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Originally Posted by carsnoceans
Originally Posted by
guv1976
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"I think Explorer awards are great for open jaw but a distance based routing for something like 'JFK-HKG-DEL-AMM-JFK' would cost lot more in RDMs!"
No, you're mistaken. In Business Class, an Explorer award would actually save you miles.
AA's one-way awards between North America and India -- which only permit routings via the Atlantic -- cost 67.5K miles each way in Business, or 135K miles for a roundtrip. By contrast, the JFK-HKG-DEL-AMM/HEL/DOH-JFK routing would cost only 130K AA miles in Business if booked as an Explorer award. As previously noted, on an Explorer award, you could travel via the Pacific (on CX) in one direction if desired, and you could also have free en-route stopovers if you wanted them.
Maybe I understand the Explorer rewards incorrectly then... wouldn't JFK-HKG be one segment and HKG-DEL different segment? And, I'd be redeeming against miles required per segment? Like the way as it works with BAs Avios?
I did a RTW last month and this is what how the miles were redeemed -
JKF-HKG (55K)
HKG-BKK(layover)-DEL (30K)
DEL-AUH-IAD (67.5K)
According to your theory, I used 22.5K miles more than I was required?
Your math would be correct if you were just stringing together a series of one-way awards. Explorer awards work differently: you add up the flown mileage of each individual flight, and then your
total flown mileage determines the number of AA miles required for the
entire trip. For a trip of between 14,001 and 20,000 total flown miles, AA would charge 130,000 miles for the entire itinerary in Business Class.
Your previous itinerary via AUH was correctly priced. EY is not a oneworld carrier, and only oneworld carriers can be used on an Explorer award.
You can find a dedicated Explorer-award thread with a wealth of information in the FT AA forum.