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

[bcworld]

Can anyone explain MPM to me? I dont understand it.

You're persistent!

In a nutshell:

If you are paying for a ticket with cash there are limits around how many miles you can fly to get from A to B. Let's say there is a published fare between A and B. In order to buy that fare your proposed route must be under a specific number of miles - the MPM. BUT, you can go over the MPM if you pay a surcharge above the base fare. So, the airline may allow you to travel 15% further than the MPM in return for charging 115% of the published fare. It seems that the maximum miles/payment amount/surcharge allowed is 25% (also known as 25M). It seems US is using this 25M number (MPM x 1.25) in determining how many miles we can travel between A and B...fortunately for us they are not charging a miles surcharge! In the real world where people pay for tickets with money, if their proposed routing is over 25M then they will have no choice but to book it as 2 separate tickets...hence the reason US is not accommodating of people who are just a few miles over 25M...they are already being generous!

Next thing - if you want to know the MPM number or 25M number you MUST have access to a tool like KVS or Expertflyer or call US and ask what the number is. You cannot determine it from gcmap and the actual distance between 2 points.

 

[smit0847]

You're persistent!

In a nutshell:

If you are paying for a ticket with cash there are limits around how many miles you can fly to get from A to B. Let's say there is a published fare between A and B. In order to buy that fare your proposed route must be under a specific number of miles - the MPM. BUT, you can go over the MPM if you pay a surcharge above the base fare. So, the airline may allow you to travel 15% further than the MPM in return for charging 115% of the published fare. It seems that the maximum miles/payment amount/surcharge allowed is 25% (also known as 25M). It seems US is using this 25M number (MPM x 1.25) in determining how many miles we can travel between A and B...fortunately for us they are not charging a miles surcharge! In the real world where people pay for tickets with money, if their proposed routing is over 25M then they will have no choice but to book it as 2 separate tickets...hence the reason US is not accommodating of people who are just a few miles over 25M...they are already being generous!

Next thing - if you want to know the MPM number or 25M number you MUST have access to a tool like KVS or Expertflyer or call US and ask what the number is. You cannot determine it from gcmap and the actual distance between 2 points.

Thanks bc.

I guess this is obviously to stop people flying ridiculously complex itineraries for the fun of it when a direct flight is more practical (and cheaper for US to issue).

Are MPMs set for routes *A dont fly? I.e. if I wanted to go from BNE-LAX and the only way to do it was via Asia (say BNE-BKK-ICN-LAX), do they still enforce the MPM if there is no other way to get there?

 

[bcworld]

So I found myself with a bit too much time on my hands. Because I'm planning a US trip next year I started thinking about routings to the US, with MPM in mind and what might happen if UA isn't available to the west coast. I ended up deciding to be charitable and put together a spreadsheet which lists the 25M number we think US uses for various destinations from MEL, SYD, BNE & PER (sorry ADL!). Hopefully some of you find it useful. For MEL I also added in the mileage of various routings for the city pairs to see what falls within or over 25M...

For MEL some things stand out:

-Travel to the East Coast of North America is still readily achievable via key Asian hubs or Europe
-Travel to the West Coast of USA is tricky, other than UA, and mythical NZ seats only simple routing via PVG & PEK seems within 25M
-Travel to West Coast Canada fits within 25M via the usual Asian hubs
-Hawaii is problematic...only MEL-AKL-HNL would work
-Travel to South America (GRU/EZE) seems impossible within 25M
-Travel to South Africa via BKK is possible...just!

More general observations:

-From quickly scanning the 25M numbers, it seems almost everything is probably possible from PER because it's closer to those *A Asian hub cities and has easy routing for SAA flights to South America
-I think BNE comes off worst, even BNE-BKK-NRT is over 25M! (So is SYD-BKK-NRT...but SYD-SIN-NRT isn't)
-Generally no one should have issues heading to East Coast US or Europe

Hopefully you can access the spreadsheet here.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

thanks bc!! great work! the only complication seems to be some agents that decide to select some entirely different idea of MPM and base it on the actual mileage for the city pairs, limiting travel to the USA pretty much as non stop on the united flights, or via akl on NZ.

I think running in to those agents it's a case of hang up and call again, although for my friend who did that it was too late as they'd already marked the booking.

thanks again!

 

[casanovawa]

Can you just let the booking lapse after three days or even just call up and try to start afresh a whole new booking and hopefully the notes aren't on the person's actual FF account...

And yes thanks a lot for your work with the MPM spreadsheet BC...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Can you just let the booking lapse after three days or even just call up and try to start afresh a whole new booking and hopefully the notes aren't on the person's actual FF account...

yes you can just let the booking lapse after three days. any notes will be in the PNR, not the actual account.

but there is no guarantee award seats held will end up back in award inventory. lots of people booking lots of seats, for no other purpose than to try an maximise their routing is not good for others actually wanting to book seats. if you don't want a booking, ring up and cancel it straight away rather than waiting three days. that way the seats. if they are go g back into award inventory, will be available for others to use. if they don't go back. then it is a bit wasteful.

