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

[anat0l]

Anyone actually been or seen an A340-600 on the SYD-BKK-SYD route this year? Just checked my booking and Thai website which is still showing the 747 for Dec 2012.

I had a 346 last year when I flew BKK-SYD in June and it's looking like I'm getting a 346 for my flight in a few weeks, SYD-BKK.

 

[casanovawa]

Also from the thai site - http://www.thaiairways.com.au/thai_inflight_classes.asp?id=8

THAI operates Airbus A330-300 aircraft from Perth to coughet and Bangkok. The seat offers a seat pitch of 58" (147cm) and a recline of 131°. Flights from Melbourne and Brisbane are operated by Boeing 777 aircraft whilst Airbus A340-600 aircraft are used on all non-stop flights between Sydney and Bangkok. Between 16 Jan-24 Mar'12 Boeing 747-400 aircraft will be temporarily used on the route between Sydney and Bangkok return instead of the Airbus A340-600 aircraft.

This "cheat sheet" should be fairly up to date as it takes into account a booking i made a couple of months ago that originally was for a 747 flight from Frankfurt to Bangkok that subsequently got changed to a 777-300 and that is reflected in this sheet...

 

[bcworld]

This "cheat sheet" should be fairly up to date as it takes into account a booking i made a couple of months ago that originally was for a 747 flight from Frankfurt to Bangkok that subsequently got changed to a 777-300 and that is reflected in this sheet...

The schedule and operating aircraft for SYD is wrong.
The schedule for MEL is wrong. And in some cases the operating aircraft as I believe there are planned upcoming 772 flights.
The schedule for BNE is wrong.
LHR aircraft is wrong.
FRA schedule is losing some double daily I think.
MXP aircraft soon to be downgraded to 772ER.
ATH you can scratch altogether rather than just til 24 Mar.
LAX non stop - she needs an * too!
...there's probably more!

 

[casanovawa]

Well i suppose that leaves some of it right...

 

[Flashback]

Heads up! Booked TG F for my parents last November for travel in August: Syd-Bkk-Lhr.

TG were flying 2x daily Syd-Bkk, but on most days there is now only the am flight; the evening flight has been cancelled. The TG computer automatically TF the 2 seats from the evening flight to the following morning flight, which was now arriving AFTER their flight from Bkk to LHR which leaves just past midinght. Rang TG who said they can't touch the booking and I will need to ring US Air. After a quick check on ANA, i was very relieved to see there were 2 F seats on the TG am flight betwen Syd and BKK the day before; had a rather anxious phone call with US airways who changed the seats back to the previous day morning flight without charge. Just means my parents will now have 6-7 hours to soak in the TG F lounge in Bkk, rather than the 2.5 hours previously.

No warning / notification from TG or US :evil:- just fortunate that I was checking the booking today...

TG has a funny habit of doing this sometimes. People who regularly booked awards with BD had the same kind of problems at times. Whether the BD ICC informed you of the change was hit and miss.

It always pays to keep checking your reservations, though it is a tedious and most annoying exercise (particularly as US doesn't use any of the common GDS systems, so you can't check it on a generic site; it must always be checked on the US website).

My parents had a change on their flights, but it worked out for the better! BKK-HKT-PER changed to BKK-PER.

 

[laffer]

It was (fairly) simple. When I phoned up to book the flights, I simply told them that I needed to book an infant too, they went off and worked out the fare and then I paid it on the credit card. Just bear in mind that it'll be 10% of a full adult fare for whatever class you're in, so ended up costing us somewhere over $1000 for the baby in First (but still a bargain!)

Thanks JCB12. Very helpful. Did they offer you a bassinet for the Baby at all? O/H is freaking out about the baby being on the lap for 24 hours and thinks economy would offer a bassinet option.

 

[neon_crossing]

Has anyone actually tried contacting Air NZ directly before about their policy on award business class seats using these points, or would anyone know the person/department/email within Air NZ to contact about it?

It would be handy to chat/email with someone who organises / decides which seats become available to star alliance partners to get a bit of an idea of the time frames / most likely routes or to see if I can request individual flights to become available.

Thanks,
NC

 

[NDiddy]

I had a 346 last year when I flew BKK-SYD in June and it's looking like I'm getting a 346 for my flight in a few weeks, SYD-BKK.

Thanks anat0lwe'll see if they change metal by the end of the the year.

Wanted to do F on an 340 with so many 747 options with Thai that we have planned. Will be keeping an eye out for any changes on the booking.

 

[Alanslegal]

IMO 346 F and 744 F is almost identical. Sure 744 F feels a bit older but its still a nice flat bed, same TG service, same ground experience at BKK and so on. I'd be happy to fly either of those planes in F.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Has anyone actually tried contacting Air NZ directly before about their policy on award business class seats using these points, or would anyone know the person/department/email within Air NZ to contact about it?

It would be handy to chat/email with someone who organises / decides which seats become available to star alliance partners to get a bit of an idea of the time frames / most likely routes or to see if I can request individual flights to become available.

