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

[auriga]

Are you sure about the points requirement? I believe it is only applicable for US metal.... not for star alliance awards.

 

[jcb12]

Thanks to all the useful information in this post and over at FlyerTalk, I've now booked my trip back to London on Thai in F, for myself, the wife and the boy for around $7.5k all up That's only about $1k more than QF wanted for Y! I think it would have actually been cheaper than QF but for the infant fare!

This will be my first time in anything other than Y+ (but that was only once!), so really looking forward to it.

Thanks again.

James.

 

[yohy?!]

I thought it was - I saw it on the ANA Mileage Club page for Star Alliance Redemptions but I could be wrong.

Just put my fare on hold:

SYD-SIN in J
SIN-HKG in Y

HKG-BKK in Y
BKK-SYD in J

Total cost including fuel surcharge $1375 (90,000miles + $157)

 

[markis10]

I thought it was - I saw it on the ANA Mileage Club page for Star Alliance Redemptions but I could be wrong.

Just put my fare on hold:

SYD-SIN in J
SIN-HKG in Y

HKG-BKK in Y
BKK-SYD in J

Total cost including fuel surcharge $1375 (90,000miles + $157)

Not across Star redemptions but did the Y legs cost you in points, if they did it might be worth a CX J booking given the current price.

 

[yohy?!]

I did think of that but given the bonus rate those legs work out to only 11,000 points unfortunately no J availability so I'm losing out but it's still great value

 

[kamchatsky]

Thanks to all the useful information in this post and over at FlyerTalk, I've now booked my trip back to London on Thai in F, for myself, the wife and the boy for around $7.5k all up That's only about $1k more than QF wanted for Y! I think it would have actually been cheaper than QF but for the infant fare!

This will be my first time in anything other than Y+ (but that was only once!), so really looking forward to it.

Thanks again.

James.

Congratulations! Once you come back you need to write us the trip report even I haven't travelled in F.

 

[sr81]

Thanks to all the useful information in this post and over at FlyerTalk, I've now booked my trip back to London on Thai in F, for myself, the wife and the boy for around $7.5k all up That's only about $1k more than QF wanted for Y! I think it would have actually been cheaper than QF but for the infant fare!

This will be my first time in anything other than Y+ (but that was only once!), so really looking forward to it.

Thanks again.

James.

Bravo! Well done for doing the research and pulling the trigger.

I have but one warning. Last year I took the GF on some First and J flights around the USA, Asia and out to HNL including First from JFK-MEL. She is now adamant that unless we go J we aint going. Premium travel is addictive and you will find that now you have organised it once the wife will be all over you to 'make it happen' again.

Enjoy and I look forward back to your TR. It is always great to read a First 'virgin' talk about their flight.

 

[auriga]

I did think of that but given the bonus rate those legs work out to only 11,000 points unfortunately no J availability so I'm losing out but it's still great value

Using US miles, from Australia (South Pacific) to any part of Asia (North/South/Central) will cost the same mileage.

 

[yohy?!]

In the ANA tool it shows 90,000 for South Pacific to North Asia (HKG).

Looks like it classifies Singapore as South East Asia as it only shows 63,000 from South Pacific.

 

[futaris]

The ANA tool will only show how many ANA miles it will cost to redeem a *A award.

ANA awards are mileage based not zone based.

 

[yohy?!]

It does, in my case they were same between ANA and US - I wonder how often they work out differently.

 

[jcb12]

Bravo! Well done for doing the research and pulling the trigger.

I have but one warning. Last year I took the GF on some First and J flights around the USA, Asia and out to HNL including First from JFK-MEL. She is now adamant that unless we go J we aint going. Premium travel is addictive and you will find that now you have organised it once the wife will be all over you to 'make it happen' again.

Enjoy and I look forward back to your TR. It is always great to read a First 'virgin' talk about their flight.

I'm slightly worried about the addictive nature of it, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I'll be happy to write a TR, but it's not until December, so you'll have to wait a while.

