jix

Hi

I'm AA platinum and have 72,856 miles and 59,122 points so far in 2015. I have one more trip on JL coming via TPE-KIX(V)/ITM-HND(H)/NRT-TPE(V) so that should net me about 1379 miles per http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/ea...ines/japan.jsp. I'm not sure if the ITM-HND will guarantee 500 miles but anyways.

So I'm hoping to reach executive platinum in 2015 (by miles) which means I'll probably need another 26000 miles to be safe. So far I found two possible MRs in Sep/Oct but just want to check if anyone has seen better from YYZ? Is it too early to book right now or should I wait until 3 months prior? I want to just do one long haul and then fill the rest of miles within North America if possible, to LAX or somewhere.

Sep/Oct: YYZ-ORD-NRT-SIN at C$1200, 0.06cpm, ~20000miles
Sep/Oct: YYZ-DFW-HKG at C$900-950, 0.05cpm, 18600miles

I've done the HKG run before so I'm leaning towards the SIN one as I'll get long layovers in Japan and Singapore to explore a bit, but it's a bit more pricey. I think BKK has similar price but I'd prefer SIN for the ease of access

aglp2k

You can get from JFK-NRT-SIN RT for $905 USD in November yielding ~20k miles. All AA flight numbers but travel is on JL which gets you full EQM on AA. Can you find a cheap fare from YYZ-JFK-YYZ? Check on google.com/flights.

jix

Thanks, but I'm trying to do this on the weekend especially the long weekends in September/October and the JFK departure doesn't have it. Also considering the exchange rate for JFK-SIN + cost for YYZ-NYC it's about the same if not more than direct from YYZ.

I'm curious if the fares for September - November are usually loaded by now or if they will get lower again in a few months on AA? I remember booking Delta's low Asian fare last year back in May last year

Shareholder

Unlikely that we'll see those C$450 YYZ-DFW-HKG r/t fares again! Go for the SIN Run and explore that city for a day or two. While it looks expensive compared to those earlier MRs, that has pretty much been the lowest C$ fare (on UA) for dozens of years. UA's C$625 SIN fare earlier this year was another of those insanely cheap, albeit legit, fares we saw out of YYZ over the winter. I've got the last of these bargains coming up in August, a C$375 YYZ-GIG-YYZ run, nicely upgraded into the new 767 J cabin with my SWUs. (Thanks to these fares I am just 5K EQMs short of requalifying for ExecPlat once I've flown the GIG and a set of QR flights between CMB-JNB-CMB in September.)

With the decline of the C$ (or more correctly the surge of the U$) and for the most part full flights, this year's achieving top tier so inexpensively is unlikely to be repeated.

BTW I often take advantage of good fares ex-JFK/ORD/PHL using BA Avios miles for short haul positioning flights (still about 4.5K each way after changes to the Avios program); or redeem Air Miles.

jix

So based on my math it looks like about C$2500 for 38K EQM + bonus, considering additional cost for transportation during transfer and some food cost. I was hoping to not spend that much and maybe keep it under C$1500 to get 26K EQM but couldn't really find any route/date that works. I did find PEK and PVG in around C$1000 but HKG has much better mileage, is there a reason why ICN and TYO are so much more expensive compared to the rest of AA's Asian destinations?

Did the YYZ-GIG have a min stay btw? I didn't pull it having just booked the PEK trip and wasn't sure of the visa procedure.

Shareholder

TYO has always been expensive, ICN used to be a bargain but no longer. As for the GIG fare, can't recall. I've booked it with three nights in Rio over the last weekend in August.

jix

Curious if SYD/MEL have ever been on MR list from YYZ? The lowest fares I've seen are almost always C$1600-2000 and mostly goes through LAX so yielding only 20k.

YYZ-DFW-HKG-SYD would be great for 27k EQM but the fare is over 3k+

pssteve

jix: Look at 2 segments. YYZ-DFW-HKG on AA for $764 in early Oct and QF or MH for HKG-SYD for $800-$1000. Good luck.

tboons

MH has decent Business fares ex BKK.

jix

Thanks. Checked but did not realize HKG-SYD is pretty expensive given the mileage. Given it's the same price as another YYZ-HKG I think I'd just do 2 trips instead for more miles.

jrobin

I like both BKK and SIN, but BKK can be somewhat less expensive once you get there. [For me the fare was also a bit less than to SIN.] I am not sure what you mean by "ease of access".
Assuming you mean getting around, the airport rail link in BKK, gets you from the airport to the city in 30 minutes for ~CA$1.50 each way, and the BTS elevated city train system is ~CA$4.00 for an all day pass. An all-day pass on the river boat system, including the tourist boats with English/Thai commentary is CA$5.30.

Luckily, I am now in air on on an Emirates 380 with wifi on my way back to YYZ from BKK, where I visited for 1.5 days for similar purposes as you propose. I bought a BTS pass yesterday and today, and a Riverboat system pass today, using it to see some sights and visit several markets.

jix

English and transportation mainly. Also the fact that Singapore is so small I can't possibly get lost or stuck somewhere prior to catching flight, plus I see SIN as a city/airport for MR and BKK more of a vacation spot.

I currently have a hold on a SIN MR trip with 6am arrival and 12am departure on the same day, so 18 hours of city-seeing.

jrobin

Enjoy. One of the temptations is that you could easily spend 18 hours in the airport. There is lots to entertain you. Unless it has changed recently, they have free first run movies, and a short-term hotel we have used more than once where you can rent a room to sleep (base rate is for 6 hrs IIRC). If you rent a room you get free access to their swimming pool (which I think you can pay to use independent of the room. There also is a free city tour we have used which does not require going through immigration (the tour guides have your passport so they are fairly confident you will not escape too far); the only requirement is that your layover be 6 hours or more.
Purchases there are relatively inexpensive as I recall; I was told shops are fined if any item they sell costs more than you can buy it for downtown. There are food stalls at the airport like ones downtown (I suspect used primarily by airport staff) but they are in a not obvious location; if you want to try these you will have to do your own research on their location.
One time my son and I were there and they airport had a Jeopardy type game set up for about 20 volunteers at a time; my son and I both participated - he got the best score in our group which got him a $250 voucher to spend in the airport. He used it to buy an X-box or something.
Changi is almost a perfect airport for layovers as there is so much available to do there.
If you have the time and are going to the City, you could easily spend more than 18 hours in Singapore.