How to use frequent flyer miles???

[King Herald]

I've collected some 240,000 frequent flyer miles with US Airways (Star Alliance). Can anybody tell me exactly what I can do with these miles??

I've heard a dozen times I can buy tickets, but I can find no way to correlate between the route I want to take, Manila to LHR return, and how to book a flight with the air miles.

US Airways don't seem to accept them for any flight that doesn't originate in the USA.

The Star Alliance web site only wants to tell me how to earn more miles. Or how to book a round the world ticket?!?!?!

I must be missing something pretty obvious here, surely?? Manila to London return, two adults and a kid, using my air miles as much as possible. How hard can that be??

[SimonMaidenhead]

I think Singapore Airlines are part of Star Alliance. Worth giving their office in Manila a call?
That is if you can get through, I had a nightmare trying to deal with the Emirates office in Manila last week.

[King Herald]

Thanks for the suggestion, but I'm trying to see what the 'normal' procedure is for doing it. I don't think I should have to phone the airlines to ask about it, and especially Manila, as you have found, it would be chaos. I've looked on several air line websites, and tried to find a 'pay with air miles' slot, but there is nothing.

[Puggit]

All you need to know should be in here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-airways-dividend...

It is never as easy as choosing a route and date that suits you.

[Matt Harper]

240k Star Alliance miles would get you a coach ticket from Philly to Gatwick and back - if you're lucky.

[King Herald]

Puggit said:

All you need to know should be in here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-airways-dividend...

It is never as easy as choosing a route and date that suits you.

Jeez, that seems incredibly complicated, having read just a few of the 1000+ pages on the thread about using US Airways miles.

[Puggit]

When I redeemed with bmi (previously part of Star Alliance) I used the ANA account trick to find my flights. We ended up with premium cabins on only 2 legs out of 6 in order to get a flight on the right dates.

Another problem you face is the impending merger with AA which is likely to move US out of Star Alloance, so there may be a rush on...

[King Herald]

What is this ANA account trick? I saw it mentioned earlier on that link but I can't seem to get my head round it. I'm having an ADD day here, it is about 40C and I've been out working in the garden all morning putting razor wire up.

[Puggit]

Sign up for an ANA (All Nippon Airways) account, as well as your USAirways account. You don't need to use it, but ANA allow its subscribers to search for redeemable flights on Star Alliance. The process is fairly rudimentary and extremely clunky, but it allows you to find things by yourself. The bmi staff used to be useless at it and could not be relied upon.

[King Herald]

I've now applied for membership with ANA, so I'll have as play around with it and see what I can discover.

Thanks for the info.

[King Herald]

Now I discover I can't use the search if I have no miles in ANA, and the 'workaround' that is shown doesn't work, and there are 1000 pages to scour for a new workaround.

People told me this wouldn't be easy......

[Puggit]

The workaround is to do a search of ANA flights first. I used to use Tokyo to Bangkok and then I could search for partner flights

[King Herald]

I must be having a thick moment, I can't seem to make head nor tail of all this. I saw something on one page about 'search partner airlines' or something like that, but I'm buggered if I can find it next time I went in.