LAX - BOS - LAX - 2 people Max QF SC's budget approx AUD$1000 per person

[shellthom]

Hi all,

My head is about to explode with the Million to the 30th power permutations available to us.

On the 29/30/31st May we will be able to fly out of the LA area (we are actually staying ONT). If we need to go to LAS we will only be able to leave on the 31st.
Have to be in Boston before Monday 3rd June for work.

We can then fly any time after 7pm on the 7th from BOS back to the LA region for our flight departing on the 9th (QF)


Happy to fly to anywhere - I have looked at options into EU and Caribbean as well as Cancun.
I don't know all the trick yet so I don't know the better way to search and am at the point where I am more than happy to pay for assistance.

If we are flying to Mexico or Caribbean we would like to see some of it so an 8+ hour stop over would be good.

I was trying to look at the fare dumping to see if that could help but my brain tells me it wont as it will only work on a carrier that is not AA which will hinder the SC haul or increase the price dramatically if we want to fly in J.

Greatly appreciate any help.
I know some people were already helping on another thread but I thought I should officially ask.

 

[drewbles]

Unfortunately most the cheap F fares are 14-21 day advance purchase, so whilst i'm happy to help in looking, your SC earn will not be that great (and LAX is not a great point for runs, there are others but the advance purchase rule again will kill it this close).

 

[shellthom]

Unfortunately most the cheap F fares are 14-21 day advance purchase, so whilst i'm happy to help in looking, your SC earn will not be that great (and LAX is not a great point for runs, there are others but the advance purchase rule again will kill it this close).

Is it still only the 9th in the states? I haven't seen any instant upgrade options in my search only business and first - it is over 14 days away and on the verge of 21 (some days inside it some outside it now) We are happy to leave on the 31st/1st we just have to be there with a decent nights sleep on the 2nd.
If it means we just bounce around the us without seeing anything good thats fine.

I've edited the post as I forget the return dates

 

[drewbles]

Are you happy to spend a few days in a destination or just a pure A to B and back again?

I can get you 630 SC's for a touch under $900, but when you factor in flights for positioning to LAS and then getting back to BOS, you're going to push it up to $1181 (with no SC's extra as the flights to LAS and BOS are in discount economy on AA so you'd be best off crediting them to AA instead).

I could probably get this down a bit with some work, but is that in the ballpark?

Notes though:

- Requires an overnight in the destination (late arrival/early AM departure)
- ~1 hour connection in LAS to get back to BOS

The other option if you're happy to forego a few SC's and enjoy a w/end in the destination, is to head straight back to BOS from there; It'll be cheaper but less SC's.

Options options

 

[shellthom]

Are you happy to spend a few days in a destination or just a pure A to B and back again?

We have to stay in BOS 3-7 June and be back in LA for the flight on the 9th of June (I haven't changed our ticket to that flight yet but I was told it was the first available - if I need to sneak it out to the 10th we can probably get away with that).
Apart from that I am happy to stay and see a place or spend a few days in airport terminals.
If we can get something during those times then its perfect - if there is availability for a run both ways thats great if its better to head straight over and do a run back thats also ok. We don't have any plans apart from needing to go to work for that part of the trip as my partner was only asked to do it yesterday. We haven't booked anything nor has his work, so I want to get this sorted then I will book hotels around it and I will change our flight home after check in for the outbound on monday so my parents aren't disrupted (will have to split into 2 pnr's and thats not idea as they have a domestic leg linked so I will do it after to cause them the least disruption)

 

[shellthom]

Are you happy to spend a few days in a destination or just a pure A to B and back again?

I can get you 630 SC's for a touch under $900, but when you factor in flights for positioning to LAS and then getting back to BOS, you're going to push it up to $1181 (with no SC's extra as the flights to LAS and BOS are in discount economy on AA so you'd be best off crediting them to AA instead).

I could probably get this down a bit with some work, but is that in the ballpark?

Notes though:

- Requires an overnight in the destination (late arrival/early AM departure)
- ~1 hour connection in LAS to get back to BOS

The other option if you're happy to forego a few SC's and enjoy a w/end in the destination, is to head straight back to BOS from there; It'll be cheaper but less SC's.

Options options

Options Options is the part that makes my head explode.
Yes if I need to I can use points for the hotel so we are not out of pocket too much and putting that little bit extra into the flights. I think I said up to $800 for the return flights but I had to say there were options around the $400 mark but then went on a rant about how it couldn't be linked to our existing booking and its better to get us the ones that are a little bit more - the fact that they are paying for my flights as well is a pretty big deal so I just need to be as economical as possibly but we can cut back on a few other expenses as getting that 50k points bonus puts us both in a position for the 126k award flight which we would like. Not to mention the points from the flights.

