Help with yup flights

[Maca44]

I have an award tix booked on 16AUG10 from SYD-LAX-ORD and then a return award tix booked for 8SEP10 from SFO-SYD. I need to get from Chicago (ORD) to Detroit (DTW) after arriving into ORD, then to Seattle (SEA) on 21AUG10 and back to SFO on 8SEP.

I arrive into ORD at 6.30pm, and AA site shows flights with Y seats only on the ORD-DTW leg with those aircraft being CR7 or ER4. On the 21AUG there is no rush to get to SEA and only have a 2hr drive after arrival, and also no rush on the day I have to get from SEA to SFO on the 08SEP for my flight back to SYD.

As the only AA flight after 6.40pm on 16AUG departs at 9.55pm I don't have much option there, but have looked at more or less direct flights DTW-ORD-SEA and also DTW-DFW-SEA, and then SEA-SFO with the latter two pricing out at about US$1383.00 (DTW-DFW-SEA flights are both MD80). Can the experts out there offer any further suggestions without going overboard on costings. Thanks in advance.

 

[serfty]

You can get SEA-(AA/AS*)-LAX-(AA)-SFO on Sep 8 in fully refundable First Class for USD345 all up (earns 150 SC's).

Don't go to SEA via ORD; DTW-ORD-SEA and DTW-DFW-SEA both cost USD995 all up. Via ORD earns 20 (Y) + 120 (P) = 140 SC's; via DFW earns 90 (P) + 120 (P) = 210 SC's.

So that's USD1340 for 370 SC's. If you do the lot on a Multi booking the cost reduces a little to USD1332.


*(AA/AS) means AA codeshare on AS metal.

 

[Maca44]

Serfty, looking at the following routes, but can you point me to the website that shows the status points you earn for YUPs.

ORD (41°58'51"N 87°54'24"W)DTW (42°12'45"N 83°21'12"W)84° (E)235 mi
DTW (42°12'45"N 83°21'12"W)DFW (32°53'49"N 97°02'17"W)233° (SW)986 mi
DFW (32°53'49"N 97°02'17"W)SFO (37°37'08"N 122°22'30"W)289° (W)1464 mi
SFO (37°37'08"N 122°22'30"W)SEA (47°27'00"N 122°18'42"W)0° (N)679 mi
SEA (47°27'00"N 122°18'42"W)LAX (33°56'33"N 118°24'26"W)166° (S)954 mi
LAX (33°56'33"N 118°24'26"W)SFO (37°37'08"N 122°22'30"W)319° (NW)337
miTotal:4655 mi

 

[Mal]

Serfty, looking at the following routes, but can you point me to the website that shows the status points you earn for YUPs.

You can calculate it manually using the results from the "Great Circle Mapper" (which you already have) and "Qantas Points Table" for First (Frequent Flyer - About the Program - Status Credits )

Or, use "Mileage Monkey" MileageMonkey 0.95022 , ensure "Earning Preference" is set to Qantas (the default), plug your itinerary into the "Oneworld Explorer Validator", tick the checkbox for "ignore errors", "go!", and when it refreshes - ignoring the "errors detected" bit, scroll down to the bottom. Read the sc figure from the column for First.

 

[serfty]

Also look at the Qantas Frequent Flyer "Airline Earning Table".

You need to match the Marketing Carrier (from the flight number) with the Booking Class each segment is booked into.

With AA codeshares on AS metal, AA is "the Marketing Carrier" so you look at "American Airlines® (AA)", not "Alaska Airlines (AS)"

Those AA codeshares tend to book into F, the AA instant upgrade flights on AA metal, say DFW-SEa tend to book into P.

Make sure you check the booking class for each segment before going ahead.

 

[Danger]

Can somebody remind me please. Is the AA fare basis of KUP7CR going to earn first SCs with QF? More importantly, what's the breakdown of the six characters? K is a full economy fare on AA in terms of QFF points earning but P is first. Does it literally mean a K fare automatically upgraded to a P fare?

 

[serfty]

It almost solely depends upon the booking class of each sector you fly.

I have seen A, P, I, Y, N & Q classes offered for segments on Y/KUP type fares.

Book into A or P on AA flight numbers and you'll get First Class credit.

I will give Business class, Y earns Economy with N and Q earning Discount Economy.

 

[Danger]

Serfty, but how do you know which class each flight books into? Do you need to call AA? For each of the sectors I'm looking at it shows KUP7CR.

 

[NM]

Most of the KUP/YUP etc "instance Upgrade" fares note in the fare rules that they only book into the premium cabin (First or Business as serfty states) if there is availability in certain classes (A, P, I etc). Otherwise they book into K or Y economy cabin. Its the class that you book into (A, P, I, Y, K etc) that determines the status credits earned, not the actual fare basis code.

 

[Danger]

NM, how do I know what fare class a flight books into?

 

[serfty]

Serfty, but how do you know which class each flight books into? Do you need to call AA? For each of the sectors I'm looking at it shows KUP7CR.

AA.com does indeed show the booking class, segment by segment before you get to the page where the fare type shows.

It used to show this for all booking methods, but now only appears to do so for "Price & Schedule" style booking.

e.g. Here's a shot:

 

[Danger]

Yes, I think that's a small issue, serfty. If you search using 'multi city' and then 'first class with restrictions' it doesn't show the fare class as it does when searching by price and schedule.

 

[drewbles]

Yes, I think that's a small issue, serfty. If you search using 'multi city' and then 'first class with restrictions' it doesn't show the fare class as it does when searching by price and schedule.

It should do, you just need to expand the flight options.

Have you tried a dummy booking? At the payment screen it should show you the fare classes for each segment.

 

[Danger]

Drewbles, no luck I'm afraid. Presumably because I'm searching for first class fares with restriction it does not show the fare class as it does when searching for economy fares. Also, it does not give an option to expand nor any class information at the payment page. The only thing I can get is KUP7CR when I click on the fare rules. According to AA in Brisbane, this means it's K class rules but P booking class. This is particularly interesting as this code (KUP7CR) is the same for all four flights I'm looking at, yet the first flight specifically states it's business class only. The last thing I want is to spend hundreds of dollars then end up with economy SCs.

 

[Danger]

Drewbles, my apologies. It seems I was one step back from where you were talking about. I entered my details to advance to the payment screen and the 'Cabin booking code' was displayed for each of the flights: I, A, A, P. So it's all good. Thank you.

 

[drewbles]

Drewbles, my apologies. It seems I was one step back from where you were talking about. I entered my details to advance to the payment screen and the 'Cabin booking code' was displayed for each of the flights: I, A, A, P. So it's all good. Thank you.

no problems. The AA website can be confusing at best, especially in the hunt for good YUP/KUP fares. Glad you found what you needed