US Dividend Miles - post your SUCCESSFUL award bookings here.

[bcworld]

Anybody here actually successfully added an Air China leg to a redemption?

Yup. MEL-PVG no problems. Same for friends of mine.

 

[Foreigner]

Anybody here actually successfully added an Air China leg to a redemption?

I was on line to USDM rep a week ago for over an hour and she just could not get it to confirm even though she could see availability - she went off and got her supervisor to assist but still no joy.

Yep, SYD-PEK vv, IAH-PEK. All in past two weeks.

Booked tonight itinerary for Dec, all in F except for first leg in J:

SYD BKK
BKK PEK
PEK IAD
IAD PEK
PEK BKK
BKK SYD

140k miles, taxes $175 and $50 booking fee. All with TH except PEK-IAD vv with UA.

 

[thehound]

PER-SIN SQ214 J - overnight in Singapore
SIN-BKK TG402 J - daytrip in Bangkok
BKK-AKL TG491 Y - daytrip and overnight in Auckland
AKL-PPT NZ40 Y - time for some island hopping

Then return
PPT-AKL NZ41 Y
AKL-PVG NZ289 J
PVG-SIN SQ833 Y - Day trip in Shanghai!
SIN-PER SQ255 Y - Redeye...then drive home!

All for 30,000 miles each.

Certainly an interesting itinerary, but I'd have no interest in doing all of those long legs in economy. You could get an ExpertFlyer account and set alerts to let you know when business legs open up, but as others have said you'll probably have to pay a change fee each time you do this, and you may lose the itinerary.

Have you managed to ticket this yet?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Hmmmm - ok thx guys - will get on blower again next Sat morn and try try again.

 

[phantompharter]

If this happened 2 me i would have paid on the spot. Why did you ring up for a pray and get it answered only to place it on hold. When I got a F rtw for 45k I couldn't wait to pay.

Honestly - I was just ringing up to practice an award redemption.
I wasn't really sure what I was doing and I just kept asking questions of the agent about how the rules work etc and we worked through different options together and I kept asking 'what ifs' and that is what we came up with. It kind of took me by surprise.

And unfortunately I couldn't buy it straight away as I needed to first book leave when I got to work on Monday and ok the dates with SWMBO who is currently away.

From everyone's comments regarding how unusual this routing is I am expecting it to not come through when I call back.
If so I'll chalk this one up to experience, and if it doesn't then I will be one happy camper

Thanks for all the comments regarding lounges and change fee for different class seats - I think next time I will create some alerts in expertflyer.
And yes a few legs in Y, but I am still excited enough about more regular travel to put up with a little discomfort. Maybe ask me again what I think about cattle class after I have flown this ticket if it ends up coming through

Taxes + booking fee was $290USD per person I think.

<fingers crossed>

 

[lmere12]

Booked for a friend in May, Business, 110 k miles & $183 in taxes & fee

SYD - YVR - LAX AIR CANADA
YYZ - SFO - SYD SKYWEST & UNITED

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Honestly - I was just ringing up to practice an award redemption.
I wasn't really sure what I was doing and I just kept asking questions of the agent about how the rules work etc and we worked through different options together and I kept asking 'what ifs' and that is what we came up with. It kind of took me by surprise.

And unfortunately I couldn't buy it straight away as I needed to first book leave when I got to work on Monday and ok the dates with SWMBO who is currently away.

From everyone's comments regarding how unusual this routing is I am expecting it to not come through when I call back.
If so I'll chalk this one up to experience, and if it doesn't then I will be one happy camper

Thanks for all the comments regarding lounges and change fee for different class seats - I think next time I will create some alerts in expertflyer.
And yes a few legs in Y, but I am still excited enough about more regular travel to put up with a little discomfort. Maybe ask me again what I think about cattle class after I have flown this ticket if it ends up coming through

Taxes + booking fee was $290USD per person I think.

<fingers crossed>

if you've been quoted the taxes then it should be ok.

using up an agent's time for 'practice'? and withholding seats from others (which may never go back into award inventory) for 'practice'? that's a new one!

 

[neon_crossing]

Just because you have been quoted on taxes doesn't necessarily mean that its smooth sailing unless you pay on the spot. I called back later and had someone put in their 2 cents and cancel my routing.
But 6 more agents later I got something similar through.
Persistence and HUCA are the key!

I couldn't help myself with the new promo and stocked up enough for a F redemption for oneworld down the track as well as this little 10 day trip set aside for me and miss neon crossing.

ADL- SIN J SQ (18 hour overnight layover)
SIN - BKK J TG (21 hour overnight layover)
BKK - TPE J BR (2 hour airport layover)
TPE - GUM J BR (4 Nights in Guam)

GUM - NRT J UA (23 hour overnight layover)
NRT - ICN J OZ (20 hour overnight layover)
ICN - PEK J CA (20 hour overnight layover)
PEK - SIN J CA (2 hour airport layover)
SIN - ADL J SQ

30,000 points ea + approx $220ish in taxes ea

 

[burmans]

Just because you have been quoted on taxes doesn't necessarily mean that its smooth sailing unless you pay on the spot. I called back later and had someone put in their 2 cents and cancel my routing.
But 6 more agents later I got something similar through.
Persistence and HUCA are the key!

I couldn't help myself with the new promo and stocked up enough for a F redemption for oneworld down the track as well as this little 10 day trip set aside for me and miss neon crossing.

