US Dividend Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here.

[hummel]

Was able to book the following for 30k miles +US$160 tax each for the Easter week x 2 pax. Consider ourselves very very lucky because we got through after 2 tries only!

SQ SYD-SIN (12 hours stopover)
SQ SIN-cough, UA cough-GUM (3 nights)
UA GUM-KIX (4 nights)
BR KIX-TPE, SQ TPE-SIN (8 hours), SQ SIN-SYD

Totally made my day

2 tries, great effort! We're also doing this trip over Easter. Looking forward to it.

 

[ferni]

Just put the below openjaw on hold for my parents for next year. They've never flown in anything other than economy so I think they are excited (well I'm excited for them)

SYD-BKK-CDG Thai F
FCO-FRA-BKK-SYD Thai F (except FCO-FRA is LH J)

 

[Cruiser Elite]

TG MEL-BKK in J then BKK-ZRH in F / FRA-BKK in F then BKK-MEL in J - is 150K pts correct?

USDM agent tells me because F legs involved whole of booking is at F pts rate - correct?

 

[anat0l]

TG MEL-BKK in J then BKK-ZRH in F / FRA-BKK in F then BKK-MEL in J - is 150K pts correct?

USDM agent tells me because F legs involved whole of booking is at F pts rate - correct?

All correct.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Thanks mate - I think I just lost my USDM 'virginity' - > Flashback - thanks for the coaching mate - I owe you a bottle Champers when we meet.

Thanks to ALL you AFF posters who have provided info on this topic - I know it appears straight forward to the experienced but some of us simpletons just take a while to catch on.

 

[smit0847]

Was able to book the following for 30k miles +US$160 tax each for the Easter week x 2 pax. Consider ourselves very very lucky because we got through after 2 tries only!

SQ SYD-SIN (12 hours stopover)
SQ SIN-cough, UA cough-GUM (3 nights)
UA GUM-KIX (4 nights)
BR KIX-TPE, SQ TPE-SIN (8 hours), SQ SIN-SYD

Totally made my day

Nice work!

How did the call go - did you say you wanted a stopover and they quoted you 90k, and then you pointed out the zoning, or did you say you wanted a SWP-SWP award and then nicely asked if you could add a stopover?

 

[Peter78]

This morning, I have shared points, which I purchased during the 100% promo during August, with my wife and the points credited pretty much instantly. After spending about 95 minutes on the phone just now, I have ticketed the following for Easter (April 2014):

SYD - BKK - CDG (TG)
MUC - ZRH - BKK - SYD (LX/ TG).

All in J, at a cost of 120,000 points ea. plus US$266.15 including US$50 booking fee. The booking is for two people.

This was my first USDM booking and to quote Cruiser Elite, I have just lost my USDM virginity. I searched for flights mainly on awardtravelr.com, as I couldn't access ANA's system due to a zero balance there. Everything worked relatively well and the agent was very helpful, and the reservation has ticketed already.

I am sure there are "better" itineraries available but I am very happy with this, getting to travel on TG's A380 and Swiss' A340. A big thank you to everyone who posts on this forum, I calculated I paid about A$2,630.00 ea. for this booking...

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am sure there are "better" itineraries available but I am very happy with this, getting to travel on TG's A380 and Swiss' A340. A big thank you to everyone who posts on this forum, I calculated I paid about A$2,630.00 ea. for this booking...

the only thing 'better' might have been first class rather than business! but otherwise a pretty good straight-forward itinerary.

spending additional hours in the air just to get an extra glass of champagne, or visit an extra lounge is not everyone's cup of tea (provided I'm getting a full flat bed where possible I'm happy with the fasted means of getting there!)

 

[ozbeachbabe]

How did the call go - did you say you wanted a stopover and they quoted you 90k, and then you pointed out the zoning, or did you say you wanted a SWP-SWP award and then nicely asked if you could add a stopover?

I haven't booked a 30K SWP award yet however probably will in the next week or so but mine will essentially be a GUM/Aust/GUM ticket & will only need overnight transits in Asian cities.

I just wonder whether one option would be to book (& put on hold) the itin you want with only transits in Asia so US DM are kosher with it eg the return sector may be:

GUM UA x/NRT 01 Jan TG x/BKK 02Jan SQ x/SIN 02Jan SQ SYD 02Jan

Then when you call up to pay for the ticket you could say "I just want to advise my credit card number for payment, oh & I just need to make one tiny change to one flight......can I move my UA flight GUM/NRT forward 4 days so it would still be UAxx_ GUM/NRT but now on 28Dec"?

Then hey presto NRT stopover.....maybe!

