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

[kamchatsky]

I'm really struggling to see any availability of award flights from HNL to MEL. Tried searching various dates and routes (i.e. HNL to AKL, HNL to MEL, etc) but don't get anything on the KVS tool "No results/search too complex"
DO any of you know is this a searching problem or just that there is no availability at all?

Really would like a stop over at HNL on way home from US, but it's the one leg making it difficult!

I have booked SYD-AKL-LAX/SFO-KOA using miles. It is very hard to get AKL-HNL. It is also a long way around, but NZ J Premier 777 is a much more comfortable ride across the Pacific than NZ J 767.


But that was booked using BMI miles though. US DM rules may or may not let you do this. I have not tried to book via US DM miles yet (even though I am OP).


I would say try KOA/ITO/LIH/OGG (ie non HNL Hawaiian destination) where those airports can only be reached from SFO/LAX and tell them that the only route for you to get to those cities from AU is via LAX/SFO, and score free stopover on LAX/SFO.

 

[QF029]

Once I am aware of a deal, loophole etc, that's the extent to which the information should be shared. After this, all discussion is to be shut down.

 

[GCC]

Thanks again.

The infant redemptions do seem a bit complicated. I will try to read up on them, or if anyone can post their experience or PM me would be much appreciated.

One final dumb question, can I book book a one way award LHR - SYD and is it half the miles (ie 60k J or 75 k F?).

 

[Flashback]

Thanks again.

The infant redemptions do seem a bit complicated. I will try to read up on them, or if anyone can post their experience or PM me would be much appreciated.

One final dumb question, can I book book a one way award LHR - SYD and is it half the miles (ie 60k J or 75 k F?).

Can book one way but full miles will apply (e.g. 120k J, 150k F)

 

[travelislife]

Thanks again.

The infant redemptions do seem a bit complicated. I will try to read up on them, or if anyone can post their experience or PM me would be much appreciated.

One final dumb question, can I book book a one way award LHR - SYD and is it half the miles (ie 60k J or 75 k F?).

No one ways. You can book them but they are priced the same as a return. Lifemiles is the go for one ways.

 

[mhen]

The infant redemptions do seem a bit complicated. I will try to read up on them, or if anyone can post their experience or PM me would be much appreciated.

Did SYD to Europe first class with infant (13 months) in August. We were a party of 5 but due to different itinerary requirements we didn't all fly together. 3 adults plus infant flew to LHR and 2 adults plus infant returned from Milan.

US wanted 10% of Thai's full first class fare for lap infant, about $2,200. I tried a few agents but couldn't get them to budge from this (10% of actual fare would have been acceptable) so I used miles to book her a seat. When awake she sat on one of our laps and when asleep (for more than half the time) she slept on her own flat bed seat.

 

[Masonic Phantom]

Once I am aware of a deal, loophole etc, that's the extent to which the information should be shared. After this, all discussion is to be shut down.

That’s the Spirit…….every man for himself….no more information

M.P.

 

[Terryi02]

Has it been established for certain whether you can take advantage of both the buy and share promos this month?

i.e. two accounts starting from nil balance, buy 50k miles each - plus 50k bonus - and then share 50k miles each - plus another 50k bonus - for a total of 150k points in each account for a net outlay of $2448.75 USD?

The closest the T&Cs of both offers come to disallowing the use of both promos in the same month is:

- "Offer cannot be combined with any other offer" in both T&Cs - but I don't think you could consider using both separately in the same month "combining" them.

- "The maximum number of Buy or Gift miles that can be purchased through this offer is 50,000 miles" for the Buy offer and "Members may receive a maximum of 50,000 bonus miles during the offer period" for the Share offer - the former explicitly says it's a limitation for buying / gifting, but the latter is far less clear - you could read it either way.

I think that that is the "real" question !! Can it be done?

 

[Myrna]

I think that that is the "real" question !! Can it be done?

I believe they are 2 separate promos, hence can be done. I received a target email about buy bonus, and also a non-target email about share bonus.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

I got this one during the night.

 

[hummel]

I got this one during the night.

