US Dividend Miles - Post Your SUCCESSFUL oneworld bookings here

[tm.smile]

Follow up on fuel surcharges on AY. Was told twice by agents who referred to the rates desk that all BA/IB and AY bookings involve fuel surcharges. One also noted how it wasn't too much compared to BA.

 

[sergeyvzn]

Follow up on fuel surcharges on AY. Was told twice by agents who referred to the rates desk that all BA/IB and AY bookings involve fuel surcharges. One also noted how it wasn't too much compared to BA.

Well, it's not what the information on the website says. It does not say anything about AY.
I would email them with a complaint because either the website or agents are wrong

 

[anat0l]

Well, it's not what the information on the website says. It does not say anything about AY.
I would email them with a complaint because either the website or agents are wrong

That's interesting - I just read the award chart and see what you're referring to.

The AY fuel surcharges are not insignificant, albeit they are not as high as the BA ones.

I guess it may be a case of just finding the right agent, otherwise if it doesn't come to it, then filing a complaint. My biggest concern would be that US will either dawdle, hum and haw over it, offer (say) a US travel voucher instead of original method of payment, offer a full refund instead of correcting the ticket, or simply ignore.

Can the DoT be complained to about an issue like this, or would it be outside of their jurisdiction?

I haven't read any FT threads on this let alone with this information discussed.

 

[kamchatsky]

After all these years telling AFF about the great USDM buy/share offers, I actually finally managed to redeem a USDM award reservation (as I have been using other airline programme for years):

May 20
QF571 3*J SYD-PER 17:30-20:25
QR901 3*J PER-DOH 23:30-05:50+1 (20 hour transit at Doha)

May 22
QR059 3*J DOH-MUC 01:50-07:00 (destination)

June 11
JL408 2*J + 1*F FRA-NRT 19:20-13:40+1 (openjaw, 6 hour transit at Narita)
June 12
JL771 3*J NRT-SYD 19:50-06:35+1

Miles: 120K for all J itinerary, and 135K for the one with 1 leg of F for JL408 (I thought it would be 150K but I didn't say anything).
Taxes: 288.34USD/pp including the 50USD ticketing fee

The problem about OW is that it is so hard to find seats for more than 2 people. This was never an issue on *A when I regularly book awards on various *A programmes.

I used my BAEC account to look for awards. Even booking this far out, I see plenty of 2 award seats but not 3. So it was almost certain that I had to go to Europe on QR via PER due to them having 4 award seats available. Forget about trying to get it for QF/CX as they seems to only release 2 seats in J/F maximum even though I prefer to transit via HKG. I would like to transit at MEL to DOH but it seems that there are no award seats available at all on that route, only from PER that there are awards available. Also I want to avoid BA/IB/AY due to the additional fuel surcharges and also possible UK APD for BA flights. My better half also want to stay away from MH for personal reasons. So that did not give me that much option in terms of award itinerary options.

For JL408 I had to get a F seat available for my better half as there was 2 * J and 2 * F available for award redemption. However I did not grab 2 * F as we have a 18 month old son (and will be 2.5 years old when on the trip next year) where I am sure the J seat is sufficient for him, and I would not be able to go to F myself to join my better half in F as I cannot leave my son in J behind , and no point for my son to stay in F whilst I am in J :mrgreen: . JL771 has 3*J seats available but had to lock it as soon as it is available for booking.

Anyway 375K burnt and I still have just under 300K miles left between 3 accounts. Hopefully I can burn them all before the full merger and devaluation .... and also try QF J, QR and JL for the first time :mrgreen:

I wish USDM remains in *A so that I have easier time to find award availability. Not sure what other unpaid methods I can find awards better than using BAEC account.

 

[curtainbounce]

After all these years telling AFF about the great USDM buy/share offers, I actually finally managed to redeem a USDM award reservation (as I have been using other airline programme for years):

May 20
QF571 3*J SYD-PER 17:30-20:25
QR901 3*J PER-DOH 23:30-05:50+1 (20 hour transit at Doha)

May 22
QR059 3*J DOH-MUC 01:50-07:00 (destination)

June 11
JL408 2*J + 1*F FRA-NRT 19:20-13:40+1 (openjaw, 6 hour transit at Narita)
June 12
JL771 3*J NRT-SYD 19:50-06:35+1

Miles: 120K for all J itinerary, and 135K for the one with 1 leg of F for JL408 (I thought it would be 150K but I didn't say anything).
Taxes: 288.34USD/pp including the 50USD ticketing fee

Great itinerary, just wondering did you have to speak to many agents for them to see the JAL award space? When I was booking an itinerary I tried 3 different agents getting them to open it in a separate window as advised on FT and none could see it...

 

[kamchatsky]

Great itinerary, just wondering did you have to speak to many agents for them to see the JAL award space? When I was booking an itinerary I tried 3 different agents getting them to open it in a separate window as advised on FT and none could see it...

Well I prechecked it all via my BAEC account. It is pretty accurate but you do need to check segment by segment. Once known then I just called USDM to redeem them. In fact, USDM indicated that JL408 has 4 * J seat available, and then they could not book 3*J seats. I told them there should be 2*J and tell them to try it, and it worked .....

I called both USDM US and UK number depending how busy the US line is, they have no problems opening up separate window for award space.

