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AA: LAX-JFK-MIA-PTY RT $702 in A/J 18.9K EQMs

Old Apr 30, 2016, 12:36 pm
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Last edit by: Server
OCTOBER 2016 UPDATE

LAX-JFK TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHTS:
Recent fare rule inclusions, effective October 2016, now prevent any routing via JFK on the non-stop transcontinental A321T aircraft. Any future booking will demand a significantly higher fare to route on the non-stops via JFK. Unless the fare rules are modified and these clauses are removed (highly doubtful), the ability to fly on the transcons via JFK is a thing of the past.
IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL BETWEEN LAX AND NYC
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA
BUT NOT ON AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A321 (SHARKLETS) AIRCRAFT.
AND
IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL BETWEEN SFO AND NYC
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA
BUT NOT ON AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A321 (SHARKLETS) AIRCRAFT.

1. Same day turns possible on the E-jets and morning 738s.

2. Bonuses now based on fare paid.

3. As of OCTOBER 2016, best fares are now around $1000. Fare tends to rise a few hundred for 2 pax. Fares can also occasionally rise for no discernible reason, but the price spikes have thus far proven to be temporary. Fares have the trend to drop during the year. Keep checking for fares in the $700-$800 ranges for best possible pricing.

4. Airport hotels with shuttles - Crowne Plaza Panama Airport & Riande Aeropuerto. The CP is slightly closer; the Riande is slightly nicer. The CP shuttle leaves the hotel every :00 and :30 and runs 24 hours but they seem to leave a few minutes early as it had left when I went down at 4:00AM on the dot. Also, note UberX charges a US$14 surcharge on top of the ~US$2 fare. CP has poor sound isolation, I could hear my neighbors on both sides including talking, crying baby etc. Had to wear earplugs to sleep.

5. Lounges:

Please refer to this thread for more detailed and accurate information on lounge access in general: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/1656378-help-desk-will-i-have-lounge-access-access-rules-2016-a.html
LAX AIRPORT

= When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on status, it is simply departing/connecting/arriving at any point on same ticket to and from an eligible international destination. PTY is eligible and not excluded regardless of length.

= When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on class of service disregarding status, it is the international long haul clause that applies. Therefore, no "oneworld/QF lounge" access for non-elites for trips to and from PTY unless booking transcons since PTY is under 5 hours. BUT AA doesn't enforce this in their own lounges so Admirals Club access is expected.


AA GOLDs(RUBYs)/NON-ELITES
Admirals Club access is granted regardless of routing as AA does not enforce international long haul rule. However, the oneworld J lounge does for Golds(rubys)/non-elites as they are aware the PTY flights are under 5 hours. Booking transcon flights in J/F gains access to the OWJ/QFF lounges.
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J lounge + QF F Lounge LAX>
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals + LAX oneworld J lounge>
<Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Technically NONE (PTY under 5 hours therefore class of service rule applies) BUT AA still opens Admirals Club doors to all customers because they dont enforce the long-haul rule>

AA PLATINUMs
Platinums gain access to all AC/Business lounges regardless of routing due to flying to and from PTY. They gain access to First/Flagship lounges when traveling in F 3-class transcon
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J lounge + QF F Lounge LAX>
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals + LAX oneworld J lounge>
<Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + LAX oneworld J>

AA EXPs
EXPs have access to all lounges at all airports regardless of routing so long as they are traveling to and from PTY on the same itinerary (an international destination neither excluded from AA's list of ineligible regions nor limited by the flight length rule)
<EXPs Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in Y = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in J = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>

NON-AA ONEWORLD ELITES
All sapphires and emeralds have some form of lounge access on any flight systemwide
<non-AA sapphires on ALL AA FLIGHTS = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX>
<non-AA emeralds on ALL AA FLIGHTS = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX + Flagship Lounge + QF F lounge LAX>



OTHER AIRPORTS

SFO - Admiral's Club (Centurion Lounge for a fee)
JFK - Admirals Club & Flagship Lounge for EXP/First 3-class/Emerald
MIA - Admiral's Club (Centurion Lounge for a fee), Oneworld Premium Lounge for EXP/First 3-Class/Emerald
PTY - No lounge access (Copa with PP, or for a fee, for 7am or later flights)
YVR - No lounge access (PP for a fee)
DFW - Admiral's Club (with F/C Dining for EXP/Emerald) (Centurion Lounge for a fee)


6. PTY Customs:
Inbound to PTY -
  • 12 noon - no lines reported
  • 8PM Fri (5/27/16) - ~10 min line

Outbound to MIA -
  • 4:40am - no lines reported
7. Finding flights:

NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)

If you want the transcon bonus, enter the search with a connection in JFK. (e.g. LAX-JFK,JFK-MIA,MIA-PTY,PTY-JFK,JFK-SFO.) You can play around from there to get the best deal. Some of the better deals do not start and end in the same city (e.g. start in LAX, end in SFO may be cheaper than start/end in LAX).

