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Old May 3, 2012 | 12:28 pm
  #7  
lwildernorva
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You are asking a lot in a short period of time, but mia has pointed you in the right direction. You've got to look at award availability and you've got to be creative. The best route for you obviously is one of your NYC airports straight into Paris, but at this late date, you may need to consider a connection through an alternate airport.

Dublin and Aer Lingus may give you a good option if you're not able to work out something from NYC to CDG. You'll need to convert your 11K MR to 16.5K Avios (50% bonus through the end of the month) and your 25K UR to 25K Avios. If you can find a flight, you can fly JFK to Dublin RT (there's a 9:45 p.m. flight) in economy for 40K Avios on Aer Lingus plus about $125 in fees (you could do the same flight out of Boston for 25K Avios if you can get to and from Boston). You can either stay on Aer Lingus to fly to Paris on a paid ticket (around $300) or use another airline like Ryanair (maybe half that but just be sure to pack light to avoid checked baggage fees, know that you're flying into a secondary Paris airport, and thoroughly review their policies and fees to avoid getting burned).

Above all, however, don't make any transfers to any programs until you know you've got a flight you can book. Availability can dry up within hours and although you're not going during the absolute peak of tourist season over there, you're also not going during a low-demand season.

Good luck in your hunt!
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