Thanks,
NC

unless you are a member of another airline's commercial team then NZ are not going to discuss what seats they are going to make available to another airline and when (other than, of course, the standard time when awards might become available, which would be 365 or 330 days prior whatever NZ subscribes to). NZ will not create award seats for you unless you are commercially important to them.

If you are an NZ airpoints member you may be able to get some indication of when NZ will make awards available to its own members.

 

[JohnK]

OK.. how/where on point.com does one "register" the US account?

I am struggling to understand what "register" on points.com means? I hope this is not the same as them being able to "manage" your account.

Anyone actually been or seen an A340-600 on the SYD-BKK-SYD route this year? Just checked my booking and Thai website which is still showing the 747 for Dec 2012.

I travelled in business class on a 346 BKK-SYD in October and a 747 BKK-SYD in January 2102.

They are both fine in business class although I would prefer the 747.

 

[anat0l]

Has anyone actually tried contacting Air NZ directly before about their policy on award business class seats using these points, or would anyone know the person/department/email within Air NZ to contact about it?

It would be handy to chat/email with someone who organises / decides which seats become available to star alliance partners to get a bit of an idea of the time frames / most likely routes or to see if I can request individual flights to become available.

The answer to your first question is no and no.

I suspect, as MEL_Traveller explained, they won't tell you anything, especially since it's you trying to query inventory to be redeemed via means outside their own program. Had you been an Airpoints elite member who was trying to inquire on Business award inventory to redeem using Airpoints Dollars, the situation may be very different.

The inventory for partner awards and the inventory for Airpoints (i.e. NZ's program) awards are not necessarily the same set of seats.

There are no definitive answers to your second question, although suffice to say that, like any other airline or situation, the busiest times and routes usually follow the normal "peak" or "off peak" seasons usually defined by holidays or vacation time. For *A redemptions on NZ J in general, it's been generally viewed that getting award seats is notably difficult and requires a good lead time, especially if you go for the more popular awards, e.g. on 77W services. I had enough trouble finding awards from Asia (e.g. ex PVG, PEK or NRT) which are on 772s, not 77Ws, let alone on the even more inferior 763s out of KIX. Not to say there were no seats available in a few months, but it was more like a smattering in a couple of weeks, which made my routing decisions rather difficult as I had to match these with another connecting flight to the common port of call.

IMO 346 F and 744 F is almost identical. Sure 744 F feels a bit older but its still a nice flat bed, same TG service, same ground experience at BKK and so on. I'd be happy to fly either of those planes in F.

TG has 2 styles of 744, but I suspect the one they will use for intercontinental operations is the one with 10 F seats in the F cabin (I suspect the other style - 14 F seats in the F cabin - is an older config with older seats but used mainly on short or medium haul routes, possibly as J class instead).

Only difference is that the 744 F is in the nose, and thus will obviously be a converging cabin shape (typical of any 744 cabin located in the nose). Obviously this has implications for spacing within the cabin, though the TG 744 is spaced so that there is a table (magazine table, snack table) in the middle of the F cabin; certainly not like QF which scraps the table for 4 extra seats.

On the other hand, the 346 has only 8 seats in F, laid out as 1 a 1 | 1 a 1, where the a is the aisle and the | is a seat divider like a low wall - there is no access between the E and F seats. See the picture below:

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am struggling to understand what "register" on points.com means? I hope this is not the same as them being able to "manage" your account.

once you log in to points.com there is a section where you register your frequent flyer and hotel program accounts. Its sort of like a central place where you can register everything. To register your US airways account you simply add you Dividend miles number in the box.

 

[Alanslegal]

TG has 2 styles of 744, but I suspect the one they will use for intercontinental operations is the one with 10 F seats in the F cabin (I suspect the other style - 14 F seats in the F cabin - is an older config with older seats but used mainly on short or medium haul routes, possibly as J class instead).

I suspect the same thing. I doubt TG will operate those non-flat F planes on routes over 8 hours though. Imagine 8 or more hours in those things in today's flying age and those unlucky passengers will never spend their money (or points) on TG ever again.

 

[bcworld]

I suspect the same thing. I doubt TG will operate those non-flat F planes on routes over 8 hours though. Imagine 8 or more hours in those things in today's flying age and those unlucky passengers will never spend their money (or points) on TG ever again.

Both 747 F classes currently flying are already flat.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Once miles have been purchased on US Airways, how long are they taking to hit the account?
I purchased last time there was a promo, and it was instant.

 

[bcworld]

Once miles have been purchased on US Airways, how long are they taking to hit the account?
I purchased last time there was a promo, and it was instant.

It's always been instant for me but I've seen a few reports over the last few days of non instant purchases.

 

[Oneworldplus2]

Thank you for the swift reply bcworld.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Once miles have been purchased on US Airways, how long are they taking to hit the account?
I purchased last time there was a promo, and it was instant.

Under the current promo - first bonus is instant. second part of the bonus (points.com) will arrive before 5 june.

Purchasing miles without promo - also instant.

 

[Flashback]

The miles have now hit my US Airways account via SPG Just need to wait a few weeks for the bonus to post.