Research & book AA "Non-refundable "/"Instant Upgrade"/"YUPP" fare to maximise SC's

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

I am just about to book a run @ USD$1500.10 for 1140SC which is the cheapest I can find. As per my previous posts, I will be short for Platinum at my anniversary date of 31 March 2014.

If I book it so my run starts on 30 March, I have calculated that I will have hit 1460SC on the 31 March with a balance for next membership year of 600 SC accrued on the flights from 1 April onwards. Is this cutting it too fine or am I tempting fate that the points will credit correctly?

The AA booking engine throws up the following warning when I change from AA Advantage to QFF:

Adding your frequent flyer number from another airline is not a guarantee you will earn miles. Each program has certain terms and conditions that apply to earning miles. For details, contact the frequent flyer program of the airline selected.

Am I correct in assuming this is a standard warning and just ignore it? Also, does anyone have any suggestions for the best positioning flight/s to/from HNL other than Qantas?

I generally wouldn't cut it that fine but just make sure you double check the SC earn for the flights flown up to & incl 31 Mar so you don't fall short of 1,400. IME AA flights can credit anywhere from 24-72 hours after travel.

Are you doing positioning flights to HNL one way or are you coming back the same way also?

I've done one JASA SYD/HNL & 2 HNL/SYD for 72K points plus approx AUD450.00 fees/taxes/charges - not too bad given points & SC earned.

If JASA's are abolished after their review there is no way I will be booking a Classic Award to travel on QF & still paying hundreds of dollars in fees for nil points/SC in return.

One way commercial fares on QF or HA are way too pricey due to the fare structure so I'd only consider buying a ticket with them if it was a return.

If you have points to burn with VA it will cost you 32,500 Velocity points plus about $35.00 in taxes one way but you need to book it over the phone.

I booked one a couple of days ago HNL/BNE having first checked Expert Flyer for 'T' class availability. Got straight through (O/S call centre) & booking completed in 12 mins & itinerary dispatched immediately.

If you have points to burn on QF, rather than pay 36,000 plus $350.00 taxes (10 X what VA charge), buy a one way fare Aust/Nadi for $250.00-$300.00 then do a Partner Award on FJ NAN/HNL for 25,000 points plus approx $100.00 taxes

Ex HNL to NAN it's 25K points plus $2.50 taxes & again just buy a fare Nadi to Aust.

Let us know what you end up doing.

 

[Limewood]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

I
If you have points to burn on QF, rather than pay 36,000 plus $350.00 taxes (10 X what VA charge), buy a one way fare Aust/Nadi for $250.00-$300.00 then do a Partner Award on FJ NAN/HNL for 25,000 points plus approx $100.00 taxes

Ex HNL to NAN it's 25K points plus $2.50 taxes & again just buy a fare Nadi to Aust.

Surely not in J.

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

Surely not in J.

Negative. 25K for whY & 50K for J but taxes are the same though. You also need to ask yourself if you could fo a 7 hour flight on a 737 although HNL/NAN is a day flight but NAN/HNL is overnight.

Btw 32.5K on HA was whY as was QF 36K.

Limewood in your case you could do a JASA CNS/SYD/AKL to position, stay overnight at the airport & take NZ AKL/HNL which is a day flight, has affordable one way fare structure eh $500.00ish one way in why or $1,800.00 for J but it's a 767 though.

 

[drewbles]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

Interestingly enough, my FF statement from QFF this month says O and Q class fares on AA are now eligible for earn with QFF with a 25% bonus.

A few bonus SC's a year for me (very few as most my AA travel is in F).

 

[Limewood]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

.

Limewood in your case you could do a JASA CNS/SYD/AKL to position, stay overnight at the airport & take NZ AKL/HNL which is a day flight, has affordable one way fare structure eh $500.00ish one way in why or $1,800.00 for J but it's a 767 though.