ADL- SIN J SQ (18 hour overnight layover)
SIN - BKK J TG (21 hour overnight layover)
BKK - TPE J BR (2 hour airport layover)
TPE - GUM J BR (4 Nights in Guam)

GUM - NRT J UA (23 hour overnight layover)
NRT - ICN J OZ (20 hour overnight layover)
ICN - PEK J CA (20 hour overnight layover)
PEK - SIN J CA (2 hour airport layover)
SIN - ADL J SQ

30,000 points ea + approx $220ish in taxes ea

Youve gotta love that as a creative routing.

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

I don't understand how this is possible??????
I have 2 questions
1. How is Guam only 30,000 points as it is US territory? Us first class is 130,000. I have seen other people do this??? I don't understand how it is possible is it cause of the amount of miles flown? R there other stops like this?
2. WOW - how did u come up with this creative routing and it was all allowed???? Crazy!! How did u come up with it?

Thanks in advance. I am still pretty new to all of this

 

[neon_crossing]

I don't understand how this is possible??????
I have 2 questions
1. How is Guam only 30,000 points as it is US territory? Us first class is 130,000. I have seen other people do this??? I don't understand how it is possible is it cause of the amount of miles flown? R there other stops like this?
2. WOW - how did u come up with this creative routing and it was all allowed???? Crazy!! How did u come up with it?


Thanks in advance. I am still pretty new to all of this

1. They break down awards in regions, not countries. Both Adelaide and Guam are in the South Pacific, hence the 30,000pt cost.
2. Lots of practice over the last few years using the ANA tool and united.com, if you don't know about these I suggest you read 50 odd pages of the general advice section on US Airways award bookings as most people have done here.

It is all allowed and all within the rules, the only time they will question it is if you try to sneak in an extra stopover (no stopovers are allowed when travelling in the same region) however you are allowed to stop for up to 24 hours at any stop in an international award. They do reserve the right to book you on a more direct route if available but usually with some of these locations it is hard to find a more direct route. Generally if you have done your homework, you call up and spit all the flights out in a row to the operator usually you will have no issues, if they sense you are trying to do something unusual they will look at it closely but as long as you keep it to under 10 flight segments (ideally 8) and don't go over the 24 hour rule and dont back track with flights (all in the same general direction) you should be ok. If you start getting some friction with the customer service agent on the phone politely end the call saying you have to look at your options and call back and get someone else and try again. The willingness to help you, experience and general attitude of the agent on the phone has a huge influence on whether you will get the booking or not.

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

Wonderful thanks for the advice. I did see some posts about the ANA tool. I will need to have a closer look at it.

 

[davem]

I found an amazing guam trip in december (fairly direct), however i want to stop 8 nights in Vietnam.

I have heard others that have done a stopover on the same region award. I am eager to soon call and try.

Anyone managed to do it in F for 40k points? I know you would only get the 2 Thai flights Australia to BKK however that is still worth the 10,000 points.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I found an amazing guam trip in december (fairly direct), however i want to stop 8 nights in Vietnam.

I have heard others that have done a stopover on the same region award. I am eager to soon call and try.

Anyone managed to do it in F for 40k points? I know you would only get the 2 Thai flights Australia to BKK however that is still worth the 10,000 points.

i doubt is would work. Viet Nam is not even remotely on any of the possible routines to GUM.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

I don't understand how this is possible??????
I have 2 questions
1. How is Guam only 30,000 points as it is US territory? Us first class is 130,000. I have seen other people do this??? I don't understand how it is possible is it cause of the amount of miles flown? R there other stops like this?
2. WOW - how did u come up with this creative routing and it was all allowed???? Crazy!! How did u come up with it?

Thanks in advance. I am still pretty new to all of this

It can be quite handy that US DM classify GUM as the Pacific then other programs like AV LM class GUM as USA particularly if you planned on flying on the the US after that.

i doubt is would work. Viet Nam is not even remotely on any of the possible routines to GUM.

I would just try & stopover in BKK & buy a cheap return ticket BKK/SGN/BKK or stopover in SIN then get a cheapie on 3K SIN/SGN/SIN as they have sales quite often.

 

[smit0847]

I would just try & stopover in BKK & buy a cheap return ticket BKK/SGN/BKK or stopover in SIN then get a cheapie on 3K SIN/SGN/SIN as they have sales quite often.

Do this..........

 

[davem]

i doubt is would work. Viet Nam is not even remotely on any of the possible routines to GUM.

BNE-SIN-SGN-TPE-GUM-KIX-TPE-SGN-SIN-BNE

No real backtracking there

Will give it a shot ... question is can you put SQ on hold ... I thought it was only 24 hr hold or no hold.

EDIT: 24 hr hold allowed.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

BNE-SIN-SGN-TPE-GUM-KIX-TPE-SGN-SIN-BNE

No real backtracking there

Will give it a shot ... question is can you put SQ on hold ... I thought it was only 24 hr hold or no hold.

EDIT: 24 hr hold allowed.

the routing is not a recognised routing. backtracking is irrelevant. however... as always... anything can be possible with USDM

 

[davem]

the routing is not a recognised routing. backtracking is irrelevant. however... as always... anything can be possible with USDM

9 segments :-/ no good.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

9 segments :-/ no good.

hardly surprising.