US Dividend Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here.

[MEL_Traveller]

They are converting CPH & ARN to 2 class 77W. But they are continuing to sell J, PY and Y. J and PY passengers will be sitting in the same seats...full lie flats! Info in the airlineroute link above plus there is a thread about it on FT.

Ah ok thanks! seems like a good deal for PE!

 

[bcworld]

Ah ok thanks! seems like a good deal for PE!

I realise that TG does good business in Scandinavia but I would far rather see these planes sent to MEL! :idea:

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I realise that TG does good business in Scandinavia but I would far rather see these planes sent to MEL! :idea:

I agree! Would save having to fly via SYD as I do now.

 

[Flashback]

Anybody had any bookings through to Sapporo (CTS) in Japan.

When you look at award traveller or the ANA (partners) search engine there is no real availability.

When you look at the ANA (INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AWARDS ) Search engine it comes up with a lot of availability from just about everywhere.

When booking an award are the ANA INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS AWARDS also available to be booked using USDM??

They are available, however if using the ANA tool then the availability you are seeing is most likely what is available to members of the ANA program which explains why you are seeing so much.

 

[*A Flyer]

TG decided to play swapsies with the BRU flights so my parents' previous itinerary was messed around. They've never flown F before and probably wouldn't mind the J downgrade but I felt they should get bang for buck so I rebooked it. I have to say that the US agents do try to please within rules and while geographically challenged are actually quite skilled at booking these things and making sure everything is right with the booking.

Old itin: SYD-xBKK-xBRU-xORD-BOS-xORD-BRU-xBKK-SYD with extended layovers twice in ORD and once in BKK.

New itin:

SYD BKK TG F B744
BKK ZRH TG F A346
ZRH FRA LH J
FRA IAD UA F B777
IAD BOS UA Y (dest)
BOS ORD UA J (22 hours)
ORD BRU UA F (stopover)
BRU LHR SN J
LHR BKK TG F B747 (13 daytime stop)
BKK SYD TG F B744

 

[robcuk]

Just booked a simple itinerary for a friend flying J, with you guessed it, TG.

22/7. Syd - Bkk - Bru - Lhr.
21/8. Lhr - Bkk - Syd.

The main reason for the post is to give you guys a rough idea on taxes - $506 + $50 fee. Think the Uk
departure tax was just under £200. We nearly went for a CDG departure but for the sake of a £100
saving he went for the easy 2 leg option.

Departing Syd there weren't many options other than OS so flying into Bru on lay flat seats was an easy decision.
As for returning he could have flown with CA but after flying with them recently i thought although the seat
(Pek - Syd) was fantastic the entertainment and food was ordinary so we went for TG.

Doesnt seem to be as many options currently when compared to 2-3 years ago?

 

[bcworld]

If you'd gone with OS it would almost certainly have been their new business class by then - probably a better experience than TG.

 

[robcuk]

If you'd gone with OS it would almost certainly have been their new business class by then - probably a better experience than TG.

I hadn't seen any info on that but as a guy who travels
economy usually and sleeps well he is pretty happy.

The Bkk to Bru leg will be on the new 777-300 will it not?
Have you seen the type of seat? Is it a380 style?

 

[bcworld]

I hadn't seen any info on that but as a guy who travels
economy usually and sleeps well he is pretty happy.

The Bkk to Bru leg will be on the new 777-300 will it not?
Have you seen the type of seat? Is it a380 style?

It's a bit confusing...but no, I think it's still operated by the leased 3 class 77W but F class is no longer sold - at least that's what airlineroute.net says. So it will have the flat coffin class business seats if that's the case. Who knows, there might be random upgrades to the F cabin!

 

[anat0l]

Second time I ever redeemed miles with US DM. Not as smooth sailing as the first one, but a bit more complicated, too - this was being booked for my parents (that's two seats over one, which we know is always more than twice as difficult), using miles which I had gifted to them into separate accounts. This was an Australia - Europe - North America redemption (which we know risks flirting with the MPM rules). And no Lufthansa Group F (let alone long haul J) to rely on (which is a real shame since I really love LX F, and I would've loved to have had my parents try it).

