US Dividend Miles - Oneworld Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[d.diddy_13]

Also what is the rules in regards to cancellation after booking?

 

[bcworld]

Also what is the rules in regards to cancellation after booking?

https://www.usairways.com/en-US/dividendmiles/programdetails/memberguide.html

 

[d.diddy_13]

I did read that was still a little unsure.

It mentions

• Contact Reservations to change award travel. The change fee is $150.
• Once an award is booked, a traveler change is not permitted. If you or the person you designate is unable to travel, you can redeposit your miles into your account; a redeposit fee of $150 applies.
• [h=3]Redeposit fee[/h]If you cancel your award trip or change your itinerary to a lower award level or class of service, you may redeposit your miles for a $150 fee (waived for Chairman's Preferred members). The fee must be paid by credit card

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I did read that was still a little unsure.

It mentions

• Contact Reservations to change award travel. The change fee is $150.
• Once an award is booked, a traveler change is not permitted. If you or the person you designate is unable to travel, you can redeposit your miles into your account; a redeposit fee of $150 applies.
• Redeposit fee
  
  If you cancel your award trip or change your itinerary to a lower award level or class of service, you may redeposit your miles for a $150 fee (waived for Chairman's Preferred members). The fee must be paid by credit card

cancelling an award technically costs you nothing. you could cancel, pay nothing and walk away, but you'd lose the miles.

if you want the miles back, you have to pay $150 to have the redeposited into your account.

 

[anat0l]

I did read that was still a little unsure.

It mentions

• Contact Reservations to change award travel. The change fee is $150.
• Once an award is booked, a traveler change is not permitted. If you or the person you designate is unable to travel, you can redeposit your miles into your account; a redeposit fee of $150 applies.
• [h=3]Redeposit fee[/h]If you cancel your award trip or change your itinerary to a lower award level or class of service, you may redeposit your miles for a $150 fee (waived for Chairman's Preferred members). The fee must be paid by credit card

In short, after you book, it will cost you $150 to change your itinerary, or to cancel it and have the points refunded to your account.

I think that if you change (or cancel and rebook) within 21 days of departure, you will be liable as well for the expedited ticketing fee. Not sure, but I know AA has this rule.

After travel has commenced (i.e. the itinerary starts being used), you cannot cancel or change any more.

 

[jetpack]

When cancelling and paying the $150 fee, am I correct in assuming that you still get a refund of the taxes but not the booking fee?

 

[bcworld]

When cancelling and paying the $150 fee, am I correct in assuming that you still get a refund of the taxes but not the booking fee?

You will get the taxes back even if you don't pay the $150 fee. Correct, the booking fee will not be refunded.

Just to be clear about the $150 fee...it is per ticket, not per PNR. 2 pax = $300.

 

[d.diddy_13]

Sorry one other question.

I am hoping to book for mid April next year so want to get in as early as possible.... However my wife is pregnant can I book for just us and then add infant later (as they will Not have a seat)

 

[somebol]

Yes. The infant can be added anytime before you fly.

 

[alieninperth]

Be careful though, USDM charge an infant fare AFAIK, 10% of the price of the ticket. Not sure about taxes etc. Run the itin through ITA matrix to get idea of total costs.

This is what I get from a rough itin for March next year so you may be up for another $900

[TABLE="class: itaRoundedPane dijitReset itaRoundedPanePrimary dijitContentPane, width: 100%"]




[TR]
[TD="class: itaRoundedPaneSide itaRoundedPaneLeft"][/TD]

[TD="class: itaRoundedPaneMain"]
How to buy
this ticket

Tickets
cannot be purchased directly from ITA Software.


Provide this information to a travel agent to help
them match the fares found.
Make sure to provide the
exact booking and fare codes shown.





