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

[shane2603]

I had no probs with USDM for 6 pax PER-AKL-NAD return. great use of points and nice planes to fly. Even managed a 777 in one direction from NAD-AKL

 

[shane2603]

I have a light issue that has occured on booking for next year, I was originally flying PER-BKK-IST-ATH(DEST)-FRA-ICN-BKK-PER. I then noticed availabilty on the return to go ATH-FRA-SIN-PER so rang and paid the reticket fee and was advised that taxes were now less by more than the $150 change fee so I had to pay the change fee and they would credit me later for the overpaid taxes. Sounds gret and I was more than happy. Called the other day and asked when I would reciev my refund and was referred to the rates desk who advised that I in fact owe them money now! I explained I would not have changed my tickets if that was the case and they offered to cancel the lot and refund me my points so I could attempt to rebook my original if I liked, which I declined but a little miffed that I now owe them noeny when I was waiting a refund. Has this occured to anyone else or am I special?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

you're special! check matrix and see the actual taxes.

 

[shane2603]

Thanks for that, where can I check the taxes for the trip?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Thanks for that, where can I check the taxes for the trip?

matrix.ita

 

[casanovawa]

When i booked my May/June redemption they charged me about $170 or so in taxes, when one of the flights was cancelled by LH and i called to reroute they realised they had undercharged me taxes originally and it went up to about $248 or so which i had to pay them... Doh!

 

[joeborgo]

Hi All

Just a couple of questions if I may,

1. Is Australia classed as South Pacific on the award charts? Even Perth?
2. I tried looking at a couple of dummy bookings for Per - LHR but kept coming up unavailable. Tried several other options as well but no luck. Is there a trick to this?
3. The award chart shows points required for return tickets?

Thanks in advance
Regards
Joe

 

[anat0l]

Just a couple of questions if I may,

1. Is Australia classed as South Pacific on the award charts? Even Perth?
2. I tried looking at a couple of dummy bookings for Per - LHR but kept coming up unavailable. Tried several other options as well but no luck. Is there a trick to this?
3. The award chart shows points required for return tickets?

1. Yes.

2. If you are using Awardtravlr or ANA to search for flight options, try splitting up the journey into constituent sectors. For example, flying TG (Thai Airways) to LHR, try searching for PER-BKK and then BKK-LHR.

3. Yes, the award chart shows return ticket award costs. One-way awards are possible but you pay the same amount.

 

[hummel]

What's the feel on MEL-RAR flights? I'm looking 12 months out but not seeing any J availability. Is this because AirNZ has such a tight grip on it all?

 

[NDiddy]

2. I tried looking at a couple of dummy bookings for Per - LHR but kept coming up unavailable. Tried several other options as well but no luck. Is there a trick to this?

Not sure what dates you're looking for and what class but there is def availability on awardtravelr on TG, TK and LX in J/C and F at a glance.

 

[casanovawa]

Ok, last night i was on Skype like forever trying to nut out an itinerary and got stuck on the final legs back from FRA because of a lack of J options within the available legs... Didn't help that several of the options I was seeing on ANA as doable couldn't be seen by the USDM guy including SQ from FCO-SIN and LH from FRA-HND or NRT... Just to get the phone call over and to bed i told him to book a Y seat on the SQ A380 FRA-SIN just to get the rest of the itin locked away on hold... But have looked up a few other potentials and want to have a range of options when i call back to get this leg sorted and just wanting to know people's thoughts...

I see a TK option FRA-IST-SIN (probably popular with short and sweet fans)
I see a OZ 747 (combi i think) option FRA-ICN then j options down to SIN on SQ (whether the SQ J options would be there when i ask USDM i don't know but they are on regional 772s or whatever etc so at least on ANA would be bookable)
I see a LH 747 option to KIX then SQ options down to SIN (as above whether they are there when i call USDM i don't know)

So what do people generally think of OZ's 747 option, is that combi thing pretty much the same as a normal 747???

FYI I'm looking for via SIN as there doesn't seem to be a direct FRA-BKK option on the day i am flying back down to PER nor a direct BKK-PER flight which it means i would have to come down from BKK via SIN then PER and they seemed to have some bee in their bonnet about only having 3 legs back from FRA to PER so i am thinking of doing the last leg just SIN-PER and that gives me two legs to get from FRA-SIN....

 

[laffer]

I just did a stop through ICN. The lay over from Syd to LHR was about 16 hours. I had no problem with the bags going through to LHR

if the stop is 22 hours in icn I would get the bags checked to there only. there is no way I'd let a bag stay 22 hours in an airport for a connection... the chances if it getting left behind or forgotten are too high (not even sure if the airline would allow it). bags on long transfers are typically sent to a holding place. there's not a 100% accuracy rate in retrieving them from there at the time it's supposed to go.

