Hi All,

I'm heading to FCO for work, and decided that it would smart of me to maximize my EQMs for this trip. I say "Unconventional" because there is no way that this is going to set any cost/mile records. Simply trying to get as many miles out of this as I can for a reasonable price.

The guidelines for my trip are as follows:
- Skyteam or NW partners
- Depart MSN,MKE,ORD or maybe MDW (or any smaller airports in the region:: ATW, RFD, etc) on 6/22,6/23 or 6/24 (have to be in Rome on the 24th at some point)
- Depart FCO on 7/7, 7/8 (or, if something really good comes up 7/9)
- Must be on all US ticket stock. Codeshares OK as long as it's a US ticket.
- Trying to keep the price around $1650 or below.

My base trip (assuming no mileage maximizing) would be MSN-DTW-AMS-FCO-AMS-DTW-MSN on NW. This prices out at around $1500. Also available is MSN-ATL-FCO-ATL-MSN on DL for $1490, but I don't necessarily have the same seat selection ability on DL that I do on NW..

Here's what I've come up with so far with ITA:
Option 1: ORD(AS)SEA(AS)SFO(NW)DTW(NW)AMS(NW/KL)FCO(NW/KL)AMS(NW)DTW(NW)MSN $1631 departing 6/22 returning 7/8 total miles: 14239

Option 2: ORD(AS)SEA(AS)SFO(NW)MSP(NW)EWR(NW/KL)AMS(NW/KL)FCO(NW/KL)AMS(NW/KL)ORD $1554 departing 6/22 returning 7/8 total miles: 14341

Option 3: ORD(NW)DTW(NW)ATL(NW/KL)AMS(NW/KL)FCO(NW/KL)AMS(NW/KL)ATL(NW)DTW(NW)ORD $1637.30 departing 6/24 returning 7/8 Return portion of this would be booked in B fare class, so 150% EQM: Total miles around 15k.

Each option has benefits and drawbacks:
option 1: Good: Returns to MSN, overnight in SEA (have friends there) Bad: back to back redeyes and a long layover in DTW. This one can also be worked in to include more stops, but it gets hairy.

option 2: Good: cheaper option, no really tight connections (1 hour in AMS is only one). Bad: Again, redeye to MSP, fly to EWR, redeye to AMS. Overnight layover in AMS on the return

option 3: Good: Least time (by far) of the three. B fare increases op-up chances on potentially packed summer flights. Most miles. Bad: Tight connections abound...have tried this with several city pairs, and you end up with very short connections (35 min. in DTW or MEM, and < 1 hour in AMS). Also, the TATL flights are on KL metal, meaning that seat selections are shady at best...

So, any suggestions or advice? Anyone looking for something similar? Like I said, not going to set any CPM records, but it's a mileage run at heart (albeit on someone else's dime).

My advice would be to try to book one of the ORD-MXP-NRT trips on Alitalia with a stopover in FCO either on the way over or the return. I think with the stopover you could avoid the minimum stay requirments in NRT and there are some bookable flights in your date ranges for $1601 without the stopover. With the basic flight you should get over 20,000 skyteam EQMs.

Wow! That would be awesome! Too bad I have to be on a US ticket.

I did check it out, though, and with the Rome stopover, it would be $1729.10, for the dates that I'm looking at. And it would net over 22,000 miles!

The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards option #3. The only hesitation I have is seat selection on KLM. How bad is it? Is it possible to select seats online? I've heard the stories about seats being changed, etc. Is this a frequent occurence?

I always find NW to FCO has high fares. sometimes I find better ones by looking for BLQ or NAP and taking a 20 dollar train ride. Also UA has just started a IAD_FCO nonstop. maybe NW will try and undercut them and add more seg's for the inconvenience and better price.

Your three options, as well as the original, are only marginally different in terms of miles earned, but might entail significantly more time (via extra connections and layovers as well as an extra drive from your home), discomfort (via the red-eyes that you mention and/or adverse seat assignments), risk (short layovers), or cost for extra hotel nights if that's an issue.

You might be better off just optimizing your trip on time and cost, and then using the extra time and money to do a separate mileage run ex-home or ex-FCO. (I assume that this would defeat your purpose, which I assume is to lump as many miles into your one ticket as possible because your company is paying, but it seems like you are really not able to get a lot more out of this trip.)

But good luck to you!

if you were real nutty like me, you could fly wisc to dtw-nrt-msp-ams-fco-ams-mem-sea-nrt-dtw to wisc :D

Thanks for the tips guys..
I did end up going with option #3. ORD-DTW-ATL-AMS-FCO-AMS-ATL-MSP-MSN (return in B booking class) almost 17k EQM and only one day of flying in either direction. I can still cancel it before tomorrow afternoon though, so if someone comes up with an ingenious plan before then, please let me know!!!

rwill: I would consider the nrt trip you mention if only it wasn't so darned expensive (in my searching I did try as far as HNL and ANC, though :) ). I'm guessing that that would not have made it past the people that are footing the bill.
Also, I know you're a big UA fan, so you'll be happy to know that I'll be taking UA to Thailand next year...after completing my $270 worth of flights this past weekend to start and complete the Fly3 promotion, and signing up for the MP visa, I've got enough miles for an award ticket :).

Your three options, as well as the original, are only marginally different in terms of miles earned

Not quite true, 17k (option 3) vs. 10k(original/base) is kind of a big deal to me, especially when they are about the same cost.

I do agree with you about the time and red-eyes though, and that's why I went with option 3.

if you were real nutty like me, you could fly wisc to dtw-nrt-msp-ams-fco-ams-mem-sea-nrt-dtw to wisc :D

Where can this be booked online?

Not quite true, 17k (option 3) vs. 10k(original/base) is kind of a big deal to me, especially when they are about the same cost.

I do agree with you about the time and red-eyes though, and that's why I went with option 3.

I see now that you are getting B class, so it makes more sense. Otherwise, according to the Great Circle Mapper (http://gc.kls2.com/):

MSN-DTW-AMS-FCO: 5246 miles each way (accounting for 500-mile minimums)

ORD-DTW-ATL-AMS-FCO: 6301 miles each way (accounting for 500-mile minimums)

This would be a difference of about 1,710 EQM, or about 2,565 redeemable for a fellow Silver member. But B fare adds another 3,150 or so. Good; sorry I missed that element.