HPN-HRL

Hi all,

First off - thanks to Prospero et al. for starting this thread! I have been bmi *G for a few years now and just expected to let my BAEC Gold status match fade away, but this thread has shown me that retaining BAEC Gold is actually feasible (at least WRT earning 1500 TPs).

Question #1: Great Circle Mapper shows SIN-FRA as being over 6000 miles; shouldn't that route be added to the QF 6000+ mile map in post #1? Same question for MH's routes KUL-CDG/FRA.

Question #2: (slightly OT for this thread but I don't know a better place to ask) Is it true that there are no "triangle trips" using BA metal in Europe (e.g. LHR-AAA-BBB-LHR)? I'm trying to come up with a way to get my "4 flights on BA" this summer in combination with a tip to Asia and would like to do something like the routing below:

1) USA to SIN on SQ (in F w/SQ award miles)
2) Bounce around Southeast Asia (REP/BKK/KUL/etc.)(cheap paid tix)
3) Fly from S.E.A. to Europe (probably paid Y; would consider Y+ or J)
4) Fly 4 flights on BA metal (paid)
5) End up in DUB (to avoid APD) and fly an AA/UA award back to the USA (I would pay except that one-way Europe-USA in the summer is crazy expensive!)

The "best" (cheapest) option for #3) that I find is KUL-LHR on MH for ~£450 in an exit row in Y on their A380 (daytime flight - I can fly for that long in Y if I don't expect to sleep); I was hoping to complete step #4 by then flying LHR-AAA-BBB-LHR-DUB on BA metal but ITA does not seem to show any such routes.

Question #3: If ITA is correct that LHR-AAA-BBB-LHR-DUB is in fact impossible on BA metal, then I see my options in order to complete the BAEC Gold metal requirement on this trip as:
a) fly from S.E.A. into LHR then fly on BA 5 times in order to end up in DUB;

b) fly from S.E.A. into somewhere other than LHR (e.g. the QF flight SIN-FRA mentioned in Q#1) and then fly e.g. FRA-LHR-AAA-LHR-DUB; or

c) fly 3 BA flights after flying from SIN on BA (but their prices are much higher, even if I combine with a paid ticket on BA to get back to the USA)

- am I missing anything?

FYI I am not concerned with maximizing TPs on this itinerary, just completing my BA metal requirement (preferably with minimum spend). I can paste together appropriate TRs out of SJU to complete the 1500 TP requirement.

Thanks for any and all guidance!

HPN-HRL (based north of NYC)

P.S. - IMHO this thread should be a sticky; I lucked out in finding it!