All,
I have to be in Madrid on Dec 5th for a wedding and looking for best option in J for SFO-MAD RT. I'm currently looking at Dec 2-6, flexible by day or two as long as I'm there by Dec 5th morn
I'm getting Y for around 60k with DL, CO and US. But wanted to check with the experts if there are better deals out there for J? DL is asking for 150k, CO 250k and US 120k. Couldn't find anything for my dates via ANA tool.
Thanks in advance!
ps: I have around 150k in SPG and 200k in MR.
I would explore availability on AA and its partners, MX and IB. Lots of connecting city possibilities, including ORD, BOS, JFK, MIA, and MEX, if the award seats are available. And, you're entitled to a free stopover at the North American gateway city in each direction, if you wish.
You can check award seat availability for AA flights on aa.com; you would have to call AA to check MX or IB award seat availability if you want to redeem AA miles for those seats.
MAD seems to be one of the international routes where DL usually has more availability. Sometimes on those types of routes it is the domestic leg that inflates the mileage level for the international award ticket. Thus, not sure if you will be flying out of JFK or ATL to MAD, but some strategies that I might double check with them: (1) what if you fly out of SMF, is there availability at lower award levels?; (2) Rather than take the early flight out of SFO around 6AM that is often booked with people connecting internationally in JFK or ATL, what if you took a flight the previous afternoon or evening and overnighted at the airport. Sometimes that's a nice way to break up the trip and the flight the day before because it does not connect to Europe may have lower-end award availability.
Just wanted to add that, for the OP's dates, Y is available for 20,000 AAdvantage miles each way on AA (and possibly on its partners, as well).
Probably not useful given timing but J is currently available for 12/4 AA68 MIA-MAD (arriving 12/5 8:50am). Not sure about other dates / return. AA J is 50K each way.
How does 65,000 SPG points for RT in J on LH sound?
Simply open an account with AC Aeroplan, transfer 65,000 points (SPG gives you 5,000 bonus miles for every 20,000 points transferred to AC), then book an 80,000 mile award in C on LH via FRA.
Thanks, guv1976, LAXRuss,ivk5 and macabus. Appreciate your responses
guv1976,
I am getting AA for desired dates for 40k, which is a steal, but the connecting times are horrible. It is forcing overnight stays in DFW or LAX both ways. I don't mind overnighting one way but both ways is a waste of time, IMO.
I will call AA and check availability on MX and IB.
LAXRuss,
I checked SMF but it is costing me around 75k+ whereas SFO is 60k.
ivk5,
Yes, I did notice the J availability for 50k outbound(no availability inbound). So for 70k I can do J+Y for the trip. I'll keep this as plan B for now
macabus,
This definitely sounds like the best option! I do have an account with Aeroplan, I tried to check the availability but I keep getting this message
"There is no Best Value Flight Rewards availability for your requested dates. Use the Availability Calendar to select other available dates."
I've also checked "Extra Access Flight Rewards",played with the dates but it is still not showing any flights. Does that mean that I need to call them to check availability?
(i'll try to post a screenshot later..)
macabus,
This definitely sounds like the best option! I do have an account with Aeroplan, I tried to check the availability but I keep getting this message
"There is no Best Value Flight Rewards availability for your requested dates. Use the Availability Calendar to select other available dates."
I've also checked "Extra Access Flight Rewards",played with the dates but it is still not showing any flights. Does that mean that I need to call them to check availability?
(i'll try to post a screenshot later..)
Normally, you can check availability with LH on the ANA tool, but it sounds like you have to call Aeroplan.
If it were up to me, I would fly UA from SFO to JFK in PS-F, then take the LX sleeper flight to ZRH on the new 333 with new lie-flat business seats, and then on to MAD with LX in C.
But if it REALLY was me flying, then I would cough up another 15,000 SPG points and fly RTW in C with LX through Aeroplan. I.E. continue on from MAD to FRA and catch LH or TG to BKK or SIN, then to HKG or NRT, then to JFK.
All for 80,000 SPG points.
But I would never fly business, so it would have to be RTW in F with Aeroplan for 100,000 SPG points on LX. Converts to 120,000 AC miles.
JFK-ZRH-MAD: LX-F Stop.
MAD-FRA OR MUC: LH-C connect
MUC-BKK - LH or TG - F (dest)
BKK-HKG - TG - F (overnight)
HKG - ICN - OZ - F (Stop)
ICN-NRT - connect
NRT-JFK - NH - F (fini)
you actually get 10 segments in F on an Aeroplan 120,000 mile reward.
thanks again, macabus. That's pretty awesome!
Not sure if I can utilize it for my trip in Dec since I'm short of time but I would like to do something similar early next year. PM is on its way...
No point in going RTW in Biz when you can actually go where you need to go in F, just for the sake of flying. Time is a more precious commodity than miles.
and US 120k. Couldn't find anything for my dates via ANA tool.
