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

[hummel]

This is really bad advice! ALL tickets have to go through the rate desk to get ticketed. Follow the rules of the program and you will avoid any problems in the future, it just isn't worth the risk IMHO.

Further to my above posts... ended up paying the taxes quoted as it went back a couple of times to the rate desk and came back the same. Under $2500 for F to Europe per person... I'm pretty happy

Final routing.

TG F SYD-BKK-CDG

LH C CDG-FRA

LH F FRA-ICN

TG C ICN-BKK

TG F BKK-SYD

Thanks so much for evryone's assistance here... now that itenary is done I can thinking about my holiday next week! :shock:

 

[NDiddy]

Further to my above posts... ended up paying the taxes quoted as it went back a couple of times to the rate desk and came back the same. Under $2500 for F to Europe per person... I'm pretty happy

Final routing.

TG F SYD-BKK-CDG

LH C CDG-FRA

LH F FRA-ICN

TG C ICN-BKK

TG F BKK-SYD

Thanks so much for evryone's assistance here... now that itenary is done I can thinking about my holiday next week! :shock:

Great work hummel. Just confirming that your destination was CDG and you managed to get a 2 day stopover in Frankfurt as per your previous post?

 

[k3nnis]

Hi,

Can I ask how many miles did you use up?

Cheers,
K.

Further to my above posts... ended up paying the taxes quoted as it went back a couple of times to the rate desk and came back the same. Under $2500 for F to Europe per person... I'm pretty happy

Final routing.

TG F SYD-BKK-CDG

LH C CDG-FRA

LH F FRA-ICN

TG C ICN-BKK

TG F BKK-SYD

Thanks so much for evryone's assistance here... now that itenary is done I can thinking about my holiday next week! :shock:

 

[hummel]

Great work hummel. Just confirming that your destination was CDG and you managed to get a 2 day stopover in Frankfurt as per your previous post?

Yep appeared to be no problems. Has been confirmed and paid for. Just need to assign seats.. some appear to be already assigned. Now to work out which seats are best for couples (.. I really want a window seat!)

Cost was 150k in Miles + $356.94 USD in taxes/booking fees. All up just under $2500 per person.

 

[NDiddy]

Yep appeared to be no problems. Has been confirmed and paid for. Just need to assign seats.. some appear to be already assigned. Now to work out which seats are best for couples (.. I really want a window seat!)

Cost was 150k in Miles + $356.94 USD in taxes/booking fees. All up just under $2500 per person.

That's great and you're flying FRA -> SYD without any stopovers in ICN or BKK correct? Sorry for the questions but just trying to nut out a potential itin for myself.

Quick question - I know people have posted some non direct routings to either get to their destination or to get back home. If you're not stopping over is there any particular advantage in doing this or is it just a case of maximising your time in F/J on a good carrier?

 

[hummel]

That's great and you're flying FRA -> SYD without any stopovers in ICN or BKK correct? Sorry for the questions but just trying to nut out a potential itin for myself.

Quick question - I know people have posted some non direct routings to either get to their destination or to get back home. If you're not stopping over is there any particular advantage in doing this or is it just a case of maximising your time in F/J on a good carrier?

Yes flying FRA-ICN-BKK-SYD with no stop over. A couple of layer-overs of 4-5 hours but no actual stop over.

The reason I did this is to 1) Experience Lufthansa FCT 2) I wanted to check out ICN airpot 3) A couple of days in Germany for a car nut like me will make me very happy :mrgreen:

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yes flying FRA-ICN-BKK-SYD with no stop over. A couple of layer-overs of 4-5 hours but no actual stop over.

The reason I did this is to 1) Experience Lufthansa FCT 2) I wanted to check out ICN airpot 3) A couple of days in Germany for a car nut like me will make me very happy :mrgreen:

I too was looking forward to checking out icn... but was sadly disappointed. the airport is fairly boring... nothing like Singapore or hong kong. here are some tourist activities like painting and paper folding... but that's about it.

also there can be long security queues for transit, and no priority lanes for F. I was standing in line for 25 minutes.

the Asiana F lounge is quite nice though. elegant.