[TABLE="class: dijitReset fareDetails"]


[TR]

[TH]Fare for 2 adults[/TH]

[TH][/TH]
[/TR]


[TR]

[TD]
Fare 1: Carrier YY CIFRT MEL to KUL (rules)

Passenger type ADT, round trip fare, booking code
C
Covers MEL-KUL (Business)
[/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$4,150.50[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]
Fare 2: Carrier MH DBZ KUL to LGK (rules)

Passenger type ADT, one-way fare, booking code
D
Covers KUL-LGK (Business)
[/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$230.67[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]
Fare 3: Carrier MH DBZ LGK to KUL (rules)

Passenger type ADT, one-way fare, booking code
D
Covers LGK-KUL (Business)
[/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$230.67[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]
Fare 4: Carrier QF JRT KUL to MEL (rules)

Passenger type ADT, round trip fare, booking code
J
Covers KUL-MEL (Business)
[/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$3,940.00[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]MH YQ surcharge (YQ) [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$248.40[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]MH YR surcharge (YR) [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$17.10[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]MH YQ surcharge (YQ) [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$18.50[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Australian Passenger Movement Charge (AU) [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$55.00[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Australian Safety & Security Surcharge (WG) [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$3.98[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$16.80[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Malaysia Passenger Service & Security Charge (MY) [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$26.10[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$16.80[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD](YQ) [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$240.00[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD][/TD]

[TD="class: fareSubTotalRule"] [/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Subtotal per passenger [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$9,194.68[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Number of passengers [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]x2[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD][/TD]

[TD="class: fareTotalRule"] [/TD]
[/TR]

[TR="class: fareSubtotal"]

[TD="class: totalLabel"]Subtotal for 2 adults [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$18,389.36[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

• Changes to this ticket will incur a penalty fee.

Fare construction (can be useful to travel agents)

MEL MH X/KUL M 3747.42CIFRT MH LGK Q20.00 188.39DBZ MH KUL Q20.00 188.39DBZ
QF MEL Q22.57 M 3534.79JRT NUC 7721.56 END ROE 1.107561 XT 55.00AU 3.98WG
33.60WY 26.10MY 506.90YQ 17.10YR








[TABLE="class: dijitReset fareDetails"]


[TR]

[TH]Fare for 1 infant in lap[/TH]

[TH][/TH]
[/TR]


[TR]

[TD]
Fare 1: Carrier YY CIFRT MEL to KUL (rules)

Passenger type INF, round trip fare, booking code
C
Covers MEL-KUL (Business)
[/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$415.05[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]
Fare 2: Carrier MH DBZ KUL to LGK (rules)

Passenger type INF, one-way fare, booking code
D
Covers KUL-LGK (Business)
[/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$43.01[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]
Fare 3: Carrier MH DBZ LGK to KUL (rules)

Passenger type INF, one-way fare, booking code
D
Covers LGK-KUL (Business)
[/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$43.01[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]
Fare 4: Carrier QF JRT KUL to MEL (rules)

Passenger type INF, round trip fare, booking code
J
Covers KUL-MEL (Business)
[/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$416.50[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]MH YQ surcharge (YQ) [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$18.50[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD][/TD]

[TD="class: fareSubTotalRule"] [/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Subtotal per passenger [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$936.50[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD]Number of passengers [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]x1[/TD]
[/TR]

[TR]

[TD][/TD]

[TD="class: fareTotalRule"] [/TD]
[/TR]

[TR="class: fareSubtotal"]

[TD="class: totalLabel"]Subtotal for 1 infant in lap [/TD]

[TD="class: farePrice"]AU$936.50[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

• Changes to this ticket will incur a penalty fee.

[/TD]
[/TR]


[/TABLE]

 

[bcworld]

Yes, the infant ticket is not free and the cost can be high...and very difficult to get the same answer twice from US.

As a general rule, they might suggest it is 10% of the FULL (i.e. most expensive) published fare. Friends of mine have been quoted $2000+ for the infant fare for Aus-UK and back.

 

[d.diddy_13]

Can i also just confirm the Malaysia airlines can only book out 330 days?

and this would have to be from my proposed return date?