On 2 occasions I've done CNS/SYD/HNL return for about 72K points and think around $500 in Y, on the 767 found seats 35 A/B & J/K so roomy between us and seat in front, paid extra $90 each way for this second row exit seat. Stayed overnight at Sydney Airport Hotel and also visited family who live just 10K's from there so all worked well.

But i do like your thinking on this as we are currently looking at HNL for 2nd Q next year.

 

[will2rob]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

This is weird, my post #76 earlier today was in response to the thread "A Platinum Flight for $1400" but somehow linked to this thread instead. Mods, I don't know whether you can shift that post and the replies to the proper thread so as not to derail this one.

 

[serfty]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

This is weird, my post #76 earlier today was in response to the thread "A Platinum Flight for $1400" but somehow linked to this thread instead. Mods, I don't know whether you can shift that post and the replies to the proper thread so as not to derail this one.

Those posts were moved here because discussion was more on how to book rather than the intrinsic of the high SC earning routings.

 

[will2rob]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

I generally wouldn't cut it that fine but just make sure you double check the SC earn for the flights flown up to & incl 31 Mar so you don't fall short of 1,400. IME AA flights can credit anywhere from 24-72 hours after travel.

Are you doing positioning flights to HNL one way or are you coming back the same way also?

I've done one JASA SYD/HNL & 2 HNL/SYD for 72K points plus approx AUD450.00 fees/taxes/charges - not too bad given points & SC earned.

If JASA's are abolished after their review there is no way I will be booking a Classic Award to travel on QF & still paying hundreds of dollars in fees for nil points/SC in return.

One way commercial fares on QF or HA are way too pricey due to the fare structure so I'd only consider buying a ticket with them if it was a return.

If you have points to burn with VA it will cost you 32,500 Velocity points plus about $35.00 in taxes one way but you need to book it over the phone.

I booked one a couple of days ago HNL/BNE having first checked Expert Flyer for 'T' class availability. Got straight through (O/S call centre) & booking completed in 12 mins & itinerary dispatched immediately.

If you have points to burn on QF, rather than pay 36,000 plus $350.00 taxes (10 X what VA charge), buy a one way fare Aust/Nadi for $250.00-$300.00 then do a Partner Award on FJ NAN/HNL for 25,000 points plus approx $100.00 taxes

Ex HNL to NAN it's 25K points plus $2.50 taxes & again just buy a fare Nadi to Aust.

Let us know what you end up doing.

Still playing with dates so I haven't made any final decisions yet. My daughter's birthday is 12 April and my wedding anniversary is 11 April so I have to be home for those dates.

I have found a routing which is a bit more expensive (USD$1795.52) which I calculate at 1260 SC as opposed to 1140 SC for USD $1510. I am a little unsure as one flight is shown as "American Airlines operated by Alaskan Air" as the carrier but no flight miles are shown in the flight mile column next to that flight. Does that mean that the flight would accrue no SC?

I would gladly burn 72k points/$450 on a JASA SYD to HNL and return but I cannot find a classic award in J for either March or April to book as an JASA. I haven't looked ether side of those months because it then changes the price of the AA status run quite considerably.

I will look at the suggestion of kicking of from NAN. If I do it as a JASA NAN-HNL, that's another 200SC return for 100k points. I accrue points pretty quickly, so should have enough points in a couple of weeks. However, if I leave my run until April and combine a JASA NAN-HNL and return with the longer status run, I will accrue a minimum of 1460 SC plus whatever my flights to and from NAN earn, depending on whether I fly in Y or not on that leg.

 

[will2rob]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

Those posts were moved here because discussion was more on how to book rather than the intrinsic of the high SC earning routings.

No worries, I thought I had stuffed something up somehow.

 

[anat0l]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

If you go to the Caribbean (SJU, AUA) as an Australian with Australian passport on a run, this means you exit the US but then re-enter it.

Is it necessary to update your ESTA every time you are about to enter the USA again? If so, something to keep in mind to find internet somewhere before boarding the flight back to MIA (typically).

