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

[Oneworldplus2]

this is still the most amazing deal... some people find the price point of a business class ticket is now too high at 3.5c per mile, and once the potential fare goes over $2000 or whatever they would rather save the money and fly economy... simply because they were never going to spend that much money on air fares in the first place. in other words, they're not really 'saving money' on this deal because they have a set budget and won't go over that. many are only interested in this deal because they can get business class for almost the same price as economy... but don't want to spend any more than that.

I agree MEL_Traveller.
Pay QF 3k SYD-Europe in Y
Pay US 3k SYD-Europe in F/J

It's a fantastic deal, no brainer!
In all honesty, if l can get this promo a few times a year (2 or 3 times with multiple US Airways accounts), bye-bye QF for International travel. If that means dropping QF status, then so be it.

 

[kamchatsky]

I agree MEL_Traveller.
Pay QF 3k SYD-Europe in Y
Pay US 3k SYD-Europe in F/J

It's a fantastic deal, no brainer!
In all honesty, if l can get this promo a few times a year (2 or 3 times with multiple US Airways accounts), bye-bye QF for International travel. If that means dropping QF status, then so be it.

To reinforce the point, if you are flying F/J, you don't even need status to go to the lounges and get extra baggage allowance anyway!

 

[Oneworldplus2]

To reinforce the point, if you are flying F/J, you don't even need status to go to the lounges and get extra baggage allowance anyway!

Exactly.
If flying J, (generally) you'll get lounge access, extra luggage, priority check-in/boarding and even priority customs/quarantine sometimes (express que). Flying F will be as stated before + some other perks; First Class Terminal (LH) or Private Room Lounge (SQ). I don't know what OZ offers for F pax....

I may find myself with Qantas Club/VA Lounge membership as a QF Bronze/Virgin Red member in a few years time....

 

[Shanye2233]

Since I was given such a warm welcome when I arrived here six months ago telling me to read read read coping abuse over on FT I will share some information more like a tip . There also is a free ride available with some hotel chains now and again for instance the past promo code for Accor platinum status , it's free to join and your an instant platinum member. Second tiphas anyone heard of status match . Call Hilton send them a screen shot I find taking a snap off a page that has your name and details on it without your stay history works best . Not that difficult really .

And if I won lotto I wouldn't be on AFF or FT searching and looking for cheap deals or a free breakfast I want something I buy it that's it . That's the reason I believe most people who could afford F wouldn't bother searching for deals. If someone told them sure they would nt think twice. 90% off people in this thread wouldn't pay for a F to Europe and that's why we are here .

Also my raddisson stay went thru we both got an email about taking a survey regarding our recent stay .

Hummel it seems great minds think alike I'm also looking at redeeming these points in Paris if I can't find anyone to swap HH with me . I don't think raddisson offer much to gold elite only concerige level

P.S Didn't mean to offend you with the great minds gag

 

[Stephen65]

Depends on what sort of lotto win. If it was a $30M win then yes I probably would just blithely pay full F fare in cash. If its the far more common win of around $0.5-2M I would not. I bet there are plenty of AFFers worth in the low millions who like a bargain J/F fare and who are willing to spend time getting it.

 

[Jeffrey O'Neill]

put it down to being time rich and not quite cash poor, but def no cash rich.

it's also fun to brag about the travel bargain you scored

 

[cove]

I play this as a game of getting flights on points to almost everywhere. Now I get excited when others pull a Saver redemption on SQ or a bargain Any Seat on QF without cheating but using every tool available.
US Air and AA miles buying can help get more players into the game so that is wonderful.
Getting a wholesale price on your travel is how I look at this game rather than a pure money thingy.
Ok now where is the champagne?

 

[kamchatsky]

I play this as a game of getting flights on points to almost everywhere. Now I get excited when others pull a Saver redemption on SQ or a bargain Any Seat on QF without cheating but using every tool available.
US Air and AA miles buying can help get more players into the game so that is wonderful.
Getting a wholesale price on your travel is how I look at this game rather than a pure money thingy.
Ok now where is the champagne?

