Adding legs to an award flight

[El Ingeniero]

DW and I have flights booked on CX in J BOS-HKG-SIN for October since January.

Been watching for MSP-ORD Saver awards to open up and they just have.

OK to tack on those legs now (paying a small fee), or am I risking the trip I have now?

 

[Matt]

I don't know the answer.. but the small fee might make it better to book the leg with Avios also.

 

[El Ingeniero]

If I can tack on the leg, it won't cost me any more points, because it will be a MSP-BOS-HKG-SIN saver award, with a 13 hour stop in BOS. That puts me on a single itinerary and protects our tix to SIN in case AA can't deliver me to BOS on time.

Don't mind a small fee at all. What I am worried about is that they have to release my CX BOS-HKG and HKG-SIN flights, and then CX doesn't put them back in award inventory.

 

[Matt]

If I can tack on the leg, it won't cost me any more points, because it will be a MSP-BOS-HKG-SIN saver award, with a 13 hour stop in BOS. That puts me on a single itinerary and protects our tix to SIN in case AA can't deliver me to BOS on time.

Don't mind a small fee at all. What I am worried about is that they have to release my CX BOS-HKG and HKG-SIN flights, and then CX doesn't put them back in award inventory.

I understand that it is no 'charge in points' to tack it on, and like I said, I'm not sure if there is any risk at all, but simply my 'risk-dar' is high on messing with things like this. I just see it as 18K pts for 2 rt vs what, $175 or so to change the ticket?

Note that Avios+AA should also protect your tix onwards as there is an alliance agreement to patch such things together even on different PNRs.

Hopefully, you can just swap it out, and someone might know better than I.

 

[TheBOSman]

You can "generally" add legs without losing the main ticket with AA. However, you have to pay the change fee, and you may run afoul of the MPM rules, or "most direct" routing rules. MSP-ORD-BOS-HKG-SIN may not be a valid award routing, you would have to see if a paid fare (one offered by the overwater carrier, in this case CX) allows that routing (probably not) or if it is within MPM+25% of an MPM fare on the city pair (probably is but can't say for certain). As well, MSP-SIN may be a constructed fare, I've never run into one of these myself (and I've booked a few exotic routings with AA) but others have, and a constructed fare is not a valid basis for an award ticket.

Popsicle headache yet?

 

[smittytabb]

Isn't there a limit of 3 legs per way on Award Tickets on AA?

 

[El Ingeniero]

Isn't there a limit of 3 legs per way on Award Tickets on AA?

I know that a SWU can only upgrade 3 legs. But that's a zebra with different stripes.

When I was initially booking the flight, the nice lady helping me did look for a MSP-BOS leg, but there wasn't a saver fare available that day.

That being said, this saver fare leaves MSP at 5 am, and gives me a 13 hour plus layover in BOS. Dunno.

 

[El Ingeniero]

Ha, CX offers an MSP-SIN fare. $2200+ in economy.

MSP-SIN is 9077 miles. MSP-ORD-BOS-HKG-SIN is 10758 miles, 18% more.

 

[TheBOSman]

I know that a SWU can only upgrade 3 legs. But that's a zebra with different stripes.

When I was initially booking the flight, the nice lady helping me did look for a MSP-BOS leg, but there wasn't a saver fare available that day.

That being said, this saver fare leaves MSP at 5 am, and gives me a 13 hour plus layover in BOS. Dunno.

Plenty of time for a great dinner in the city at any number of great restaurants. The CX flight does leave quite late though!

 

[El Ingeniero]

Plenty of time for a great dinner in the city at any number of great restaurants. The CX flight does leave quite late though!

Thought of getting a room someplace close to the airport and resting up until 10 pm.

 

[El Ingeniero]

Wonder whether to hold off. Looked at more desirable flight times, planes are 40% empty with 4 months to go.

 

[El Ingeniero]

In the end, I was able to add the leg for a single $150 change fee plus the additional taxes. Now I can change the itinerary to my hearts content as long as it's a legal fare that starts in MSP on 10/15 and ends up in SIN.

Hoping that I can snag a JFK-HKG flight with DW in a 747 nose cone.

 

[Matt]

as long as it's a legal fare that starts in MSP on 10/15

Great! But can't you change the date too, or have you been holding onto that ticket since last year?

 

[El Ingeniero]

Great! But can't you change the date too, or have you been holding onto that ticket since last year?

Maybe can change the date, I thought he said I couldn't. I got the ticket 1/26.

It's definitely legal though. CX publishes a MSP-SIN, the routing is < 19% over a direct MSP-SIN flight. 110K AA miles + $700 to fly 2 people over 10.5K miles on 6 legs is a pretty awesome deal, especially since I got the miles at essentially no cost.

 

[$aver]

Great! But can't you change the date too, or have you been holding onto that ticket since last year?

Why would getting the ticket last year change anything?

 

[Matt]

Why would getting the ticket last year change anything?

From memory (which isn't what it used to be) you are able to make changes to the date of travel, providing that the arrival and destination airports remain the same, without a fee. However, it is only good from 1 year of when you booked the travel.

EG Book Jan 1st 2015
Original Travel Date June 6th 2015
Can change to any date until Jan 1st 2016, but must travel by then..

I just can't remember if the rule was with United or AA for the year timeframe...

 

[Voyaging Doc]

Yes Matt is correct on both counts. With AA you may change date/times, routing, airlines without change fee provided origin, destination, award type (standard/saver/class downgrade) remains same. Upgrading class will not incur fee. The award redemption also is only valid within 1 year of ticketing of the original redemption.

 

[El Ingeniero]

From memory (which isn't what it used to be) you are able to make changes to the date of travel, providing that the arrival and destination airports remain the same, without a fee. However, it is only good from 1 year of when you booked the travel.

EG Book Jan 1st 2015
Original Travel Date June 6th 2015
Can change to any date until Jan 1st 2016, but must travel by then..

I just can't remember if the rule was with United or AA for the year timeframe...

Yes Matt is correct on both counts. With AA you may change date/times, routing, airlines without change fee provided origin, destination, award type (standard/saver/class downgrade) remains same. Upgrading class will not incur fee. The award redemption also is only valid within 1 year of ticketing of the original redemption.

So basically I can sit and wait for CX 1st availability from ORD, BOS or JFK around that time, and as long as there is saver availability for 2 from MSP to gateway airport to HKG to SIN, I am good? This is excellent.

 

[Matt]

So basically I can sit and wait for CX 1st availability from ORD, BOS or JFK around that time, and as long as there is saver availability for 2 from MSP to gateway airport to HKG to SIN, I am good? This is excellent.

I just tried Seth's tool for this, might be worth playing around with... I'm not an expert at it, so no questions (but he is helpful on twitter)

I figure if you set up a number of alerts like this for your routes with 'non stops' or perhaps a point to point search with multiple stops... you might get an alert when the space opens up?