US Dividend Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here.

[bcworld]

I also got this one sorted...TG gave me the last available F seat on TG476 on the 20th...with an offer of accommodation for the 9 hour layover at BKK if I wanted.

 

[jgm]

Just got 2 x PER-HKG-JFK-YVR, YVR-JFK-HKG-PER in J on CX - Jan/Feb 2015. US$208 + 110k each. I tried for MEL-PER legs as well, but got knocked back on MPM. I was quite prepared for this, so will call again later & add separate flights for another 30k each. Got a good agent & had the whole thing ticketed in 20 mins. I was after anything that would give me 2 weeks in Whistler in Jan-Mar next year, & it took me 4 days to find this routing.

I could have done SYD-ICN-LAX with OZ with LifeMiles, but it would have cost too much for the add-ons at either end. Other than that, I couldn't find anything that would get both directions with the right timings.

 

[thehound]

Just got 2 x PER-HKG-JFK-YVR, YVR-JFK-HKG-PER in J on CX - Jan/Feb 2015. US$208 + 110k each. I tried for MEL-PER legs as well, but got knocked back on MPM. I was quite prepared for this, so will call again later & add separate flights for another 30k each. Got a good agent & had the whole thing ticketed in 20 mins. I was after anything that would give me 2 weeks in Whistler in Jan-Mar next year, & it took me 4 days to find this routing.

I could have done SYD-ICN-LAX with OZ with LifeMiles, but it would have cost too much for the add-ons at either end. Other than that, I couldn't find anything that would get both directions with the right timings.

Did you try any of CXs HKG-YVR direct flights?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Just got 2 x PER-HKG-JFK-YVR, YVR-JFK-HKG-PER in J on CX - Jan/Feb 2015. US$208 + 110k each. I tried for MEL-PER legs as well, but got knocked back on MPM. I was quite prepared for this, so will call again later & add separate flights for another 30k each. Got a good agent & had the whole thing ticketed in 20 mins. I was after anything that would give me 2 weeks in Whistler in Jan-Mar next year, & it took me 4 days to find this routing.

I could have done SYD-ICN-LAX with OZ with LifeMiles, but it would have cost too much for the add-ons at either end. Other than that, I couldn't find anything that would get both directions with the right timings.

Wow - they allowed the back-track JFK-YVR and vv! That's incredible!

 

[bcworld]

Wow - they allowed the back-track JFK-YVR and vv! That's incredible!

As much as I love flying CX I think it's going to feel like a very looooooong trip!

I guess they allowed it because MPM ex PER is very generous...and this one just sneaks in, still, it's a crazy routing.

[KVS Availability Tool 7.3.9 - Reference: Maximum Permitted Mileage [MPM]: PER-HKG-JFK-YVR/US]

CTY   DC   TPM   cough   MPM  DC SUR  HGL   LWL   25M  XTRA       
PER 3                                                           
HKG 3 EH  3751  3751  4501  EH  0M   750     0  5626     0      
NYC 1 PA  8055 11806 14116  PA  0M  2310     0 17645     0      
YVR 1 WH  2433 [B]14239[/B] 11707  PA 25M   394   191 [B]14633[/B]     0

 

[jgm]

Did you try any of CXs HKG-YVR direct flights?

Yes. But I couldn't get them to mesh with Aus - HKG flights, and didn't want long stopovers in HKG.

As much as I love flying CX I think it's going to feel like a very looooooong trip!

It's not too bad. 2 hours layover in HKG going over and under 4 coming back breaks the trip up nicely & gives us time for a shower. We do have longer waits in NY, but as we haven't been there before it will give us a chance to have a quick look around. I had thought of spending a couple of days in NY, but it ended up again being a bit too hard to find flights that would mesh at HKG. Anyhow, the moral appears to be that for an extra 30K points (40K for F), you can route via anywhere in Asia to North America, as long as you go via PER, and flights are a lot easier to find than with QF.

 

[bcworld]

Heads up for anyone with a 'special' trip planned.

UNITED Reduces Guam – Japan Service from Dec 2014 | Airline Route

I had no idea they flew some of these routes...people here would only likely be affected by the CTS or NRT changes.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Sep 15 - US Air LAS-LGA F / Sep 23 US Air LGA-LAX F - 2 pax - 140,000mls + $72.40 Tax

 

[smit0847]

I had no idea they flew some of these routes...

I didnt even know Hiroshima had an airport.

 

[Sheenaec7]

At Last! I've made my first redemption:

MEL-SYD-HKG(3day s/o)-DXB-LHR-MXP/MXP-DOH-HKG-SYD-MEL (That's as direct as I could get it) 120,000k plus US$509.41 taxes & b/f.