I've got upgrade requests for a QF trip to London in a few weeks in Y, but since I'm only Bronze at the moment I don't hold out much hope of getting the upgrade (although I think I'll make Silver when I get to Singapore on the way there). With the amount of travelling I'm doing at the moment I might even make Gold this year, or be close enough for a status run in August!

 

[auriga]

Looking at ANA mileage requirement is totally irrelevant unless you have ANA miles to redeem.:!:

 

[kamchatsky]

Agree with auriga here. You ONLY use ANA tools to determine availability only, and NOT mileage required for the award. Use US Dividend Miles *A chart for mileage required.

Try to find flights sector to sector in ANA tool then you will get a lot more flexibility and options, especially those "23 hour transits".

 

[kamchatsky]

I'm slightly worried about the addictive nature of it, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. I'll be happy to write a TR, but it's not until December, so you'll have to wait a while.

I've got upgrade requests for a QF trip to London in a few weeks in Y, but since I'm only Bronze at the moment I don't hold out much hope of getting the upgrade (although I think I'll make Silver when I get to Singapore on the way there). With the amount of travelling I'm doing at the moment I might even make Gold this year, or be close enough for a status run in August!

Yes, J or higher is highly addictive. Since my first ever J (on NZ) using Krisflyer *A Award, now I always try to fly at least 1 way on J if possible. It was such a fantastic experience I could not help but writing a TR on it at FT. Since then I have tried 1way SQ J which was fantastic. My next trip to Japan will involve 1way OZ J NRT-ICN-SYD using BMI mile redemption. My eyes will be on VS/QF/TG J in the short future ....

 

[yohy?!]

thanks, i am clear that the offer is for purchasing US Airways Dividend miles.

there's no difference in redeeming to sin or hkg as they are the same burn rate so that works out even better for me.

 

[sr81]

thanks, i am clear that the offer is for purchasing US Airways Dividend miles.

there's no difference in redeeming to sin or hkg as they are the same burn rate so that works out even better for me.

Given it is only an extra 30000 points to continue to Europe I would certainly consider making this a stopover and then a trip to Europe as well.

This would be better value as a flight from Sth/Nth Asia to Europe is another 8 hour plus flight.

The only issue would be getting a stopover in HKG as seats on NZ are tough to come by. Consider a route via BKK and a short (paid) connector flight to HKG is easy. TG and LH usually have OK availability to most points in Europe from BKK.

 

[auriga]

Given it is only an extra 30000 points to continue to Europe I would certainly consider making this a stopover and then a trip to Europe as well.

This would be better value as a flight from Sth/Nth Asia to Europe is another 8 hour plus flight.

The only issue would be getting a stopover in HKG as seats on NZ are tough to come by. Consider a route via BKK and a short (paid) connector flight to HKG is easy. TG and LH usually have OK availability to most points in Europe from BKK.

Ha ha... I felt the same... I wanted to go to Asia, but since Europe is only "a bit" more expensive on miles, it just makes booking Asia trip look expensive, relatively speaking.

There are other European airlines that fly from HKG, so I don't see that as an issue, although none as good as NZ in J.

 

[kamchatsky]

Ha ha... I felt the same... I wanted to go to Asia, but since Europe is only "a bit" more expensive on miles, it just makes booking Asia trip look expensive, relatively speaking.

There are other European airlines that fly from HKG, so I don't see that as an issue, although none as good as NZ in J.

Or can track through ICN via OZ (J) if possible, if it does not break MPM.

Well no point going all the way to Europe if all you want is going to Asia. At the end we can aim for more and more "bargains", but ultimately you really need to evaluate the time spend in Asia, vs spending even more time on the plane to go to Europe. At least with Far East Asia there is not much of jetlag to deal with.

 

[Logan^]

Can someone help me out here, I have been pointed to this thread as I am looking for Biz class to the UK.

Ideally in May but am flexible as I want to surprise my Mum.

Edison pm'd me and brought this to my attention... So yeah can anyone help and how I calculate how many points are needed etc.

According to US Airways chart its 120k to Europe?