The next DONE4 planning thread

[simongr]

Hi again - he's baaaack

OK this morning I got approval from USboss for our European Support Tour - which basically means helping out my equivalent in the UK on a couple of jobs in July. The outline for this trip is as follows:

July 9 work in London for 2 1/2 weeks
July 25 Travel to NY for 1-2 days (could be pushed to July 26 for the Friday in the office)
Travel home in milegae maximising routine but home by Wednesday August 1.
Add a whirlwind tour of Oz for a day sometime in August (SYD-PER-ADL-MEL-SYD)

This time I have advised family that I will not be visiting Cyrpus as I actually want to do this trip for me rather than other people (I have a lot of comics to buy on this trip).

My indicative routing is:

SYD-HKG-SIN-FRA-HEL-LHR,LGW-BGI-JFK-DFW-ANC-DFW-ORD-LAX-HKG-SYD-PER-ADL-MEL-SYD

That is 18 flights and 47,502 miles. I know I could max out the mileage by a mileage run in Europe and I might add that in. My itinerary is below - I havent checked availability as yet (I think the ANC dates might not work so I might need to find an alternative). My main concern about the itinerary is the US Mileage run. Its relatively high risk as I route back through DFW.

I think the Oz whirlwind is ok - (assuming no delays) as I will have just hand luggage.

For the US trip I will have a suit bag and my spinner (four week samsonite case) as that will be filled up with clothes and ruffles when shopping in New York (up to a value of A$900 only of course) so it might be that the ANC run is too high risk. I am not concerned about luggage going walkabout at that point as I will be on my way home so I can wait for anything I need to catch up with me.

Any comments on the below? I am not entirely happy with the ORD-LAX-HKG section as that leaves me a long time at LAX (Although I will be EXP by then ).

This will be my last mile run type trip for a while as after this one I have to book our RTW award flights so wont have the same need to max out miles.

One last major consideration for me is the quality of the lounges between flights - yes I am an absolute snob and if I can get a good lounge I will route somewhere else I guess the big downer here will be the TBIT lounge for CX out of LAX - but I think I might be able to use the TA flagship lounge and just go to TBIT on departure?

Any advice greatly appreicated as ever - I shall return the favour through a decent trip report (I hoe its decent anyway).

S

EDIT

A couple of things I would love to see how I can crow bar into this is - getting New New Club World seats whilst still earning AA mile across the atlantic, pyjamas in QF business class and good points upgrade opportunity to first in QF Not making it too hard for people am I?

Depart: SYD 7:35a 7/07/2007 Terminal: 1
Arrive: HKG 3:00p 7/07/2007
Flight: CX 110 -  Cathay Pacific Airways
330 - Airbus Industrie A330
Operating Carrier: Cathay Pacific Airways
Total Duration: 9 hours 25 minutes

Depart: HKG 4:15p 7/07/2007
Arrive: SIN 8:00p 7/07/2007 Terminal: 1
Flight: CX 711 -  Cathay Pacific Airways
777 - Boeing 777 Passenger
Operating Carrier: Cathay Pacific Airways
Total Duration: 3 hours 45 minutes

Depart: SIN 11:05p 7/07/2007 Terminal: 1
Arrive: FRA 5:50a 8/07/2007 Terminal: 2
Flight: QF 5 -  Qantas Airways
744 - Boeing 747-400 Passenger
Operating Carrier: Qantas Airways
Total Duration: 12 hours 45 minutes

Depart: FRA 10:45a 8/07/2007 Terminal: 2
Arrive: HEL 2:10p 8/07/2007 Terminal: 2
Flight: AY 822 -  Finnair
319 - Airbus Industrie A319
Operating Carrier: Finnair
Total Duration: 2 hours 25 minutes

Depart: HEL 4:00p 8/07/2007 Terminal: 2
Arrive: LHR 5:10p 8/07/2007 Terminal: 1
Flight: AY 833 -  Finnair
321 - Airbus Industrie A321
Operating Carrier: Finnair
Total Duration: 3 hours 10 minutes