So to "answer" your questions. Happy to spend time, happy to not, for my partners sake probably better to spend time.

We both have the DSC which I completely forgot about so what ever we are done we may be able to make up but his year ends june 30 (he needs 790) mine doesn't end until oct 30 so I have plenty of time to get there (I need 800). The best I found was 470 so thats already cheaper and much better than my efforts!

I had only been finding 1 ways for about $500+ each and would then need 3 (Cali-caribbean-bos-cali) or an all in which was $1600+ managed to find some $4k options but nothing super great by way of sc's and some things I couldn't connect hence my head exploded and I handed it over to someone else

 

[drewbles]

Double SC's don't apply to AA don't forget

I can get you out of ONT on AA in F to a destination, on May 30 arriving late evening to a destination with a hotel near an airport (that's reasonably priced, then departing on the 31st of May to Boston on 4 segments arriving in late evening on the 31st.

Total Cost: $884.20 (approx) USD plus any booking fee an agent may charge (you can try and book it via AA and it *should* work as a multi destination as it obeys all necessary routings).

Total Netted SC's: 570

Total Cost per SC: ~$1.55

It's not fully optimised, but due to time constraints and the fact you're near ONT and need to get to BOS, this is the quickest I could whip up.

FYI I have screen caps of all flights and costings along with necessary information to book it

*Edit*

I haven't included the BOS-LAX flights, as you're not likely to find anything wonderful there. I'd probably just jump on a VX flight myself (prefer them in Coach to AA) but if you have WP/SG you may as well look at AA. I can try and find something if you like They're likely to be around the $500 mark each though which is not great bang-for-buck.

 

[shellthom]

Double SC's don't apply to AA don't forget

I can get you out of ONT on AA in F to a destination, on May 30 arriving late evening to a destination with a hotel near an airport (that's reasonably priced, then departing on the 31st of May to Boston on 4 segments arriving in late evening on the 31st.

Total Cost: $884.20 (approx) USD plus any booking fee an agent may charge (you can try and book it via AA and it *should* work as a multi destination as it obeys all necessary routings).

Total Netted SC's: 570

Total Cost per SC: ~$1.55

It's not fully optimised, but due to time constraints and the fact you're near ONT and need to get to BOS, this is the quickest I could whip up.

FYI I have screen caps of all flights and costings along with necessary information to book it

*Edit*

I haven't included the BOS-LAX flights, as you're not likely to find anything wonderful there. I'd probably just jump on a VX flight myself (prefer them in Coach to AA) but if you have WP/SG you may as well look at AA. I can try and find something if you like They're likely to be around the $500 mark each though which is not great bang-for-buck.

We don't have to leave from ONT but that is where we will be for the 3 days before. I would prefer to leave on the 30th than before that though as I don't want to ditch my parents halfway through the holiday.
It sounds good. We are both WP and shooting for the Partner Gold limit now that this extension has come up.
The work is in Burlington Boston so if flying to/from the Manchester MA / PVD airport is better we can do that too.
My internet is slowing so I was trying to check if AA flew there but its taking too long to load

 

[shellthom]

Ok so its Boston or Hartford - Hartford is ok if we can be in Boston (drive/bus/train) in time for work and also we can do that same and go to/from LAS if this is going to optimise the options you have for us *

* closest smiley to an exploding head

 

[drewbles]

We don't have to leave from ONT but that is where we will be for the 3 days before. I would prefer to leave on the 30th than before that though as I don't want to ditch my parents halfway through the holiday.
It sounds good. We are both WP and shooting for the Partner Gold limit now that this extension has come up.
The work is in Burlington Boston so if flying to/from the Manchester MA / PVD airport is better we can do that too.
My internet is slowing so I was trying to check if AA flew there but its taking too long to load

The routing I have found is better out of ONT for you than out of LAX. If you leave from LAX, you'll need to get to LAS (most likely in Coach and that'll add $120 or so).

I'd be inclined to route out of ONT (no A/C there though) and then slum it in coach on the way back from BOS.

AA don't fly into PVD that I can see so that rules that one out unfortunately. I can get you into BDL but it's more expensive (by around $350 each) so i'd say BOS is the cheapest (Actually, the routing from destination to BOS is the cheapest of the ones I could find as it only nets 270 SC's total).

If you would like the routings I have found just let me know

 

[drewbles]

I can get you out of LAS on the 1st (as it's a departure just after midnight, so it's either just after midnight on the 31st or the 1st and you said you couldn't depart until the 31st, so I'm assuming for this which is a 0035 departure, it would have to be the first) but that screws up the return to BOS (almost doubles the price and gets you around 3pm on the Monday which is no use).

At this stage, the best I have is what I have put, out of ONT to the destination and then up to BOS getting you in on the 31st.