 

[Foreigner]

At Last! I've made my first redemption:

MEL-SYD-HKG(3day s/o)-DXB-LHR-MXP/MXP-DOH-HKG-SYD-MEL (That's as direct as I could get it) 120,000k plus US$509.41 taxes & b/f.

Well done...9 segments. Taxes high with LHR.

Milan-Doha direct?

 

[bcworld]

Well done...9 segments. Taxes high with LHR.

Milan-Doha direct?

There is no LHR stopover.

My guess...DXB-LHR-MXP is on BA attracting a hefty fuel surcharge.

 

[Sheenaec7]

There is no LHR stopover.

My guess...DXB-LHR-MXP is on BA attracting a hefty fuel surcharge.

Correct! Luckily I was able to avoid LHR on the way back. Itinerary includes QF, CX, BA & QR flights.

 

[anna2103]

BA - LHR - IAD - surface - JFK-LHR in F $1100 AUD in taxes - the price you pay for London based flights, but unfortunately there was no availability out of AMS, CDG so I opted for the open jaw. Probably not thes best value redemption (125000 points) but not the worse either

 

[travelislife]

BA - LHR - IAD - surface - JFK-LHR in F $1100 AUD in taxes - the price you pay for London based flights, but unfortunately there was no availability out of AMS, CDG so I opted for the open jaw. Probably not thes best value redemption (125000 points) but not the worse either

That's a combination of UK departing flights but also BA fuel surcharges. The same flights on AA would be about half that if not less in fees and taxes.

 

[anat0l]

BA - LHR - IAD - surface - JFK-LHR in F $1100 AUD in taxes - the price you pay for London based flights, but unfortunately there was no availability out of AMS, CDG so I opted for the open jaw. Probably not thes best value redemption (125000 points) but not the worse either

That's a combination of UK departing flights but also BA fuel surcharges. The same flights on AA would be about half that if not less in fees and taxes.

Definitely the BA YQ occupying most of those charges there.

Surprised there was no availability at least AMS/LHR or CDG/LHR (or the other way around as applicable), though that said the ability to knock off the APD would be likely offset by the BA YQ for those short sectors plus the expense required to reposition anyway.

At least you're going across the pond in style! (Well OK there's AA F as well, but TBH notwithstanding costs I think I would prefer BA myself)

 

[anat0l]

Guess I might as well throw in a data point in here. Managed to ticket up the following for early next year (one pax):

• BNE-HKG QF J 333
• HKG-NRT CX J 333 (stopover)
• NRT-HEL JL J 788
• HEL-ZRH AY J 322 (destination)
• ZRH-LHR BA J 322
• LHR-HKG CX J 773
• HKG-BNE QF J 333

Total cost was 120k miles + USD 301.70 + USD 50 booking fee.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Guess I might as well throw in a data point in here. Managed to ticket up the following for early next year (one pax):

• BNE-HKG QF J 333
• HKG-NRT CX J 333 (stopover)
• NRT-HEL JL J 788
• HEL-ZRH AY J 322 (destination)
• ZRH-LHR BA J 322
• LHR-HKG CX J 773
• HKG-BNE QF J 333

Total cost was 120k miles + USD 301.70 + USD 50 booking fee.

that's a really good price for the taxes and fees!

 

[thehound]

I almost had a very UNsuccessful booking on the weekend just gone by. I had previously booked 2 x PER-MEL return in J to take my wife to a show in Melbourne, away from our baby for the weekend. Perhaps there were a few too many hugs saying goodbye at home but we missed checking in our bag by 2 minutes. I had earlier discovered you can't check in online for Qantas tickets booked with USDM. I immediately thought that the we'd be completely rooted having 'missed' a flight, with the whole itinerary cancelled. Fortunately, the bloke at the Qantas ticketing desk simply changed us to the next flight. Even better was the fact that the next flight was the international business configuration rather than the cough recliners!

I was nervous about the return but all looked good online and no problems with the ticket validity. Albeit that the international J config showing earlier for our flight home was swapped out to the config with the middle seat blocked off. All's well that ends well though...

Have now booked another PER-MEL J return for October for $50 fee plus $28 in fees - as above, the cost of the 30000 miles was bought during the share promo so was less than $350 from memory. I will miss USDM.

 

[shane2603]

Parents just departed on F trip to Europe, their CDG-BKK return flight was cancelled in Sept so spoke to US air who said bad luck reticket with one World then spoke to THAI who put them on F the next day but was now missing their connecting to PER. Only solution Thai offered was Bus on Perth flight 10 days later so now an extended holiday ion BKK on the way back. Lucky they were flexible!