 

[casanovawa]

Again it can be luck of the draw with agents, or i'm not sure if stopovers in Europe or anything effect MPM miles on to US cities... The itinerary i booked PER to LAX via BKK-CDG-FRA comes to 15257 miles when on BC's spreadsheet seems 25M is 14115, although because i am going back via Asia the total miles is 26539 so within double 14115 miles... Like i said not sure if the stopover in FRA on the way there changes anything, didn't seem to be taken into account when i was originally trying to book to YVR and got told it was over MPM...

 

[Deleted member]

thanks bc!! great work! the only complication seems to be some agents that decide to select some entirely different idea of MPM and base it on the actual mileage for the city pairs, limiting travel to the USA pretty much as non stop on the united flights, or via akl on NZ.

I think running in to those agents it's a case of hang up and call again, although for my friend who did that it was too late as they'd already marked the booking.

thanks again!

Hi Mel T.


It is I, Leclerc !

 

[NDiddy]

Hopefully you can access the spreadsheet here.

bcworld, this is excellent! I am just going through the same routing investigations for our trip to the US. I did find an additional route but not sure if it impedes MPM. MEL -> AKL -> NRT -> LAX so thought I'd add it to the discussion. Any ideas?

 

[bcworld]

bcworld, this is excellent! I am just going through the same routing investigations for our trip to the US. I did find an additional route but not sure if it impedes MPM. MEL -> AKL -> NRT -> LAX so thought I'd add it to the discussion. Any ideas?

It's 600+ miles over the 25M number. MEL-AKL-HNL-LAX would easily fit...does NZ fly to HNL all year?

I've been thinking more about this BNE-NRT situation. I don't believe that US would deny BNE-BKK(or SIN)-NRT even if it appears to be over 25M...and indeed UA and AV will offer these flights online. Perhaps there is something that causes MPM checking to be applied...number of segments etc???

 

[NDiddy]

It's 600+ miles over the 25M number. MEL-AKL-HNL-LAX would easily fit...does NZ fly to HNL all year?

There is availability for the dates I checked but not sure about year round. Question is though is that a valid routing to the West Coast from South Pacific?

 

[burmans]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Routing options sought

Well have just started to look for 5 of us to go to Europe next year for 4 weeks 29 June - 28 July approx. THere are 4 of us going from Sydney and 1 from NZ and up for suggestions.

My wife is keen to go to Croatia, and then my oldest daughter threw Budapest/Prague into the mix so trying to find options that work. Originally thinking fly to Vienna then do a look, i.e. drive down Slovenia, Croatia by the coats (maybe taking is Mostar) as far as Budva. Then somehow get from there to Budapest, probably by train with a short stopover in either Belgrade or Sarajevo, quick stops in Braislava, Vienna and Prague.

Then I thought why Vienna given the travelling time at the start and end and through of flying into Strasbourg or Venice and out of Prague to save travelling time at each end. Any other ideas you guys can throw up.

Complicating this a bit is the fact that I an just 250 points short of a free 1 week 7 personal vehicle hire from Hertz but this is only available from Italy or Germany so am now thinking I may be paying for car hire.

Any ideas, aside from the time aspect our main constraint is trying to get 4 of us to/from Sydney. My daughters are 15/18 and quick capable of travelling independantly but we'd rather travel together. Wed do have enough point that we could do 2*F, 2*J if that helps. Am wondering if there are other airports or routings I should be considering!

 

[BOZZ]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Routing options sought

100% bonus extended

More time to get double miles
Get a 100% bonus when you buy or gift miles*

We're extending the opportunity to earn up to 50,000 bonus miles. Buy or gift miles through December 7, 2012 and get a 100% bonus.

 

[gizzard]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Routing options sought

I thought that I'd made the most of the 100% offer and bought some miles for the first time. Nothing is showing on my account and I don't have an email to confirm it. Can someone confirm whether the points (if not the bonus) show up immediately or whether the email is received immediately or do I have to wait a few days?

 

[bcworld]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Routing options sought

I thought that I'd made the most of the 100% offer and bought some miles for the first time. Nothing is showing on my account and I don't have an email to confirm it. Can someone confirm whether the points (if not the bonus) show up immediately or whether the email is received immediately or do I have to wait a few days?

It used to be instant. Things have changed...many wait around 3 days now.

 

[gizzard]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Routing options sought

....even to get the confirmation email?

 

[Alanslegal]

what email? ;-) you will get a confirmation email once the points land in your account usually ~3 days after the purchasing event.

im happy for US to save $$$ money by having a weak IT system so these points promos continue in the future ;-)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Routing options sought

I thought that I'd made the most of the 100% offer and bought some miles for the first time. Nothing is showing on my account and I don't have an email to confirm it. Can someone confirm whether the points (if not the bonus) show up immediately or whether the email is received immediately or do I have to wait a few days?

yeah - confirmation email comes with the points posting. You had a new or existing account? If it was new you waited 12 clear days? Good news is that they have extended the offer by 7 days if your first ones didn't go through. Have a quick look at the terms and conditions for the last one, I think it says 72 hours or something?

 

[gizzard]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Routing options sought

Thanks for the clarifications....joined about 3 weeks ago so there won't be any problem with getting the miles.

 

[trooper]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Routing options sought

Just a data point...

My latest redemption has me going from SYD..my buddy from BNE.... BKK-NRT-SEA

That tends to support the conjecture on the previous page I think...