Using UA Miles especially on SQ : Is there a paid expert service?

[MEL_Traveller]

Sorry for the confusion. I know SYD-BKK-SGN is 30K, but was wondering if CBR-SIN would also be in the same 30K band of miles. I presume it would be. Thanks for the tip to call UA. I hate having to always get to Sydney for international travel. By air it is expensive and road travel has once again become an issue with all of the construction.

CBR probably isn't listed in the kris flyer award chart yet? anyway, you'd expect it to be in the east coast along with Melbourne etc. DRW and Perth are in different zones, as per the chart.

 

[JohnK]

CBR probably isn't listed in the kris flyer award chart yet? anyway, you'd expect it to be in the east coast along with Melbourne etc. DRW and Perth are in different zones, as per the chart.

CBR is there. A couple of months ago I was looking at awards in September but shied away thanks to the ~AUD350 fuel surcharge.

 

[clifford]

I have tried and tried but the best I can do online is SYD/BNE-BKK-HKT-HKG but is a little lengthy.

I like idea of SYD/BNE-BKK-HKG (think last leg is A380) and then a paid Oneworld flight back to BKK. I guess it wouldn't hurt to try calling and asking to replace first leg with SYD/BNE-SIN-BKK?

The Singapore call centre is usually somewhat reticent to book SQ for you unless it is a fairly direct routing or you can give them an explanation as to why you need to do it. Their standard response is "we can't get this itinerary to price". If you already have an itinerary booked online for your desired sectors (on other than SQ), it will certainly help. But, unless you are a UA elite, there will be a fee (eg USD 75) charged for making a change to your booking.

The difficulty you may have with online bookings is that only SQ (Star-Alliance-wise) flies direct SIN-Australia.

 

[joelyong]

As a rule of thumb, SQ only releases J seats from Australia to SIN 14 days before departure nowadays. It is so damn annoying. Only to South Pacific. Everywhere else is still as per normal.

We are in Canberra and with SA service beginning in Sept I have tried to use UA miles for a CBR-SIN booking, but the UA web page is not showing any award seats available. I have written to Milage Plus, with out response. Any suggestions for using UA miles from CBR on SA? Have used miles on TG, last one was 80K return to Penang in F....that was NICE.

 

[joelyong]

I'd rather do anywhere in SEAsia-BKK-HKG-BKK-SYD in F for 40k. BKK-HKG on TG606 with an overnight in HKG for some roast goose before returning HKG-BKK on TG601 the next day. That way you get 2x 1h full body massages in BKK

I'll need to check for myself but can you book that itinerary online? I'd love to do BKK-HKG-SIN-SYD for 30,000 miles coming home.

 

[JohnK]

I'd rather do anywhere in SEAsia-BKK-HKG-BKK-SYD in F for 40k. BKK-HKG on TG606 with an overnight in HKG for some roast goose before returning HKG-BKK on TG601 the next day. That way you get 2x 1h full body massages in BKK

And you can book this online or do you have to try and convince someone in customer service?

 

[junbugging]

I'd rather do anywhere in SEAsia-BKK-HKG-BKK-SYD in F for 40k.

Agreed. –17.5k for a couple of flights is pretty good value.

 

[junbugging]

That's what I call serving it up on a silver platter.

 

[joelyong]

I can pull up even more ridiculous routings involving other regions Have been testing them on ua.com, and surprisingly enough ua.com does not fail me but it actually prices out. 80k for 2 longhaul F flights >10h anyone? Sure beats the oneway (and usually <10h) 110k US-Europe F flights. I do have a pet project for 45k that I'm working on at the moment, 2 >7h F flights. Beats the SYD-North Asia routing by 5k miles

Can't publicise it here till I've actually managed to hack the system and fly on it. Don't want the system to clamp down on all my dodgy dealings that quickly. I got heartbroken when they finally didn't allow South Pac - South Asia to route through North Asia. Would have loved to try CA's MEL-PVG or NZ's AKL-PVG, something like MEL-AKL-PVG-TPE-SIN.

Agreed. –17.5k for a couple of flights is pretty good value.

 

[junbugging]

Can't publicise it here

Seems wise. I wish you hadn't published that screenshot for similar reasons, especially in response to someone that was just looking for a handout without doing the research himself.

