US Dividend Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here.

[smit0847]

Hi all, so I've been trying to sort out a trip for a couple of months now and I just wanted to see peoples thoughts/experiences.

Trying to get PER-RAR return in J from 18/19 April to 25/26 April 2014. No luck. I tried some weird routing PER-SIN-SYD-RAR almost got that ticketed but then last minute it got denied.

So basically thinking of doing a GUM trip - heaps of flights and availablity. So far got a 23hrs stop over in HKG my tentative plan:

PER-BKK-HKG-GUM - in J
GUM-NRT-SIN-PER - in J

but thinking if others have either/both:

- Other great south pacific destinations for that time of year (we've done Palau already)
- Other better stopover / routing options

Thanks in advance.

I'd choose the fun of getting to GUM over the direct SYD-RAR on NZ. The chance to have <24 hour stops at various Asian destinations also excites me.

You've chosen a pretty direct route which I don't think you'll have much trouble booking - via BKK and HKG is probably the most direct way to get there regardless of availability. I'm guessing coming back the GUM-NRT-SIN is all on UA (as the only SQ NRT-SIN would be A380/77W therefore not available? I would strongly consider BR via TPE instead - they have great availability and should be much better than UA (and I assume they fly to SIN?). There's a really neat HKG-TPE-GUM option on BR going up that provides a whole day in TPE that I'm considering booking myself (arrive 9am, depart 11pm).

You can attempt a free proper stopover in HKG and if you are lucky you may get it (I think HKG would be far more interesting than GUM). PM me if you want some tips on how to try and swing a stopover.

 

[bigsleep55]

You can attempt a free proper stopover in HKG and if you are lucky you may get it (I think HKG would be far more interesting than GUM). PM me if you want some tips on how to try and swing a stopover.

That sounds perfect for us! PM sent.

 

[hossein_au]

assisted a colleague at work book a european trip in J as follows for August/September 2014

MEL-BKK TG J
BKK-MUC TG J
MUC-CTA LH J

IST-FRA TK J
FRA-BKK TG J
BKK-MEL TG J

120,000 miles each + ~$250 in fees & taxes. 2 Adults and 2 Children. They are very pleased and looking forward to their first time in business class!

LH?! In J??!! It never ceases to amaze... Good for your colleague!

 

[appaz]

LH?! In J??!! It never ceases to amaze... Good for your colleague!

intra europe business is just economy with the middle seat missing :O

 

[zainman]

intra europe business is just economy with the middle seat missing :O

that is correct. It's only an A320 anyway...

 

[anat0l]

LH?! In J??!! It never ceases to amaze... Good for your colleague!

intra europe business is just economy with the middle seat missing :O

that is correct. It's only an A320 anyway...

I thought the LH surprise was a reference to the current difficulties booking LH seats at all, except on Wed and Sat.

 

[hossein_au]

intra europe business is just economy with the middle seat missing :O

Still; "see"ing LH availability by USDM is scarce, let alone in J.

 

[Foreigner]

Still; "see"ing LH availability by USDM is scarce, let alone in J.

I have had LH available ex Beijing, Shanghai, Incheon in the past. Try any port other than BKK.

 

[bcworld]

I have had LH available ex Beijing, Shanghai, Incheon in the past. Try any port other than BKK.

Availability is not the issue. US has technical problems booking LH which it seems are unlikely to be fixed.

 

[markis10]

Availability is not the issue. US has technical problems booking LH which it seems are unlikely to be fixed.

Definately unlikely given the judge has signed off on the merger overnight.

 

[auriga]

Going to Europe, don't forget that whilst QF is an option (though getting QF J seats can be a challenge, especially at particular times), you have other options, e.g. BA (if you can put up with paying fuel surcharges), CX, MH and QR (relatively soon). Not sure how easy availability would be on all of those, except for CX, which I hear is almost always available. EY, an AA but non-oneworld partner, is also an idea.

Doesn't AA have restrictions on transit locations as well? So going from Australia to Europe, is KUL for MH a valid transit point? Similarly for EY?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Doesn't AA have restrictions on transit locations as well? So going from Australia to Europe, is KUL for MH a valid transit point? Similarly for EY?

they do. I know for example that Australia-Europe is not permitted via the Middle East... so it rules out Qatar airways. (qantas is possible provided you are on a single flight number via DXB)

 

[anat0l]

Doesn't AA have restrictions on transit locations as well? So going from Australia to Europe, is KUL for MH a valid transit point? Similarly for EY?

