 10th November (preferably after 12 noon)

to SIN by 10pm ish on the 12th November to catch a flight back to ADL.

Availability in North America on a Sunday looks atrocious.

Can anyone else see anything avail?

Yup, as said...mixed C/Y is likely your best bet...starting with:

[KVS Availability Tool 7.3.0/Diamond - Awards/StarAlliance/JP-ANA-SP1]

ORD  Chicago O'Hare Intl IL US [KORD]
NRT  Tokyo Narita JP [RJAA]
SUN  10 Nov 2013 | 1 Seat


Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  -------------
NH         11      ORD   10:45     NRT   15:00 +1  77W  0   FS-  CS-  YS-
NH         1011    ORD   16:30     NRT   20:45 +1  777  0   FS-  CS+  YS+

FYI...NH1011 is currently in the older style business config.

...then...on the 12th:

[KVS Availability Tool 7.3.0/Diamond - Awards/StarAlliance/JP-ANA-SP1]

NRT  Tokyo Narita JP [RJAA]
SIN  Singapore Changi SG [WSSS]
TUE  12 Nov 2013 | 1 Seat


Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive    A/C  St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  -------------
SQ         633     HND   00:30     SIN   07:00     773  0   FS-  CS-  YS-
SQ         635     HND   06:35     SIN   13:05     333  0   FS/  CS-  YS+
NH         111     NRT   10:45     SIN   17:30     788  0   FS/  CS-  YS+
SQ         637     NRT   11:10     SIN   17:45     388  0   FS~  CS~  YS+

...so you could get yourself a 787 ride, albeit in Y.

 

[ferni]

Hey guys - just a quick question. Just tried inputting my PNR into the Thai website and it's saying it cannot find the confirmation. Going to give Thai a call tomorrow regardless but just wondering if anyone is experiencing the same thing?

Still shows on my USDM account but not on CMT :/

Edit: Should just add that I was able to check it last week and all was good.

Thai changed reservation systems recently. You will need a new PNR that can be used to look up on CMT as well as Thais own website. Contact Thai for it.

 

[neon_crossing]

Thanks guys for your help!

Was looking for 1 pax in J.

Ended up on Austrian Airlines and Egyptair in the end, as I was looking a nice ORD to VIE flight bobbed up so I grabbed it.

Ended up:

ORD - VIE J VO (Austrian Airlines)
VIE - CAI J VO
CAI - BKK J MS (Egyptair)
BKK - SIN J SQ
SIN - ADL J SQ

Felt like a strange routing but flat beds on the long routes which suits me just fine!

 

[bcworld]

Thanks guys for your help!

Was looking for 1 pax in J.

Ended up on Austrian Airlines and Egyptair in the end, as I was looking a nice ORD to VIE flight bobbed up so I grabbed it.

Ended up:

ORD - VIE J VO (Austrian Airlines)
VIE - CAI J VO
CAI - BKK J MS (Egyptair)
BKK - SIN J SQ
SIN - ADL J SQ

Felt like a strange routing but flat beds on the long routes which suits me just fine!

I did start to think about you heading transatlantic rather than pacific...tried FRA as a transit point but gave up before I got to VIE...OS should be good.

 

[hossein_au]

Hi guys (gender-neutral of course),
I'll be in Europe over Christmas. I'm hoping to fly over to the LAX while there; something like leaving on the 2nd or 3rd of Jan and getting back on the 10th or morning of the 11th. I'm thinking of flying from Istanbul (if you know what I mean), but ANA refuses to give me anything, it keeps giving me flights from IST no matter what! I appreciate I might have left it too late, but this is a new development and I'm hoping someone can suggest a few options? By the way, it's 1 pax and hoping to fly either J or F if no J is available.

Thanks!

 

[bcworld]

Hi guys (gender-neutral of course),
I'll be in Europe over Christmas. I'm hoping to fly over to the LAX while there; something like leaving on the 2nd or 3rd of Jan and getting back on the 10th or morning of the 11th. I'm thinking of flying from Istanbul (if you know what I mean), but ANA refuses to give me anything, it keeps giving me flights from IST no matter what! I appreciate I might have left it too late, but this is a new development and I'm hoping someone can suggest a few options? By the way, it's 1 pax and hoping to fly either J or F if no J is available.

Thanks!

I assume this is a LifeMiles question?

 

[hossein_au]

I assume this is a LifeMiles question?

Actually no; I have both USDM as well as LM; but I have some points left in USDM and would like to use those. Is the Istanbul thingie work only in LM? If so, what are my option on USDM?