 

[hummel]

I too was looking forward to checking out icn... but was sadly disappointed. the airport is fairly boring... nothing like Singapore or hong kong. here are some tourist activities like painting and paper folding... but that's about it.

also there can be long security queues for transit, and no priority lanes for F. I was standing in line for 25 minutes.

the Asiana F lounge is quite nice though. elegant.

I suppose i'm interested in the architecture side of things more than anything.

Unfortuantly don't think I'll get access to Asian F, arriving in F but leaving in C.

Tried to get OZ F but no availability.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I suppose i'm interested in the architecture side of things more than anything.

Unfortuantly don't think I'll get access to Asian F, arriving in F but leaving in C.

Tried to get OZ F but no availability.

if you were arriving asiana F then I wuld have tried for the f lounge. but arriving on lh f might be a bit hard (unless your asiana flight only has two classes...)

I would keep trying to see if OZ f opens up if your schedule and connecting flights allow it. for the $150 change fee it is well worth it.

 

[hummel]

if you were arriving asiana F then I wuld have tried for the f lounge. but arriving on lh f might be a bit hard (unless your asiana flight only has two classes...)

I would keep trying to see if OZ f opens up if your schedule and connecting flights allow it. for the $150 change fee it is well worth it.

Yeah I'll keep an eye close to the date. ICN-BKK is on TG C, couldn't even get OZ C !

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Yeah I'll keep an eye close to the date. ICN-BKK is on TG C, couldn't even get OZ C !

I was thinking that in the back of my mind... I am flying to bkk in a couple of days but didn't even see oz F offered to bkk....

 

[Shanye2233]

I didn't go rate desk with simple PER-ZQN-AKL-PER? I must have been lucky. My current inteniary on hold hasn't been the rate desk. If the agent and their computer allows the routing I don't see why it has to go to the rate desk .

Many professional like TPG , milehigh secrets , view from the Wing all suggest to avoid the rate desk . So even the great ones we follow give the same advice.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I didn't go rate desk with simple PER-ZQN-AKL-PER? I must have been lucky. My current inteniary on hold hasn't been the rate desk. If the agent and their computer allows the routing I don't see why it has to go to the rate desk .

Many professional like TPG , milehigh secrets , view from the Wing all suggest to avoid the rate desk . So even the great ones we follow give the same advice.

as far as I'm aware, any complex itinerary will go via the rate desk. complex itinerary can vary, but generally if the computer won't price the taxes automatically then it has to go via the rate desk. I had a very very simple two flight itinerary (just out and back on Thai) and even that went to the rate desk.

it usually goes to the rate desk only when you decide to pay. agents can put all sorts of itineraries together before then!

as someone has just reported over on ft, us seems to be starting an audit of foreign accounts and closing the. if there are violations.

this is even more reason to ensure itineraries are correct and within the rules AND for example, that the correct number of miles etc have been deducted for any itinerary. any problems and you could find the account closed while the investigation takes place (as was reported very early on in the thread over on ft).

 

[burmans]

as far as I'm aware, any complex itinerary will go via the rate desk. complex itinerary can vary, but generally if the computer won't price the taxes automatically then it has to go via the rate desk. I had a very very simple two flight itinerary (just out and back on Thai) and even that went to the rate desk.

it usually goes to the rate desk only when you decide to pay. agents can put all sorts of itineraries together before then!

as someone has just reported over on ft, us seems to be starting an audit of foreign accounts and closing the. if there are violations.

this is even more reason to ensure itineraries are correct and within the rules AND for example, that the correct number of miles etc have been deducted for any itinerary. any problems and you could find the account closed while the investigation takes place (as was reported very early on in the thread over on ft).

Not familiar with American law but I doubt very much that they can just close because you aren't American given the T&C's don't restrict. Would agree that they can close accounts because of violations but would suggest very strongly that their own agent stuffing up can hardly be classified as a violation by the account holder.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Not familiar with American law but I doubt very much that they can just close because you aren't American given the T&C's don't restrict. Would agree that they can close accounts because of violations but would suggest very strongly that their own agent stuffing up can hardly be classified as a violation by the account holder.

missing the point here... according to the anecdotal report us is starting to audit accounts again. they can't close simply beause you are not from America, but they have started with non USA based accounts (that is legal).

