Originally Posted by
Dr. HFH
So I'm considering another AONE5. Even with the most recent price increase, it may still make sense financially because of the mileage I'll earn with the bonuses and multipliers as AA EXP (OW EMD) traveling in F.
Here's the itinerary I've come up with so far:
JNB-LHR-MCT-LHR-SYD-HKG-NRT-HKG-JFK-SJU-LAX-DFW-ANC-DFW-LAX-LHR-NBO, clocking in at 63,028 BIS miles per MileCalc. (With COS and elite status bonuses/multipliers, comes to a total of 157,575!!)
The two cities I absolutely must hit are BOS and BKK/DMK. I'll travel between JFK and BOS either on the ground or by AA. Even if I fly, I can do it as cheaply as USD $188 roundtrip (just checked AA.com). I'll travel between HKG and Bangkok by air, obviously; just checked AirAsia.com and I can do it for around USD $189 roundtrip (plus AirAsia baggage charges, of course).
I'll be grateful for any suggestions.
First, you'll need to remove discontinued routes from the plan. SJU-LAX is no more, and of course ANC is seasonal. In addition, AA's Caribbean routes (also Canadian, Mexican and Central American) have no first class cabin, so both DONEx and AONEx tickets book into J on those routes, taking your COS bonus as an EXP from 50% down to 25%.
This route - JNB-LHR-MCT-LHR-SYD-SIN-NRT-HKG-ORD-SJU-DFW-ANC-DFW-BOS-LAX-LHR-NBO adds around 1500 BIS miles, and because BA still runs F on SYD-SIN you'd also get a few more RDM than J to other Asian locations. You could get to Bangkok as cheaply from Singapore as from Hong Kong, and this would include Boston without much sacrifice in miles and hours in CX F/J (ORD v. JFK.)
That said, by my reckoning, an AONEx ticket ex-South Africa (on my route above) would earn roughly 11,000 more redeemable miles counting EXP and COS bonuses, than a DONEx on the same route. Clearly the first class ticket would be more comfortable, but at least to me the mileage bump wouldn't justify the additional cost. YMMV big time, of course.
Originally Posted by
Dr. HFH
Mods.: If you think that this belongs in another thread, please feel free to move it. There seem to be several threads on maximizing miles on an xONEx ticket. I thought that this one had the most relevant title, so I'm posting here.
AS AN ASIDE, I've posted a
temporary "sticky" thread with a short poll. The current thread, and some others referenced here, involve people posting proposed itineraries and asking for help in "tweaking" or creating more optimum routing - for mileage or other purposes. The poll thread asks if we ought to open a "sticky" route optimization/alternatives thread where such questions and answers could go. I'll keep the poll going for a week. Thanks for your cooperation.
Gardyloo
Oneworld moderator