 

[bcworld]

Is the Istanbul thingie work only in LM? If so, what are my option on USDM?

Correct - it's only a 'feature' of LM. You don't have any options for tricks with US.

 

[hossein_au]

Correct - it's only a 'feature' of LM. You don't have any options for tricks with US.

OK then :-( I made the mistake of NOT sharing points during the promo earlier this month... going to check LM site. Thanks bcworld.

 

[bcworld]

OK then :-( I made the mistake of NOT sharing points during the promo earlier this month... going to check LM site. Thanks bcworld.

If you find availability from IST (IYKWIM) then you can just buy LM outright, even without promos it will be a cheap deal.

There is availability to FRA on the 3rd...but no LH onward to LAX from there.

 

[NDiddy]

Thai changed reservation systems recently. You will need a new PNR that can be used to look up on CMT as well as Thais own website. Contact Thai for it.

Thanks ferni

 

[VH-OEG]

Hi Folks,

I seem to have some issues with booking a USDM award. Im looking at AUS to Guam First Class, and have come up with 3 different times of routings to cove the trip, in March, April and May 2014.

USDM agents tell me there is no seats in O class (First Class redemption) on SQ at all, or sparingly on TG during the 3 seperate dates that I want to travel, but when I go onto Krisflyer.com I can always
get Saver award Avaialbility in F on SQ, and united.com shows me saver award availablility on almost all dates that I want and basically on all carriers also in F or J.

So I guess my question is why if other star alliance carriers can see O class, why is USDM unable to sell it ? Do other Star airlines only release availability to USDM closer to travel date ? Ive read so many members
that successfully secured flights so Im a bit lost as to why I cant... perhaps the USDM agents werent even really checking for me... or could it be with the most recent share miles promo, too many people have gone in and nabbed
the First Class seats that I want ...

All advice is highly appreciated.

With thanks
VH-OEG

 

[bcworld]

You can't use Krisflyer to check *A availability for SQ - like a lot of programs SQ has different availability for its own members. If UA is showing long haul SQ F it is almost certainly phantom i.e. wrong. You can take it to the bank that SQ F is genuinely not available to you.

 

[Alanslegal]

So I guess my question is why if other star alliance carriers can see O class, why is USDM unable to sell it ? Do other Star airlines only release availability to USDM closer to travel date ?

Forget about booking SQ F using USDM ever. I think its written somewhere in their T&Cs that you can't book in F with them.
If you look at the Post Your Successful booking thread, there is no evidence of any SQ F flight ever been booked. Other airlines programs can book SQ F but that's other programs and not USDM - who knows what the reasons are, one just has to accept it and fly non SQ airlines or find an alternate frequent flyer program to play with which can book SQ F flights.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Forget about booking SQ F using USDM ever. I think its written somewhere in their T&Cs that you can't book in F with them.
If you look at the Post Your Successful booking thread, there is no evidence of any SQ F flight ever been booked. Other airlines programs can book SQ F but that's other programs and not USDM - who knows what the reasons are, one just has to accept it and fly non SQ airlines or find an alternate frequent flyer program to play with which can book SQ F flights.

indeed. we're discussing USDM here not LM.

first and business class on premium aircraft (77W and a380) is not available for redemption on SQ.

regional first and business is fine (bearing in mind that 'refurbished regional F' on the 773 seems to be classified as premium now).

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Forget about booking SQ F using USDM ever. I think its written somewhere in their T&Cs that you can't book in F with them.
If you look at the Post Your Successful booking thread, there is no evidence of any SQ F flight ever been booked. Other airlines programs can book SQ F but that's other programs and not USDM - who knows what the reasons are, one just has to accept it and fly non SQ airlines or find an alternate frequent flyer program to play with which can book SQ F flights.

I thought that LH F is pretty much in the same ball park (ie, pretty much impossible to book using USDM) ?

 

[sergeyvzn]

all restrictions on USDM award booking on Star Alliance airlines are in the fine print at the bottom of the redemption chart. If people read it before booking, there would be lots of space saved on this thread, really
http://www.usairways.com/pv_obj_cac...8A75801A30000/filename/partnerawardtravel.pdf

 

[VH-OEG]

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 ...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

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 ...

i presume you are joking about sending he email?

firstly it can get the operator in trouble for bending the rules so far out of recognition and not doing her job properly, and secondly it will more than likely close this option or at the very least give USDM some serious thinking about how to enforce the rules for anyone else wanting to take it.

i really do hope you were just kidding?