Bttc

I'm looking at:

MSN-ORD-TXL-JFK-LHR-DFW|OPENJAW|ORD-NRT-ORD-TXL-FRA-TXL-ORD-MSN

It's sadly just over the 35,000 level, but it's really otherwise perfect--and I'm willing to sacrifice 30K miles to make everything go to ORD, rather than have less convenient routing elsewhere. I think I can get all of it in J except maybe one of the TATLs (plus the MSN-ORD segments, since they're ERJs)

Question: How much of a hassle are agents going to give me about having two connections, a stopover, and a departing open jaw out of ORD? From some of the other comments in here, it sounds like it can be a real headache.

Austinrunner

Call AA and see what happens.

TheBOSman

I agree with Austinrunner, call and try. Be prepared to have to politely thank an agent who may tell you that you can't do that, and then hang up and call back. If that happens, try to get as much of the award on hold as you can before calling back.

Also, if you are over the 35k already anyway, would it be helpful for you to go DFW-MKE before OJing to ORD? Just a thought to maybe save you a few bucks .

Bttc

This makes sense--if I put some of the segments on hold, rather than starting from scratch, that should make it easier.

I thought about MKE, since it would be a shorter distance, but if I do DFW, I can get a direct flight back to MSN with Avios (MSN only has flights to ORD and DFW).

ChurchofTee

I have finally got my agenda together for my first explorer award. Routing is:

DFW-LAX (AA)
LAX-NRT JL (stop)
NRT-BKK JL (stop)
BKK-KUL-HKT MH (stop)
HKT-KUL-CMB MH (stop)
onwards to MLE & return back to CMB out of pocket
CMB-BKK CX
BKK-HKG CX (stop)
HKG-LAX CX
LAX-DFW AA
== 23,768 miles via GCMap

Questions:
1. Any way to make this better, get more out of the trip that I cannot see? I am trying to keep under the 25k limit. Potentially could be more, see next question.

2. I am torn between flying F or J. I have miles to cover either option for 2 travelers. If I change to J, I would change to SAN - NRT on JL 787. If I stay F, the only 2 legs with F are over the pacific. Thoughts / Comments on F vs. J for those 2 segments (with in mind the 80k mile difference / person). I have also flown CX F before, but never JL F. I have flown CX J but not the new seats, and JL J was also not new seats.

3. I think I have broken no rules in this trip. Anyone notice any errors?

Thanks!

pandaperth

TopGunner

Just as follow up, this itinerary has priced at 130k miles and $1,282 in taxes and fees! Considering this avoids the BA fuel fines, it goes to tell you how bad UK APD will bite come April.

I only wish AA would send a full breakdown of charges like UA redemptions so I can verify the Rate Desk work.

iridge

Although ~$1.3 looks almost reasonable considering UK APD, my suggestion would be to try and break down the taxes & fees portion yourself using ITA. AA rate desk unfortunately and quite often makes huge mistakes. On one of the tickets that I was booking last year, initially the said it would be approx $1.8k in fees, when I did not have a single UK trip in there - all CX to/from Asia. It sounded fishy and I questioned the taxes and fees...although I never got the full breakdown and was just told that "take it or leave it" after several days of pressing my point they finally got other people involved and re-calculated and it turned into <$400 fees total for a 50K flown miles Explorer award with 4-5 TPAC CX J.

Just something to keep in mind

sk3x

Schedule changes from QR have thrown a wrench into my honeymoon plans for next year. For the first part of my award, I had booked MIA-DOH-CPT. I arrived in DOH around 6 pm Monday, and left at 7 am on Tuesday for CPT (13 hour layover). The DOH-CPT flight is a single flight number but does stop in JNB.

Unfortunately, QR just changed the DOH-CPT schedule to Su/W/F, and held the Wednesday flight for me. Predictably, this is showing as an error in AA's systems as there are duplicate segments and because my "connection" is now 36 hours. It seems that I have a few options, most of which necessitate changing the award in some way:

1. Change the connection in DOH to a stopover. This seems like the easiest but least appealing option, since we have plans in South Africa and not that interested in spending 36 hours in Doha.

2. Leave MIA later. This would in theory keep the scheduled routing intact but might be difficult to line up because MIA-DOH is only 4 days a week. Also not that appealing since we'd have to hang out for more time before we can leave for our honeymoon.

3. Try and change the routing to DOH-JNB-CPT and fly DOH-JNB on QR (still flying every day) and JNB-CPT on MN (Comair). I'm guessing this would be difficult because DOH-CPT is currently one segment and this would probably necessitate changing both routing and adding a new carrier.

Obviously my bias would be #3, but wanted to see if people thought this would be feasible. When I initially called (when I wasn't sure what was wrong with the reservation on AA.com), I got an agent who was not so familiar with OW Explorer awards so politely excused myself from the conversation, but would love any advice before calling back about how best to approach this. Thanks in advance.

tys90

I agree with iridge, this looks like a mistake. I would expect MUCH less especially since you are only stopping in LHR once. A connection shouldn't incur APD, just passenger service charge.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

Suggest you re-review the itinerary. APD will be assessed twice: once on MAN-ORD, and again on MIA-LHR. Both of those flights are in J.

In addition, any award that contains even $.01 of a "surcharge," will also incur the ~ $17 U.S. international departure or arrival tax for each and every entry into, or departure from, the U.S.

I think that AA will still provide a detailed receipt -- upon request -- when checking in at the airport for the first flight on the award.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

Correction: the second APD will be assessed on LHR-MIA.

longmanzz

hi, all:
Did anyone redeem the explorer award ticket and include AA codeshare with Alaska as any part of the award? I am confused whether that is allowed or not.

TheBOSman

Not allowed. Alaska Airlines is not in Oneworld.

longmanzz

Not even on codeshare with AA? I called the AA said that is allowed, but unsure if she is competent.