Also, it's possible on the outbound portion to time it so you have no more than a 60-minute layover at JFK or MIA (though note that some of these flights aren't available on weekends). While yes, JFK is notorious for delays, this rarely applies for inbound red-eye flights. Also, note that AA 28 below is sometimes "hidden" if you're looking on Google Flights inside a much more expensive trip; that does not necessarily mean, however, that you can't get it for one of the trips under $1,000 (in other words, try it out to see).

NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)

Below is the shortest-possible outbound itinerary that has the LAX-JFK transcon on AA's A321T with flat-bed seats:

LAX-JFK on AA 28
10:45pm - 7:22am

JFK-MIA on AA 200
8:15am - 11:24am
(Note: AA has now switched all of the metal it used on this leg - on all JFK-MIA nonstops - to 757s instead of the 767s with international-style F & J seating.)***767 and 772 are back. Flight 200 is a 772**

MIA-PTY on AA 4434
12:33pm - 2:48pm
(Note: Even more distressingly, AA switched from using a 737 on this leg to an RJ, presumably because summer is off-peak season in Central America. The 6:05pm flight still uses a 737 if a full-size aircraft is a must.)
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AA: LAX-JFK-MIA-PTY RT $702 in A/J 18.9K EQMs

Old Jun 28, 2016, 8:48 pm
  #1246  
 
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EP, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 32
Originally Posted by Agustinl71
Has anyone done one of these back to back? I have one of these MR's scheduled for the weekend and just found another run that I could schedule right after I return to LAX and and still have me back in time to work upon my return to LAX.

For those that have re-entered the US through Miami, how bad were customs and TSA lines. The last time I transited through that airport, I had three hours to get to my next gate upon arrival and barely made my flight due to customs and TSA lines.
I'm on a back to back right now. No line in Global Entry when I got in at 10am this morning. The regular line wasn't long either - two of the others on the flight that were right behind me cleared about 5 min after me. The longest part was really the walk through MIA to get to customs from the gate.
stockboy85 is offline  
Old Jun 29, 2016, 7:55 am
  #1247  
Aman Contributor Badge
 
Join Date: May 2016
Posts: 393
Might have to do my first mileage run ever this year as the amount of flying I did this year was less than 50% of usual....

I am assuming immigration in PTY is used to this by now and won't give any grief on a same day turn around? I have global entry so return to US shouldn't be an issue..
Cityflyer10 is offline  
Old Jun 29, 2016, 8:42 am
  #1248  
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP, UA Gold
Posts: 98
Originally Posted by Cityflyer10
Might have to do my first mileage run ever this year as the amount of flying I did this year was less than 50% of usual....

I am assuming immigration in PTY is used to this by now and won't give any grief on a same day turn around? I have global entry so return to US shouldn't be an issue..
Yep, super easy. You don't even have to leave the terminal and go through immigration/security if you do not want to.
wolfeman27 is offline  
Old Jun 29, 2016, 5:31 pm
  #1249  
 
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: HEL
Programs: AY GOLD, HH GOLD
Posts: 411
Here's a good one with 4/6 segments in lie-flat. I'd book it immediately if the positioning ex-EU wouldn't be so expensive in July.

https://goo.gl/mqRX2O
aama is offline  
Old Jun 29, 2016, 6:12 pm
  #1250  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2015
Location: BOS, YVR, ZRH
Programs: *G
Posts: 17,290
Originally Posted by steve33
For what it's worth, I just put another MR on hold for October.

LAX-JFK-MIA-PTY-MIA-JFK-LAX is showing as 23,468 EQM... see the attachment, don't mind the times (AA now shows EQMs earned on their website when you're booking flights). With the same plane turnaround in PTY, you won't have to go through customs and both security screenings. The RJ isn't ideal on the MIA-PTY-MIA, but not having to leave the secure area is worth it and I'd rather spend a night in Miami than Panama. Also - not sure why it shows 8 EQS?
how do you see AAdvantage earnings? I don't see any page like that on the website, when I go at flights I have booked I only see the seats&how much the flight cost... no earnings...
Smiley90 is offline  
Old Jun 29, 2016, 6:38 pm
  #1251  
 
