Welcome to episode 15 of the PointsHoarder podcast. This week we’re exploring an award type that none of us know anything about. OK, maybe that is a bit dramatic, but we’re talking about the oneworld distance-based award charts and how there are some very interesting options available, assuming you’re willing to put in a bit of time planning the trip. Distance-based award charts aren’t generally something I look at fondly but the oneworld version has the added bonus of not limiting ocean crossings meaning you can get a few return trips out of a single award with big savings to be had.
We also talk about a new airline starting up service and some fun routes flown by airlines in regions where you might not think they’d be operating. There is a lot of interest in the Air France Caribbean milk run routes, among others. And United announced that they’ll be making upgrade certs earned for elite status valid a bit longer starting this coming year.
Length: 32 minutes
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Android | RSS
Show Notes
- Here’s a map of the award we spent the first half of the show discussing:
- Here are some threads discussing the awards on MilePoint and FlyerTalk. And here are the award charts from AA and Cathay for this award (it was Cathay, not Qantas where it is definitely also possible when you listen to the show).
- Elite Airways launching service in 2013 (it is a CRJ-200, not an ERJ-145; even worse)
- Air France Caribbean Milk Run
You can subscribe to the podcast in iTunes or to the podcast feed.
Can I get a link to the award routing for the above map?
Clicking on the map should show a full map. The itinerary was:
SFO-LAX-HNL
HNL-LAX-ORD
ORD-HKG-KUL
KUL-HKG-ORD-BOS
BOS-NRT-FRA-TXL
TXL-JFK
JFK-AMM
In terms of changes, you can change dates but not the routing or airline. So you need to at least have the cities set.
I’ve mapped out some routes … Never booked though. http://pointstopointb.wordpress.com/2012/09/20/getting-around-aadvantage-rules-with-the-explorer-award/
Stephan, we can BARELY hear you on the podcast. Seth and Foz sound fine but it is extremely difficult to hear you. It makes it very difficult to understand the entire conversation unless you are wearing earphones, which is illegal where I am if you are driving.
Could you please get closer to the mic or find a way to increase your levels? Thanks
We’ll work on the levels…thanks for the feedback (no pun intended).
I second Jayce’s request about the levels. I listen via headphones and have to turn up the volume to hear the quiet speaker, and then I’m deafened while scrambling to turn the volume down when Seth speaks.