US Dividend Miles - Oneworld Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[MEL_Traveller]

perhaps worth noting with the current Occupy hong Kong situation, selection of a hotel for a short hassle-free stopover will be important. Large parts of Admiralty and Wan Chai and some parts of the mainland are not easily accessible, and may lead to more effort than benefit (especially public transport which is packed to overcrowded and/or not running to scheduled routes).

 

[Limewood]

you can choose flights that suit you - as i mentioned in post #1051 you find the flights you want (same as you would using the QF tool), and call USDM to have them book and ticket. It is sometimes helpful to have alternatives in case USDM can't see the same availability as you might have found via the QF/BA/JL tools.

mix of OW airlines is permitted, the partner award chart (OW) states this clearly at the top: http://www.usairways.com/en-US/Resources/_downloads/dividendmiles/oneworldawardtravel.pdf

Well Im all good very happy with the info, soon the hunt begins...

HHK be next year, will stay at Regal Airport Hotel or in town again or with friends depending on situation.
(been to HKG about 20 times so far, sometimes to stay others in transit)

Didn't go back and look at post #1051

Oh yes I see now on the award chart I looked at membership guide

 

[get me outta here]

If in HKG for a '23 hour' transit, staying around Lantau is a good idea as there's plenty to do close to the airport on the MTR: The Big Buddha reached by the 5.5 km cable car, the outlet stores/restaurants/cafes etc.

 

[Limewood]

If in HKG for a '23 hour' transit, staying around Lantau is a good idea as there's plenty to do close to the airport on the MTR: The Big Buddha reached by the 5.5 km cable car, the outlet stores/restaurants/cafes etc.

Yes been there couple times over the years, some of our ex-pat Aussie mates live near there.

Gotta love the MTR, Mrs Lime is an expert on it, knows which exits at many stations.

 

[Limewood]

oops not a couple times to HKG more like 20

A good Aussie friend was in charge of the HKG airport tower (on his shift) for 23 years.

So its a great transit point for us.

 

[Alanslegal]

If in HKG for a '23 hour' transit, staying around Lantau is a good idea as there's plenty to do close to the airport on the MTR: The Big Buddha reached by the 5.5 km cable car, the outlet stores/restaurants/cafes etc.

Also lots to do in town too. With the train only 25mins and ur in Hong Kong central, there's also lots of reasons to spend time there too.

 

[ms1]

I have a question about an upcoming GUM trip.

I'm flying into GUM on JL941 and from then I have an open jaw and I have arranged my own way back to NRT on Delta the following day. I have just noticed that QF have award class availability on JL942 the same day I get into GUM. Can anyone advise if I will have any issue flying back to NRT same day on different tickets? I would guess that I will fly back on the same plane so wouldn't have to worry about any delays on the outbound flight.

I was thinking I could leave my luggage in storage at NRT and go with carry on only to GUM and that way I could online check in for the inbound leg in before I left NRT.

Thoughts?

Additional info: I've spoken to JAL and they've advised I will receive both NRT-GUM and GUM-NRT boarding passes at NRT. Will I still need to clear immigration and customs at GUM? I will be flying with carry on only.

 

[anat0l]

Additional info: I've spoken to JAL and they've advised I will receive both NRT-GUM and GUM-NRT boarding passes at NRT. Will I still need to clear immigration and customs at GUM? I will be flying with carry on only.

Being that it is US territory and follows the same customs procedures, my guess is yes. I haven't done it before, but I think I have read that others have said you will need to pass customs even for a transit (also similar procedure for people who transit a US port for any other flight, e.g. like QF107 or NZ1).

 

[Doggy]

Man is this frustrating! I had an itinerary on hold:

SYD-BNE-SIN-KUL-BOM

BOM-DOH-DXB-MEL-SYD

When I call to get it ticketed, she tells me the SIN and DXB connections are invalid. Couldn't really explain why though. These guys!

 

[jjaxie]

Standard USDM. Just call again - shouldn't be too hard to get that one ticketed. Only potential problem I can see is that the return goes via the Middle East so some agents may try and charge you the ME rate rather than South Asia. Possibly the return could be over MPM but there's nothing I can see wrong with the outbound.

 

[anat0l]

I think people need to accept that if at first you don't succeed, try again.

More than half of the time, the agent's reason for your routing not being able to be ticketed may be incorrect or irrelevant, unless you so happen to try again many times and the same reason is given for each attempt.

HUACA is Hang Up And Call Again. It's part of the modus operandi of US DM, so get used to it. A small price to pay for one of the most affordable ways to fly in premium classes less than the retail cash price.

 

[Doggy]

I think people need to accept that if at first you don't succeed, try again.

More than half of the time, the agent's reason for your routing not being able to be ticketed may be incorrect or irrelevant, unless you so happen to try again many times and the same reason is given for each attempt.

HUACA is Hang Up And Call Again. It's part of the modus operandi of US DM, so get used to it. A small price to pay for one of the most affordable ways to fly in premium classes less than the retail cash price.

Indeed. Case in point -- a few calls later, it was ticketed. Thanks for the advice from all who pitched in.

Now I'm just concerned about how it's showing up on the MH site. Times are weird and it skips the SIN stop somehow. Viewing the booking on QF site reassures me though, bc it shows up there as it should. I'll call MH tomorrow and ask em. Called them tonight but it said I was 10th in queue, and I don't have the patience right now after dealing with USDM all evening.

 

[SponsorSFC]

While there is plenty of time as my flights are not until August next year does anyone know how far in advance I would be able to select seats on QF PER-SYD-NOU booked using USDM?

Is this done on the QF site?

Thanks.

 

[smit0847]

While there is plenty of time as my flights are not until August next year does anyone know how far in advance I would be able to select seats on QF PER-SYD-NOU booked using USDM?

Is this done on the QF site?

Thanks.

I really wouldn't worry - you'll have a pretty good chance of scoring a new J suite on SYD-PER-SYD in August 2015 so whatever seating assignment you make now may be thrown out (no one knows what the best seats will be on the new config).

For SYD-NOU-SYD it'll be a 737 so there really won't be much difference in the seating.

You can call QF to try and seat assign but I'd wait until next year to do it once the J suites start to come online.

 

[SponsorSFC]

Thanks for that.

I wasn't too concerned with the PER-SYD leg but am hoping to avoid row 3 on the SYD-NOU legs. Especially the 7:30am flight out.

 

[jjaxie]

If you have the Qantas PNR (sometimes they will give it to you when ticketing but often you have to request it) then you should be able to do it now. If they haven't given it to you, sometimes it will show up on the booking on the USDM website or you can call back and ask for it.

 

[SponsorSFC]

Thanks.

No Qantas PNR on the USDM site (there is a section for it but the field is blank).

Will give them a call when I get the chance.

 

[appaz]

Thanks.

No Qantas PNR on the USDM site (there is a section for it but the field is blank).

Will give them a call when I get the chance.

or you can give Qantas a call and quote them for 037... ticket number. They will give you their PNR

 

[SponsorSFC]

Even better.

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[SponsorSFC]

While everyone is being so helpful.

If we check in at PER on the Sunday afternoon should we be able to have our boarding passes printed and checked baggage directed through so we don't have to check them in again for the flight to NOU on Monday morning?

I have just booked a room at the Rydges near the international terminal so it is not far but I would like to maximise the time spent in bed or in the lounge rather than checking in. Not to mention that my darling wife is not exactly a morning person.