The Next Next DONE4 planning thread - The Grand BEHEMOTH

[simongr]

Ladies and Gentlemen we have a new challenge. Overnight last night I received confirmation of the date for our annual and semi annual meetings in NYC in March. For a multitude of reasons I do not forsee two paid trips to NYC next year so in order to maintain my exalted status (I do forsee travel but not quite to the nature that I have been doing so OWE is still a preferred status) I am considering a Grand BEHEMOTH.

I have a CirclePacific of about 13500 miles planned for Feb or April. In order to maintain AA EXP I would therefore need around another 53,166 BIS flown to hit the 100K qpoints reuqirement. Now I am thinking perhaps this can be achieved through a little bit of flying mayhem!

I have three data points fixed:

6/7/10 March - New York
11 - 13 March - New York or location near NYC
15-16 March - CYprus (Mother's birthday)

I will take a couple of days of annual leave before/after NYC but the scheduling of this means that I oculd in theory leave Oz on about 1 March, travel that weekend through Asia, get to NYC and spend two days in NYC, spend the weekend MRing around the USA, go back to NYC, do the NYC thing and then come home my normal route of JFK-LHR-LCA-LHR-HKG(or some other location)-SYD.

In terms of maxing this out I am amenable to starting with something like syd-per-adl-mel-hkg.... but that might take out the free domestic trip when I get back.

The only other restrctions are that I can't spend a night in a hotel except in NYC - so lots of long overnighter would be good.

SO I guess thinking about it it is really just the Asia section that needs planning. Any suggestions of good long combinations to max out the miles? I think I will lose the Euro sectors as that will be on the way home and I will be really on my way homew.

I will be on hand luggage only but with less restrictions than on SOB (I wont need to take a suit - just multiple old men's trousers (Chinos)) although just thinking about it - last time I was in NYC in March it was fracking cold...

There is a long way to go still but at least now the planning has started

 

[littl_flier]

Hey Simongr,

Well, this should be a fun challenge. What about:

syd-cns-per-hkg-dps-nrt-sin-nrt-jfk-dfw-lax-bos-dfw-jfk-lhr-lca-lhr-hkg-syd-hba-syd.

This gives 53,739 miles but does use your full 20 segments. I looked at LHR-MCT-LHR but that would be another entry to Middle East/Eastern Europe. Unfortunately the seasonal ANC flights don't seem to have started either.

It also give you two segments for OzFest in Hobart if you desire.

The HKG-DPS-NRT-SIN-NRT flights fit together reasonably well and you could substitute CGK and travel SYD-BNE-PER which would give you 53,110 but just a little short.

Don't forget some of the India CX flights. I think KiwiFlyer tried these out in one of his recent TR's.

 

[simongr]

Thanks for that - I was thinking about that big Asia trip. NRT is a good location to the US as I could eVIP into F

 

[littl_flier]

Thanks for that - I was thinking about that big Asia trip. NRT is a good location to the US as I could eVIP into F

I thought NRT might be nice for AA Simongr, we're all getting to know you too well.

CNS would be a pain so what about: syd-per-hkg-cgk-nrt-sin-nrt-jfk-dfw-bos-dfw-jfk-lax-lhr-lca-lhr-hkg-syd-hba-syd. Mileage is 54,630.

 

[simongr]

Are there any cancellation fees for a ticketed DONE4 that was booked through AA but originating from SYD?

 

[Keith009]

Are there any cancellation fees for a ticketed DONE4 that was booked through AA but originating from SYD?

Doesn't appear so:

Cancellations and Refunds
(1) Prior to departure
(a) Origin TC1
(1) Before ticket issuance - full refund
(2) After ticket issuance - 10 percent of ticketed amount
(b) Origin TC2/3
No penalty

edited to add: and if applicable:

(2) After departure
(a) 10 percent of ticketed amount.
EXCEPTION 1 - Origin SW Pacific - No penalty.
EXCEPTION 2 - Origin Japan JPY 50000 or 10 percent of the ticketed amount whichever is
lower.
(b) For partially used transportation the refund if any will be the difference between the fare
paid and the fare for the transportation used less the penalty amount specified in (a)
above.

 

[simongr]

Hmm - just starting to plan this (whole heap of factors will determine whether this actually happens) and just testing the water on EF and it is D0 on every flight to JFK for 8/9 March - three months out!

Is this normal. ALso seeing D0 on CX110 to HKG. Juts wondering if this is a sign of things to come - are OW restricting D availability?

EDIT

Hmm panic over (slightly) there is plenty of D earlier and later just not the Saturday or Sunday.

S

 

[NM]

Hmm panic over (slightly) there is plenty of D earlier and later just not the Saturday or Sunday.

That is common for the usual busy travel days. And availability does change over time. Its possible to waitlist, and in my experience, high status FF members are likely to have waitlists cleared oif there is still plenty to J available.

