Suggestions needed - YQB - SFO

[zig]

I need some advice about travelling from YQB to SFO in Oct to connect to a JASA to SYD.

As a QFF I want to maximise points by flying OW airlines, and was hoping to try to do a YUP/KUP run to SFO. I haven't flown in this part of the world before so have been reading a lot of past threads on how to do this.

However....., the first problem in this plan seems to be YQB. From what I can see OW does not fly from YQB. Is this correct or am I missing something?

If correct, I was looking at flying YQB to YYZ with a *A airline and missing out on the points, and then starting a run from there.

Am I on the right track, or am I missing an obvious solution / alternative? Thoughts and suggestions welcome

 

[tuapekastar]

Don't know about good value YUP/KUP farees, but you appear correct re OW not serving YQB.

YUL (Montreal) is only ~250kms from YQB so you could maybe fly/rail/road it to YUL, which appears to have a daily AA flight non-stop to DFW (as well as non-stop flights to NYC, MIA and ORD, if you want to go a roundabout route in the tradition of AFF )

 

[trooper]

Have you looked at any prices yet?

My experience with YUPP type fares (*A admittedly) is that cross border fares are much, much higher...

If that is the case for AA as well... might pay to get into the US then pick up a good fare?

 

[serfty]

Don't even think of a first/premium Canada to SFO fare - looking at $3K one way from YUL.

If you can get to Buffalo, NY then for around $1K you can earn 230 SC's.

Not good value really.

How much time do you have.

 

[zig]

Have you looked at any prices yet?

My experience with YUPP type fares (*A admittedly) is that cross border fares are much, much higher...

If that is the case for AA as well... might pay to get into the US then pick up a good fare?

No, I haven't costed anything as yet, I was just trying to sort out a reasonable route to take firstly. Looks like I have under estimated the costs :shock:

 

[zig]

Don't even think of a first/premium Canada to SFO fare - looking at $3K one way from YUL.

If you can get to Buffalo, NY then for around $1K you can earn 230 SC's.

Not good value really.

How much time do you have.

Yikes, at that price it certainly isn't an option for me!

Perhaps rail travel across the border might be an option? I have 3 days, able to leave Quebec on 9th and my JASA to SFO is on the 12th.

 

[trooper]

If that's the case I'd certainly take maestro serfty's advice ... BUF is often a good starting point for these fares (IME anyway)...

I usually fly into YVR via LAX/SFO - then use the BUS service YVR-SEA and fly on from there... Saves quite a bit normally... and leads to interesting conversations with US immigration! :mrgreen:

Q: "when did you last enter the USA?"

A: "Yesterday!"

Q: :shock:

 

[zig]

Thanks, I'll have a look at options out of BUF.

 

[serfty]

You could head to San Diego:

• BUF-(Y)-ORD-(P)-DFW-(P)-SAN for USD425 and earn 200 Sc's
• and:
  • SAN-(N)-LAX-(N)-SFO for USD110 and earn 20 SC's or
  • SAN-(Y)-LAX-(P)-SFO for USD430 and earn 80 SC's.

If you have three days (and the budget) then you could go via SJU:

• BUF-(Y)-ORD-(P)-DFW/MIA-(I)-SJU for USD480 and earn 200 SC's
  
  then​
• SJU-(I)-MIA-(P)-ORD-(P/A)-SFO for USD715 and earn 300 SC's.

 

[zig]

Many thanks for the suggestions Serfty, I'll have a look and play around with some of the routes.

I know it might be blasphemous to say on this site, but although I have 3 days available, I would prefer not to spend all the time flying. I know that will shock and horrify a lot here. I would like to take the opportunity to maximise SCs within reason.

Another question if I can please. When flying a mixed booking with economy and first, how does AA handle luggage allowances? Do you have to pay for additional checked baggage on the economy flights?

 

[serfty]

For luggage, since you are on an international itinerary, even on separate tickets, you should not need to pay for any checked luggage.

Just make sure you have copies of all tickets, especially the transpacific one(s), each time you check in for an AA flight.