As have I. Now just debating the best way to attack this promo, lucky we've got a few weeks.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I was looking at the US Air website & saw this promotion for 25,000 bonus miles if you fly on 6 *A Airlines before 15 December 2012 which could be handy to top up DM accounts.

US Airways | Airline tickets, vacations & business flights

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I was looking at the US Air website & saw this promotion for 25,000 bonus miles if you fly on 6 *A Airlines before 15 December 2012 which could be handy to top up DM accounts.

US Airways | Airline tickets, vacations & business flights

yes i saw that. It's a fair slog to do 6 * airlines! (I ended up thinking it was cheaper to buy the miles - you'd only need to buy 12.5K with 100% bonus - and separately buy a miles award ticket to my destination in First or business )

 

[Terryi02]

Ok, Thanks.
Sounds like the best value promo yet!!
I will post my success or failure on here later

 

[GCC]

US wanted 10% of Thai's full first class fare for lap infant, about $2,200. I tried a few agents but couldn't get them to budge from this (10% of actual fare would have been acceptable) so I used miles to book her a seat. When awake she sat on one of our laps and when asleep (for more than half the time) she slept on her own flat bed seat.

I think there was a post on a similar situation where someone arrived at the airport to be hit with 10% of the full J fare for an infant?

So buying F seats for all 4 of us looks like the best option, and SYD - LHR - SYD comes in at roughly $4000 pp, ($14,000 all up allowing roughly $450 USD for taxes). That's using the share miles 100% bonus promo and assuming no targeted buy miles 100% bonus promo as I only joined DM yesterday.

Not quite as attractive price wise but still pretty cheaper than any J option and QFF Y+.

The main problem will still be the infant / child bookings. Mrs G will be traveling SYD - LHR by herself so based on how this works:

• she books 2 seats - 1 for her and one for infant and has them held pending points transfer,
• another 2 seats will 9hopefully) be released.

BUT, I cant see how she can book a third seat - assume on a separate PNR - for a 3 YO child? Or can she add another pax to the booking with same PNR?

Also were there any issues with TG and booking a seat for the infant? We did this quite a lot with toddler G on domestic flights - VA call it a "comfort seat". The TG site says "You can also choose to purchase a seat for your infant as long as you have the proper child restraint device."

Not sure whether for a 9 month old that is enforced? We have a "cocoon" that we used for traveling and would put the baby into that, put it on the flat seat and put seat belt across it.

 

[robcuk]

Ok, Thanks.
Sounds like the best value promo yet!!
I will post my success or failure on here later

Earlier in the week I brought a trial 10k & received the bonus 10k, I shared the 20k this morning into the other halves
account, just waiting for it to show up now. I'm going to try and share miles across both accounts until we max out
the 50k.

I wasn't going to bother purchasing miles as I already have next years holiday booked but it seems a great
deal and you just don't know what the Aussie $ will do over the next 12 months.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

BUT, I cant see how she can book a third seat - assume on a separate PNR - for a 3 YO child? Or can she add another pax to the booking with same PNR?

you need to link the child's PNR to that of an adult to allow travel. My friends booked three tickets (2 x adult and one child, all from separate accounts and with three PNRs). Travel was fine.

 

[mhen]

I think there was a post on a similar situation where someone arrived at the airport to be hit with 10% of the full J fare for an infant?

So buying F seats for all 4 of us looks like the best option, and SYD - LHR - SYD comes in at roughly $4000 pp, ($14,000 all up allowing roughly $450 USD for taxes). That's using the share miles 100% bonus promo and assuming no targeted buy miles 100% bonus promo as I only joined DM yesterday.

Not quite as attractive price wise but still pretty cheaper than any J option and QFF Y+.

The main problem will still be the infant / child bookings. Mrs G will be traveling SYD - LHR by herself so based on how this works:

• she books 2 seats - 1 for her and one for infant and has them held pending points transfer,
• another 2 seats will 9hopefully) be released.

BUT, I cant see how she can book a third seat - assume on a separate PNR - for a 3 YO child? Or can she add another pax to the booking with same PNR?

Also were there any issues with TG and booking a seat for the infant? We did this quite a lot with toddler G on domestic flights - VA call it a "comfort seat". The TG site says "You can also choose to purchase a seat for your infant as long as you have the proper child restraint device."