 

[Hvr]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

<snip>
I have found a routing which is a bit more expensive (USD$1795.52) which I calculate at 1260 SC as opposed to 1140 SC for USD $1510. I am a little unsure as one flight is shown as "American Airlines operated by Alaskan Air" as the carrier but no flight miles are shown in the flight mile column next to that flight. Does that mean that the flight would accrue no SC?

AA first class operated by AS is good for SCs if it is A, F or P class.

If you go to the Caribbean (SJU, AUA) as an Australian with Australian passport on a run, this means you exit the US but then re-enter it.

Is it necessary to update your ESTA every time you are about to enter the USA again? If so, something to keep in mind to find internet somewhere before boarding the flight back to MIA (typically).

Going to/from SJU is treated like a domestic US flight. No passport/customs control at all.

 

[will2rob]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

AA first class operated by AS is good for SCs if it is A, F or P class.



No worries then, the Alaskan Airways flights book into A class.

 

[serfty]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

AA first class operated by AS is good for SCs if it is A, F or P class.
....

All AA flight numbers earn as for AA metal, irrespective of the operating carrier.

 

[penegal]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

The flights should be applied in the membership year in which they were taken.

In the past I had a partner flight in June which did not credit at all. I waited and did a retrospective claim and the SCs had a logo next to them to indicate that they were valid for the previous membership year. (The result for me was that SCs only "counted" towards lifetime, but the ~8k points were still good obviously). In your case I am not sure how this would work for a status upgrade, but theoretically they should manually adjust it to WP if the system doesn't do it for them.

Of course, if the flights all credit when they should, this argument is purely academic.

 

[penegal]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

If you go to the Caribbean (SJU, AUA) as an Australian with Australian passport on a run, this means you exit the US but then re-enter it.

Is it necessary to update your ESTA every time you are about to enter the USA again? If so, something to keep in mind to find internet somewhere before boarding the flight back to MIA (typically).

SJU is a US territory, therefore NO passport checks required at either end (hence the attractiveness of SJU as a MR destination).

Most (all?) other Caribbean and South American destinations are International, so you leave the US (no checks), enter country X (immigration/customs), and then enter the US again (immigration/customs). As such longer connections in MIA are advised on these tickets.


It is NOT necessary to update your ESTA every time you come and go from the USA. The fine print on the website says this is an optional requirement. You just put the first flight that touches the US, and forget about it for 2 years.

NB: I also recommend you carry a printed copy of the ESTA confirmation as some Caribbean and South American airports will ask you to prove that you have the right to enter the US. An Australian passport and valid ESTA is adequate for this purpose.

 

[will2rob]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

Bugger, looks like I might have missed the boat by a day and AA is following Qantas in enhancing their booking system. I had found a number of suitable fares over the last week or so between USD$1500 and $1800 netting between 1140Sc and 1260SC. Tonight I went to book and all the fares I had identified have gone up around USD$1200 on average overnight, no matter what dates or routes I tried. I had kept printouts of the flights I identified so there was no question I was inputting the same dates and routings. Expert flyer is showing awards seat available on all the flights I looked at.

 

[bigal98]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

Hi Guys

Hope that someone is still following this thread

Quick question - I need to make a one way flight from NYC - LA on 7th Jan 2014.

Is there any tips that can make it worth my wile in regards to status credits??

First inquiries show a one way business ticket at around 2K .

 

[CaviAck]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

Hi Guys

Hope that someone is still following this thread

Quick question - I need to make a one way flight from NYC - LA on 7th Jan 2014.

Is there any tips that can make it worth my wile in regards to status credits??

First inquiries show a one way business ticket at around 2K .

Have you tried looking at NYC to sin city via LAX? Unless you've got checked baggage...

 

[gogo419]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

Have you tried looking at NYC to sin city via LAX? Unless you've got checked baggage...

Multicity via SJU from LGA for $1,000ish. In business and higher

 

[serfty]

Re: A Platinum Flight for $1400

Maybe ex PHL - get from NYC to PHL by train...