 

[simongr]

Thanks - glad you are about, just the person I needed to answer this question:

On a DONE4 you pass through Asia twice - for my next trip I am thinking of doing the following:

bne-syd-nrt-sin-nrt-hkg-nrt-jfk-dfw-lax-jfk-lhr-lca-lhr-hkg-syd

I am thinking of getting a one way award to BNE (perhaps even for the AGM), coming back to SYD then a few weeks later doing the asia mileage run on my way to the SU, followed by a week in the US and then back to asia for a week of work and finally home. Is teh asia thing doable?

 

[NM]

On a DONE4 you pass through Asia twice - for my next trip I am thinking of doing the following:

bne-syd-nrt-sin-nrt-hkg-nrt-jfk-dfw-lax-jfk-lhr-lca-lhr-hkg-syd

I am thinking of getting a one way award to BNE (perhaps even for the AGM), coming back to SYD then a few weeks later doing the asia mileage run on my way to the SU, followed by a week in the US and then back to asia for a week of work and finally home. Is teh asia thing doable?

The restriction is that one of the Asia "visits" must be a transit without stopover between Europe and SW Pacific. So the LHR-HKG-SYD must no involve a stopover.

 

[simongr]

Darn - that means if I want to do work in Asia I must do it on the way to the US. I have about 3/4 days of work - ideally at the end of March but maybe at the beginning...

 

[NM]

you may be able to do something with a DONE3 starting in say Japan, nested inside a DAS13.

 

[simongr]

I think I see - just a shame that due to the POO rules you lose the chance to do max the easy mileage runs nrt-sin-nrt.

DAS13 - syd-nrt-hkg-syd
DONE4 - nrt-hkg-nrt-jfk-dfw-lax-jfk-lhr-lca-lhr-xx_-nrt

I am trying to figure out if somehow I could originate from PVG - thus preserving the potential for NRT-SIN-NRT.

The xx_ means that after my flight back from Cyprus I can fly to any intermediary point before NRT (or NRT directly) and then on to HKG.

The only problem with this is that I would like to have two days in Cyprus but that would mean I wont get to HKG until Tuesday evening which could mean spending the weekend in HKG to make sure everything is finished on time...

I dont make it easy for myself and the whole trip could be off anyway...

 

[NM]

there are other places in Asia to commence a DONE3. I have done this when needing to be in KUL either side of the USA/Europe visits. And not that since there are no prices for DONE3 ex-Australia, you need to go through the hoops of buying the ticket from an agent in the country of origin. You can purchase the ex-Asia DONE3 from QF in Australia if you really want to, and you only pay the published fare for the country of origin (+++ of course).

 

[simongr]

Just trying to think it through at the moment. I have to go to PVG in February as well and trying to see what I can do with that - just need to work out where I need to be and when - and fit all my messing around around that - rather than fitting my work around the messing around

DEL is even being considered...

 

[NM]

... just need to work out where I need to be and when ...

This is generally a good starting poing

DEL is even being considered...

Time for a G&T I think

 

[simongr]

Sadly there is no little chap in the office making that offer.

Part of the problem is that the way the dates work it is a perfect fit to visit my mother on her birthday in Cyprus straight from the US - otherwise I would go syd-sin/bkk-(to see if I could get into - F for the caviar service)-lhr-lca-lhr-jfk-asia-syd.

 

[Keith009]

DAC, MNL are just 2 Asian cities which are cheaper than NRT to originate if you want to circumvent POO rule. You waste segments going to/from those places of course due to lesser intercontinental flights out of them.

Or even KHI...:shock:

 

[simongr]

OK - I have been having a think about this. What I am now thinking is a DAS13 and a DONE3 ex-SIN

Routings:

DAS13 - syd-sin-hkg-nrt-syd
DONE3 - sin-nrt-dfw-jfk-lhr-lca-lhr-sin

I know this is probably quite disappointing for everyone - not much of an adventure there My only tricky situations are getting from SIN-HKG as the flight from LHR to SIN gets to SIN at 18:35 which is too late for the last flight to HKG - so it will have to be a night in SIN and first flight out in the morning.

This will then need me stay the weekend in HKG and fly down to SYD the following Wednesday.

In terms of cost we had budgeted A$14,000 for the US trip and A$4,500 - a total of US$15,895 for the Asia trip. Having looked at the prices ex-SIN for a DONE3 I reckon I can do this for US$11,776+++

Can anyone see any major drams with this?

S

 

[Dave Noble]

Is there a reason for starting the DONE3 ex-SIN rather than ex-NRT given that the price is $9445 vs $6819 . Would seem to be quite easy to do an itinerary that would allow you to visit the same points and save a fair bit

As far as disappointing goes; isn't the aim of the tickets to get you to places where you want to go to? If it does that , then it is a suitable ticket

Is there a reason for doing the 2 tickets rather than just getting a DONE4 since , based on the ex-SIN plus a DAS 13, that would be $9445+$4649 = $14094 plus tax vs $10,499 plus tax for a DONE4 ex AU ?

Dave