Mileage Run Discussion - DTW and AA: options?

Investigating AA as an option for DTW. Have NW down cold, still on the learning curve for AA. Questions:

* Plat Challenge: Suggestions for making 10k EQPs? Would prefer to keep to two trips. Being mid-con, it's sort of a challenge. Still learning about routing, hub-hub, etc. West-coast connections don't seem doable via MIA (and is only 200 miles more then DFW), and west-coast flights seem to have only a few hundred mile difference between DFW and ORD (depends on north/south of the coastal city).

* Maximizing RDMs: Plat will give 100% bonus. Anything else I'm missing? Any credit cards that offer bonuses (eg: believe DL Amex offers 100% RDM bonus), specific promotions, etc?

Thanks!

* Plat Challenge: Suggestions for making 10k EQPs? Would prefer to keep to two trips. Being mid-con, it's sort of a challenge. Still learning about routing, hub-hub, etc. West-coast connections don't seem doable via MIA (and is only 200 miles more then DFW), and west-coast flights seem to have only a few hundred mile difference between DFW and ORD (depends on north/south of the coastal city).




Got a passport?

DTW-DFW-FRA-ORD-DTW=10972 miles. With the right fare you can fly over on Friday, enjoy FRA on Saturday and be home Sunday night and hit PLT on the return leg TATL which would get you Double RDMs on the return flight. (Just make sure you understand the difference between points and miles.)

Got a passport?

DTW-DFW-FRA-ORD-DTW=10972 miles. With the right fare you can fly over on Friday, enjoy FRA on Saturday and be home Sunday night and hit PLT on the return leg TATL which would get you Double RDMs on the return flight. (Just make sure you understand the difference between points and miles.)
If that's the case, wouldn't I route DTW-ORD-FRA-DFW-ORD-DTW? :)

It would have to be one cheap G- fare to justify the 2x flying, to get to the 10,000 EQP. I'm just shooting for the obvious... fly the 10,000 EQPs for as cheaply as possible, then fly with Plat on any fare (as EQM takes over for re-qual, and for Plat 100% RDMs are 100% RDMs).

After typing the OP, I forgot to mention that a TATL is ok (as that would fulfill the requirement in one pnr). The challenge is, the cheapest FRA flight I've been able to find is about $650ai, on an O-fare (the EQP/EQM gets fuzzy with TATLs). Is O-fare ok on TATL? Or does TATL have to be W+? I suspect if I were to do this, FRA would be the answer to the challenge, the question still remains of what to do after. Routing to the west coast via DFW seems the best way to optimize mid-cons, yet is there any pattern of inexpensive west-coast routes?

And I don't see this happening until 1/1, as I don't want to waste any EQMs generated this year (and hey, 1/1 will push Plat or EXP to 2/28/12, correct?).

edit: I found a DTW-DFW-FRA-ORD-DTW Sat-turn, for $782ai, or $982ai with Plat Challenge fee. So for $982 I get Plat, 10,000 EQMs, and 15,000 RDMs.

If that's the case, wouldn't I route DTW-ORD-FRA-DFW-ORD-DTW? :)

It would have to be one cheap G- fare to justify the 2x flying, to get to the 10,000 EQP. I'm just shooting for the obvious... fly the 10,000 EQPs for as cheaply as possible, then fly with Plat on any fare (as EQM takes over for re-qual, and for Plat 100% RDMs are 100% RDMs).

After typing the OP, I forgot to mention that a TATL is ok (as that would fulfill the requirement in one pnr). The challenge is, the cheapest FRA flight I've been able to find is about $650ai, on an O-fare (the EQP/EQM gets fuzzy with TATLs). Is O-fare ok on TATL? Or does TATL have to be W+? I suspect if I were to do this, FRA would be the answer to the challenge, the question still remains of what to do after. Routing to the west coast via DFW seems the best way to optimize mid-cons, yet is there any pattern of inexpensive west-coast routes?

And I don't see this happening until 1/1, as I don't want to waste any EQMs generated this year (and hey, 1/1 will push Plat or EXP to 2/28/12, correct?).

By my calc you are better of with my routing as you will click over to PLT while over the Atlantic, thus scoring miles for that seg.

If you earn PLT now it is good through 28 FEB 11. An expiration of 2-28-12 would have to be started after 15 June 2010, so you may as well get it now.

For specifics on the PLT Challenge, to include fare codes, etc check out this wiki: American AAdvantage Elite Status Challenge (http://www.flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Challenge_%28AA%29)

My family did a PLT Challenge via a TATL in August and I scored it for $850 p.p. Put your flight on hold, then call AA and tell them you are looking for to bump up your fare to one of the qualifying codes.

You could do a bunch of Transcons but for my money the TATL is the way to go, you get get it over and done with in 1 weekend. If you don't want to spend a day in FRA the airport is MR friendly, same day turns are VERY easy.

I just re-read the Wiki, it's vague on the Gold welcome letter, yet a little clearer on the Plat welcome letter. Thanks.

Doing some sample fare searches, I'm definitely seeing some challenges with the search engine. I see you can expand the search-by-price selections to see the booking code, and after a lot of trial-and-error, I was able to find an outbound in L, yet nothing besides QSO on the return. And that probably would have priced out at about $950ai, if all available in L.

Are you saying the only effective way to deal with this is to put a reservation on hold, then call in to see if that PNR is available in the W+ bucket? I'll be glad when the challenge is over, as given that some of the L flights are 2x+ the O fare, it would be cheaper to fly 20,000 EQMs to get the 10,000 EQPs.

It is a way that can be faster than clicking around the AA site hoping the right fare comes up.

You should be able to get a fare that will yield 1 EQP:mile flown that will be much cheaper than flying 2 TATLs at 0.5EQMs



Are you saying the only effective way to deal with this is to put a reservation on hold, then call in to see if that PNR is available in the W+ bucket? I'll be glad when the challenge is over, as given that some of the L flights are 2x+ the O fare, it would be cheaper to fly 20,000 EQMs to get the 10,000 EQPs.

BCN and MAD offer some interesting alternatives if you're willing to stay over a night or two