 

[shellthom]

The routing I have found is better out of ONT for you than out of LAX. If you leave from LAX, you'll need to get to LAS (most likely in Coach and that'll add $120 or so).

I'd be inclined to route out of ONT (no A/C there though) and then slum it in coach on the way back from BOS.

AA don't fly into PVD that I can see so that rules that one out unfortunately. I can get you into BDL but it's more expensive (by around $350 each) so i'd say BOS is the cheapest (Actually, the routing from destination to BOS is the cheapest of the ones I could find as it only nets 270 SC's total).

If you would like the routings I have found just let me know

I would, I am very intrigued as to where you are sending us.
I have to confirm with the credit card holder if we an book them as you have planned as the "quote" we put forward was based on y class and I forgot things like insurance extension (we don't actually need it but I was trying to think of legitimate ways of putting the whole price up) so we may be out of pocket some of this airfare cost plus the cost back to LA - but it we are overnighting in a good destination and still having a day or two non week days to explore Boston I can probably justify it with him. Also given the SC cost is cheaper here than anywhere else and I've already sold him on the "around the world" award idea seems like I should be able to get it across the line (though we did just buy a house)
If you think its the best there is - and well its much better than i found - then its the best option then

 

[shellthom]

I can get you out of LAS on the 1st (as it's a departure just after midnight, so it's either just after midnight on the 31st or the 1st and you said you couldn't depart until the 31st, so I'm assuming for this which is a 0035 departure, it would have to be the first) but that screws up the return to BOS (almost doubles the price and gets you around 3pm on the Monday which is no use).

At this stage, the best I have is what I have put, out of ONT to the destination and then up to BOS getting you in on the 31st.

Ok awesome lets go with that - sorry i am typing slow there is a cat on my arm being needy - and im not even a cat person (I think thats why it loves me so much)

 

[drewbles]

Sure i'll post it in the spirit of good faith

A *very* short stay in SJU. The next day is prohibitively expensive though (as mentioned previously, it's around double).

FYI SC Break Down is as follows:

90 ONT-DFW
60 DFW-MSY
90 MSY-MIA
60 MIA-SJU
300


60 SJU-MIA
90 MIA-IAD
60 IAD-JFK
60 JFK-BOS
270

(flights to and from the Caribbean are F sold as J, so you only get J SC's for the flights to SJU from MIA and vv).

 

[shellthom]

Sure i'll post it in the spirit of good faith

A *very* short stay in SJU. The next day is prohibitively expensive though (as mentioned previously, it's around double).

FYI SC Break Down is as follows:

90 ONT-DFW
60 DFW-MSY
90 MSY-MIA
60 MIA-SJU
300


60 SJU-MIA
90 MIA-IAD
60 IAD-JFK
60 JFK-BOS
270

(flights to and from the Caribbean are F sold as J, so you only get J SC's for the flights to SJU from MIA and vv).

ah the flight out of SJU is leaving before the flight in arrives...

 

[shellthom]

I like the idea of going to/through New Orleans tho (I have been but my partner hasn't let me see if I can get AA to replicate that part of the trip at least)
Travel agent will take too much of my money off me so gotta get online to do it I think...

 

[drewbles]

ah the flight out of SJU is leaving before the flight in arrives...

Damnit too many windows and screen captures

Still very much so available the day before. I'll edit the original post

 

[shellthom]

Damnit too many windows and screen captures

Still very much so available the day before. I'll edit the original post

I booked airfares in Y with AA before i found this forum for the holiday part of the trip. so we have 5 x aa flights and I just can't see how myself or my partner are going to be able to get through it. We have only flown F/J with AA (which was Feb to SJU as well from HNL) so a flight with no ice cream sunday ... I don't think we are in a rush to add more Y on but we might have too
And sweet - I found it / forced it in on AA now just to figure out how to hold the booking until the $$ gets home.

 

[drewbles]

I booked airfares in Y with AA before i found this forum for the holiday part of the trip. so we have 5 x aa flights and I just can't see how myself or my partner are going to be able to get through it. We have only flown F/J with AA (which was Feb to SJU as well from HNL) so a flight with no ice cream sunday ... I don't think we are in a rush to add more Y on but we might have too
And sweet - I found it / forced it in on AA now just to figure out how to hold the booking until the $$ gets home.

Yup they hide the 'put on hold' button in the payment options which is handy.

The ice cream sunday is only on long haul stuff unfortunately! Shame though

I slum it in AA Y on the odd occasion, but I can count the number on two hands (the F/J ones require many many hands heh). Your other option is if you know someone with AA SWU's (system wide upgrades, awarded to AA EXP's) they can upgrade you to F for up to three segments on a single PNR, per SWU. It'll at least get you into F if you can find someone who can help

 

[casanovawa]

Does orbitz.com allow you to put in routings and book them from ITA???