US Dividend Miles - Post Your SUCCESSFUL oneworld bookings here

[Shanye2233]

I paid 30k for a F RTW ticket the airlines don't know how much your paying they only see us airways award ticket. However with my last booking for 30k in J to yyz I was told over the phone by a head of a department not supervisor that us airways will be out of pocket alot of money for my tickets. So if your happy to travel on US airways expense then you don't have a worry.

 

[sighing]

Quick update: I rang today and changed the original booking from SYD - CEB return to SYD - HKG return since was not comfortable with the 2 O/N stays in HKG. USDM agent rebooked and confirmed via email while on the phone. 45K plus $175 USD tax and service fee.

cheers
sighing.

 

[stueyjones]

Further to post 160. Update on trip. Malaysian j out of brisbane ordinary to say the least - better than y - but marginal. Qr flight to Doha superb, and currently sat in their cavernous premium terminal lounge. Not far short of the qf first at Sydney IMHO. Just got handed a glass of la grande dame bubbles and constantly being invited to the restaurant to eat. If the buggers had not given me a five course meal on the flight I might have managed it, but stuffed. I like qatar j.....if only they flew to the sunshine state!!!

 

[zainman]

Not far short of the qf first at Sydney IMHO.

I have to respectfully disagree. The food in the QR J/F lounges in the premium terminal is nothing like the QF F lounges in MEL/SYD. The lounges are almost always over crowded. They aren't even better than CX HKG lounges (which are pretty good)..

 

[stueyjones]

Not having eaten, I'm sure your right. As to crowded.. It's massive and there is maybe 20 people here, as opposed to the 40 odd staff looking to help. I'm sure it's timing, and I'm sure you are spot on, but from my personal experience only, I'm finding this a much more peaceful/pleasant experience.
Should be noted every time I've been in qf first Sydney (never been in melbournes) it's been busy. So I'm fully prepared to accept your more nuanced view.
However, it's still pretty fabulous and I've just never had la grande dame on tap before. Maybe I'm identifying some personal issues.....

 

[zainman]

Not having eaten, I'm sure your right. As to crowded.. It's massive and there is maybe 20 people here, as opposed to the 40 odd staff looking to help. I'm sure it's timing, and I'm sure you are spot on, but from my personal experience only, I'm finding this a much more peaceful/pleasant experience.
Should be noted every time I've been in qf first Sydney (never been in melbournes) it's been busy. So I'm fully prepared to accept your more nuanced view. 
However, it's still pretty fabulous and I've just never had la grande dame on tap before. Maybe I'm identifying some personal issues..... 

Or maybe it's lost it's charm to me because I've been there 15+ times in the past 12 months alone... I am looking forward to what they do with the new airport though! Anyway, I suggest the Mods maybe move our posts to the general discussion thread as this one should only contain successful bookings!

 

[Blackswan]

Just booked my second US Dividend Miles trip (another Boxing Day trip to the US). First USDM booking on Oneworld metal.

PER-KUL on MH (overnighting in KUL, hoping I won't have to collect checked bags)
KUL-HKG-EWR on CX
EWR-HKG on CX [stopover]
HKG-KUL on CX
KUL-PER on MH

110,000 and $171usd in taxes/charges for J all the way.

Spent half an hour researching the options using the KVS tool - which turned out to be a waste of time as nothing was matching with what US could see. Nevermind, had another fantastic agent who made some slight changes, and put it on hold whilst I went and bought the miles. Happy with the price, although would have been happier if I was charged half the miles - as others have reported.

 

[anat0l]

Just booked my second US Dividend Miles trip (another Boxing Day trip to the US). First USDM booking on Oneworld metal.

PER-KUL on MH (overnighting in KUL, hoping I won't have to collect checked bags)
KUL-HKG-EWR on CX
EWR-HKG on CX [stopover]
HKG-KUL on CX
KUL-PER on MH

110,000 and $171usd in taxes/charges for J all the way.

Spent half an hour researching the options using the KVS tool - which turned out to be a waste of time as nothing was matching with what US could see. Nevermind, had another fantastic agent who made some slight changes, and put it on hold whilst I went and bought the miles. Happy with the price, although would have been happier if I was charged half the miles - as others have reported.

Very good work.

I would get a bit chary about "expecting" pricing errors from US DM. Sometimes they may "re-audit" itineraries and who knows what happens from there. Make a habit of trying to get underpriced itineraries and you could be shut down, of which you almost have no right of reply.

 

[burmans]

Very good work.

I would get a bit chary about "expecting" pricing errors from US DM. Sometimes they may "re-audit" itineraries and who knows what happens from there. Make a habit of trying to get underpriced itineraries and you could be shut down, of which you almost have no right of reply.