Ironically I don't drink much alcohol so sometimes I think flying J is a waste for me. I actually prefer hot lemon tea anyway. Maybe I should change this and drink more alcohol in my upcoming *A Circle Pacific J SQ NZ TG redemption in 2 weeks.

Sent from my X10i using AustFreqFly

 

[casanovawa]

Hmmm, just put this itin in J on hold

PER / BKK / VIE / FRA / ATL / Dest.. / IAD (23 hr transit)/ FRA / Stop.. / CCU / BKK / PER

110k miles (yes i know it should be 120k) and about $250 or so in taxes and charges... Seems a bit high even avoiding LHR but maybe taxes at FRA aren't anything to sneeze at either??

TG/OS/LH...

Debating whether to take out the OS flight to FRA via VIE and instead take a TG flight to FRA via ZRH.... Pity i couldn't get an LX flights in there...

 

[Shanye2233]

I paid $356 for my taxes plus $50 fee . Doesn't seem to bad you should have flown in F for 140k if there was availability .

 

[casanovawa]

Well still debating F slightly, but on the itinerary i booked i haven't actually allowed much time at many of the airports and more than a few (BKK on the way there and back) are near or at midnight so lounges would be closed (although 4 hours at FRA on the way over and can rock up whenever to FRA on the way back) so i would have to rebook some flights to give me more time in the F lounges which would eat into actual holiday/exploring times...

I have had a look at the flights as they appear on my flight map and the ones to the US look disappointingly similar to each other and to ones i have already taken, so i might try to change some flights as i want that map looking more interesting!!! but i wanted to get something locked in the system so award seats didn't keep disappearing each day...

and yes, compared to QF those taxes look great, i just would have preferred ~ US$150...

 

[JohnK]

Hmmm, just put this itin in J on hold

PER / BKK / VIE / FRA / ATL / Dest.. / IAD (23 hr transit)/ FRA / Stop.. / CCU / BKK / PER

I am sure I have a lot to learn but I thought these type of itineraries were no longer possible. I thought it had to be the most direct routing possible. I know I have issues with availability on BMI Diamond Club and they do not budge. And yes I know the 2 are not the same.

I know others would not do it but I would not mind going to BKK via Europe, USA and Europe. A few extra flights but who cares.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Well still debating F slightly, but on the itinerary i booked i haven't actually allowed much time at many of the airports and more than a few (BKK on the way there and back) are near or at midnight so lounges would be closed (although 4 hours at FRA on the way over and can rock up whenever to FRA on the way back) so i would have to rebook some flights to give me more time in the F lounges which would eat into actual holiday/exploring times...

I have had a look at the flights as they appear on my flight map and the ones to the US look disappointingly similar to each other and to ones i have already taken, so i might try to change some flights as i want that map looking more interesting!!! but i wanted to get something locked in the system so award seats didn't keep disappearing each day...

and yes, compared to QF those taxes look great, i just would have preferred ~ US$150...

110k miles is correct for Australia to USA, which is your itinerary.

all lounges will be open, even at midnight. they won't close until flight departure.

 

[casanovawa]

Shouldn't the fact that I am stopping over in Europe on the way back to Oz mean that it would cost 120k miles??? I would have thought the cost would be that of the highest cost continental zone that you stopped in (not necessarily that you flew over)??

I was thinking that it would cost me 130k to fly business on an itinerary that included Africa, but if I could fly to the US for 110K and then include a stop via JNB on the way back and only pay 110K miles because the US is the destination and JNB the stopover, that would be good...

And John, flying to the US seems to be allowed crossing over Asia and Europe and not just over the Pacific, once that was allowed Frankfurt is actually pretty direct on the way back to Oz... So not going way out of the way... I somehow doubt you could go to BKK crossing the US and Europe... You might be able to fly to either Europe OR the US (via but not stopping in Europe) and then stop in BKK as a *A hub on the way back, but you might struggle to fly trans Pac and trans Atl to then visit BKK from SYD or BNE if that is what you are suggesting...

