AA Yup Fares

[Chucksta]

Are AA YUP Fares still cost effective for SC runs?

I had a look and BOS-DFW-LAX-DFW-BOS was showing as $1500USD and would earn 480SC if QFF credited the SC as First.

Are you meant to look for YUP fares return or one way?

I selected "First with restrictions" and sort by price.

However, the AA booking engine only seems to accept AA FF number and not a QFF number?

Is it advisable not to check in bags when doing a YUP fare??

thanks

Chucksta

 

[Febs]

They were a pretty cost-effective way to earn SC's when I did a whole bunch in December...presume nothing's changed. Cost-effective and very stressful, however. Never plan a YUP/KUP run in winter.

From another thread:

After my experiences doing this, I don't think I could ever do a YUP run simply for the sake of earning SCs. Simply too unpredictable, ESPECIALLY in Winter.

As an example:

Trip 1:
A planned YYZ-ORD-DFW-MEM in A (120 SCs)

Turned out to be YYZ-ORD-MEM in Y (40 SCs) due to unavailability of ORD-DFW that day.

...but then turned out to be YYZ-BOS-DFW-MEM in a mix of Y and A, which ended up being the planned 120 SCs anyway.

Trip 2:
A planned MCI-DFW-LAX in A (180 SCs)

Became MCI-LAX on Midwest airlines in Y (no SCs)

...but then became MCI-DFW-LAX (for 3 of us) and MCI-DFW-BUR (for the other 2) in A (back to 180 SCs), albeit the next day.

So it all worked out for us in the end, but was pretty stressful at the time (moreso not knowing if we'd be home in time for Christmas! :shock. I'd already made WP and was only going for PG, but a colleague was gunning for WP and needed every one of those SCs. Lucky.

YMMV, but that's my experience with AA's YUP's.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[Chucksta]

You mean even if you hold a confirmed YUP fare AA can bump you to another carrier??

 

[Shano]

Compared to what you pay here in terms of $/SC they can still be pretty good value.

Not really advisable to have checked luggage for a SC run.

You will need to ring IndiAA to have your QFF number inserted in the booking.

 

[Febs]

You mean even if you hold a confirmed YUP fare AA can bump you to another carrier??

We were given the option - wait until the following day and take the MCI-DFW-LAX option in AA First, or leave that night on the direct Midwest MCI-LAX flight. Only two of us were keen on the SC's, so majority ruled.

Then the Midwest flight got cancelled so we were back to the MCI-DFW-LAX anyway.

Potentially not getting home in time for Christmas kinda makes you re-think how important those SC's are anyway.

...but I guess my main point was - AA are well within their rights to bump you to Economy if your flight changes.

Cheers,
- Febs.

 

[serfty]

LAX is your problem with that fare!

1st rule is to avoid "major" AA ports/hubs as end points in the booking. 2nd is to look where AA may have significant competition.

Due to lack of fuel fines, the fare are continuing to increase with the USD fuel price.

eg. Currently, SFO-TPA-sfo can earn 540 SC's for USD1060 if booked online - possible more SC's with a helpful TA.

 

[turtlemichael]

Serfty, can you share the secret of how you are finding those "rewarding" fares? Trial and error on aa.com?

 

[serfty]

Serfty, can you share the secret of how you are finding those "rewarding" fares? Trial and error on aa.com?

Sort of; I look on farecompare and note the less expensive destinations and then look for fares ex those ports.

(e.g. Farecompare YUPS ex ATL)

As for that one, it was pure @rse - I happened to be looking for a friend ...