Of course, the fact that their agents don't apply the rules correctly is our fault. Unfortunately I suspect there is some truth in what you say but would think the more likely outcome is they cancel these flights.

 

[anat0l]

Of course, the fact that their agents don't apply the rules correctly is our fault. Unfortunately I suspect there is some truth in what you say but would think the more likely outcome is they cancel these flights.

Well, there you have it - if there's an example of an airline having cake and eating it too... funny enough, it doesn't really deter most of us from playing the game anyway (and in a way, it should not).

Merely cancelling the flights is painful (nicer if they refund the points and taxes paid in the process), but better than being summarily shut down.

 

[Swan]

Have just had my first US Div Miles booking ticketed. In J all the way for 2 people in November.

PER-HKG-NRT on CX
NRT-YVR on JAL (Destination)
YVR-NRT-HKG on JAL (Stopover)
HKG-PER on CX

I used JAL and CX sites to search getting agreed itinerary on both. Provided these exact flights when booking and only had a problem with one JAL flight where they could not identify the connection being less than 24 hours. Put on hold a couple of times over all it took 55 minutes of which 20 minutes was waiting to get an operator.
Have not flown 787 before and am really looking forward to it, also have not flown JAL before. I have had mixed experience on CX. Long haul flights have been excellent whereas earlier this year I had three short flights in and around BKK and they were average at best.


Cost was 110,000 miles + $174 as expected. This cost is equivalent to a Y ticket, so very happy with this booking

 

[anat0l]

Have just had my first US Div Miles booking ticketed. In J all the way for 2 people in November.

PER-HKG-NRT on CX
NRT-YVR on JAL (Destination)
YVR-NRT-HKG on JAL (Stopover)
HKG-PER on CX

I used JAL and CX sites to search getting agreed itinerary on both. Provided these exact flights when booking and only had a problem with one JAL flight where they could not identify the connection being less than 24 hours. Put on hold a couple of times over all it took 55 minutes of which 20 minutes was waiting to get an operator.
Have not flown 787 before and am really looking forward to it, also have not flown JAL before. I have had mixed experience on CX. Long haul flights have been excellent whereas earlier this year I had three short flights in and around BKK and they were average at best.


Cost was 110,000 miles + $174 as expected. This cost is equivalent to a Y ticket, so very happy with this booking

Very good work. November is only 6 months away, so you did well.

CX short flights (regional) in Business aren't anything extremely exciting to write home about, but are simply a sufficiently decent way to get around Asia in premium.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

CX short flights (regional) in Business aren't anything extremely exciting to write home about, but are simply a sufficiently decent way to get around Asia in premium.

they beat anything Qantas has to offer! Regional seating has better pitch and good IFE (no rubbish ipads) and plenty of shorter routes offer international configuration with full beds (again beating QFs offering). And strangely they manage to feed you while still in cruise!

 

[boomy]

they beat anything Qantas has to offer! Regional seating has better pitch and good IFE (no rubbish ipads) and plenty of shorter routes offer international configuration with full beds (again beating QFs offering). And strangely they manage to feed you while still in cruise!

Many praise the service on QF as warm and friendly compared to the "stiff" and "robotic" service on some Asian and Middle Eastern carries.
I like the service on QF but I really don't appreciate when the crew spends half an hour talking to each passenger while I'm waiting for my meal to be served or my drink to be refilled. I much rather have the efficiency (yes, that's how I call it) of the Asian carriers - less talk, more work!

 

[burmans]

Many praise the service on QF as warm and friendly compared to the "stiff" and "robotic" service on some Asian and Middle Eastern carries.
I like the service on QF but I really don't appreciate when the crew spends half an hour talking to each passenger while I'm waiting for my meal to be served or my drink to be refilled. I much rather have the efficiency (yes, that's how I call it) of the Asian carriers - less talk, more work!

Warm and friendly, I don't want them to be my friends, like you I just want to be served efficiently.

 

[anat0l]

they beat anything Qantas has to offer! Regional seating has better pitch and good IFE (no rubbish ipads) and plenty of shorter routes offer international configuration with full beds (again beating QFs offering). And strangely they manage to feed you while still in cruise!

Many praise the service on QF as warm and friendly compared to the "stiff" and "robotic" service on some Asian and Middle Eastern carries.
I like the service on QF but I really don't appreciate when the crew spends half an hour talking to each passenger while I'm waiting for my meal to be served or my drink to be refilled. I much rather have the efficiency (yes, that's how I call it) of the Asian carriers - less talk, more work!

What the hell did I say to deserve Mt Erebus to erupt from the Mariana Trench?

