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

[hummel]

I have the task of explaining this promotion to my girlfriend tonight and why we should buy miles instead of booking tickets. :shock:

Tossing up between US/Europe.. but with Europe being only 10k miles more it pretty much no contest.

 

[sr81]

I have the task of explaining this promotion to my girlfriend tonight and why we should buy miles instead of booking tickets. :shock:

Tossing up between US/Europe.. but with Europe being only 10k miles more it pretty much no contest.

Do both but for the USA price.

You can route via Europe to the East Coast. eg. MEL-BKK-MUC-JFK-FRA-BKK-MEL. Simply take the stopover in Frankfurt on the way home or Munich on the way over. Just remember that the stopover needs to be at a hub.

The hard part is finding seats across the Atlantic but with ANA and some solid lead time you will be fine.

 

[bcworld]

Tossing up between US/Europe.. but with Europe being only 10k miles more it pretty much no contest.

...added to the fact you can be almost certain of easily finding seats on routes to Europe.

 

[hummel]

...added to the fact you can be almost certain of easily finding seats on routes to Europe.

Yes that's what I was thinking.

sr81,

Really? Wow that just throws up a whole new ball game. Time to crank at some hours useing the ANA tool I think!

One plus is that looking to travel till this time next year at the earliest.

 

[bcworld]

Time to crank at some hours useing the ANA tool I think!

Consider Aeroplan too...it's much improved, more functional and doesn't even require a logon.

Travel

 

[auriga]

Just be aware that with using US Dividend Miles, there has been significant problems with getting transatlantic flights in F (LH/LX) contrary to what is shown on ANA.

There is also some mismatch with LX availability otherwise.

 

[anat0l]

Just be aware that with using US Dividend Miles, there has been significant problems with getting transatlantic flights in F (LH/LX) contrary to what is shown on ANA.

There is also some mismatch with LX availability otherwise.

What about TK? Their F (whilst it still lasts) looks very respectable, with the only issue possibly being that you would need to make your way to / from IST.

Also if you get in quick possibly SQ F FRA-JFK might exist (as a 744) if they haven't future-blocked out the inventory, so then if they then phase out the 744 you'll get an even better product in the swap (of course, SQ has been known to forcibly move people off premium product they did not get in "orthodox" manners, even if they pay compensation).

 

[mhen]

Myself and 2 family members just back from holiday in France using US miles for F on Thai. Had no problem booking, about 4 flights were available in the week we wanted to leave and the same for return. Even managed to get 3 in F on same flights.
Delighted this is available again so I can stock up for next year's trip. This was my second Australia-Europe trip in First using US miles and I suspect I will never be able to go Y again!

 

[hummel]

Myself and 2 family members just back from holiday in France using US miles for F on Thai. Had no problem booking, about 4 flights were available in the week we wanted to leave and the same for return. Even managed to get 3 in F on same flights.
Delighted this is available again so I can stock up for next year's trip. This was my second Australia-Europe trip in First using US miles and I suspect I will never be able to go Y again!

Nice work Can you post your routing? Just to give some more ideas...

Need to decide if to buy 50k+50k and then buy extra or wait for next promo....

It's all part of the game I suppose

 

[Alanslegal]

Trying to set up a reservation for a close friend either tonight or tomorrow night..... I think I posted on FT a while ago this question ...

SYD-xBKK-LHR-xMUC-BOM-xBKK-SYD where destination is London (for five months) and a stopover in Mumbai (for a month).

This routing is possible right? or I guess play agent roulette in the worst case?

 

[mhen]

Nice work Can you post your routing? Just to give some more ideas...

Need to decide if to buy 50k+50k and then buy extra or wait for next promo....

It's all part of the game I suppose

It was a very simple redemption SYD-BKK-CDG and return. Enjoyed the first class lounge and spa in Bangkok and the suites on the leg between BKK and Paris.

Last year I did SYD-BKK-FRA-DME and LED-MUC-BKK-SYD. The Russia to Germany were in Business. A friend of mine is doing SYD-BKK-CDG and then LHR-MUC-BKK-SYD next month.

I am buying now on this deal and hope that it will be repeated later. If not I will just have to pay full price for the extra.

 

[bcworld]

Delighted this is available again so I can stock up for next year's trip. This was my second Australia-Europe trip in First using US miles and I suspect I will never be able to go Y again!

Yes, hopefully we never have to travel Y again!

I first did this end of 2009. I booked on Dec 18 and travelled 5 days later so peak Xmas season. I got MEL-BKK-FRA-EDI-FRA-BKK-MEL...all TG J except the euro flights on LH J. All up it was about $2500...cheapest Y seat available for purchase at the time was $2800.

Been stockpiling miles almost every promo since. Now booked SYD-BKK-LHR-BKK-MEL in TG F (J to MEL) for August...can't wait!

