Originally Posted by
macks
Thank you for the assistance!
You're welcome
I'm not sure I quite understand what "point-of-sale issue" means. Is the best course of action to call the AA desk and get it priced via a representative? Will they do this if I don't have AA flights on my itinerary?
I'm not fully up to speed on point of sale either - but basically an airline can restrict availability of booking classes based on where in the world you are purchasing the ticket. So in the case of availability in L booking class on the AKL-SCL flight, LA might make more available to people in Chile than elsewhere in the world.
Anecdotally, AA insists on having at least one 'over water' flight
But if you don't try then the answer is bound to be "no"
I have a good bit of year-end travel lined up, so the hope is to do a Platinum Challenge on AA and secure status by the time we set off in January. Is a DONE3 Asia-SWP-S America route worth considering, using accrued miles to take us to Europe after wrapping up in Tokyo? Or is it impossible to get from S America back to Japan without touching N American or Europe?.
Yes, having PLT status on AA, which will result in a 100% status bonus on most/all? of your flights, will help if you decide to fill gaps in the itinerary with award flights
(and of course if you choose to fly "L", then PLT status will also give you lounge access and the ability to check in at business class counters)
However, you won't have the award miles until you fly the flights that earn them, and then it might be too late to get the award flights you want
With a DONE3, I pointed out that on your proposed itinerary there is no way to get from Asia to South America without touching either South West Pacific or North America.
I'll now add that after South America, there is no way to get back to Asia without touching Europe (the fare rules say you must fly across both the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans)