Experts - please help maximize AA miles - one world & other options
Dec 17th, 2007, 01:11 PM
#1
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Experts - please help maximize AA miles - one world & other options
Hello all,
I am considering 2 trips in the next few months - 1) STL-EZE, returning GIG-STL and 2) STL-HKG.
I currently have 118k miles on American. I'm trying to figure out my best options to maximize my miles. I've thought of these options, but I thought the experts on here might have some better ideas.
1) Use all miles to get a business class ticket to HKG; pay for South America
2)Buy more miles to get an economy ticket for both trips
3) I thought about using "one world" and read the rules. However, I don't have enough miles to get business class in both. It looks like I'd need 28k miles total for both trips - which would cost me 190k miles.
So I guess I don't have many options. I will probably use the miles for a business class ticket to Hong Kong. I hear Cathay Pacific is nice. I guess I'll just have to deal with econ to S. America. Although I was surprised how expensive tickets were - over $1k!
Just hoping someone had an idea I didn't think of.... Thanks!
I am considering 2 trips in the next few months - 1) STL-EZE, returning GIG-STL and 2) STL-HKG.
I currently have 118k miles on American. I'm trying to figure out my best options to maximize my miles. I've thought of these options, but I thought the experts on here might have some better ideas.
1) Use all miles to get a business class ticket to HKG; pay for South America
2)Buy more miles to get an economy ticket for both trips
3) I thought about using "one world" and read the rules. However, I don't have enough miles to get business class in both. It looks like I'd need 28k miles total for both trips - which would cost me 190k miles.
So I guess I don't have many options. I will probably use the miles for a business class ticket to Hong Kong. I hear Cathay Pacific is nice. I guess I'll just have to deal with econ to S. America. Although I was surprised how expensive tickets were - over $1k!
Just hoping someone had an idea I didn't think of.... Thanks!
Dec 17th, 2007, 01:30 PM
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Last time I checked, AA had a mileage bonus special on. I don't recall the details.
Flights to South America seem to me very costly. It is best to use as many miles as possible, even if you have to ration them to upgrade to business class.
A strategy I have adopted with some success is to find friends for whom my wife and I can buy miles and who will buy miles for us. Even though we had to pay several $k for, e.g. 80,000 miles each, 90,000 miles each bought us $16k round trip business class tickets for DFW-IST.
Flights to South America seem to me very costly. It is best to use as many miles as possible, even if you have to ration them to upgrade to business class.
A strategy I have adopted with some success is to find friends for whom my wife and I can buy miles and who will buy miles for us. Even though we had to pay several $k for, e.g. 80,000 miles each, 90,000 miles each bought us $16k round trip business class tickets for DFW-IST.
Dec 17th, 2007, 01:56 PM
#3
One of the good things about AA OW awards (and there are several, and they're very very good) is that you can do one-way or open-jaw routings with them, provided there's only one OJ in the whole itinerary.
So...
1. Buy 12K AA miles for $300.
2. Not knowing when your dates are, if it's in "the next few months" I can see a one-way price on Mexicana (from ORD - you'd need to get up to Chicago) to EZE for US$497.
3. Then get a OW130C award for GIG-STL-HKG-SEA/YVR, which comes in at under 20K miles, hence the 130K fare. You'd then need a one way trip from SEA or YVR to STL.
Getting business awards on CX longhauls is tough, so your return from Asia would most likely entail routing through Tokyo (for AA or JL.) The reason I would suggest Seattle instead of Vancouver for the terminus is that on OW awards you have to fly on OW metal, and no OW carrier flies across the Pacific into SEA, and no OW member flies north-south on the US Pacific coast outside California. So returning to Seattle would necessitate a port of entry with possible connections to SEA, which would be either JFK, ORD or DFW. If you were routed through ORD or DFW you might "miss" your connecting flight to SEA and get home quicker, if you get my meaning. As Nixon said, "We could do that but it would be wrong."
So...
1. Buy 12K AA miles for $300.
2. Not knowing when your dates are, if it's in "the next few months" I can see a one-way price on Mexicana (from ORD - you'd need to get up to Chicago) to EZE for US$497.
3. Then get a OW130C award for GIG-STL-HKG-SEA/YVR, which comes in at under 20K miles, hence the 130K fare. You'd then need a one way trip from SEA or YVR to STL.
Getting business awards on CX longhauls is tough, so your return from Asia would most likely entail routing through Tokyo (for AA or JL.) The reason I would suggest Seattle instead of Vancouver for the terminus is that on OW awards you have to fly on OW metal, and no OW carrier flies across the Pacific into SEA, and no OW member flies north-south on the US Pacific coast outside California. So returning to Seattle would necessitate a port of entry with possible connections to SEA, which would be either JFK, ORD or DFW. If you were routed through ORD or DFW you might "miss" your connecting flight to SEA and get home quicker, if you get my meaning. As Nixon said, "We could do that but it would be wrong."
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