US Dividend Miles - Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

Heads up for anyone who has booked Thai ex Per to try their new 787:

it doesn't look like Thai will be operating 787s to PER from 1 July :evil:

[TABLE="width: 800"]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]ight Number[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]TG484[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]Airline[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]Thai Airways Intl[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]Date[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]23 Aug 2014[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]Departure[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]09:15 from Perth Arpt[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]Arrival[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]15:15 at Suvarnabhumi Intl[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]Aircraft Type[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]330[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


ahhh.....thai....
 
Last edited:
pmdg7444 said:
Heads up for anyone who has booked Thai ex Per to try their new 787:

it doesn't look like Thai will be operating 787s to PER from 1 July :evil:

...


ahhh.....thai....
Click to expand...

Look on the bright side... it could just as easily switch back in the interim... :o
 
Well after 8 calls totalling 4 hours waiting time on hold, I finally got through to a US Air agent. I just have a few questions for those more knowledgeable, about the unfortunately, unsuccessful conversation.
I was hoping to book a flight to Osaka this December. There are no direct flights from Melbourne so I was looking at going via Cairns or Brisbane then HKG (27th has award seats available according to KVS, CX). Return on Jan 19, again via HKG (seats available on CX, then direct to Melbourne on QF). However, the agent said that firstly, I couldn't book via Cairns or Brisbane because of "routing issues", only SYD or MEL and secondly that there were no available seats showing for those dates, even though I had KVS open showing otherwise. She said that the airline hadn't made them available for US Air use. Is this correct? Is there any way to get around this?
Is it worth ringing again to try a different agent who could find these awards or is it entirely likely that the agent is correct and these seats are just not available on Div Miles?
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
 
hikooki said:
Well after 8 calls totalling 4 hours waiting time on hold, I finally got through to a US Air agent. I just have a few questions for those more knowledgeable, about the unfortunately, unsuccessful conversation.
I was hoping to book a flight to Osaka this December. There are no direct flights from Melbourne so I was looking at going via Cairns or Brisbane then HKG (27th has award seats available according to KVS, CX). Return on Jan 19, again via HKG (seats available on CX, then direct to Melbourne on QF). However, the agent said that firstly, I couldn't book via Cairns or Brisbane because of "routing issues", only SYD or MEL and secondly that there were no available seats showing for those dates, even though I had KVS open showing otherwise. She said that the airline hadn't made them available for US Air use. Is this correct? Is there any way to get around this?
Is it worth ringing again to try a different agent who could find these awards or is it entirely likely that the agent is correct and these seats are just not available on Div Miles?
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
Click to expand...

CX.com shows availability for CX FF members which is more generous than what they give their partners. Use JL.com to get an accurate idea of what CX provide their partners.

The routing restriction seems wrong - Hang Up And Call Again.

Have you looked at JL SYD-NRT as an option?

PS - I LOVED Osaka - one of my favourite places in Asia.
 
hikooki said:
Well after 8 calls totalling 4 hours waiting time on hold, I finally got through to a US Air agent. I just have a few questions for those more knowledgeable, about the unfortunately, unsuccessful conversation.
I was hoping to book a flight to Osaka this December. There are no direct flights from Melbourne so I was looking at going via Cairns or Brisbane then HKG (27th has award seats available according to KVS, CX). Return on Jan 19, again via HKG (seats available on CX, then direct to Melbourne on QF). However, the agent said that firstly, I couldn't book via Cairns or Brisbane because of "routing issues", only SYD or MEL and secondly that there were no available seats showing for those dates, even though I had KVS open showing otherwise. She said that the airline hadn't made them available for US Air use. Is this correct? Is there any way to get around this?
Is it worth ringing again to try a different agent who could find these awards or is it entirely likely that the agent is correct and these seats are just not available on Div Miles?
Thanks in advance for any help or advice.
Click to expand...

The agent was wrong about the routing, it's perfectly valid as it is well within the MPM rules for this pair of ports (MEL-KIX).

As to the CX J seats not being available to US Airways, the agent may have been right. CS has a well known problem with "phantom" availability when some seats show as available but they are really not. You need to use JAL's Mileage Bank search engine to check the correct number of award seats on each sector of your trip. JAL MN membership is free, register online and check (they will even send you a nice plastic card to keep in your wallet:-))

good luck!
 
smit0847 said:
CX.com shows availability for CX FF members which is more generous than what they give their partners. Use JL.com to get an accurate idea of what CX provide their partners.

The routing restriction seems wrong - Hang Up And Call Again.

Have you looked at JL SYD-NRT as an option?

PS - I LOVED Osaka - one of my favourite places in Asia.
Click to expand...

