US Dividend Miles - Award Booking Questions and General Discussion

[whole-lotta-moxie]

On a serious not wlm I have done dozens and dozens of ret F and J flts with SQ ex MEL - I started the chocky gift concept very early on and just do it every trip - the staff love that someone brings them a small gift - it's no big deal and a very small cost to me - tickles my fancy that I can be flying J* / VA or whoever and the girls on front desk of SQ lounge wave me in.

That's really sweet of you to give them little gifts.

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

I miss the days of *A. *O availability is so much harder to find (despite the product often being a little nicer since SQ was pretty much off limits).

It just scrapes into the first 2 weeks of June, but I can see...

[KVS Availability Tool 7.4.1/Diamond - Awards/OneWorld/AU-QFA-SP1]

MEL  Melbourne Metro / Tullamarine VI AU = MEL AVV [YMML]
MXP  Milan Malpensa IT [LIMC]
SUN  14 Jun 2015 | 2 Seats


Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive         St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  -------------
CX         134     MEL   07:40     HKG   15:20          0   FS-  CS+  YS-
 -> CX     233     HKG   01:00 +1  MXP   07:40 +1       0   FS+  CS-  YS-

And then coming back...

[KVS Availability Tool 7.4.1/Diamond - Awards/OneWorld/AU-QFA-SP1]

MXP  Milan Malpensa IT [LIMC]
MEL  Melbourne Metro / Tullamarine VI AU = MEL AVV [YMML]
SAT  25 Jul 2015 | 2 Seats


Carrier    Flight  From  Depart    To    Arrive         St  Availability
---------  ------  ----  --------  ----  --------  ---  --  ------------
CX         234     MXP   13:15     HKG   06:35 +1       0   FS+
 -> CX     163     HKG   10:35 +1  MEL   21:50 +1       0   FS-  CS+

Haven't really looked into alternate ports though. Could be some more options there.

Bismarck I just had a look at KVS tool to see these flights. I wanted to fly this exact route, Melb, Hong Kong, MXp and return. I have not been able to find any flights in May or June 2015. I have booked my flights going via Doha to CDG instead of MXP. I was just curious to see these flights that you found. I can't see them either way. How did you get it to come up? Which method did you use? I am curious.

 

[bismarck]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Bismarck I just had a look at KVS tool to see these flights. I wanted to fly this exact route, Melb, Hong Kong, MXp and return. I have not been able to find any flights in May or June 2015. I have booked my flights going via Doha to CDG instead of MXP. I was just curious to see these flights that you found. I can't see them either way. How did you get it to come up? Which method did you use? I am curious.

??? Not sure I did anything special ???

I just set up a power search from 1 June for 15 days and let it tick away in the background and this is what came up.

Set the Method to Awards/OneWorld, filtered to *O and availability only in F/C.

 

[Sheenaec7]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Four weeks going goggled-eyed with availability searches and phone calls to US Airways and still getting no-where. Whenever I find award availability it doesn't show up on the USDM system. This is my first time redeeming miles and I'm about ready to give up on my 360,000 miles and go by ship instead. I'm looking at flying MEL- anywhere in Italy (or thereabouts) anywhere in the first 2 weeks of June 2015 (or thereabouts) and returning ANYTIME after 20th July 2015. So, I'm pretty flexible. I know the USDM system is only going up to about 23 July so far so that doesn't show too many options.

One good thing in all these phone calls was that one of the support staff did say that it would soon be possible to book one way flights with half the points of a round trip. Yay!! So you could lock in an outbound flight while waiting for a return to come up.

Anyway, my question is. Am I trying too early? Can I ignore it for a while and try again in a month or 3 or 6 and still be safe?

Thanks to everyone who replied to the above. You've all at least given me a bit more hope. I have tried options in and out of a variety of places but nothing so far. Looking for J class but would go F if I really, really had to ;-) There is only me so one seat shouldn't be that hard to find. Anyway, I have put aside some time today to register with KVS Diamond membership. I'm currently slumming it in the South of France (waiting for Melbourne's winter to go away) so I might just put my feet up and do a crash course in deciphering KVS results and putting together a jizsaw puzzle of flights.

Thanks again

 

[hummel]

So I am now at T-4days to lose my TG virginity - what can I expect in TG J - PJs? Amenity kit? More importantly - what champagne do they serve please?

Expect non-lie flat bed, get a head massage at the lounge.. no idea of the champagne. SQ is a step above for sure but hey.. for what your paying can't complain.

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

??? Not sure I did anything special ???

I just set up a power search from 1 June for 15 days and let it tick away in the background and this is what came up.

Set the Method to Awards/OneWorld, filtered to *O and availability only in F/C.
View attachment 34441

Thanks Bismarck after playing around with it I finally got the power search to work and found the same flights that you are talking about. Thanks for your help.

 

[Sheenaec7]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

I am looking for one seat in J but will go F in desperation ;-)

 

[bismarck]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Thanks to everyone who replied to the above. You've all at least given me a bit more hope. I have tried options in and out of a variety of places but nothing so far. Looking for J class but would go F if I really, really had to ;-) There is only me so one seat shouldn't be that hard to find. Anyway, I have put aside some time today to register with KVS Diamond membership. I'm currently slumming it in the South of France (waiting for Melbourne's winter to go away) so I might just put my feet up and do a crash course in deciphering KVS results and putting together a jizsaw puzzle of flights.

