The Next Next DONE4 planning thread - The Grand BEHEMOTH

[Dave Noble]

So if you get a 763, you're almost guaranteed these seats.

Actually, not almost guaranteed but is guaranteed; the 763 conversion is complete

If taking the later flight at 13:30 , the single eVIP will upgrade to 1st all the way to London. 762 in 1st on a 3 class service is still likely to be more pleasant than 763 in 1st. 1 eVIP can upgrade up to 3 sectors

Dave

 

[simongr]

Damn - due to easter I now can not add asia to the end of my journey so I may need to do it at the beginning - so looks like a combo of a DAS13 and DONE3.

Time to have another look at the flight plan...

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

Well something like that. As I will now be heading to Asia before the US trip I might explore the US a little more

 

[Dave Noble]

Damn - due to easter I now can not add asia to the end of my journey so I may need to do it at the beginning - so looks like a combo of a DAS13 and DONE3.

Time to have another look at the flight plan...

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

Well something like that. As I will now be heading to Asia before the US trip I might explore the US a little more

I don't understand the issue with a DONE4 ex Australia though. Assuming that you do not need a stopover in Asia at both the beginning and the end of the trips then a SWP-ASIA-NA-EUR-SWP (via ASIA ) would still seem to work

Dave

 

[NM]

I don't understand the issue with a DONE4 ex Australia though. Assuming that you do not need a stopover in Asia at both the beginning and the end of the trips then a SWP-ASIA-NA-EUR-SWP (via ASIA ) would still seem to work

the only reason to need to use a combo Circle Asia and DONE3 is if he needs to stop in Asia both before and after the NA/Europe continents.

 

[Dave Noble]

the only reason to need to use a combo Circle Asia and DONE3 is if he needs to stop in Asia both before and after the NA/Europe continents.

Yah, I think that that was what I said ... Since he said that he needed to move the Asia stuff to the start of the trip rather than the end, it suggested to me that the DONE4 would still be ok

Dave

 

[simongr]

Yes I now most likely need to go to Asia before I go to the USA. I have 4-5 days of work that needs to be done in March in Asia. The US conference dates are fixed for 10-14 March. That means either doing the Asia work in the week of 3-9 March before I go to the US or on my return from the US. It was confirmed yesterday that a number of staff will be off in the week of 17 March and that is only a 4 day week so it is not possible to do the work then. I had only thought about Easter yesterday morning hence the confusion... The final option will be separate trips to Asia and doing the work there in April - just more cost...

 

[simongr]

OK the DONE4 is booked (subject to change due to the potential UK secondment) but I am now wondering whether to switch to CX254 LHR-HKG rather than BA27 due to the change in the BA earning on AA.

I am flying in on BA663 from LCA arriving into T1 at 19:25 (EF shows reliability of 44% and lateness of 38 mins on average).

CX254 departs T3 at 21:50 so I have maybe 90 mins between possible arrival and when I need to be at departures to navigate FCC. Not that fussed on the lounge issue as I will either enjoy the CX F lounge or be running late and miss out - not a big drama.

BA27 departs T1 at 21:55 so plenty of time to get to the lounge and relax.

The considerations are - the CX product - is it really as bad as QF009 makes out? I am only missing out on 5990 AA points - no biggie in the grand scheme of things. If I stick with BA I could even chuck the miles to QF as that would earn 140 SCs and I am only 160 short of SG through 2009...

Any thoughts?

S

 

[serfty]

... The considerations are - the CX product - is it really as bad as QF009 makes out? ...

If you do not try it you may never know. One man's trash can often be another's treasure.

 

[simongr]

True - I do however have new product booked for SYD-HKG-JFK in July with mrssimongr so I will get to sample and maybe HKG-MEL in Feb.

My itinerary is currently:

syd-mel-hkg-nrt-sin-nrt-ord-jfk-lhr-lca-lhr-hkg-syd

But I am now thinking of cutting the hkg-nrt-sin-nrt (basically fly to NRT Friday night, fly to SIN for dinner Saturday then fly SIN-NRT-ORD on the Sunday) as it means I get into NYC late on Sunday.

The new option (still getting me into NYC late Sunday bizarrely) would be:

...hkg-jfk,lga-dfw-lax-jfk-ord-dfw-lga,jfk...

