update: check post 7
I’m plotting out my holiday plans for the year. I have the routing more or less sorted out, set to attend some events throughout the US, but I’m running into some issues when I look into the schedules and could use some suggestions/advice.
A DAS13 (out of CBR) will contain my first and last stops of the trip as well serve as the positioning flights to the starting point of the DONE3 (ICN).
I’m looking at departing CBR on 26 Aug and connecting through SYD and NRT to ITM to spend a couple of days in Osaka (with a stop in Tokyo either at this time or at the end of the trip), then going to ICN to start the DONE3 and getting to SEA by 31 Aug (would need to be in Vancouver, WA by mid afternoon/early evening of the 31st and going to PDX (at least as part of the DONE3) isn’t an option due to xONEx rules and network restrictions)
I’ve looked at two options, ICN-SEA via HKG and ORD or NRT and ORD, but the scheduling on either option looks to require two overnight stops.
Any other suggestions? There are the AA operated flights out of NRT, but I’d prefer (if possible) to use the AA codes on JL or CX operated flights.
checkerboard
Mar 26, 12, 5:34 am
Why not just fly ICN-HKG-YVR?
cx 419 ICN-HKG (departs at 8:05pm on 30-Aug)
cx 888 HKG-YVR (arrives at 9:25pm on 30-Aug)
Gardyloo
Mar 26, 12, 8:53 am
How are you getting from SEA to Vancouver WA? Granted that PDX is a bit roundabout (only served via DFW) your choices are a car, train, or AS hop to PDX.
AS also flies nonstop from YVR to PDX, and in fact the 15:10 PM departure from YVR (arr. PDX 16:30) is an easy connection off CX 838, and carries a CX code, not that that's useful in the context of a DONEx.
August 31 is a holiday weekend - Labo(u)r Day - in both Canada and the US, and any surface connection (e.g. freeway from SEA down to PDX, or particularly any land route ex-Vancouver) would be a pretty trafficky experience. Which is to say awful.
Using YVR as your entry point would also allow you to continue the RTW on CX to JFK, which is so far superior to AA's service out of SEA to be laughable.
Himeno
Mar 27, 12, 3:11 am
How are you getting from SEA to Vancouver WA? Granted that PDX is a bit roundabout (only served via DFW) your choices are a car, train, or AS hop to PDX.There is an event in Vancouver, WA that weekend. I've been twice before, but that was before it moved out of downtown Portland. In 2008, I had a stopover in YVR, got Amtrak down to SEA stop over there, then Amtrak down to PDX. Afterwards I got a QX flight back to to SEA to connect to a BA flight. In 2009, I flew into PDX (from LAX on AS thanks to a bug in the xONEx online booking tool), and went to DFW after.
As for this year, I had been thinking of getting Amtrak from SEA-KVUO, then either asking a local friend (also planning to go to same event) who lives near Seattle for a lift or getting a PDX-SEA flight afterwards (I'm fine with Amtrak to go from a flight, but I wouldn't trust them to get to a flight ontime). (Isn't it confusing to have two different Vancouver's so close together? ;))
August 31 is a holiday weekend - Labo(u)r Day - in both Canada and the US, and any surface connection (e.g. freeway from SEA down to PDX, or particularly any land route ex-Vancouver) would be a pretty trafficky experience. Which is to say awful. :) The event ends on the monday afternoon. My only experience with traffic around that time is a flight north or train south into PDX on the Friday with MAX around the CBD, then a flight out of PDX on the monday afternoon/evening.
Using YVR as your entry point would also allow you to continue the RTW on CX to JFK, which is so far superior to AA's service out of SEA to be laughable.You mean that old 757 vs a new(ish) 77W? I got that 757 a couple of years ago. Routed MCO-DFW-SEA-JFK-CDG with an overnight in SEA. They checked me through to CDG when I checked in at MCO. ^_^;;
So your suggestion is to route on CX through YVR, then get an extra (AS/QX) YVR-PDX round trip with a taxi/shuttle across the river into WA?
It looks better schedule wise then the ORD options, main things I’m seeing are
ICN-HKG-ORD-SEA-JFK
530 status credits
21700 points (29493 on AA code transpac)
ICN-HKG-YVR-JFK
340 status credits
12656 points
Extra north American sector available
And would they have issues with cabotage on the return through YVR (as it would be PDX-xYVR-JFK)?