 

[garybatz]

I'm new to the USDM program, having bought a heap of points for the merger with AA. My question is about the timing of USDM bookings - I read that they charge the same points for a one-way booking as for a return one. If I'm doing a four week trip, can I book the outbound leg when the date is released and four weeks later ring again and have them add the return leg, presumably paying the $150 change fee? Or would they seek to charge me for two separate bookings i.e. double the points, in which case I should wait until the return leg is released and hope that there is still availability for the earlier outbound leg?

Also, I gather we need to ring the US-based number to make award bookings from Oz. Is that expensive, or will they call you back?

Of course fingers crossed that the merged system with AA will make these questions redundant but who knows when...

 

[bcworld]

I'm new to the USDM program, having bought a heap of points for the merger with AA. My question is about the timing of USDM bookings - I read that they charge the same points for a one-way booking as for a return one. If I'm doing a four week trip, can I book the outbound leg when the date is released and four weeks later ring again and have them add the return leg, presumably paying the $150 change fee? Or would they seek to charge me for two separate bookings i.e. double the points, in which case I should wait until the return leg is released and hope that there is still availability for the earlier outbound leg?

Also, I gather we need to ring the US-based number to make award bookings from Oz. Is that expensive, or will they call you back?

Of course fingers crossed that the merged system with AA will make these questions redundant but who knows when...

In that scenario - changing a oneway to a return, they will likely want to cancel the original booking and start again - leaving you susceptible to losing the seats altogether.

The best approach would be to book a return with fictitious return date then call later to amend the return date - yes, you'll still be up for the $150pp fee. So that would mean you wouldn't be able to book on the exact date of the release of the outbound seats but maybe a couple of days later.

Remember as well that the seats may have been released by the operating airline, but might still be outside of US's booking window - not sure about this - but say QF releases at T-350 days, US might not let you book til T-330 days.

Call using Skype, it's free!

 

[neon_crossing]

I am still getting my head around this merger after basically memorizing the old US Dividend Miles Chart with Star Alliance and using ANA and United to find availability.

I stumbled upon this chart : https://membership.usairways.com/en-US/Resources/_downloads/dividendmiles/oneworldawardtravel.pdf

So does this mean we can still get redemptions to GUM for 30k return?

I thought it would go to the AAdvantage oneworld chart/scheme straight away or, because techincally there is no merger the points are basically the same as with Star Alliance just on the Oneworld carriers?

 

[bcworld]

I am still getting my head around this merger after basically memorizing the old US Dividend Miles Chart with Star Alliance and using ANA and United to find availability.

I stumbled upon this chart : https://membership.usairways.com/en-US/Resources/_downloads/dividendmiles/oneworldawardtravel.pdf

So does this mean we can still get redemptions to GUM for 30k return?

I thought it would go to the AAdvantage oneworld chart/scheme straight away or, because techincally there is no merger the points are basically the same as with Star Alliance just on the Oneworld carriers?

In theory GUM is still possible, but there is only one OW carrier operating into GUM - JL from NRT. There is no UA equivalent flying to KIX, NRT, HKG, MNL, NGO etc. so in theory would be much more difficult to pick your actual desired destination (stopover).

Also, the MPM for GUM has been greatly reduced since the move to OW...whether or not this will be picked up on by a hapless agent is anyone's guess - MPM does seem to have come into play again a bit more since Apr 1. Any OW routing to GUM from Australia now exceeds MPM.

I don't think we have any successful GUM bookings reported yet? People have definitely tried.

 

[garybatz]

In that scenario - changing a oneway to a return, they will likely want to cancel the original booking and start again - leaving you susceptible to losing the seats altogether.

The best approach would be to book a return with fictitious return date then call later to amend the return date - yes, you'll still be up for the $150pp fee. So that would mean you wouldn't be able to book on the exact date of the release of the outbound seats but maybe a couple of days later.

