henkybaby

Thanks CWS!

In this case, the winner seems to be BGO, which I assume is also a CWS endorsed starting location. Could not get SVG to work for less that 1700 to SIN, but BGO-SIN on AY/CX is Ł1300.

I will do a full Norway search from now on. I do SVG, although not always, but forgot about BGO.

(MXP and DUS are indeed pretty much in my standard search, but I tried to keep the explanation simple for those not wanting to spend 2 hrs.)

henkybaby

Update: booked on UL's own website CDG-SIN on UL is only Ł1180 (even though the closest dates don't show on Google, I can see them there)

Same price to HKG, in case you want to earn 560TPs and make your own way from HKG to SIN.

corporate-wage-slave

BGO is indeed approved. I got it for Ł1279 on 2 August out, 11 August back, 440 TPs or perhaps 480 TPs (BGO-ARN-HEL is actually AY682 through, I think that normally double credits).

henkybaby

You, sir, are teaching me new tricks. You can indeed do BGO-ARN-BKK-SIN-HEL-ARN-BGO for Ł1333. Can't see your price but it's probably a dynamic algorithm. Also not sure it can actually be booked. Tried loads of OTAs, so I guess you need to call.

I can find a bookable BGO-LHR-HKG-SIN vv for Ł1390.

EvilDoctorK

Anyone got any ideas/tips for Cancun ... The great fares linked upthread to some Caribbean destinations don't seem to work for Cancun unfortunately and sticking Cancun onto them is probably not very convenient as connections from Saint Maarten etc. to Cancun don't look that useful ... I'm looking at the last 2 weeks in May - departing London (or somewhere nearby) around 14th May , returning home 29th/30th .. Need to be in Cancun 17th-21st May .. Thinking of spending the rest of the time in the US ( perhaps the South somewhere )

henkybaby

I think using the base fare to PUJ is still the best option. Add a stopover in MIA for the time you want to spend in CUN and US. MIA-CUN Ł417 in business or Ł140 in economy.

You won't get the Ł900 PUJ deal with a stopover, but at Ł1475 it is still pretty ok.

The absolute cheapest option is to buy the MAD-PUJ-CDG (so you return to PUJ after your trip) for Ł900 and add PUJ-MIA-CUN-MIA-PUJ for Ł350 in economy. Or buy the flights as your travels evolve... Use avios. Etc.

It is the new stopover cost in the US that is killing these deals. You can get to CUN from Ł1350 from DUS but the moment you add a stopover in the US it jumps to Ł1800...

It may be of interest to note (also for others) that you can do a double open jaw on the MAD-xxx-CDG route. You can do MAD-SKB//PUJ-CDG for instance. For Ł886.

EvilDoctorK

Thanks for the research .. definitely some very attractive deals alright ... The problem I guess is the 'double side trip' you'd end up with MIA-CUN-MIA / MIA-SXM-MIA or similar .. If you could get these fares with a flight from the Caribbean back to Europe directly rather than having to back track to MIA etc. then I'd definitely go for it ... Doesn't seem possible though as you have to route back via an AA hub .. What's St. Kitts like at this time of year ??

As an aside I can get stuff to price up for around Ł1200 including one long stopover in the US on AA's UK site

henkybaby

You have deals and you have direct flights. You very, very rarely have both.

It is all positioning and repositioning. Also to MAD and back from CDG. Since you wanted to travel around the south, you can also route it differently but a quick trip to SXM or PUJ before flying back to CDG (via MIA and possibly also PHL/JFK) saves you a bundle. Spend some time there. May is not the best season for the caribbean, but the same is true for CUN. Not the worst season either.

If you are referring to AA's UK site being more expensive than the US one: that is correct. Reserve the flights on the US site and call to finish the reservation. If you have AMEX you can apparently use a fake US address.

EvilDoctorK

Indeed ... Thanks for the helpful tips - I will play around more and should I pull the trigger on anything I'll post it back here !

skye1

The AMS blah blah blah SCL blah blah blah MAD in J is still alive and well.

A few options for connecting at other airports (more miles, not sure on TP's) such as DFW.

As an AA flyer, Am holding AMS - LHR - DFW - EZE - SCL - EZE - DFW - MAD
for Ł1133. Tweaking around a bit for other destinations in S.A., but will likely book something this weekend.

Sisyphus1carus

Can a long stopover in BKK be added to this it in ? Like 10-14 days ??

henkybaby

Seems like it.


CWS has pointed out a great fare with lots of flexibility it seems. Too bad I can't find a direct booking link, so if anyone calls AY to get a quote, please report back!

EDIT: found it!

Frequentflyer99

Sorry if posted before, but has anyone else noticed that ITA is not coming up with the best deals if many (say 10 or 12) EUR departure points are put in. I am sure it did not used to be like that. I often use :-

AMS, CDG, OSL, HEL, BRU, LUX, CPH, ARL, DUB, MAD, LIS, VCE, FCO, DUS, VIE, GVA, PMI, HEL

Recently, using that combo, if MAD offers the lowest fare, ITA will completely ignore the MAD fares and give me as the lowest fare something much higher starting somewhere else. If I then narrow down to (say) just MAD, AMS, DUS it will then correctly come up with the MAD fare as the cheapest.

henkybaby

ITA doesn't find half the fares I find via Google. I don't use it anymore.

Virazuno

I can certainly vouch for this too, and I read somewhere (on here I think) that Google is allocating less processing power to ITA matrix as a whole. So I've switched to doing multiple searches, with 5 airports max at a time. I only do one airport per country as the fare is usually the same from all departure points in that country.

ITA matrix is still an incredibly powerful tool that works really well if you don't hit it too hard.

Vice versa too - I've found some cheaper fares on ITA matrix that Google, for whatever reason, won't show.