Gardyloo
Mar 27, 12, 11:03 am
Well, just to complicate your life a little (and what's FT for if not that?) you might make note of a few things.
First is that AA will have resumed its SEA-MIA nonstop by then (AS is moving to FLL for reasons that nobody understands.) That might make for some additional routing possibilities.
Second is that SEA-JFK has been downgauged to a 738, with fewer FC seats than the 757s. (MIA is a 757 by the way.) You might check on the ease of getting an A seat on SEA JFK on the 4th; between school starting that week (traditionally the end of summer) and all the cruise pax heading out of Seattle, the lesser number of FC seats might be problematic. FWIW, the MIA flight out of Seattle is a red-eye.
Third, in terms of time and cost, I'd also recommend looking at HKG-LAX or HKG-SFO. If you're not going to get SC for the west coast leg anyway, you could fly on VX up to PDX for $200 or so return in Y, with an excellent product. If you happen to have any Virgin points, VX is now available for redemption off VA or VS points, and VX's first class product is by far the best in shorthaul in the US. Using SFO or LAX as your base would open up numerous alternatives for subsequent travel (especially LAX) owing to all the AA connections therefrom. HKG-LAX would get you into the same SC tier as HKG-ORD and it too would be on a CX 77W.
I don't think anyone would pick up on cabotage problems as the AS and RTW segments would be on separate tickets.
And lastly, if it were me I'd probably turn the itinerary upside down and fly ICN-NRT-BOS on JL's shiny new 787 which starts service next month. But YMMV.
ETA - in keeping with your Portland/"Vancouver USA" visit, note that the JL 787 includes "Sky Manga" on its IFE system. :)
Himeno
Mar 28, 12, 12:41 am
Well, just to complicate your life a little (and what's FT for if not that?) you might make note of a few things.
First is that AA will have resumed its SEA-MIA nonstop by then (AS is moving to FLL for reasons that nobody understands.) That might make for some additional routing possibilities.Well, AS is "North of Expected", maybe they just wanted to move slightly more north.
Second is that SEA-JFK has been downgauged to a 738, with fewer FC seats than the 757s. (MIA is a 757 by the way.) You might check on the ease of getting an A seat on SEA JFK on the 4th; between school starting that week (traditionally the end of summer) and all the cruise pax heading out of Seattle, the lesser number of FC seats might be problematic. FWIW, the MIA flight out of Seattle is a red-eye.AA268 looks wide open in A for the date I'd need it, but by the time I get everything sorted out anything could have happened. Wouldn't want to deal with what happened last year... (I planned everything out with everything showing as available in the online tool and EF. Work slacked off on approving the leave [for almost 2 months], and by the time they did, availability on a number of sectors had dried up and I had to re-plan half the trip while I was on the phone to AA.)
Third, in terms of time and cost, I'd also recommend looking at HKG-LAX or HKG-SFO. If you're not going to get SC for the west coast leg anyway, you could fly on VX up to PDX for $200 or so return in Y, with an excellent product. If you happen to have any Virgin points, VX is now available for redemption off VA or VS points, and VX's first class product is by far the best in shorthaul in the US. Using SFO or LAX as your base would open up numerous alternatives for subsequent travel (especially LAX) owing to all the AA connections therefrom. HKG-LAX would get you into the same SC tier as HKG-ORD and it too would be on a CX 77W.I get points for AS op/coded flights in FBGHKLMQSTUVY, no SC though. Don't have Velocity or any other Virgin FF program. My travel patterns only allow me to maintain status in one program. It's either QF/OW or 'other'.
Hmm... looks like entering at LAX would get me more points/SC then either SFO or YVR. Would need to look into LAX-PDX options/costs, but it would also give an extra sector for NA then HKG-ORD-SEA.
Does AA have any 2 class transcons out of LAX?
I don't think anyone would pick up on cabotage problems as the AS and RTW segments would be on separate tickets.Though I'd have to clear Canada immigration/customs, collect baggage, then recheck with CX? I wouldn't be able to get AS to check through to CX. (does CX use US Preclearance for CX888?)
