Help planning MR: NYC to Seattle
Jul 2, 2012, 4:59 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 61
Help planning MR: NYC to Seattle
Hello FT,
I have to fly to Seattle from an NYC airport (JFK LGA EWR) three times in the next 2 months (2,400 miles each way) and want to make them MRs. Fare is about $900 which I am fine with. I am flexible on airlines as I do not have status on any major carriers, just a couple thousand miles here and there (though United has the bulk of those miles).
What is my best bet to maximize miles? Or should I not bother (given my fewer miles and non-status) and stick to a non-legacy carrier like JetBlue?
I did some reading up here on FT. Went to the ITA website and entered UA UA UA in the routing codes box. Now I have a ton of 3-stop flights and am even more confused - how do I choose which one?
I have to fly to Seattle from an NYC airport (JFK LGA EWR) three times in the next 2 months (2,400 miles each way) and want to make them MRs. Fare is about $900 which I am fine with. I am flexible on airlines as I do not have status on any major carriers, just a couple thousand miles here and there (though United has the bulk of those miles).
What is my best bet to maximize miles? Or should I not bother (given my fewer miles and non-status) and stick to a non-legacy carrier like JetBlue?
I did some reading up here on FT. Went to the ITA website and entered UA UA UA in the routing codes box. Now I have a ton of 3-stop flights and am even more confused - how do I choose which one?
Last edited by santhosh.kharvi; Jul 2, 2012 at 5:22 pm
Jul 2, 2012, 6:01 pm
#2
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
Programs: aa plt 4.9MM LTAC
Posts: 14,828
posting the details/routing for the ua flights might help.....
if you aren't trying for status, why not take the low bidder that has an acceptable schedule....
calculate the cpm for the 3 leg flights & take the low cpm....
if your outlook for 2013 shows some flying, factor in the status benes...
if you aren't trying for status, why not take the low bidder that has an acceptable schedule....
calculate the cpm for the 3 leg flights & take the low cpm....
if your outlook for 2013 shows some flying, factor in the status benes...
Jul 2, 2012, 6:10 pm
#3
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: "Baron of Bayside," Long Island, NY
Programs: DL-KRYPTONIUM, DL-PM, HHonors Gold, Priority Club Plat, Club Carlson Silver, Hyatt Plat.
Posts: 564
Doy you have exact dates that you intend to fly? You could probably with some creativity and not too much pain work those 15 miles into low level status on most of the major carriers (25K miles.)
Jul 2, 2012, 6:11 pm
#4
Join Date: Apr 2003
Programs: UA *G 1MM LT United Club & Global Entry
Posts: 2,756
For UA:
1) LGA-IAH-SEA is 3,290 miles one way
2) Also try routing EWR/JFK-LAX/SFO-SEA for close to the same
3) JFK-IAD for the first leg gets a few more elite minimum eqm's
4) Choose the one with the most miles
SunLover
1) LGA-IAH-SEA is 3,290 miles one way
2) Also try routing EWR/JFK-LAX/SFO-SEA for close to the same
3) JFK-IAD for the first leg gets a few more elite minimum eqm's
4) Choose the one with the most miles
SunLover
Jul 2, 2012, 6:24 pm
#5
Original Poster
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Posts: 61
Oh, this is good. Just what I was looking for. (1) is what I am looking at right now. How does (3) work? Going to IAD gets more elite minimum eqms?
Jul 2, 2012, 6:30 pm
#6
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
Programs: aa plt 4.9MM LTAC
Posts: 14,828
generaly, elites often 500 mi minimum per segment....so a jfk-iad would get 500 instead of 250ish....
you could look at other cities going south west like phx lax las etc to connect in...
also, you can fly us & get mi if its cheaper...
you could look at other cities going south west like phx lax las etc to connect in...
also, you can fly us & get mi if its cheaper...
Last edited by clacko; Jul 2, 2012 at 6:38 pm
Jul 2, 2012, 6:44 pm
#8
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Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
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Jul 2, 2012, 8:42 pm
#9
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: "Baron of Bayside," Long Island, NY
Programs: DL-KRYPTONIUM, DL-PM, HHonors Gold, Priority Club Plat, Club Carlson Silver, Hyatt Plat.
Posts: 564
on DELTA -You can do one of my favorite tricks which is nest a clt-atl-sea RT inside of a NYC-ATL-CLT RT should net you 3943 MQMs /RDMs each way. NYC->CLT is usually very inexpensive on DELTA. Use your imagination - be creative....
Jul 3, 2012, 6:56 am
#11
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Fare 1: Carrier UA VA0HNJ NYC to WAS (rules)
Passenger type ADT, one-way fare, booking code V
Covers JFK-IAD (Economy)
Fare 2: Carrier UA EA0QYD WAS to SEA (rules)
Passenger type ADT, one-way fare, booking code E
Covers DCA-IAH (Economy), IAH-SEA (Economy)
Thanks guys for all of the help.
PS: How do I do this myself? I mean, this time round, I used the stopover suggestions you guys provided. Someone said "be creative", what does that mean? Keep trying different city combinations on the ITA site till you find the right combination of time+price?
Jul 3, 2012, 7:15 am
#12
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Join Date: Apr 2001
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And that is what I ended up getting.
Fare 1: Carrier UA VA0HNJ NYC to WAS (rules)
Passenger type ADT, one-way fare, booking code V
Covers JFK-IAD (Economy)
Fare 2: Carrier UA EA0QYD WAS to SEA (rules)
Passenger type ADT, one-way fare, booking code E
Covers DCA-IAH (Economy), IAH-SEA (Economy)
Thanks guys for all of the help.
PS: How do I do this myself? I mean, this time round, I used the stopover suggestions you guys provided. Someone said "be creative", what does that mean? Keep trying different city combinations on the ITA site till you find the right combination of time+price?
Fare 1: Carrier UA VA0HNJ NYC to WAS (rules)
Passenger type ADT, one-way fare, booking code V
Covers JFK-IAD (Economy)
Fare 2: Carrier UA EA0QYD WAS to SEA (rules)
Passenger type ADT, one-way fare, booking code E
Covers DCA-IAH (Economy), IAH-SEA (Economy)
Thanks guys for all of the help.
PS: How do I do this myself? I mean, this time round, I used the stopover suggestions you guys provided. Someone said "be creative", what does that mean? Keep trying different city combinations on the ITA site till you find the right combination of time+price?
no multicity, tools etc required, just scan thru the routes shown...
Jul 3, 2012, 7:33 am
#13
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Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 61
I just did a search for NYC-SEA on United.com and scanned the routes shown and did not find the NYC-IAD-IAH-SEA route on there. What am I missing?
Jul 3, 2012, 11:37 am
#14
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
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i think the $333 fare is pretty good, wonderful for a have to trip....some would use it as a mr @ ~5 cpm....
Jul 3, 2012, 12:15 pm
#15
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Posts: 61
No doubt about it, that is a great fare. From your post, I understand that it's a brute force approach - start with the hubs for that airline and try to build those into the route and exploring combinations to get the best route. Thanks!