Itinerary (origin BNE destination EWR stopover LHR):

• Outbound
  • SQ BNE-SIN a/c 333 cls J seats 12H, 12K
  • TG SIN-BKK a/c 773 cls J seats 12A, 12B
  • TG BKK-LHR a/c 744 cls F seats 1A, 1K (stopover)
  • LH LHR-FRA a/c 321 cls J seats 5A, 5C
  • UA FRA-EWR a/c 772 cls F seats 1C, 1H
• Inbound
  • UA EWR-FRA a/c 772 cls F seats 1C, 1H
  • LH FRA-LHR a/c 321 cls J seats 3A, 3C
  • TG LHR-BKK a/c 744 cls F seats 1A, 1K
  • TG BKK-BNE a/c 773 cls J seats 12A, 12B

Cost was 150k miles per pax (passing through EUR gave rise to this cost; yes, I'm aware some people have managed to escape before in paying 10k less due to perception of South Pacific - North America).

The taxes/fees/surcharges were, eventually, USD 524.23 + USD 50.00 ticketing fee per pax. Which of course, with a LHR stopover, is quite understandable.

Ticketing to the final result was not a walk in the park.

With the folks wanting to travel during August and September, locating F (and even long haul J) availability was surprisingly (and alarmingly) difficult, even when giving some slack for flexibility.

My first attempts at piecing together a suitable schedule were scuppered at the ticketing stage, due to some availability not being there, even though ANA said otherwise. Put a routing on hold with the wrong classes, then back a bit to recheck and rework.

Came up with a slightly different routing, called back on the original held booking, modified a few sectors, ready to ticket. Taxes? $800+! (Plus the ticketing fee). Whatever, I wasn't going to risk the inventory going whilst I dawdled on the point, so get it ticketed no matter what.

Checked the emails that came in, and one of my folks' bookings has been charged additionally the expedited ticketing fee.

Call US DM about the expedited ticketing fee, and they agree it was wrongly charged, so refund request filed for the fee. The taxes? They wouldn't budge.

Some investigative work deduced out that the UK APD was being charged incorrectly on the inbound, when LHR in this case was a transit, not a stopover. Called another agent and they still wouldn't budge.

Finally, on the advice from FT to try calling after 10pm AEST (when supposedly the better agents are working), got a real sweetheart of an agent who, unlike the previous agents, recognised that something was amiss and actually went back to the rates desk. At first the rates desk came back with a reassessment that I was overcharged by about USD 200. When I questioned them what caused the "overcharge" in the first place, they said that it was the LHR, but it was the error on the outbound, not the inbound, which was... incorrect! Discussion with the agent about APD (she took it really well, she had confidence that I knew what I was talking about, not trying to pull a fast one), then back to the rates desk. Come back... the outbound LHR was indeed where the error was - refund request filed for USD 312 per passenger!

Over three hours altogether spent talking to agents... I'm chuffed! Done! Yay:!::!:

Selected seats on LH website, UA website and by calling TG Australia... all sorted!

Now I hope my folks can enjoy it....... I'm thinking throughout all of this whether I should consider becoming a travel or awards agent......

 

[ferni]

I've just put 2 tickets on hold for my Auntie and Uncle coming out later in the year. They've come out the last 2 years in SQ Y. The last time I got them to credit thier SQ miles to a USDM account which was over 20k miles. So they just had to buy 100k.

MAN-BRU-BKK-PER
BNE-BKK-BRU-MAN

$520USD for taxes & booking fee. Used ITA to get a break down of the taxes which match. That UK Air Passenger Duty is a killer! 188GBP!

TG YQ surcharge (YQ) £480.20
TG YQ surcharge (YQ) £12.80
Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) £9.10
Belgium Passenger Service and Security Charge (BE) £31.60
(YQ) £74.80
United Kingdom Air Passengers Duty (GB) £188.00
United Kingdom Passenger Service Charge (UB) £14.17
Australian Passenger Movement Charge (AU) £36.30
Australian Safety & Security Surcharge (WG) £2.20
Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) £16.90

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've just put 2 tickets on hold for my Auntie and Uncle coming out later in the year. They've come out the last 2 years in SQ Y. The last time I got them to credit thier SQ miles to a USDM account which was over 20k miles. So they just had to buy 100k.

MAN-BRU-BKK-PER
BNE-BKK-BRU-MAN

$520USD for taxes & booking fee. Used ITA to get a break down of the taxes which match. That UK Air Passenger Duty is a killer! 188GBP!

