Originally Posted by
slider34
To be clear doing my method above would only yield a free one-way from LAX to Hawaii and nothing more (2 of them but not 2 each way)?
If that's the case, I think I'm better off booking maximum days out from Omaha to Hawaii then a seperate trip all together Omaha to London. Longer flights but I don't think I gain much by going through the hassle of my initial post, agree?
To be clear, for each award LAX-LHR you can get a free one way Hawaii to LAX prior to the trip to London, AND a free one way LAX-Hawaii after your trip to London.
Two free one ways. But not LAX - Hawaii RT, because the Hawaii-LAX trip must occur before LAX-LHR, and the LAX-Hawaii trip must occur after LHR-LAX. The order is reversed from what you were hoping for.
I do think that ORD-HNL makes more sense than LAX-HNL for you. You could fly one way OMA-ORD-LHR (no stopover), book a second one way award LHR-ORD (stopover)- HNL, and a third one way HNL-OMA. You will save half the miles of a RT to Hawaii vs. booking separate RTs OMA-LHR and OMA-HNL, albeit at the cost of an OMA-ORD one way out of pocket (or Avios, which is a good idea).
Going to LAX makes sense if you want to go to the outer islands and not transit in HNL. But then you have to return from LHR to LAX then revenue to OMA, an unduly long backtrack. Probably easier to just go interisland via HNL.
If you are flying business class, ORD-HNL is a 763, while LAX-OGG or LAX-LIH or LAX-KOA are usually 757s (might be a seasonal LAX-OGG on a 763). Much nicer in a 763 if you are up front.