Starting lunctime on Saturday and finishing 9PM on Sunday evening... it would be a mad MR and completely pointless and exhausting but it would be a bif of a laugh...

 

[simongr]

Well I am afraid I going to disappoint a few people - in order to get to NYC a little earlier my trip has been trimmed a little further (availability opened up on a couple of flights).

So now it's just a little:

syd-mel-hkg-tpe-nrt-ord-lga,jfk-lhr-lca-lhr-hkg-syd

I still have some wiggle room if I want to do a mileage run on the sunday and it alleviates some of the problems of multiple hotels without time to do laundry.

 

[Dave Noble]

syd-mel-hkg-tpe-nrt-ord-lga,jfk-lhr-lca-lhr-hkg-syd

Seems like a sane routing to me

Would it not be better to remove the SYD-MEL from the itinerary and just buy a separate cheap oneway ticket for that leg and so leave you with the ability to take 4 sectors in Australia somewhere after you return?

2 nice evip opportunities there

Dave

 

[simongr]

I did think about that - I would probably use QF points to go in J SYD-MEL (I choose not to fly whY) - maybe I will have a little think about that 16,000 points on QF +++ a little cheaper than 35K points syd-hobart-syd (which would be the next desirable domestic flight I would want to take.

I have already eVIPed and I believe it has only cost 1 eVIP. Seats allocated already

 

[Dave Noble]

I did think about that - I would probably use QF points to go in J SYD-MEL (I choose not to fly whY) - maybe I will have a little think about that

I have already eVIPed and I believe it has only cost 1 eVIP. Seats allocated already

A trip to Perth or Cairns or similar thrown in sounds like a good return on 16k points for SYD-MEL flight . Alternatively, if you dont mind a drive, could hire a car and drive to CBR and start with CBR-MEL

I am surprised. I would have expected that NRT-ORD and JFK-LHR would have required the use of 2 eVIPs, but if ya can get it in one , an excellent value eVIP

Dave

 

[drron]

Yes the rule is the Evip is valid for 3 segments and stop overs allowed if the ticketing permits so NRT-ORD-LGA/JFK-LHR is 3 sectors.
I have had the same for NRT-DFW-JFK-LHR needfing only one Evip per person.The only problem with this generous scheme is that almost certainly will have Evips left over.So if people are nice.........

 

[simongr]

It cost me two eVIPs nrt-dfw-jfk-lhr because if you check mileage monkey the route goes like this whereas nrt-ord-lga,jfk-lhr is a little smoother

I really dont understand the rules...

 

[Dave Noble]

Yes the rule is the Evip is valid for 3 segments and stop overs allowed if the ticketing permits so NRT-ORD-LGA/JFK-LHR is 3 sectors.
I have had the same for NRT-DFW-JFK-LHR needfing only one Evip per person.The only problem with this generous scheme is that almost certainly will have Evips left over.So if people are nice.........

I am indeed aware that an eVIP can be used for a maximum of 3 sectors in one direction.

Where there is a break in the eVIP use, then the decision on whether a single eVIP can be used is based on the direction of travel. I am a bit surprised that they would count the NRT-ORD and JFK-LHR as being the same direction since I have seen similar refused before

It is easier when contiguous sectors are being upgraded since , apart from not permitting you to pass through the same airport twice, there are no issues; e.g. NRT-ORD-BOS-LHR from economy to business would be an easy upgrade ( even NRT-JFK-LAX-LHR would be valid )

Dave

 

[drron]

So it looks like the old advice is true-keep ringing back until you get the answer you want.

 

[simongr]

My sequence of events was:

S calls AA ATW desk
S - Hi can I booked a DONE4 please?
AA - Not a problem
S - Cheers... hangs up
S - D'oh - forgot to apply the eVIP

S calls EXP desk
S - Hi can I apply an eVIP to my NRT-ORD flight please?
EXP - Sure - I'll be right back
.
.
.
EXP - That's all done
S - D'oh and can I apply that to the JFK-LHR flight? SOrry, should have mentioned that earlier
EXP - Already done that - do you want to use 2 eVIPs then?
S - Just the one please
EXP - ok that is all done...

Mind you I have not called back to check my eVIP balance - I should have 3 left I think...