Point is, CX regional is good, if at least decent. Not the same product as that which you would get on most flights of about 9+ hours on CX, but for flights of between 90 minutes and 4 hours (or even 6 hours), it's perfectly fine product. Even the older, non-refurbished product which was a lot like QF Millennium, with the loopback IFE. (IFE is usually immaterial to me since I hardly watch TV, but I understand some need the entertainment, perhaps beyond their own BYO).

And what is meant by, "they manage to feed you while still in cruise"? Isn't cruise when most airlines start the meal service, as opposed to take off and landing (viz. when the seat belt signs are on)? (No points for service when heavy turbulence is present, or a plate is removed 3 minutes before the wheels touch the ground).

I don't think my post was supposed to be a dig, although I was answering the poster in their saying that their regional CX service was average at best. Probably the only thing that annoys with CX is the frequency in which they sub out aircraft on regional routes (although it cuts both ways; you can get a long haul aircraft sub out a scheduled regional aircraft), but then again all carriers are prone to doing that.

In the end, as well, people I suppose don't have a lot of choice, e.g. on some routes, all you can fly is CX regional, because there are heaps of CX regional routes, which provide a lot of the Asian connections for oneworld (along with MH, to a somewhat lesser degree, and CX's partner, KA). The fact that it is operated by CX regional is no reason to avoid flying it. So why the big hoo-ha about discussing the quality of the offering?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

What the hell did I say to deserve Mt Erebus to erupt from the Mariana Trench?

Point is, CX regional is good, if at least decent. Not the same product as that which you would get on most flights of about 9+ hours on CX, but for flights of between 90 minutes and 4 hours (or even 6 hours), it's perfectly fine product. Even the older, non-refurbished product which was a lot like QF Millennium, with the loopback IFE. (IFE is usually immaterial to me since I hardly watch TV, but I understand some need the entertainment, perhaps beyond their own BYO).

And what is meant by, "they manage to feed you while still in cruise"? Isn't cruise when most airlines start the meal service, as opposed to take off and landing (viz. when the seat belt signs are on)? (No points for service when heavy turbulence is present, or a plate is removed 3 minutes before the wheels touch the ground).

I don't think my post was supposed to be a dig, although I was answering the poster in their saying that their regional CX service was average at best. Probably the only thing that annoys with CX is the frequency in which they sub out aircraft on regional routes (although it cuts both ways; you can get a long haul aircraft sub out a scheduled regional aircraft), but then again all carriers are prone to doing that.

it wasn't a criticism of you, just an observation that CX has a better offering than QF at almost every data point.

'they manage to feed you in cruise' was a dig at qantas being unable to manage to get to row 3 before the aircraft commences descent. no matter how good they think their food is, if they can't serve it to you with time to enjoy that loses points.

 

[boomy]

What the hell did I say to deserve Mt Erebus to erupt from the Mariana Trench?

Just talking about service on short haul flights, I was quoting another post and didn't mean to attack you at all.

 

[Swan]

My comments regarding CX short haul seem to been controversial. Assessment of carriers can only be based on personal experience. I have flown CX for years and continue to fly with them. However three out of my last four flights were effected by equipment failure such as a seat the reclined by itself, a foot rest the would not retract and a screen that could only be viewed by reclining the seat. There was little empathy or effort from the crew members. These flights were non award J and in my opinion the aircraft were old, in need of refurbishment and were probably sub leased.

On the other hand I have found fights from PER and HKG to be a totally different product. I also had an excellent flight recently ORD-HKG.
I have also flown a number of QF and MH short haul flights recently and experienced no equipment problems and more modern aircraft.

The issue on CX is really off topic and I am sorry if I have diverted attention from the focus on successful one world bookings.

 

[Isochronous]

Have just had my first US Div Miles booking ticketed. In J all the way for 2 people in November.

PER-HKG-NRT on CX
NRT-YVR on JAL (Destination)
YVR-NRT-HKG on JAL (Stopover)
HKG-PER on CX

I used JAL and CX sites to search getting agreed itinerary on both. Provided these exact flights when booking and only had a problem with one JAL flight where they could not identify the connection being less than 24 hours. Put on hold a couple of times over all it took 55 minutes of which 20 minutes was waiting to get an operator.
Have not flown 787 before and am really looking forward to it, also have not flown JAL before. I have had mixed experience on CX. Long haul flights have been excellent whereas earlier this year I had three short flights in and around BKK and they were average at best.


Cost was 110,000 miles + $174 as expected. This cost is equivalent to a Y ticket, so very happy with this booking

That would suggest flying to America via Asia is the best value J award, if it can be had for 110,000 miles seeing as Aus-Asia, e.g. CX MEL-HKG would be 90,000 miles.

Is there a limit on how long the stopover in HKG can be?