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

[Alanslegal]

Per Seatguru, 11K is marked red. I am only guessing but the curvature of the plane that forward makes the space seem less? And I am guessing that headroom may also be slightly reduced? Paging dajop who is more intuned with SQ products.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Per Seatguru, 11K is marked red. I am only guessing but the curvature of the plane that forward makes the space seem less? And I am guessing that headroom may also be slightly reduced? Paging dajop who is more intuned with SQ products.

not only seem less... I read somewhere it IS actually narrower...

 

[bcworld]

not only seem less... I read somewhere it IS actually narrower...

Probably not a bad thing - the seat is too wide anyway!

 

[auriga]

not only seem less... I read somewhere it IS actually narrower...

Narower and no windows!

 

[anat0l]

Narower and no windows!

*shrug* some people can sleep in shoe boxes, especially when located at front of the cabin.



----------
This anat0l content, if it must be known,
Was sent via Aust Freq Fly app, but not from an iPhone.

 

[somebol]

just booked ewr-zrh-del-bkk-syd-bkk-cdg-ewr in F 140k + USD 222.68 taxes.

 

[Shanye2233]

What would you guys recommend here. To get out of Tokyo NRT I have an option on LH to frankfurt and then CDG or on LX Swiss to Zurich and then on to CDG.

So my choices are either LH in J or LX in J . I would like to base my decision on the lie flat bed would be first priority. Secondly the food on the flight and lastly the lounges and access.

Many thanks mates

 

[repete]

So it seems to me (I may be slow!) that a great benefit of these miles purchase and redemption is the low taxes!?!
Am I understanding right that they are lower when booked through the US Dividend Miles company than if you were booking through the actual carrier direct that you fly with (e.g. cheaper taxes using these miles for a Thai redemption than if you redeemed Thai miles?) If so, does that also apply for SQ?

I'm continuing to peruse this site regularly with small contributions, but interested in this one at the moment as there is a family wedding in Munich next year (Aug '12). Looks like my wife will try and go (for her brother) and my two in-laws. I'm wondering if I should try and get them all in on this!?! My wife has about 95,000 SQ miles she could redeem for the flight, but taxes I think are around $700 to Munich?? Might be better to use Dividend Miles and save SQ ones for when we can redeem them domestically on Virgin!?

 

[travelislife]

So it seems to me (I may be slow!) that a great benefit of these miles purchase and redemption is the low taxes!?!
Am I understanding right that they are lower when booked through the US Dividend Miles company than if you were booking through the actual carrier direct that you fly with (e.g. cheaper taxes using these miles for a Thai redemption than if you redeemed Thai miles?) If so, does that also apply for SQ?

Definitely true for Thai. I have redeemed through ROP and through US airways. US Airways doesn't charge the YQ (fuel surcharge) component which Thai do charge their own customers!

 

[NDiddy]

Anyone else having any problems using the ANA tool to perform a *A search?

The site allows for checking ANA awards but the *A and Single airline search are both greyed out

 

[Alanslegal]

just booked ewr-zrh-del-bkk-syd-bkk-cdg-ewr in F 140k + USD 222.68 taxes.

nice booking ... nyc to syd via europe

Anyone else having any problems using the ANA tool to perform a *A search?

The site allows for checking ANA awards but the *A and Single airline search are both greyed out

there is no issue with ANA, you need to perform the "workaround" - as simply as i can explain it, you basically do a ANA award search (just enter NRT and CDG return) ... once the result shows up, scroll down and the *A and Single Airline should NO longer be greyed out.

 

[Shanye2233]

Anyone had experience?

What would you guys recommend here. To get out of Tokyo NRT I have an option on LH to frankfurt and then CDG or on LX Swiss to Zurich and then on to CDG.

So my choices are either LH in J or LX in J . I would like to base my decision on the lie flat bed would be first priority. Secondly the food on the flight and lastly the lounges and access.

Many thanks mates

 

[NDiddy]

there is no issue with ANA, you need to perform the "workaround" - as simply as i can explain it, you basically do a ANA award search (just enter NRT and CDG return) ... once the result shows up, scroll down and the *A and Single Airline should NO longer be greyed out.

Many thanks mate.

Availability is fine getting out but geez its virtually impossible to get something on the way back to melbourne. I must try that multi segment option and see where I'm going wrong.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What would you guys recommend here. To get out of Tokyo NRT I have an option on LH to frankfurt and then CDG or on LX Swiss to Zurich and then on to CDG.

So my choices are either LH in J or LX in J . I would like to base my decision on the lie flat bed would be first priority. Secondly the food on the flight and lastly the lounges and access.

Many thanks mates

you said you already had the ticket booked and on hold, so you should stay with the carrier you already have. the problem for you seems to be arriving into nrt in the first place to make the itinerary valid.

 

[Shanye2233]

the ticket was on hold for the 3 days standard. The problem was i was quoted something and then told something else. I was patient spoke to every agent in that call centre and all got same invalid routing , even one agent came back with 90k $90 taxes but invalid routing .

