US Dividend Miles - Oneworld Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[bcworld]

They shut me down when I said I wanted to add my next / connecting flt LAX to JFK ... 'no can't do that'.

And how many times have you had this conversation?

 

[get me outta here]

Just once as the 330 days for my return is not up, it came up in the conversation. Hopefully he didn't put it in the records, is that why you ask?

 

[get me outta here]

JL has convenient on line 330 days calculator : "Reservation is available from 330 days prior to the departure date of your itinerary's final returning flight sector":

http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inter/calculation/

 

[MEL_Traveller]

That sounds like an FT-style answer. I thought we were proud that we did not have the secretive and unwelcoming traits for which FT is often criticised.

no it's quite ok The FT thread was lengthy and complex. I was just wanting to see if it could be related to the OP's issue.

 

[bcworld]

This is likely to be bad news for award availability!

https://upgrade.cathaypacific.com/offer/CathayPacific?lang=en_HK

 

[Kangol]

This is likely to be bad news for award availability!

https://upgrade.cathaypacific.com/offer/CathayPacific?lang=en_HK

Not for F

CX is getting lessons from QF by calling it "enhance"

 

[Cruiser Elite]

US award bookings still only ret with o/w not bookable?

 

[Bofter]

I think a one way booking is possible, just at the return price.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I think a one way booking is possible, just at the return price.

Really don't think I could come at that. There has been no date set as yet to roll both AA and USDM program's into one has there?

 

[sergeyvzn]

Really don't think I could come at that. There has been no date set as yet to roll both AA and USDM program's into one has there?

Sometime in 2015

 

[bcworld]

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....nd-miles/new-100-share-promo-twist-60919.html

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Prior to USDM going over to the dark side I found UA web site easiest to find *A availability - what is considered easiest and most user friendly method to search for OW availability please AFF folk?

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....nd-miles/new-100-share-promo-twist-60919.html

Thanks bcworld I would have missed this

 

[bcworld]

Prior to USDM going over to the dark side I found UA web site easiest to find *A availability - what is considered easiest and most user friendly method to search for OW availability please AFF folk?

http://www.australianfrequentflyer....search-oneworld-award-availability-59412.html

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

Prior to USDM going over to the dark side I found UA web site easiest to find *A availability - what is considered easiest and most user friendly method to search for OW availability please AFF folk?

Have you seen this post that ant01 did? It's very good. It shows the various methods to find flights.
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....arch-oneworld-award-availability-59412-7.html

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Have you seen this post that ant01 did? It's very good. It shows the various methods to find flights.
http://www.australianfrequentflyer....arch-oneworld-award-availability-59412-7.html

Shoot - if only I was not such a lazy B and I had indeed read the first line of the first post in that thread:

Unlike in Star Alliance, there was no one strong tool that could be used to search for availability, like ANA or United. With the demise of Awardtravlr, that is also not available as a one-stop shop.

Sorry guys - I was actually not born lazy - I have just been practicing last 40 odd years!

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

I am almost ready to book flights for Europe next year but I have a couple of questions.

I aware that I can book flights from 340 days out and that I should book them as soon as they become available and the return leg should be a dummy flight.

To make sure that I get the flights that I want, are the dummy flights all booked for the same day? Once each leg becomes available at the 340 day mark do I then change each leg at the 340 mark?

eg
So if I book my flights today to go Europe at 340 days out, we would fly on the 23 May 2015
Mel - HKG 23 May (340 days)the connecting real flight out is 24 May (341 days out) unbookable
do I book a dummy booking
HKG - FRA - 23 May (340 days)
FRA - MAD - 23 May (340 days)

Return leg all dummy bookings
FRA - HKG - 23 May (340 days)
HKG - MEL - 23 May (340 days)


Is this allowed? Is this what you mean by booking dummy return bookings?

 

[bcworld]

Is this allowed? Is this what you mean by booking dummy return bookings?

No. You can't book that where the segments would be out of sequence / mismatching dates.

There needs to be flights available, in the correct date order with valid connections in order for you to make your dummy booking.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am almost ready to book flights for Europe next year but I have a couple of questions.

I aware that I can book flights from 340 days out and that I should book them as soon as they become available and the return leg should be a dummy flight.

To make sure that I get the flights that I want, are the dummy flights all booked for the same day? Once each leg becomes available at the 340 day mark do I then change each leg at the 340 mark?

eg
So if I book my flights today to go Europe at 340 days out, we would fly on the 23 May 2015
Mel - HKG 23 May (340 days)the connecting real flight out is 24 May (341 days out) unbookable
do I book a dummy booking
HKG - FRA - 23 May (340 days)
FRA - MAD - 23 May (340 days)

Return leg all dummy bookings
FRA - HKG - 23 May (340 days)
HKG - MEL - 23 May (340 days)


Is this allowed? Is this what you mean by booking dummy return bookings?

the dummy booking must mirror a real possible booking or it won't be accepted by the system. the system won't let you miss connect in HKG for example.

it won't let you book FRA-HKG and HKG-MEL on the same day, as you will overnight from FRA-HKG.

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

No. You can't book that where the segments would be out of sequence / mismatching dates.

There needs to be flights available, in the correct date order with valid connections in order for you to make your dummy booking.

Thanks bcworld and MEl_Traveller

If I understand correctly, this means that I must actually wait a little bit longer to ensure that I can book the connections otherwise it is not possible?

So in this scenario when I make my first call i would try to book the following flights:
Mel - HKG 23 May (339 days - real flight)
HKG - FRA - 24 May (340 days) -(real flight)
FRA - MAD - 24 May (340 days) - (real flight)

I'm still a bit confused about the return dummy booking. Would it look like this?
FRA - HKG - 23 May (339 days out)
HKG - MEL - 24 May (340 days)