Remember as well that the seats may have been released by the operating airline, but might still be outside of US's booking window - not sure about this - but say QF releases at T-350 days, US might not let you book til T-330 days.

Call using Skype, it's free!

Thanks BC

 

[smit0847]

In theory GUM is still possible, but there is only one OW carrier operating into GUM - JL from NRT. There is no UA equivalent flying to KIX, NRT, HKG, MNL, NGO etc. so in theory would be much more difficult to pick your actual desired destination (stopover).

Also, the MPM for GUM has been greatly reduced since the move to OW...whether or not this will be picked up on by a hapless agent is anyone's guess - MPM does seem to have come into play again a bit more since Apr 1. Any OW routing to GUM from Australia now exceeds MPM.

I don't think we have any successful GUM bookings reported yet? People have definitely tried.

There are a number of issues with GUM on 1W vs *A:
1. As BC pointed out. by far the biggest issue is that there is only 1 1W flight per day to and from GUM (JL NRT-GUM) vs the dozens there was on *A. This means the entire concept hinges on JL's award inventory management.
2. This route is not a normal route. I understand there is little business travellers yet huge tour groups that snap up Y seats in bulk. This has led to very, very strange award seat releases. Most airlines would release a limited number of premium (F/J/Y+) seats and many more Y award seats. JL sometimes release a few J seats, sometimes a few Y seats, often nothing at all. There are periods (6 months in advance) where there is over 3 weeks with not 1 J or Y seat available. I dont understand the logic of it (I could certainly understand only Y being available, but thats not even the case).
3. Agents have trouble both seeing and 'requesting' these JL seats on this particular route. Even where they are available they often say JL will not 'release them'. GUM-NRT seems to be particularly problematic. If you put these seats on hold while they 'request' them from JL the seats may vanish forever and not return.
4. Availability on 1W is far, far more limited than *A unless you are booking 10+ months in advance. Apart from MH there is no trusty TG that will hand out seats on every single flight until the flight is completely full. Having flown TG J many, many times I'm not desperate to fly MH J purely for the sake of getting a good 'deal'.
5. Want to do F? Good luck on 1W. There are only a few F routes anywhere between here and GUM and the availability on the good ones like SYD-HKG QF F is apalling. You need to be booking 11 months out and travelling alone. If you want to travel with someone else you will have to fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday with an old-F 747 (and still booking exactly 1 months out).
6. It takes a LOT more work to find a routing (and availability) than on *A. I remember plugging 'MEL-GUM' into awardtravelr on *A with a few days flexibility and getting literally 100+ routing/flight options. With 1W you need to come up with a routing yourself (Australia to GUM is not a valid 1W routing on their route map) and then search each flight at a time because each search engine has some irritating quirk that means you need to check it against something else (AA won't show CX, BA shows phantom CX, JL doesn't show all carriers etc).
7. Once you have what you believe to be a valid routing you try and book it. MPM seems to be enforced much, MUCH more frequently than it was on *A and even SYD-NRT-GUM (by far the most direct route) is over MPM. Anything more creative will be well over.
8. Most agents now are so hopeless they cant even access the flights (i.e. can't 'request' the JL seats properly) or so cluey they'll shut you down sighting MPM.
9. All itineraries now have to be manually priced so I believe they all go to the rates desk now. This means its extremely likely you'll get stung by any combination of MPM, backtracking, not most-direct-route, illegal stopover, transiting more expensive region etc.

I know of only 1 person who has managed to ticket a GUM itinerary on 1W and they were travelling alone, went a fairly direct route and were very, very lucky.


I'm not saying its impossible, I am saying it is very, very difficult.

 

[neon_crossing]

Finding it tough to look up availability. Is there anything remotely like the ANA tool?

 

[bcworld]

Finding it tough to look up availability. Is there anything remotely like the ANA tool?

There's a very helpful thread in this forum that spells out all the methods..you'll find it.