Depart: LGW 10:00a 25/07/2007 Terminal: N
Arrive: BGI 1:30p 25/07/2007
Flight: BA 2153 -  British Airways
777 - Boeing 777 Passenger
Operating Carrier: British Airways
Total Duration: 8 hours 30 minutes

Depart: BGI 3:55p 25/07/2007
Arrive: JFK 8:55p 25/07/2007 Terminal: 9
Flight: AA 1384 -  American Airlines
757 - Boeing 757 Passenger
Operating Carrier: American Airlines
Total Duration: 5 hours 0 minutes

Depart: JFK 11:20a 28/07/2007 Terminal: 9
Arrive: DFW 2:00p 28/07/2007
Flight: AA 2011 -  American Airlines
757 - Boeing 757 Passenger
Operating Carrier: American Airlines
Total Duration: 3 hours 40 minutes

Depart: DFW 4:55p 28/07/2007
Arrive: ANC 8:35p 28/07/2007 Terminal: S
Flight: AA 278 -  American Airlines
757 - Boeing 757 Passenger
Operating Carrier: American Airlines
Total Duration: 6 hours 40 minutes

Depart: ANC 10:05p 28/07/2007 Terminal: S
Arrive: DFW 7:20a 29/07/2007
Flight: AA 279 -  American Airlines
757 - Boeing 757 Passenger
Operating Carrier: American Airlines
Total Duration: 6 hours 15 minutes

Depart: DFW 10:10a 29/07/2007 Terminal: A
Arrive: ORD 12:25p 29/07/2007 Terminal: 3
Flight: AA 2336 -  American Airlines
M80 - Boeing (Douglas) MD-80
Operating Carrier: American Airlines
Total Duration: 2 hours 15 minutes

Depart: ORD 12:45p 29/07/2007 Terminal: 3
Arrive: LAX 3:00p 29/07/2007 Terminal: 4
Flight: AA 1323 -  American Airlines
M83 - Boeing (Douglas) MD-83
Operating Carrier: American Airlines
Total Duration: 4 hours 15 minutes

Depart: LAX 11:50p 29/07/2007 Terminal: B
Arrive: HKG 5:25a 31/07/2007
Flight: CX 883 -  Cathay Pacific Airways
744 - Boeing 747-400 Passenger
Operating Carrier: Cathay Pacific Airways
Total Duration: 14 hours 35 minutes

Depart: HKG 9:25a 30/07/2007
Arrive: SYD 8:35p 30/07/2007 Terminal: 1
Flight: QF 188 -  Qantas Airways
333 - Airbus Industrie A330-300
Operating Carrier: Qantas Airways
Total Duration: 9 hours 10 minutes

Depart: SYD 7:10a 18/08/2007 Terminal: 3
Arrive: ADL 8:50a 18/08/2007 Terminal: 1
Flight: QF 735 -  Qantas Airways
73H - Boeing 737-800 (winglets) Passenger
Operating Carrier: Qantas Airways
Total Duration: 2 hours 10 minutes

Depart: ADL 11:05a 18/08/2007 Terminal: 1
Arrive: PER 12:50p 18/08/2007 Terminal: 2
Flight: QF 587 -  Qantas Airways
73H - Boeing 737-800 (winglets) Passenger
Operating Carrier: Qantas Airways
Total Duration: 3 hours 15 minutes

Depart: PER 1:30p 18/08/2007 Terminal: 2
Arrive: MEL 7:00p 18/08/2007 Terminal: 1
Flight: QF 476 -  Qantas Airways
763 - Boeing 767-300 Passenger
Operating Carrier: Qantas Airways
Total Duration: 3 hours 30 minutes

Depart: MEL 8:30p 18/08/2007 Terminal: 1
Arrive: SYD 9:50p 18/08/2007 Terminal: 3
Flight: QF 492 -  Qantas Airways
763 - Boeing 767-300 Passenger
Operating Carrier: Qantas Airways
Total Duration: 1 hours 20 minutes

 

[serfty]

Sqeeze another ~3000 Qpoints / ~4000 AAdvantage miles by going:

LGW-BGI-JFK-DFW-ANC-DFW-LAX-JFK-HKG.