I'm not saying they can close your account because of an error, but you might find that, for example, if you have not been charged the correct mileage that they then contact you to pay the correct mileage.

some posters have reported that miles were not deducted, or an incorrect number of miles were deducted.
some posters have even mentioned that they were relying on the incorrect quote (90k instead of the published 120k) just in order to be able to fund their travel. so if us audits and comes back, they may give you the option to buy the additional miles or not travel.

that to me is not worth the risk unless you can afford to buy the extra miles.

I suspect the main issue is probably travel agents outside the us buying large numbers of miles, perhaps by each member of staff, and then using those miles for their clients. easy way to make a lot of money.

things they would look for would be different surnames between the claimed ticket and the account holder.

 

[travelislife]

I suspect the main issue is probably travel agents outside the us buying large numbers of miles, perhaps by each member of staff, and then using those miles for their clients. easy way to make a lot of money.

things they would look for would be different surnames between the claimed ticket and the account holder.

I agree what you have stated with regard to your first sentence is not within the rules. The problem with the second sentence is that it is actually within the rules, ie. you are allowed to buy tickets for family and friends using your own miles. Now the thing is when I booked 2 tickets a couple of months ago the agent actually took the miles from my account for a friends ticket and the miles for my ticket from his account, I asked her about this and she said that it didn't matter. So through no fault of my own, and well within the rules of US airways, the miles account and name on ticket don't match up. I will be keeping a close eye on my bookings to ensure nothing goes amiss.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I agree what you have stated with regard to your first sentence is not within the rules. The problem with the second sentence is that it is actually within the rules, ie. you are allowed to buy tickets for family and friends using your own miles. Now the thing is when I booked 2 tickets a couple of months ago the agent actually took the miles from my account for a friends ticket and the miles for my ticket from his account, I asked her about this and she said that it didn't matter. So through no fault of my own, and well within the rules of US airways, the miles account and name on ticket don't match up. I will be keeping a close eye on my bookings to ensure nothing goes amiss.

yes, you are allowed to get tickets for your friends... but honestly... tell me a circumstance under which, for no payment whatsoever, and no barter, no return, you would simply hand out $1000 or more to your friend?

there are of course legitimate circumstances... maybe you are flying with your partner etc... but on the face of it, no one would simply give that much money away for nothing in return. the presumption is against you in that case.

sure you have the right to explain the relationship, but from reading ft it was very much a case of close the account first, and ask questions later.

add to that other circumstances... such as no track record with us (no actual qualifying flights etc) and there is potential for an investigation.

 

[Flashback]

Just booked another 2 return trips, this time for some other friends who are heading over for the same reason. Managed to get them on the same flights as my parents, bar the one leaving London. Going out via LGW-FRA-BKK which arrives into BKK only 20 minutes later.

All up have essentially managed to snag 4 J seats (by booking a week apart) on 3/4 flights.

 

[repete]

So, looks like another round might be just about to pass us by... I wonder when the next one might come along? Have not made any purchases yet, but the account is open and ready to go. There's a Germany trip planned next year but no dates locked in yet so didn't want to risk anything. Here's hoping another one crops up at the right time, with a friendly USD exchange rate too! Will stay tuned...

 

[NDiddy]

So, looks like another round might be just about to pass us by... I wonder when the next one might come along? Have not made any purchases yet, but the account is open and ready to go. There's a Germany trip planned next year but no dates locked in yet so didn't want to risk anything. Here's hoping another one crops up at the right time, with a friendly USD exchange rate too! Will stay tuned...

Was in the same boat as you repete but I ended up taking the plunge. The trip is planned for next Dec 2012 (so I have about 4 months to wait) but it was too good to pass up. Am also hoping that they run another promo so I can get the remaining 50K to go in F to Europe or US...