TG YQ surcharge (YQ) £480.20
TG YQ surcharge (YQ) £12.80
Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) £9.10
Belgium Passenger Service and Security Charge (BE) £31.60
(YQ) £74.80
United Kingdom Air Passengers Duty (GB) £188.00
United Kingdom Passenger Service Charge (UB) £14.17
Australian Passenger Movement Charge (AU) £36.30
Australian Safety & Security Surcharge (WG) £2.20
Australian Int'l Passenger Service Charge (WY) £16.90

the TG fuel surcharge is even more of a killer. lucky we don't have to pay that!

 

[ferni]

the TG fuel surcharge is even more of a killer. lucky we don't have to pay that!

Yeah nearly as bad as QF Very lucky we don't have to pay that.

Forgot to mention the booked was all in J.

 

[JohnK]

I have put a business class award on hold for my mum

SYD-BKK-MXP-SKG
SKG-ATH-FCO-BKK-SYD

Tried to limit connection times and number of stops but the second one was unavoidable. Cost is 120,000 miles + ~USD210 + USD50 booking fee.

When I called a couple of days I could put the award on hold for 3 days pending purchase of miles. When I called tonight I could only put the award on hold for 1 day! I guess most people have heard of these changes.

Booking process was relatively simple and the agent was quite impressed I was reading out the flights to her.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

When I called a couple of days I could put the award on hold for 3 days pending purchase of miles. When I called tonight I could only put the award on hold for 1 day! I guess most people have heard of these changes.

not aware of any changes to the hold time. It might be due to the carrier operating the MXP-SKG leg with a 24 hour requirement?

 

[bcworld]

not aware of any changes to the hold time. It might be due to the carrier operating the MXP-SKG leg with a 24 hour requirement?

There is some new stuff in the membership guide but nothing that would mean a 1 day hold for future travel (unless she's leaving in the next few days!). So it could be a particular carrier...or just an agent confused by these recent clarifications in the member guide?

 

[laviedemain]

I've found DM to be great. My bookings over the past 3 years using DM -

Perth - Chicago - Rio de Janeiro - Perth
PER/ICN/ORD, ORD/IAH/GIG, GIG/IAD/NRT/BKK/PER
SQ, OZ, UA, NH, TG - 120K miles business

Denpasar - Cancun // Mexico City - Denpasar
DPS/SIN/HND/LAX/CUN, MEX/YVR/HKG/BKK/DPS
SQ, NH, UA, AC, TG - 90K miles business

Perth - Fiji - Perth
PER/AKL/NAN, NAN/AKL/PER
NZ - 30K miles business

Perth - São Paulo - Washington - Perth
PER/JNB/GRU, GRU/YYZ/DCA, IAD/JNB/PER
SA, AC - 110K miles business

Perth - Buenos Aires - Charlotte - Perth
PER/BKK/FRA/EZE, EZE/YYZ/CLT, CLT/CDG/SIN/PER
TG, LH, AC, US, SQ - 80K miles economy

Greensboro - Shanghai - Perth - Greensboro (for my parents)
GSO/ORD/YYZ/PVG, PVG/SIN/PER, PER/AKL/LAX/CLT/GSO
UA, AC, SQ, NZ, US - 80K miles economy

 

[JohnK]

not aware of any changes to the hold time. It might be due to the carrier operating the MXP-SKG leg with a 24 hour requirement?

The flights are on Aegean and Thai and they are not until June/July.

She specifically said they had received a memo that morning that all award bookings from 13 February can be put on courtesy hold for 24 hours not 72 hours.

Not a problem for me as I purchased the 20,000 miles and they appeared instantly in the account so paid for the booking last night.

 

[bcworld]

She specifically said they had received a memo that morning that all award bookings from 13 February can be put on courtesy hold for 24 hours not 72 hours.

As that seemed to coincide with the website update I'd say someone doesn't know how to read their memos correctly!

 

[Knid]

I've found DM to be awesome - This year I've got - all in Business:

PER-AKL-PER (x2) ~US$100 tax each
AKL-BKK-BRU / CDG-BKK-AKL (x2) ~US$100 tax each
AKL-BKK-BRU-LHR / LHR-ZRH-PVG-AKL (Booked 2 days out) US$596 in tax

I'm not sure if it was the UK Duty or what - but its a pretty sizable difference for a similar routing.

Kind