29/07/2007 Through 31/07/2007
------------------------------------------------------------
Depart: ANC - Anchorage, United States (Anchorage)
Arrive: DFW - Dallas, United States (Dallas/Ft. Worth)

Leg 1:
Depart: ANC 10:05p 29/07/2007 Terminal: S
Arrive: DFW 7:20a 30/07/2007
Flight: AA 279 - American Airlines
757 - Boeing 757 Passenger
Operating Carrier: American Airlines
Total Duration: 6 hours 15 minutes

------------------------------------------------------------

Depart: DFW - Dallas, United States (Dallas/Ft. Worth)
Arrive: LAX - Los Angeles, United States (Los Angeles)

Leg 1:
Depart: DFW 9:10a 29/07/2007 Terminal: C
Arrive: LAX 10:15a 29/07/2007 Terminal: 4
Flight: AA 2409 - American Airlines
738 - Boeing 737-800 Passenger
Operating Carrier: American Airlines
Total Duration: 3 hours 5 minutes

------------------------------------------------------------
Depart: LAX - Los Angeles, United States (Los Angeles)
Arrive: JFK - New York, United States (John F. Kennedy)

Leg 1:
Depart: LAX 12:00p 29/07/2007 Terminal: 4
Arrive: JFK 8:35p 29/07/2007 Terminal: 9
Flight: AA 4 - American Airlines
762 - Boeing 767-200 Passenger
Operating Carrier: American Airlines
Total Duration: 5 hours 35 minutes

------------------------------------------------------------
Depart: JFK - New York, United States (John F. Kennedy)
Arrive: HKG - Hong Kong, Hong Kong (Hong Kong)

Leg 1:
Depart: JFK 11:00p 29/07/2007 Terminal: 3
Arrive: HKG 6:55a 31/07/2007
Flight: CX 889 - Cathay Pacific Airways
744 - Boeing 747-400 Passenger
Operating Carrier: Cathay Pacific Airways
Total Duration: 19 hours 55 minutes

 

[Mwenenzi]

ADL-Alice Springs - SYD will get more miles than ADL-MEL-SYD. PER-CBR is not in the restriced list

 

[simongr]

Sqeeze another ~3000 Qpoints / ~4000 AAdvantage miles by going:

LGW-BGI-JFK-DFW-ANC-DFW-LAX-JFK-HKG.

Doesnt that present the same risk still with luggage that I might have to collect it at DFW and recheck it?

 

[simongr]

ADL-Alice Springs - SYD will get more miles than ADL-MEL-SYD. PER-CBR is not in the restriced list

Thanks - I will investigate to make sure it can be done in a day - I will link my other posts/thread on that later - basically the idea is to fly around Oz for max miles in a single day - leaving early morning and home that same night .

 

[serfty]

Doesnt that present the same risk still with luggage that I might have to collect it at DFW and recheck it?

Not sure; last year I went ANC-DFW-JFK-HKG, but no checked luggage.

If necessary, you should easily be able to check yourself and luggage ANC-DFW-LAX and then recheck LAX-JFK-HKG .

 

[SeaWolf]

Ok, I'm a bit of a n00b when it comes to the XONEX tickets, so I'm going to ask a (probably) obvious question.

Work is going to pay for this, is it really cheaper to for them to get a DONE4 ticket for you than for you just to fly directly between the cities (London, New York) that you actually need to go to?

And won't it be a massive pain dodging about all these airports to get to your destination?

I guess I'm curious as to how/why your work is allowing all this mileage chasing. I don't generally travel for work, so it all seems a bit weird to me.

 

[serfty]

Business Class:

DONE4 base price ex OZ is $9499;

J SYD-LHR return base price is $13,068. (JRT)

J SYD-JFK return base price is $16,122. (J2RT)


First Class:

AONE4 base price ex Oz is $13,669;

F SYD-LHR return base price is $17,637 (JRT)

F SYD-JFK return base price is $20,345 (F2B)

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

The other major factor is time. It seems simongr has approval to spend a few days getting back to SYD from NYC.

 

[Keith009]

Would DFW-SFO-JFK-HKG be better than LAX?
LAX-JFK is all 3 class - you get booked into D. But there are some 2 class SFO-JFK AA planes - you get booked into A.
Slightly more award miles.

