natig

In the last 2 weeks of December, looking to fly from WAS-->LAX-->PTY-->WAS.

(Need hotel in Panama, not LA.)

Her chase card has about 25k UR points.

I'm eligible for a chase UR card, or any other card(s).

What cards will give us the best bang for the buck in planning this trip?

I figure we'll need to be concerned about black-out dates this time of year?

Thank you!

paperwastage

last two weeks = christmas = generally more expensive price-wise...

might be good to redeem airline miles, but you'll need ~30k miles for a one-way North America->Central America flight.... don't think you can earn enough UR in 5 months for that...

learn how to use http://matrix.itasoftware.com/#calen...=WASPTY-PTYWAS to plan your trip, especially if your dates are flexible

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...lp-thread.html

I'd get one that offers trip protection (lost luggage, trip delays etc) or no FTF

natig

It's possible to get as much as 100k miles by opening a Chase Sapphire Preferred card and one other airline card (eg Avios), right?

Just wondering if it's realistic to actually have good, bookable flights with those miles?

Or should i focus on hotels?

cruisr

The chances of you getting flts to/from PTY over a time period that would include returning around New Year's Day are going to be pretty bad for any type of saver levels. If you can get seats they will most like be at Standard levels, which depending on the carrier came be high.

Are you staying in PTY the entire time? the hotels there are very nice and chains include SPG, Hilton, Marriott and IHG. There are also close "beach resorts" like Playa Blanca very close to the city. I put that in quotes because the beaches are not very nice. Once you get a bit past 30 minutes from the city you will not find any hotels that you can use points for stays.

Been to PTY about 10x and while my family and I enjoy it it is not for everybody.

natig

@cruisr -- If you get a chance, would you mind elaborating?

What are the downsides of Panama that makes it not for everybody?

Looking at Panama because seems like a great place to absorb a nice mix of latin american culture and natural beauty -- and less expensive than South America and less touristy than Mexican beaches.

cruisr

I don't know if you at just doing PTY or are traveling all around. Most people, not us, do not like Panama City. We love it because It is large, crowded, noisy, sometimes dirty and holes in the street and sometimes sidewalks. It's authentic. We love Casco Viejo even though on a Friday or Saturday night you can't move as its getting really hip and cool and crowded. We go to Calle Central near Casco Viejo even though our local friends never go there and think we are crazy. The restaurants are great and the shopping is good,

Panama City is NOT Panama. You can get to the Caribbean in 45 minutes on the new highway. You can fly to Boca del Tora and get a laid back beach vibe, Boquete is a perfect mounting getaway. David is getting bigger and bigger and also still authentic. Then canal and the rainforest are amazing.

The beaches at Xmas will be very crowded. All the upper class Panama City residents have beach homes and they are all there during the holidays. It's very hot in PTY year round and everybody escapes thee heat at the beach.

I like Panama better the Costa Rica. I spoke with a friend of Ruben Blades who was their tourism minister for a while and told them to get a good PR firm and increase tourism and the infrastructure, I think it's a special place but not everybody agrees with me.

natig

Yeah, we're really excited. Thank you for the tips, Cruisr.

The David area sounds good, and we'll be able to go from Sunday to Wednesday after Christmas.

We're hoping to spend some time doing:
- a rainforest zip line
- secluded beach (privacy is important)
- hikes with beautiful views
- maybe white water rafting
(We're young and in decent shape, but by no means experienced outdoorsmen.)

Do you have tips on:
1) Where you think we should go?
2) Where you recommend we stay? (Under $200/night)
3) How to get around?
4) What will we need guides/operators for, and where do we find them? How far in advance should we book?
5) Will the fact that it's the week between Christmas and New Years make things more complicated?

mia

This is important because partner redemptions typically require availability of Saver (lowest level) award inventory. Standard (higher level) award inventory is usually offered only to the airline's own program. For example, BAEC Avois can only be redeemed for AA sAAver seats. AA AAnytime seats are only available if redeeming AAdvantage miles.