I did forget about that. Oops. Damn shame as I hope with new oneworld partners, AAdvantage may update its rules with the SWP/EUR transit points.

 

[casanovawa]

Hopefully AA rules do get an update and some relaxing as I hope Perth members won't get screwed... At the moment with *A we have SAA, TG, SQ... Not sure if there are any China airlines in there, not that i find them particularly tempting anyway...

With OW we will have QR (seems we can't use it), MH, CX and QF which flies to SFA from WA... So if MH is also an issue for transits to Europe it could leave some slim pickings or require backtracks over to the East Coast to start with... I guess EY will be coming to Perth in 2014, but is that another ME transit that won't be allowed???

This merger really does suck!!!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Hopefully AA rules do get an update and some relaxing as I hope Perth members won't get screwed... At the moment with *A we have SAA, TG, SQ... Not sure if there are any China airlines in there, not that i find them particularly tempting anyway...

With OW we will have QR (seems we can't use it), MH, CX and QF which flies to SFA from WA... So if MH is also an issue for transits to Europe it could leave some slim pickings or require backtracks over to the East Coast to start with... I guess EY will be coming to Perth in 2014, but is that another ME transit that won't be allowed???

This merger really does suck!!!

backtracking to the east coast is going to be expensive for an extra ticket

it might be worthwhile having a look at the AA terms and conditions... eligible routings and partners are outlined there.

 

[casanovawa]

Makes you wonder if it is worth stocking up on USDM prior to the merger or spend them all if you are in WA...

Had a quick look but the T&Cs i was looking at didn't mention this, don't suppose anyone has the page where these rules are?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Makes you wonder if it is worth stocking up on USDM prior to the merger or spend them all if you are in WA...

Had a quick look but the T&Cs i was looking at didn't mention this, don't suppose anyone has the page where these rules are?

this is a better link explaining everything: Award Rules (AA) - FlyerGuide Wiki

 

[casanovawa]

Using their award map function which lets you put in which city you want to depart from and what region you want to fly to and comes up with options, it looks like for some random dates for Perth to Europe they want to offer QF 77 Per-Sin and then BA to Europe or else various QF options to Syd/Mel and then QF via DXB or QF/BA to Sin and then BA onwards and they charge the same amount of points for it... So that is at least something to include getting from WA to East Coast in the price of the award, but we have the choice of long back track to East Coast first and then DXB on QF or going via Sin and paying BA fuel surcharges by the looks of it... Unless there map isn't smart enough to know all the options... Hopefully there is a CX option in there somewhere on other dates...

And when i put in South and Central America region from Perth and Middle East and Africa it came up with no options... I wasn't that excited about the merger but i didn't realise it was going to be this cough...

 

[bcworld]

this is a better link explaining everything: Award Rules (AA) - FlyerGuide Wiki

The section on routing and routing exceptions is certainly useful but I do hope it isn't quite complete!

For example, connection points between South Pacific and Europe are explicitly listed as SIN, BKK and possibly NRT and KIX. Where's HKG? Clearly it's allowed as it shows up online as a QF/BA combo. I'd hope that KUL should be on this list too...there is no plausible reason why it shouldn't be.

So in general, here in the ends of the earth...we fall foul of the 'Travel via a third region is not allowed' restriction.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Using their award map function which lets you put in which city you want to depart from and what region you want to fly to and comes up with options, it looks like for some random dates for Perth to Europe they want to offer QF 77 Per-Sin and then BA to Europe or else various QF options to Syd/Mel and then QF via DXB or QF/BA to Sin and then BA onwards and they charge the same amount of points for it... So that is at least something to include getting from WA to East Coast in the price of the award, but we have the choice of long back track to East Coast first and then DXB on QF or going via Sin and paying BA fuel surcharges by the looks of it... Unless there map isn't smart enough to know all the options... Hopefully there is a CX option in there somewhere on other dates...

And when i put in South and Central America region from Perth and Middle East and Africa it came up with no options... I wasn't that excited about the merger but i didn't realise it was going to be this cough...

i am surprised they are offering a routing from Perth via SYD to London! I assumed that would have to be a separate ticket (how does it price out in miles?). unless qantas publishes a fare from Perth to London that allows transit via the east coast? happy if that's the case though!

anyway... at the end of the day, these program's aren't designed for us in Australia... connections put of Perth probably not too high on anyone's lost.