 

[Mwenenzi]

2 stop overs in Oz.

Thanks - I will investigate to make sure it can be done in a day - I will link my other posts/thread on that later - basically the idea is to fly around Oz for max miles in a single day - leaving early morning and home that same night .

You are allowed 2 stop overs in Oz. The first would be SYD. Then go somewhere for a weekend or what ever for the 2nd.

 

[SeaWolf]

Yow! I wouldn't have figured the price of the single tickets would be almost the same as the DONE4. It really doesn't make much sense.
Guess it's or great benefit to those who do make International business travel though.

 

[simongr]

Ok, I'm a bit of a n00b when it comes to the XONEX tickets, so I'm going to ask a (probably) obvious question.

Work is going to pay for this, is it really cheaper to for them to get a DONE4 ticket for you than for you just to fly directly between the cities (London, New York) that you actually need to go to?

And won't it be a massive pain dodging about all these airports to get to your destination?

I guess I'm curious as to how/why your work is allowing all this mileage chasing. I don't generally travel for work, so it all seems a bit weird to me.

Its a fair question. - and answered almost by Kiwiflyer and Serfty. First up my boss asks me to do unreasonable travel at short notice often and more time away from home than we originally agreed. Also I have a reasonable amount of goodwill with my boss for a number of reasons. Most of the "excess" travel is on my own time (some booked as a day off here and there or as "time in lieu" for the fact that I travel at the weekends (upcoming Asia trip was originally shceduled on my birthday on a Sunday) - so its what is reasonable.

Cost as serfty points out is a big factor - I am saving him a lot of money on this trip.

Also for context my boss asked me to go to the US with basically 24 hours notice last summer, worked 15 hour days 7 days a week, then unexpectedly went to the UK for a job for another 2 weeks - none of this was in the plan. During the first job when I found out that I was going to the UK I said my mum might fly from Cyprus to see me - he offered to pay for that as a thank you for the work we had been doing - he is a nice guy who gets a lot of loyalty from me for what he does.

S

 

[simongr]

Re: 2 stop overs in Oz.

You are allowed 2 stop overs in Oz. The first would be SYD. Then go somewhere for a weekend or what ever for the 2nd.

Thanks - problem is that it means more time way from home which isnt popular with mrssimongr so the plan is for a neat it mileage run

 

[serfty]

Would DFW-SFO-JFK-HKG be better than LAX?
LAX-JFK is all 3 class - you get booked into D. But there are some 2 class SFO-JFK AA planes - you get booked into A.
Slightly more award miles.

Unlike QFF, A & D are no different for AA Qpoint earning.

 

[garyjohn951]

RTW are a lot cheaper than point to point.
Last year had to go to Washington DC, went via Asia, UK and back home via NY and LA but has 6 segments in the West Indies, all for the 9500+ price compared to Melb-Lax - Washington quote of 12000+.
While it wasn't the mileage run that many do on here, it saves money.

 

[Keith009]

Unlike QFF, A & D are no different for AA Qpoint/Mile earning.

A gets slightly more award miles. 50% bonus for A, 25% for D.
The time spent detouring via SFO is around the same as detouring via LAX anyway, so might as well.

 

[serfty]

A gets slightly more award miles. 50% bonus for A, 25% for D.

Yep, I was incorrect!

I was concerning myself far more with status; where there IS no difference.

 

[Keith009]

I was concerning myself far more with status; where there IS no difference.

Yeah that's the annoying bit about AAdvantage. Great value if you're on BA T class fares though.

 

[Skyring]

A gets slightly more award miles. 50% bonus for A, 25% for D.
The time spent detouring via SFO is around the same as detouring via LAX anyway, so might as well.

SFO is a nicer place than LAX, anyway.

The LAX WF/AA First lounge in T4 has no computers and only expensive wifi (well, expensive for the half hour's use I got on Monday as QF 108 refueled - if you were there for a day it would be OK). Not sure what SFO has got.

If you are beginning a DONE4 from SYD, doesn't the trip stop once you return to point of origin, thereby ruling out a separate day-tour of Oz?