 

[lmere12]

Just booked 2 seats all with CX in J for daughters 21st birthday pressie

28/05 CNS-HKG-HKG-EWR (stop overnite in HKG)
04/06 JFK-YVR
09/06 YVR-HKG-CNS (11hr transit in HKG)

$211 in taxes, $50 fee 110k in miles each

 

[Limewood]

Just booked 2 seats all with CX in J for daughters 21st birthday pressie

28/05 CNS-HKG-HKG-EWR (stop overnite in HKG)
04/06 JFK-YVR
09/06 YVR-HKG-CNS (11hr transit in HKG)

$211 in taxes, $50 fee 110k in miles each

Well done. Where did you find the award seats?.

Good place for short stay in HKG is Regal Airport Hotel attached to international terminal. The Club floor for extra AUD$100 is excellent, booze, and food inc. and late checkout.

 

[hummel]

Just booked 2 seats all with CX in J for daughters 21st birthday pressie

28/05 CNS-HKG-HKG-EWR (stop overnite in HKG)
04/06 JFK-YVR
09/06 YVR-HKG-CNS (11hr transit in HKG)

$211 in taxes, $50 fee 110k in miles each

What a lovely gift.. made better with miles!

 

[lmere12]

Well done. Where did you find the award seats?.

Good place for short stay in HKG is Regal Airport Hotel attached to international terminal. The Club floor for extra AUD$100 is excellent, booze, and food inc. and late checkout.

thanks for the accom advise, will check it out. Thought about the Novotel citygate also.
Yes my daughter is pretty stoked

i used JAL and QF to check for seat availability and tried from the beginning for all CX.

 

[Limewood]

Yes it's said JAL is the real deal for checking real CX award availability.

have done a few long haul on CX in J my fav. Airline.

 

[kamchatsky]

thanks for the accom advise, will check it out. Thought about the Novotel citygate also.
Yes my daughter is pretty stoked

i used JAL and QF to check for seat availability and tried from the beginning for all CX.

Novotel Citygate is pretty good if your daughter likes to do outlet shopping they have free shuttle to airport and is next to Tung Chung station where she can catch MTR to town.

 

[VH-OEG]

Well I was expecting it. And it happened. Now a victim of Thai airways schedule change ex sydney to Bangkok with the change of aircraft no longer offering first class service.

This ticket was my last Sydney to Guam 40k USDM award. I have family in Guam hence the trip.

With Thai dumping the afternoon SYDBKK leg 4 days a week and replacing the 744 with a 2 class 773 I've been rebooked in J class. I hate Thais business class not flat very average product all around.

Oh mighty wisdom of all my AFF friends , what should I do ?

Any thoughts and ideas will be accepted with thanks.

Cheers
VH-OEG

 

[Ny770]

Hey guys
Does anyone know if you can book on Jetstar eg MEL - BKK with us airways points IE Oneworld?
Cheers

 

[Beta4Me]

Hey guys
Does anyone know if you can book on Jetstar eg MEL - BKK with us airways points IE Oneworld?
Cheers

No. No JQ with USDM.

 

[drivatruk]

Well I was expecting it. And it happened. Now a victim of Thai airways schedule change ex sydney to Bangkok with the change of aircraft no longer offering first class service.

This ticket was my last Sydney to Guam 40k USDM award. I have family in Guam hence the trip.

With Thai dumping the afternoon SYDBKK leg 4 days a week and replacing the 744 with a 2 class 773 I've been rebooked in J class. I hate Thais business class not flat very average product all around.

Oh mighty wisdom of all my AFF friends , what should I do ?

I think some of the 773's have lay flat in J. The one from MEL does. Maybe worth checking.

 

[bcworld]

I think some of the 773's have lay flat in J. The one from MEL does. Maybe worth checking.

They one they are sending to SYD doesn't...it's the 773, not the 773ER that currently operates TG461/2.

 

[Bofter]

I have completed my first oneworld booking with USDM for May/June 2015. There are two people travelling, head over to Europe together, come back separately (intentionally, not due to availability).

out: MEL(QF)PER / PER(QR)DOH / DOH(QR)VCE
back 1: CDG(MH)KUL / KUL(MH)MEL
back 2: CDG(AY)HEL / HEL(AY)HKG / HKG(QF)MEL

Taxes for trip 1 were USD274, for trip 2 were USD423. I suspect that a smallish Finnair fuel surcharge was slipped in there, but the potential refund is not enough for me to justify the effort in chasing. The agent was very helpful, even found the MEL-VCE route without assistance and happily accepted the flights to input for CDG - MEL and for not using the most direct route (MH) home for person 2.

 

[Happy Trails]

I've just booked a BKK-LHR return for next month, simple you might think, but jeez it was hard yakka; five calls over two days totalling nearly three hours, during which time one my first options became unavailable.

After several false starts I finally got BKK-HKG-LHR (CX) and LHR-KUL-BKK (MH) ticketed, with the long sectors in F.
Having said that, the final KUL-BKK sector has now disappeared from the itinerary. Yet another call had them assuring me that it's still OK, but i've emailed seeking written confirmation. Worst case, I'll just make my own way from KUL.

Pleasantly surprised though that the taxes only amounted to $219, I expected the UK APD alone would be much higher than that.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've just booked a BKK-LHR return for next month, simple you might think, but jeez it was hard yakka; five calls over two days totalling nearly three hours, during which time one my first options became unavailable.

After several false starts I finally got BKK-HKG-LHR (CX) and LHR-KUL-BKK (MH) ticketed, with the long sectors in F.
Having said that, the final KUL-BKK sector has now disappeared from the itinerary. Yet another call had them assuring me that it's still OK, but i've emailed seeking written confirmation. Worst case, I'll just make my own way from KUL.

Pleasantly surprised though that the taxes only amounted to $219, I expected the UK APD alone would be much higher than that.

I'm showing taxes and APD to be GBP 44 and GBP194 respectively. So something wrong there...