 

[anat0l]

Finding F options to North America next year is a bit of a basket case. Only clear options I can find are CA F (variable equipment), NH F (sporadic) and OZ F (744 equipment only).

 

[joeborgo]

Hi NDiddy

Also checked awardtraveller and yes available for the dates I put in ie depart PER 3/9/12 return 17/9/12. Entered flexible with dates etc. Do you need to have the required points before it lets you see that it is available? Could that be why it doesn't show up. I only have 40000 points and am in the process of transferring back and forward to build up points balance.

Regards
Joe

 

[jgm]

2. I tried looking at a couple of dummy bookings for Per - LHR but kept coming up unavailable. Tried several other options as well but no luck. Is there a trick to this?

You will usually have to call for awards to/from Australia - they don't show on their web site. Find *A availability with KVS & be prepared to lead the agent through the routing.

 

[smit0847]

Ok, last night i was on Skype like forever trying to nut out an itinerary and got stuck on the final legs back from FRA because of a lack of J options within the available legs... Didn't help that several of the options I was seeing on ANA as doable couldn't be seen by the USDM guy including SQ from FCO-SIN and LH from FRA-HND or NRT... Just to get the phone call over and to bed i told him to book a Y seat on the SQ A380 FRA-SIN just to get the rest of the itin locked away on hold... But have looked up a few other potentials and want to have a range of options when i call back to get this leg sorted and just wanting to know people's thoughts...

I see a TK option FRA-IST-SIN (probably popular with short and sweet fans)
I see a OZ 747 (combi i think) option FRA-ICN then j options down to SIN on SQ (whether the SQ J options would be there when i ask USDM i don't know but they are on regional 772s or whatever etc so at least on ANA would be bookable)
I see a LH 747 option to KIX then SQ options down to SIN (as above whether they are there when i call USDM i don't know)

So what do people generally think of OZ's 747 option, is that combi thing pretty much the same as a normal 747???

FYI I'm looking for via SIN as there doesn't seem to be a direct FRA-BKK option on the day i am flying back down to PER nor a direct BKK-PER flight which it means i would have to come down from BKK via SIN then PER and they seemed to have some bee in their bonnet about only having 3 legs back from FRA to PER so i am thinking of doing the last leg just SIN-PER and that gives me two legs to get from FRA-SIN....

I've extensively researched TK options from IST through to Asia the last few weeks. They operate various types of aircraft with various types of J seating.
If allowed more than 3 sectors home and If going TK I would strongly recommend flying via China to get a 777 (PEK, PVG, CAN, HKG etc) rather than the A330 to Singapore as it is a much better seat. If you can then get an Air China A330 down to SIN you've got the best of both worlds.

Could you not do FRA-BKK-PER on a different day?

 

[casanovawa]

I probably could extend a day but as it is i am taking a day or two more leave than i really have at the start and finish of the trip and every day of leave without pay is between $200-300, plus then poopy bosses... So not sure if its just better to suck it up and do another route, even though it probably means again i won't get to fly on an A380 (still haven't!!!) Quick look at seatguru shows the TK A330 J seat having 61 inch pitch while still on a bit of a slope, the OZ J 747 combi looks like a lousy pitch of 50"...

Even though i had considered OZ as had heard good things about them on here as was also wanting to fly on the upperdeck of a 747 which i also haven't yet (i do bring some unusual thought processes into my equations for picking flights)... I think OZ might have to scratched from consideration, on this particular route anyway...

And CA, are they really much chop you reckon??? Instinctively i would rate CA in with US airlines for long haul J in these types of awards, so sort of last resort, or am I missing something???

 

[smit0847]

And CA, are they really much chop you reckon??? Instinctively i would rate CA in with US airlines for long haul J in these types of awards, so sort of last resort, or am I missing something???

For sleeping, yes - their seat is excellent. For everything else, who knows - they're an airline with a bad reputation that is rapidly, rapidly improving.

Do Swiss fly into Singapore? Their J product looks pretty good.

 

[anat0l]

Do Swiss fly into Singapore? Their J product looks pretty good.

I believe Swiss are resuming flights to Singapore from mid-May next year.

Yes, that J product looks pretty sweet (though I say that as much because I like the colour scheme inside - very calming).

 

[Flashback]

I believe Swiss are resuming flights to Singapore from mid-May next year.

Yes, that J product looks pretty sweet (though I say that as much because I like the colour scheme inside - very calming).

Maybe an option for a quick jaunt home for me to do a final clean-up at ex-home.