And lastly, if it were me I'd probably turn the itinerary upside down and fly ICN-NRT-BOS on JL's shiny new 787 which starts service next month. But YMMV.I do want to try the 787, though changing to go through BOS at the start would be problematic :/ JL is also putting 787 on the SIN-TYO route, if I have my timing right, it should be on the SIN-HND towards the end of the trip.
ETA - in keeping with your Portland/"Vancouver USA" visit, note that the JL 787 includes "Sky Manga" on its IFE system. :) :) You appear to have worked out what the event is... ;)
If I'm going to change the routing for the start of the NA part, I might as well get a deeper look at the rest of it.
Stops in DEN (Sep 14-16) and ATL (Sep 28-30) are for other events. Leaving the US after the ATL stop. Other then those stops, I'm open to almost anything while maximizing points/SC (pending ground costs eg, accommodation and public transport [don't have a license, can't rent cars]). Any side trips would be booked in a discount Y fare bucket.
Himeno
Apr 30, 12, 1:28 am
I needed to revise my plans due to some event changes and possible issues with work.
Combined DAS13 and DONE3 with some side trips, plans below.
14OCT CBR-SYD QF0560 0645-0735 DAS13
14OCT SYD-NRT JL0772 0915-1705 DAS13
14OCT NRT-ITM JL3007 1830-1950 DAS13
- stop Osaka
16OCT ITM-NRT JL3006 1440-1555 DAS13
16OCT NRT-ICN JL0959 1840-2115 DAS13
- overnight Incheon
17OCT ICN-HKG CX0417 1020-1300 DONE3
17OCT HKG-JFK CX0840 1640-2010 DONE3
- overnight New York
18OCT JFK-BOS AA1838 0815-0925 Side trip
- stop Boston
22OCT BOS-JFK AA1899 0950-1100 Side trip
22OCT JFK-RDU AA4404 1230-1415 Side trip
- stop Raleigh
24OCT RDU-JFK AA4467 1025-1155 Side trip
24OCT JFK-MIA AA1775 1555-1925 DONE3
24OCT MIA-SEA AA1087 2025-2359 DONE3
- stop Seattle
29OCT SEA-STL AA2046 0550-1450 DONE3
- stop Saint Louis
01NOV STL-ORD AA1637 0725-0840 Side trip
01NOV ORD-DTW AA4360 0925-1145 Side trip
- stop Detroit
05NOV DTW-ORD AA4362 1220-1240 Side trip
05NOV ORD-STL AA1120 1415-1515 Side trip
05NOV STL-LAS AA0351 1810-2140 DONE3
- stop Las Vegas
07NOV LAS-ATL AA0848 1245-2115 DONE3
- overnight Atlanta
08NOV ATL-ORD AA3853 0610-0700 DONE3
08NOV ORD-DCA AA3778 0920-1200 Side trip
- stop Washington
11NOV DCA-ORD AA2379 1705-1815 Side trip
11NOV ORD-AMM RJ0264 2130-1720+1 DONE3
- overnight Amman
13NOV AMM-MAD RJ0109 0720-1200 DONE3
13NOV MAD-BCN IB1446 1445-1555 Side trip
- stop Barcelona
15NOV BCN-MAD IB2761 1440-1600 Side trip
15NOV MAD-LHR BA0465 1730-1855 DONE3
15NOV LHR-DXB BA0109 2140-0830+1 DONE3
- stop (transit) Dubai
17NOV DXB-LHR BA0106 0240-0635 DONE3
17NOV LHR-SIN QF0002 2130-1820+1 DONE3
- stop (transit) London
19NOV SIN-HND JL0036 2215-0555+1 DONE3
- stop Tokyo
22NOV HND-GMP JL0093 1530-1805 DONE3
- stop Seoul
25NOV ICN-HKG CX0415 0850-1145 DAS13
25NOV HKG-SIN CX0735 1420-1810 DAS13
25NOV SIN-MEL QF0010 2055-0730+1 DAS13
26NOV MEL-CBR QF0848 1030-1135 Side trip
Have another option of US-MAD-DME-xxx-DXB-LHR-SIN, but can't find vaild DME-DXB connection on day required.
Is there any other ways I could optimise this? Trying to maximize points and status credits where possible, but need to have Boston, Seattle, Detroit and Washington stops on above dates. Other stops could be changed if needed.