Thanks SMIT0847 for the quick reply.
Will try to ring again and see. Hopefully I won't get the same agent, that would be awkward!
Will also try via the JL website and SYD-NRT. Busy day at work so will have to do this afternoon. Guess it certainly is no skin off my nose to take the shinkansen down to Osaka!
Yep:), Osaka is my favourite in Japan too. Have lived, worked and studied there so like my 2nd home.
I suppose I could see the sakura next spring instead!
 
Also make sure you look at MH flights, MH is known for having pretty good availability of J seats the whole year round. They can be seen on BA Executive Club
 
sergeyvzn said:
Also make sure you look at MH flights, MH is known for having pretty good availability of J seats the whole year round. They can be seen on BA Executive Club
Click to expand...

Bear in mind you must search each sector individually.

Say MEL-KUL was C1 and KUL-KIX was C2 BA will show MEL-KIX as C2 which is clearly wrong.
 
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hikooki said:
I was hoping to book a flight to Osaka this December. There are no direct flights from Melbourne so I was looking at going via Cairns or Brisbane then HKG (27th has award seats available according to KVS, CX). Return on Jan 19, again via HKG (seats available on CX, then direct to Melbourne on QF).
Click to expand...

Are you looking for Y or J seats? Im amazed CX would have J available on 27 December, the busiest travel week of the year, even via CNS or BNE.

sergeyvzn said:
Also make sure you look at MH flights, MH is known for having pretty good availability of J seats the whole year round. They can be seen on BA Executive Club
Click to expand...

I agree - from my investigation it seems that MH are the 'TG of 1W' in that they are extremely generous with their award seats but not the most desirable J product (I heard someone on here describe MH non-A380 J as 'more Y+ than J' which I think is a fairly accurate description).

If you have the option between CX J and MH J I would definitely be taking CX.
 
smit0847 said:
Are you looking for Y or J seats? Im amazed CX would have J available on 27 December, the busiest travel week of the year, even via CNS or BNE.



I agree - from my investigation it seems that MH are the 'TG of 1W' in that they are extremely generous with their award seats but not the most desirable J product (I heard someone on here describe MH non-A380 J as 'more Y+ than J' which I think is a fairly accurate description).

If you have the option between CX J and MH J I would definitely be taking CX.
Click to expand...

Thanks everyone for the advice.
Yep, I am wanting C class. According to KVS, there is 1 award seat available on CX via CNS and also BNE.
Ok, good to know the "routing issue" is actually a "non issue".
I am a JAL member so I will check their website.
Am not a BA member and I seem to recall a problem with Australians joining?
I tell you it was pretty disappointing after 4 hours to hear that the agent could see nothing! Do you think she is just one of the agents that don't know where to look for available award seats? Is there somewhere in particular where she should be looking?
Oh, I think I may skip the MH C then!!
Thanks again everyone! This forum is invaluable!:p
 
hikooki said:
Thanks everyone for the advice.
Yep, I am wanting C class. According to KVS, there is 1 award seat available on CX via CNS and also BNE.
Ok, good to know the "routing issue" is actually a "non issue".
I am a JAL member so I will check their website.
Am not a BA member and I seem to recall a problem with Australians joining?
I tell you it was pretty disappointing after 4 hours to hear that the agent could see nothing! Do you think she is just one of the agents that don't know where to look for available award seats? Is there somewhere in particular where she should be looking?
Oh, I think I may skip the MH C then!!
Thanks again everyone! This forum is invaluable!:p
Click to expand...

It's not just a US issue. I spent 5 days trying to book CX seats using AA miles, during which time BA, QF (and CX) all showed the availability - but JL showed none. AA could see nothing, not until about 72 hours before departure. I couldn't compare it to JL then cos they cut you off 4 days out.

If you use KVS OneWorld method then you are just getting the same potentially phantom results that QF shows. If you use the BA method then clearly same issue. Unfortunately Oceania based JL accounts are not compatible with the KVS tool so if you are registered in Australia you'll need to use the clunky website!
 
pmdg7444 said:
Heads up for anyone who has booked Thai ex Per to try their new 787:

it doesn't look like Thai will be operating 787s to PER from 1 July :evil:

[TABLE="width: 800"]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]ight Number[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]TG484[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]Airline[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]Thai Airways Intl[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]Date[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]23 Aug 2014[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]Departure[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]09:15 from Perth Arpt[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]Arrival[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]15:15 at Suvarnabhumi Intl[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: input, width: 25%, bgcolor: #CCCCCC, align: left"]Aircraft Type[/TD]
[TD="class: input2, bgcolor: #EEEEEE, align: left"]330[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]


ahhh.....thai....
Click to expand...

Are you sure it's not just that flight? FWIW I booked some flights for my parents and on any given week some services were the A330 and some were the 787.
 
KVS said:
KVS Tool now supports Asia/Pacific-based JL MB accounts (as of Version 7.3.7).
Click to expand...

The JAL site IS really clunky!! So does this mean the KVS JL MB account will serve as an alternative to the JAL website? Does it show the same information?
Thanks.
 
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