 

[Alanslegal]

SYD-xBKK-LHR-xMUC-BOM-xBKK-SYD where destination is London (for five months) and a stopover in Mumbai (for a month).

This routing is possible right?

And the answer is Yes. I just got off the phone from US and the above route is now on a 72 hour hold. The agent seemed quite new to this and did not know the airport code for Mumbai (BOM) as he asked for it a few times Also he initially said my routing was invalid because he believed it had two stopovers ie. LHR and BOM. I told him that this shouldn't be the case because LHR is my destination and BOM is just my one and only stopover en-route home. He asked a supervisor and suprise surprise I am correct.

 

[kpc]

Is this allowed? Syd-Bkk-Lhr // Cdg-Bkk (stopover)-Syd on TG

I suspect no as per the rule below that you can't have a stopover with an open jaw itineray

Open jaw travel is not permitted when an en route stopover is included in the award itinerary. Open jaw travel is defined as flying to a city and returning from a different city on a valid routing having one common city. The distance between the two open jaw cities cannot exceed the distance of the outbound or return trip.

 

[bcworld]

Is this allowed? Syd-Bkk-Lhr // Cdg-Bkk (stopover)-Syd on TG

I suspect no as per the rule below that you can't have a stopover with an open jaw itineray

Yes you are correct, it's not allowed for the reason you give (unless your BKK stopover is less than 24 hours).

However you could fly into CDG and pay for a seperate connection to London.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

And the answer is Yes. I just got off the phone from US and the above route is now on a 72 hour hold. The agent seemed quite new to this and did not know the airport code for Mumbai (BOM) as he asked for it a few times Also he initially said my routing was invalid because he believed it had two stopovers ie. LHR and BOM. I told him that this shouldn't be the case because LHR is my destination and BOM is just my one and only stopover en-route home. He asked a supervisor and suprise surprise I am correct.

I suspect this will be ok too - but I wonder how they are handling the stopover which is not in a star alliance hub city? Seems they are cracking down on all sorts of things these days.

 

[travelislife]

So have just found at about this deal and am very interested. Have signed up on US airways, now just have to wait the 12 days. Looking at the award table are my summaries below correct?

MEL-LHR
J - 120 000
F - 150 000

MEL-LAX
J - 110 000
F - 140 000

Now my questions are as follows:

1. Are the taxes much when booking these flights?
2. Is it possible to do MEL-BKK-LAX-BKK (stopover) - MEL for the 110 000 with TG in J?
3. I assume these are return values?

Seems like too good a deal to pass up at the moment.

 

[bcworld]

1. Are the taxes much when booking these flights?
2. Is it possible to do MEL-BKK-LAX-BKK (stopover) - MEL for the 110 000 with TG in J?
3. I assume these are return values?

1. The taxes are VERY reasonable. I recently booked TG F/J SYD-BKK-LHR-BKK-MEL and paid A$408...of which around A$260 is UK Air Passenger Duty. If I was booking with QFF I'd be paying more like A$1000!

2. They might charge you 120 000 as that is the BKK-LAX number, not sure...you take your chances with the agent / ticketing desk

3. Yes returns. The will book oneways but the cost the same as returns.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So have just found at about this deal and am very interested. Have signed up on US airways, now just have to wait the 12 days. Looking at the award table are my summaries below correct?

MEL-LHR
J - 120 000
F - 150 000

MEL-LAX
J - 110 000
F - 140 000

Now my questions are as follows:

1. Are the taxes much when booking these flights?
2. Is it possible to do MEL-BKK-LAX-BKK (stopover) - MEL for the 110 000 with TG in J?
3. I assume these are return values?

Seems like too good a deal to pass up at the moment.

also note that while availability from australia to europe or asia is very good (excellent in fact), getting awards from australia direct to the USA is extremely difficult. The main airline for non-stop is United, I have only seen random single seats in business or first class with them. Air Canada has been unavailable every time. Air New Zealand does have the odd seat, but with all of those airlines I wouldn't be buying points in the hope of getting seats when I want them.

I'm not sure how busy the BKK-LAX flight is, or even whether it is permitted given that US can determine the most direct routing for your trip. Not saying that they won't allow it, but it is a big back-track. I would be making enquiries with US airways (do a dummy booking - you don't need points in your account when you call them) to see if they offer (or allow) travel to the states via BKK (or anywhere else in Asia). If they allow this, only then would I go ahead and buy points for US travel only.

If you are happy with Asia/Europe or the US via Europe, go for it!

 

[travelislife]

Thanks for the advice. Yes I did notice from reading the thread that people call up and make bookings when they don't have enough points. These are then held for 72 hours to give time to purchase the points if I am correct? What number is it that you are calling through?

Also what do you mean regarding Aus to the US via Europe? How does this work routing and points wise?

Got to love US programs zone based redemptions rather than miles based. Half the amount of points and taxes by the sound of it compared to QF.

Thanks for all the great advice on here everyone!