Thanks again

For some reason I had thought you were looking for 2 seats. 1 shouldn't be so hard to find.

Edit: It probably goes without saying (and subject to your dates/travel requirements) but the CX J/F combo with one stop to MXP is likely the best possible product unless you can find QF F availability through LHR)

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

For some reason I had thought you were looking for 2 seats. 1 shouldn't be so hard to find.

So I have been doing the power searches with the Oneworld method, flights are coming up but I thought that this method wasn't very reliable and shows flights that you can't book when you call up? I thought when looking for CX flights the most reliable is JL method?? I have been doing the power searches using the JL method.... forget it..... melb - mxp - Nothing!!

 

[hummel]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

So I have been doing the power searches with the Oneworld method, flights are coming up but I thought that this method wasn't very reliable and shows flights that you can't book when you call up? I thought when looking for CX flights the most reliable is JL method?? I have been doing the power searches using the JL method.... forget it..... melb - mxp - Nothing!!

Have you tried searching MEL-HKG then HKG-MXP?

FWIW I was looking for availability on CX for next week (yes I know, very close) and couldn't find anything out of MEL/SYD to HKG in J.

Will probably book MH J instead...

 

[jgm]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

You have to use Awards/JL-OneWorld for CX. The other methods show phantom availability. With the JL method, USDM agents will also be able to see & book.

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Have you tried searching MEL-HKG then HKG-MXP?

FWIW I was looking for availability on CX for next week (yes I know, very close) and couldn't find anything out of MEL/SYD to HKG in J.

Will probably book MH J instead...

No I was trying to replicate what Bismarck found. I normally look by separating the sectors, melb-hgk then hgk to mxp. I wanted to see if I could simplify life by just doing a direct melb-mxp search and see how this works.

 

[jgm]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Have you tried searching MEL-HKG then HKG-MXP?

FWIW I was looking for availability on CX for next week (yes I know, very close) and couldn't find anything out of MEL/SYD to HKG in J.

Will probably book MH J instead...

You could also look for MEL/SYD-PER-HKG. There's availability on Mon, Thu & Fri.

 

[hummel]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

You could also look for MEL/SYD-PER-HKG. There's availability on Mon, Thu & Fri.

Yeah I did notice that but the boss isn't so keen. Normally fly SQ but trying to burn USDM miles...

 

[Sheenaec7]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Registered with KVS and spent the day searching for avail and calling US Airways. Have managed to put the outbound flight on hold : MEL-PER-HK-DXB-LHR-MXP. Not the most direct route but all we could come up with for that time of the year. I'm hoping that by the time I call them back in about 2 days time I can improve on the outbound itinerary and book a 'less complicated' return flight.

New question: How can I stop EK and QR availability from coming up in my OW search results on KVS?

 

[hummel]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Registered with KVS and spent the day searching for avail and calling US Airways. Have managed to put the outbound flight on hold : MEL-PER-HK-DXB-LHR-MXP. Not the most direct route but all we could come up with for that time of the year. I'm hoping that by the time I call them back in about 2 days time I can improve on the outbound itinerary and book a 'less complicated' return flight.

New question: How can I stop EK and QR availability from coming up in my OW search results on KVS?

Not really familiar with KVS but why would EK display when they're not even part of an alliance.. I could understand QR but not EK.

 

[whole-lotta-moxie]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Not really familiar with KVS but why would EK display when they're not even part of an alliance.. I could understand QR but not EK.

QR comes up cause you can book it and I have. I believe that EK comes up because it's a partner airline with qantas therefore u could fly with them when using QFF for flights but not us air miles.

 

[KVS]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Registered with KVS and spent the day searching for avail and calling US Airways.

Welcome to the KVS Tool!

Have managed to put the outbound flight on hold : MEL-PER-HK-DXB-LHR-MXP. Not the most direct route but all we could come up with for that time of the year. I'm hoping that by the time I call them back in about 2 days time I can improve on the outbound itinerary and book a 'less complicated' return flight.

New question: How can I stop EK and QR availability from coming up in my OW search results on KVS?

You can remove undesirable carrier choice(s) via the [Filter] Tab.

Not really familiar with KVS but why would EK display when they're not even part of an alliance.. I could understand QR but not EK.

EK is QF's major non-Alliance partner.

 

[bismarck]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

Registered with KVS and spent the day searching for avail and calling US Airways. Have managed to put the outbound flight on hold : MEL-PER-HK-DXB-LHR-MXP. Not the most direct route but all we could come up with for that time of the year. I'm hoping that by the time I call them back in about 2 days time I can improve on the outbound itinerary and book a 'less complicated' return flight.

New question: How can I stop EK and QR availability from coming up in my OW search results on KVS?

On the filters tab, click the *O button.

EK comes up because you could book if using QF points.

 

[hummel]

Re: US Dividend Miles Buy/Gift Miles 100% bonus - Cheap way for F/J *A Awards

EK is QF's major non-Alliance partner.

For sure I understand that, I was under the impression the user was searching for OW space which EK is not part of.