Need a little help on this one. We are in Vegas from 10th March till the 18th. and will each need 70TP's to reach Silver. I am looking at doing a short hop to LAX and back on the 14th (as that seems to be the cheapest day). If I go out un an instant upgrade fare and back in Y as I see it I will have the 70 TP's I need and it will cost me £288.00 ($450).
Mrs. Stoneman and I were both going to do it but there is no real need as she always travels with me and if I reach silver most of the benefits (except for bonus avios) she would get as well (lounge access, choosing seats early, etc). I will only be gone about 4 hours so no probs leaving her on her own. We could wait to see if we could get an upgrade on the return to LHR from WT+ to CW which will get the required TP's but that is a gamble that there might not be any available and I would then have to do a trip from MAN to AMS in the future, which will involve a 2 1/2 hour drive each way to get to MAN.
Does this seem a plan, and is there a way of getting the cost down at all. I have just gone through the normal AA reservation planner. Flt out of LAS gets into LAX about 1:25pm and leaves again back to LAS at 3:05pm