I didn't mind having as many flights as possible to experience J, but i had been told a couple of times that there was a max of 8 flights but i got 9 on this itinerary and it seemed no problem, don't know if i could have tried to include a 10th flight??

And that is good to know about lounges staying open, i'm sure most of the lounges i have seen int he world seem to close at about midnight and reopen at about 5am, but then maybe i haven't tried to many lounges at real global airports where flights arrive and depart at all hours... Do you think would get massages and all at 1am??? I suppose maybe you might???

 

[JohnK]

And John, flying to the US seems to be allowed crossing over Asia and Europe and not just over the Pacific, once that was allowed Frankfurt is actually pretty direct on the way back to Oz... So not going way out of the way... I somehow doubt you could go to BKK crossing the US and Europe... You might be able to fly to either Europe OR the US (via but not stopping in Europe) and then stop in BKK as a *A hub on the way back, but you might struggle to fly trans Pac and trans Atl to then visit BKK from SYD or BNE if that is what you are suggesting...

I haven't looked at all the intricate details but why wouldn't a routing such as

SYD-BKK-FRA-BOS-Destination-FRA-BKK-Stopover-SYD

be valid? So Boston is final destination and BKK as a stopover. I am not being very creative just trying to put a simple itinerary together. Or are you saying that it is OK to have a stopover in Europe but not Asia?

I will spend some time doing research to maximise the number of transits...

 

[Shanye2233]

What your allowed to do and what the agent does are two different things. If your not happy with the answer hang up try again . I have 11 segments on my trip I will report back more when I return

 

[casanovawa]

Sorry John, maybe i was misunderstanding what you meant...

In my (admitted) limited knowledge of the program but all the reading i have been doing about it that itinerary looks very doable...

Transits would just be as many flights as your allowed minus the 2 stopovers or open jaw (whichever you decided)... I managed 9 flights, as Shayne said he did 11 flights, you sometimes just have to see what they will give you...

I plotted out my legs and the flights using the ANA website i wanted and so was just able to roll them all off to the booking agent, she only had to go away and ask about an internal US flight from ATL to IAD that was showing as an F and that was then wanting to trigger the whole trip into F miles, but i was explaining how i thought it was really equivalent to international J and after being on hold for a bit they accepted it as such... I assumed that me telling the person what i wanted in detail and it all making sense was a better strategy than ummhing and ahhing on the phone and asking them for solutions...

 

[Alanslegal]

I haven't looked at all the intricate details but why wouldn't a routing such as

SYD-BKK-FRA-BOS-Destination-FRA-BKK-Stopover-SYD

be valid?

Just be aware that you may encounter some F award availability issues on the TATL sectors and you might have to suck it up and fly in J :shock:

 

[MEL_Traveller]

one thing for certain, and we have seen it before, that just booking segments for the sake of maximizing your travel experience, or trying to book as many flights as possible, for no reason other than to spend time in a plane, is likely to see a further restriction in the rules. we have seen this with the (sometimes enforced) 8 segment rule, with 'no travel to Europe via USA' and with some transits (less than 24 hours) now being classified as stopovers if not on the most direct path.

get it while it lasts...

 

[casanovawa]

Yes, well my itinerary is no where near as crazy as some, and seeing i may never fly in J again, i would like to try several flights so i can sleep on some while being awake enough to see what everyone raves about...

The issue flying form Perth is also that we don't have F flights up to singapore and bangkok, so at least two major legs will only be in J no matter how many points we pay, so maybe what is the point of spending an extra $600 for the extra 30k miles required for F or so for maybe just a couple of legs from BKK or SIN to Europe return?? I'd at least want to max out the experience and get a few F legs to Europe and then to the US or some where and return...