 

[joelyong]

Deleted. Easily done too.

Seems wise. I wish you hadn't published that screenshot for similar reasons, especially in response to someone that was just looking for a handout without doing the research himself.

 

[joelyong]

Online. Can be done easily.

And you can book this online or do you have to try and convince someone in customer service?

 

[clifford]

I'd rather do anywhere in SEAsia-BKK-HKG-BKK-SYD in F for 40k.

Not sure how you managed to do that. The system usually doesn't like you transiting the same place twice on a one-way ticket.

 

[joelyong]

Just play with it. Like I say, I've found even more ridiculous routings

Not sure how you managed to do that. The system usually doesn't like you transiting the same place twice on a one-way ticket.

 

[clifford]

Just play with it. Like I say, I've found even more ridiculous routings

I guess the F class has something to do with it, as there is a limited number of flight routings than can accommodate.

But I've found my fair share of legal routings around the Star Alliance world that are more than acceptable. It's talk of "hacking" the system that does worry me though.

 

[annielee]

im still new to the system, and tried to find some 'legal longer' routes.. but not much available now.. coz i join the 'system' too late again
now i only travel to MY/KL/BKK yearly only (via MEL/SYD)....

 

[joelyong]

The thing is, would you consider it hacking or illegal if the online system is able to process it?

For example, the Delta website allowed me to route PVG-AMS-AUH on KLM. Would that be hacking, or is it just making use of something that the system allows?

I guess the F class has something to do with it, as there is a limited number of flight routings than can accommodate.

But I've found my fair share of legal routings around the Star Alliance world that are more than acceptable. It's talk of "hacking" the system that does worry me though.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

The thing is, would you consider it hacking or illegal if the online system is able to process it?

For example, the Delta website allowed me to route PVG-AMS-AUH on KLM. Would that be hacking, or is it just making use of something that the system allows?

If it is offered to you on line you generally have nothing to worry about.

Circumstances where you might have concern are, for example, if you were to somehow proactively and intentionally alter the script (or whatever) to generate connections or flights that would otherwise not be offered (this seems unlikely), or if you have something which is against the rules because of cabotage.

LM got into trouble with this offering flights from GUM to USA... in some cases a single carrier, not from the USA, was ticketed to carry the passenger on what is essentially a domestic route. Big problems, and fixed now.

An issue of cabotage is a legal one - and nothing really the airline can do (they can't carry you). They can only offer alternative flights.

 

[joelyong]

Australia to SEAsia is cough. The northernmost point of SEAsia is HKG and the westernmost is DAC. Doing something like MEL-BKK-HKG-SIN-KUL would be perfectly logical though. Unfortunately nothing like the MEL-AKL-PVG-BKK-KUL that could have previously been used. The system expressly forbids connecting in certain regions for certain award tickets, such that you can't connect in North Asia/Japan/Central Asia when going Australia to South Asia.

im still new to the system, and tried to find some 'legal longer' routes.. but not much available now.. coz i join the 'system' too late again
now i only travel to MY/KL/BKK yearly only (via MEL/SYD)....

 

[joelyong]

Nah, LM offered it online as well. They didn't realise that the specific routings were constituting cabotage else they would have prevented it long ago. It just so happened that BR did fly to GUM and the US, so it was technically possible to fly USA-TPE-GUM and get out at TPE for a reduced mileage cost. Technically I could have done that with the Delta example of PVG-AMS-AUH. PVG-AMS costs 80k DL miles in J oneway but adding on the AUH segment decreases the cost to 70k miles. They allowed me to put an overnight layover in AMS so I could've easily disappeared in AMS if I wanted to. But nah, I wanted my haircut in AUH and another Delft house...

If it is offered to you on line you generally have nothing to worry about.

Circumstances where you might have concern are, for example, if you were to somehow proactively and intentionally alter the script (or whatever) to generate connections or flights that would otherwise not be offered (this seems unlikely), or if you have something which is against the rules because of cabotage.

LM got into trouble with this offering flights from GUM to USA... in some cases a single carrier, not from the USA, was ticketed to carry the passenger on what is essentially a domestic route. Big problems, and fixed now.

An issue of cabotage is a legal one - and nothing really the airline can do (they can't carry you). They can only offer alternative flights.