If you can risk it i would recommend having the miles in your account before you call . Do not base your quote at the time of putting on hold everytime i call back its a different fare, the infant ranges from $90 to $1500.

WTF seriously now i have the tickets and all good i go to pay 120k from each account. She tells me i have to transfer the miles all into one account.

On top of this the infant has to pay 120k as well come on

 

[anat0l]

What would you guys recommend here. To get out of Tokyo NRT I have an option on LH to frankfurt and then CDG or on LX Swiss to Zurich and then on to CDG.

So my choices are either LH in J or LX in J . I would like to base my decision on the lie flat bed would be first priority. Secondly the food on the flight and lastly the lounges and access.

Many thanks mates

I have only tried LX F and not their J. However, I did have a peek behind the curtain of my 343 (which had old F - still nice!) and I think they had installed the new J which is fully flat. Looks rather nice. Old LX J is lie flat only, i.e. flat surface but angled, a la Qantas Skybed I. From another source I've found, however, all LX flights to and from Tokyo should use aircraft that have the new J installed.

Flying LH J will definitely be an angled lie flat bed. There are no fully flat (i.e. completely flat and parallel to the floor) J seats on LH. On the other hand, LH operates an A380 on NRT-FRA; might be an experience you are after (or might not be such a big deal). LX aircraft will be a A343 or A333.

I think LX J in-flight entertainment might just possibly suck. LX F (old F, at least) wasn't anything to write home about. Not sure about LH. Overall, not a huge deal if you can entertain yourself independent of what the airline can offer you on their TV. (I know I can.)

Food I think is about on par for both, from a handful of reports. Lounges in Tokyo should be the same, i.e. the ANA lounges. When you transit (either in FRA or ZRH), I'd give some more points for ZRH. The lounges there look rather good, but then I like the architecture in ZRH; I find it tranquil. The LH lounges in FRA for J customers, although they number many (since LH has so many flights and so many elites), can still be rather crowded and the decor can be a bit droll and a turn off after a long haul flight. Not sure about the LX J lounge in ZRH but from last I heard in FRA none of the lounges with the exception of the First Class Terminal have free wifi. Might be important to you.

So all in all, I'd give my recommendation to LX J.

 

[Shanye2233]

Flying LH J will definitely be an angled lie flat bed. There are no fully flat (i.e. completely flat and parallel to the floor) J seats on LH. On the other hand, LH operates an A380 on NRT-FRA; might be an experience you are after (or might not be such a big deal). LX aircraft will be a A343 or A333.



This is the aircraft im holding LH A380-800. Whats the difference between recliner and angled? Im on a recliner on ANA.

 

[anat0l]

This is the aircraft im holding LH A380-800. Whats the difference between recliner and angled? Im on a recliner on ANA.

There are basically three kinds of premium seat: one is a recliner, another is lie flat and the last is fully flat.

A recliner is the classic airline seat. Just like Economy seats, except you usually get a big (or at least bigger) recline out of it (sometimes about 150 - 160 degrees angle). Just like lazing by the pool on one of those long angle chair things. Or like your reclining lounge seat in front of the television at home.

Lie flat seats are like Qantas Skybed I. Basically the seat itself is flat, but the whole thing is angled to the floor.

Fully flat seats are like Qantas Skybed II and almost every first class seat in the world. The seat itself is flat and it is parallel to the floor. Some airlines market a seat which is slightly angled (5-10 degrees) as "fully flat" because they say that a small angle is necessary to correct for an aircraft cruising through the air maintaining a small nose-up orientation.

Put it this way. You have a bed at home? Your bed is probably flat and parallel to the floor. Transform that concept into a seat and you have a fully flat seat. Now what if you were to sleep in your bed, except this time use a decent pile of books to prop up a pair of legs (on the short side) of the bed, i.e. prop up the two front legs or the two hind legs of the bed. Your bed is still "flat" (i.e. a straight line from front to end) but it is now wholly angled to the floor. This is a lie flat (or angled flat) seat.

Lie flat seats were all the rage years ago (the only way to get a fully flat seat was to fly First class), though now many carriers have fully flat seats in both First and Business classes. (QF and LH don't - QF only have fully flat J seats on A380, whilst LH have no fully flat J seats at all). Some people claim that they cannot sleep on a lie flat seat due to the angle (the most common complaint is when they try to sleep they keep slipping down the seat). I have no problems with either personally, but that's just me (when I'm tired I'll sleep in almost anything!).

 

[Shanye2233]

i checked on seat guru. The only good seats im on is coming out on the SQ A380 and coming back thru SYD-BKK says lie-flat. The rest are either recliner or angled. Im on hold again for 45mins with another agent waiting for the infant fares. I have to pay 10% with taxes cant wait :shock:

INFANT FARE $1962 plus taxes

 

[Mrmaxwell]

just booked ewr-zrh-del-bkk-syd-bkk-cdg-ewr in F 140k + USD 222.68 taxes.

You sir are my hero....almost EXACTLY the routing I am after (in J).

Any trouble in getting this? What airlines?