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

[smit0847]

If you leave from BNE and return to SYD you are not allowed ANY stopovers as your itinerary has an open jaw - the rule is open jaw OR stopover.

I managed to book a double open jaw (i.e. A - B // C - D). I fly out of SYD (A) and back into MEL (D) only because there was no availability out of MEL. I asked politely if I was allowed to dp this (and the reason - I wanted to fly out of MEL but couldnt). The was allowed, but I think the operator thought MEL was SYD's second airport (she mentioned something about them being an airport pair)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I managed to book a double open jaw (i.e. A - B // C - D). I fly out of SYD (A) and back into MEL (D) only because there was no availability out of MEL. I asked politely if I was allowed to dp this (and the reason - I wanted to fly out of MEL but couldnt). The was allowed, but I think the operator thought MEL was SYD's second airport (she mentioned something about them being an airport pair)

ymmv. I tried the same for my folks (availability issue) and it wasn't allowed. they routed bkk-sin-MEL, when would have been happy with bkk-syd and own arrangements to MEL. so USDM pays for another flight. go figure.

 

[burmans]

Agree but it can happen when you keep putting things off. Was supposed to have it all ready before Christmas but other got in the way.

Wasn't trying to have a dig at you here, more referring to the recent thread on accumulating miles where some advocated you shouldn't "hoard" points. I think there is a case for some limited "hoarding" such as in your case.

 

[Flashback]

So it looks like the merger is a goer - with AA being the main airline. Will be interesting to see what unfolds.

 

[anat0l]

So it looks like the merger is a goer - with AA being the main airline. Will be interesting to see what unfolds.

I imagine that AAdvantage will remain when the smoke clears. US DM will be moved over to AA at some determined rate (no idea). The resultant airline will remain with oneworld, not Star Alliance. AAdvantage redemption rates and rules shall prevail (which usually doesn't allow en route stopovers and usually enforces most direct routing).

For existing award bookings, I hope this doesn't mean too much, although if an existing booking were to experience problems, I'm not going to like trying to clean one of them up (unless, for example, EU 261/2004 can be invoked).

 

[Alanslegal]

I'm hoping my SPG->USDM transfer happens in the next few days so I can book something ASAP

Not saying that AA is bad, its actually quite good. I see awards on AA being 80K for SYD-xDXB-LHR QF F availabilty ..... so that's not too bad at 160K return (versus USDM 150K to EUR returns).

 

[anat0l]

Not saying that AA is bad, its actually quite good. I see awards on AA being 80K for SYD-xDXB-LHR QF F availabilty ..... so that's not too bad at 160K return (versus USDM 150K to EUR returns).

It's as good as it'll get. Still better than QF, but you already all knew that.

160k for that return trip, but no stopover en route permitted. Some people get away with the < 24 hour rule, but in some cases AA will force you to take the next and most direct connection.

On the other hand, one-way awards are available at half the price (in fact, the AA award chart is read as one-way prices, cf. return prices on the US chart).

Not sure if we'll see many 100% bonus points promos with AA, though we hope to see more 50% extra ones as seen before, with a lift on the annual points purchase cap.


I guess for those that want to book with *A (including those that want en route stopovers), consider jumping now.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I imagine that AAdvantage will remain when the smoke clears. US DM will be moved over to AA at some determined rate (no idea). The resultant airline will remain with oneworld, not Star Alliance. AAdvantage redemption rates and rules shall prevail (which usually doesn't allow en route stopovers and usually enforces most direct routing).

For existing award bookings, I hope this doesn't mean too much, although if an existing booking were to experience problems, I'm not going to like trying to clean one of them up (unless, for example, EU 261/2004 can be invoked).

All existing bookings will be fine and will continue to be. At some point in the future however, once USDM merges with AAdvantage, there may be difficulties amending or changing award bookings if you need star alliance availability. There is some experience of this though with BMI going to BA.

 

[JohnK]

I imagine that AAdvantage will remain when the smoke clears. US DM will be moved over to AA at some determined rate (no idea). The resultant airline will remain with oneworld, not Star Alliance. AAdvantage redemption rates and rules shall prevail (which usually doesn't allow en route stopovers and usually enforces most direct routing).

After my experience booking a SYD-SKG return in business for mum I am thinking differently.

The biggest problem with AA is Oneworld award availability in business class if not booking ~330 days out. Not good and now I am not sure of the fate of all the miles in my AAdvantage account.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

After my experience booking a SYD-SKG return in business for mum I am thinking differently.

The biggest problem with AA is Oneworld award availability in business class if not booking ~330 days out. Not good and now I am not sure of the fate of all the miles in my AAdvantage account.

QF award seats maybe, but CX/BA/RJ/AA are not too bad. Don't worry so much!

 

[Oneworldplus2]

QF award seats maybe, but CX/BA/RJ/AA are not too bad. Don't worry so much!

So, F, Australia to Europe shouldn't be a problem? How far out to book (typically)?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

So, F, Australia to Europe shouldn't be a problem? How far out to book (typically)?

book as far as you can. Availability is no where near as good as star. But you can find stuff

 

[anat0l]

QF award seats maybe, but CX/BA/RJ/AA are not too bad. Don't worry so much!

I guess there will always be something available around. J I imagine would be rather simple (a lot of J going around the place! And most of it is decent hard product indeed); F may be a challenge (though there is variety there: QF, BA, CX, AA, JL, MH)

The PITA factor might be searching for availability. You have to use multiple tools, or hopefully Awardtravlr might be very useful here.

Finally, there is one YQ exception with AA awards: BA (i.e. BA flights will result in YQ collected for those flights).

 

[Alanslegal]

So, F, Australia to Europe shouldn't be a problem? How far out to book (typically)?

I don't think availability will be an issue but more of a concern would be whether such generous buy/gift/share promotions will on offer down the track, let alone the maximum cap purchase per year that currently exists under AAdvantage.

 

[bcworld]

QF award seats maybe, but CX/BA/RJ/AA are not too bad. Don't worry so much!

There is loads and loads and loads of MH C & F availability showing up on KVS using the BA method at the moment. Doesn't appear on QF and AA online though.

 

[burmans]

more of a concern would be whether such generous buy/gift/share promotions will on offer down the track, let alone the maximum cap purchase per year that currently exists under AAdvantage.

So I guess that means that is US offer any generous buy/gift/share deals in next few months we should serious consider them!

 

[Flashback]

So I guess that means that is US offer any generous buy/gift/share deals in next few months we should serious consider them!

I think it explains why US had so many 100% promos in a row recently.

 

[extracta]

To select seats on a US DM redemption, I used the PNRs I was given for all the respective airlines

How do you get the PNRs??

 

[Flashback]

How do you get the PNRs??

Normally they give them over the phone when you book. You could ring and ask for them if you don't have them.

 

[extracta]

Normally they give them over the phone when you book. You could ring and ask for them if you don't have them.

I rang the airlines I am flying with (SQ AND TG) and they gave them to me over the phone while I doing a seat request. I will ask for them when I book with USDM in the future.