Of course you would have checked first on www.awardtravelr.com or www.expertflyer.com that there are "I" class seats available because making it easy for the CSR is the name of the game.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I haven't booked a 30K SWP award yet however probably will in the next week or so but mine will essentially be a GUM/Aust/GUM ticket & will only need overnight transits in Asian cities.

I just wonder whether one option would be to book (& put on hold) the itin you want with only transits in Asia so US DM are kosher with it eg the return sector may be:

GUM UA x/NRT 01 Jan TG x/BKK 02Jan SQ x/SIN 02Jan SQ SYD 02Jan

Then when you call up to pay for the ticket you could say "I just want to advise my credit card number for payment, oh & I just need to make one tiny change to one flight......can I move my UA flight GUM/NRT forward 4 days so it would still be UAxx_ GUM/NRT but now on 28Dec"?

Then hey presto NRT stopover.....maybe!

Of course you would have checked first on www.awardtravelr.com or www.expertflyer.com that there are "I" class seats available because making it easy for the CSR is the name of the game.

go F go F!!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

go F go F!!

How much is F SWP to SWP?

 

[bismarck]

How much is F SWP to SWP?

40,000 per person

 

[appaz]

40,000 per person

I would assume most carriers are using their short haul aircraft (2 cabins) or EVA Airs first class is the same as business class (same code, they don't offer true first class)

What airlines would have true first class for the intra asia flights?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I would assume most carriers are using their short haul aircraft (2 cabins) or EVA Airs first class is the same as business class (same code, they don't offer true first class)

What airlines would have true first class for the intra asia flights?

you could get syd-bkk-NRT return on TG

 

[appaz]

I'm in Perth so the first leg is never first class... wouldn't be worth it imo

for Sydney peeps yea for sure

 

[smit0847]

you could get syd-bkk-NRT return on TG

BKK-NRT on TG A380 is almost impossible to get.

OZ-BB - thats actually not a bad strategy - get an approved intra-zone award put on hold then call up later and move one flight to include a stopover (.e. 'ive just seen a leg in F open up a few days earlier'). It would entirely come down to whether the agent knows/cares about the rule of no stopovers in an intra-zone.

 

[kevinyhli]

Nice work!

How did the call go - did you say you wanted a stopover and they quoted you 90k, and then you pointed out the zoning, or did you say you wanted a SWP-SWP award and then nicely asked if you could add a stopover?

What we did was to say that we wanted to redeem Sydney to Guam, and give the agent the date and flight numbers without bringing up the stopover but (but reflected in flights/dates provided). In the end we booked when the amount quoted was 30k miles,

 

[brads92]

Just got the following itinerary booked after 7 different phone calls (over two days) and around 3 hours on the phone in total.

(F) TG SYD-BKK (18 hour stopover)
(F) TG BKK-HKG
(Y) UA HKG-GUM (5 day stopover - but this leg in Y :shock
(J) UA GUM-HKG (18 hour stopover)
(J) TG HKG-BKK
(F) TG BKK-SYD

All for just 40,000 miles and $158USD (Agent: oh, the computer's decided not to charge you the $75 for booking within 21 days - me: what a terrible shame).

Departing within the next 7 days (unexpected leave opportunity).

 

[bismarck]

Just got the following itinerary booked after 7 different phone calls (over two days) and around 3 hours on the phone in total.

(F) TG SYD-BKK (18 hour stopover)
(F) TG BKK-HKG
(Y) UA HKG-GUM (5 day stopover - but this leg in Y :shock
(J) UA GUM-HKG (18 hour stopover)
(J) TG HKG-BKK
(F) TG BKK-SYD

All for just 40,000 miles and $158USD (Agent: oh, the computer's decided not to charge you the $75 for booking within 21 days - me: what a terrible shame).

Departing within the next 7 days (unexpected leave opportunity).

Wow! Great get - and all for 40,000 miles!

 

[burmans]

Just got the following itinerary booked after 7 different phone calls (over two days) and around 3 hours on the phone in total.

(F) TG SYD-BKK (18 hour stopover)
(F) TG BKK-HKG
(Y) UA HKG-GUM (5 day stopover - but this leg in Y :shock
(J) UA GUM-HKG (18 hour stopover)
(J) TG HKG-BKK
(F) TG BKK-SYD

All for just 40,000 miles and $158USD (Agent: oh, the computer's decided not to charge you the $75 for booking within 21 days - me: what a terrible shame).

Departing within the next 7 days (unexpected leave opportunity).

Should be good, would be interesting if someone posts what GUM is actually like given some of us are going there, it can't all be about the flights!