Not sure whether for a 9 month old that is enforced? We have a "cocoon" that we used for traveling and would put the baby into that, put it on the flat seat and put seat belt across it.

If booking with US Air then choices re infant are either use miles for seat for infant or pay 10% of full adult fare for infant to travel on lap. Fare for lap infant is less than the cost of buying miles for seat and obviously business is cheaper than first class.

If I was travelling one adult with infant and child I would probably choose business over first. While first class is great the seats are not close together so your wife would have to stay awake supervising both infant and child. At least with business class if your wife is in aisle seat, child can be "coralled" in window seat while mum naps.

Re separate PNR as you are starting from scratch getting miles I assume you will have separate accounts for all travellers. That way you can maximise the benefits of current share promo. In that case you will have separate PNR's anyway as miles cannot be pulled from different accounts for the one PNR. We had 5 PNR's for our trip. There is no problem with the infant having own PRN. US was very slack re linking infant PNR to an adult's PNR. At one stage they made a mistake with her booking and had her on a flight on the wrong day - by herself! When I rang Thai for seat allocations I made sure they knew the PNR's to be linked.

Thai bassinets are very small so no use in holding infant over about 6 months. We used the seat belt extension they provided when she was on lap for take off and landing. When she slept she was in her usual sleeping bag which her mum had sewn some "handles" on the sides to help the seat belt across her middle.

I suggest you put 2 seats (wife plus child) on hold and then see if another opens up. If so then book seat for infant. If not then worst case is that you add lap infant to your wife's booking. This can be done at any time before flight.

Note US allows either open jaw or stopover not both. So if you are planning a stopover on the way back your wife and kids will need to arrive and depart from the same place. So SYD-BKK-LHR (destination) and LHR-BKK (stopover)- SYD is ok but SYD-BKK-GLA(destination) and LHR-BKK (stopover) - SYD is not allowed.

Re your trip you won't be able to do SYD-YVR(stopover)-LHR(destination) and LHR-BKK(stopover)-SYD as that would mean 2 stopovers. You could do it with Avianca/Taca Lifemiles as four separate awards i.e SYD-YVR, YVR-GLA, LHR-BKK and BKK-SYD. However getting enough Lifemiles at a reasonable price plus getting a seat across the Pacific and then Atlantic would be a hassle.

An alternative would be for you to do SYD-YVR-SYD either as award redemption or paid ticket and then do SYD-BKK-LHR(destination) and LHR-BKK(stopover)-SYD. If you choose this option then book your wife's award and then see if more award seats open on the LHR-BKK and BKK-SYD legs for you to book. If two seats open up then seat for infant could be booked but I suggest your booking take priority because infant always can be added as lap infant.

Hope that makes some sense.

 

[Terryi02]

Earlier in the week I brought a trial 10k & received the bonus 10k, I shared the 20k this morning into the other halves
account, just waiting for it to show up now. I'm going to try and share miles across both accounts until we max out
the 50k.

I wasn't going to bother purchasing miles as I already have next years holiday booked but it seems a great
deal and you just don't know what the Aussie $ will do over the next 12 months.

Worked for me too.
My son transferred 40K to me and 50K to his mum and it cost only $900+taxes compared to $1750+ taxes.
I won't bother buying this time around!!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re separate PNR as you are starting from scratch getting miles I assume you will have separate accounts for all travellers. That way you can maximise the benefits of current share promo.

In that case you will have separate PNR's anyway as miles cannot be pulled from different accounts for the one PNR. We had 5 PNR's for our trip.

There is no problem with the infant having own PRN. US was very slack re linking infant PNR to an adult's PNR. At one stage they made a mistake with her booking and had her on a flight on the wrong day - by herself! When I rang Thai for seat allocations I made sure they knew the PNR's to be linked.

I read a post either on this thread or the US DM Successful bookings thread where someone said you dont have to have separate pnrs & can be on the same booking - just make sure you tell US at the time of reservation that the points will be coming out of different accounts.

I think it's a good idea to be on the same pnr where at all possible for seating purposes etc.

How long do US allow an award booking to be put on hold for?