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: LAX, LGB, SNA
Programs: AA EXP OWE, DL DM ST+, AS MVPG, UA, BA, WN CP, Hyatt E, Ritz Plat, HH GM
Posts: 3,185
Originally Posted by Smiley90
how do you see AAdvantage earnings? I don't see any page like that on the website, when I go at flights I have booked I only see the seats&how much the flight cost... no earnings...
I'd like to know too
hiima is offline  
Old Jun 29, 2016, 8:50 pm
  #1252  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: san clemente ca
Programs: AA,DL
Posts: 374
Me three. I've looked all over and can't find anything that show's what miles I'll earn.
grbauctions is offline  
Old Jun 29, 2016, 9:15 pm
  #1253  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57
Originally Posted by grbauctions
Me three. I've looked all over and can't find anything that show's what miles I'll earn.
I'm seeing the mileage numbers for anything > 8/1. Anything for July isn't showing it.
rktsci is offline  
Old Jun 29, 2016, 9:20 pm
  #1254  
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57
I don't know why I'm even considering it after the last run that had major delays and missed connections, but I have a window of opportunity next week to get a third run for the year in. This time looking at LAX-MIA-PTY-MIA-LAX to get two 5+ hour rides on the 777-300. Fewer miles, but perhaps a more comfortable experience. I'm sprinkling in some meetings in MIA on the way and back, so the buffer times gives me some flexibility.

For those that have done both the same day and one night turn-arounds in PTY, what's the recommendation? I've done only the one night, but was thinking that if I did the same-day turnaround, I could do two nights at the same hotel in MIA and leave my bag behind for the day. It would be a little simpler on the planning and the aging body (no 5am getup in PTY). On the other hand, it eliminates the possibility of some site-seeing in PTY (last two runs arrives too late to do anything beyond walk around for an hour). I'm looking at the 11:54am arrival and could get in a four hour canal and city tour.

I'm torn!
rktsci is offline  
Old Jun 29, 2016, 10:46 pm
  #1255  
 
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
I have done one overnight in PTY, and one quick turn into PTY and back, spending the night in MIA.

I definitely recommend staying two consistent nights in MIA, and leaving your luggage in the hotel room.

Easy Peasy. Earn your miles and status, and return to PTY when the rains stop and you can stay for 3 night or more.
jcatman is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2016, 9:08 am
  #1256  
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
 
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-GGL/GfL
Posts: 12,031
Journey back was a nightmare. (PTY-DFW)
Crew came in late the night before, but did not decide that they needed addition rest until 0640 when the flight was scheduled to leave at 0800. Most passengers were in the airport when a delay was announced.
Dozens of mis-connects resulted which were well handled by the contract ground handling staff.
Crew turn up and then cause a 40 minute delay because they did not have enough Coke cans on board.
Then an hour to get to take off as only one runway open.
Then hit weather at DFW so even later due to big diversion north of the airfield.
Arrived VERY late in DFW but lucky that GE worked. Only one question from Customs guy - 'what was I doing in New York?'
Got to gate and flight to New York (had to go to LGA as no seats to JFK) is delayed. Got to the hotel around midnight, having been up since 0530!
All around a disaster!
Markie is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2016, 3:39 pm
  #1257  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 17
Squeezing one more before the 8/1 bombshell. 7/28-30 LAX-JFK-MIA-PTY
VolandoVoy is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2016, 4:03 pm
  #1258  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: san clemente ca
Programs: AA,DL
Posts: 374
Yea this time of year and weather issues and the old 767's that seem to go MX has been hell on my trips. One of them worked has I got a Voucher credit and miles for the flown portion plus some bonus miles. The weather delays and issues have caused me hell. I'm hoping for a better july then June.
grbauctions is offline  
Old Jun 30, 2016, 5:52 pm
  #1259  
 
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: New Orleans (MSY)
Programs: AA EXP, IHG PLT, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Explorist, Amtrak, WN
Posts: 2,617
Originally Posted by Markie
Crew turn up and then cause a 40 minute delay because they did not have enough Coke cans on board.
I find that more and more flights on AA are a disaster. This MR was HELL going both eays. AA's ops are in shambles. Also, I'm noticing more delays because of stuff like this. #goingforthebottom
brewdog11 is offline  
Old Jul 1, 2016, 1:00 pm
  #1260  
 
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: SJC, SFO
Programs: Motel 6 Super Diamond
Posts: 351
Hoping for better luck this weekend! 7/2-7/4 SFO-JFK-MIA-PTY and return.
Matthew330Ci is offline  

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