Well, alrighty then... lets just go ahead and look at this as an opportunity to really rack up some miles.

It's interesting to note that we have $850 to play with for OW fared trip between CHI and SFO/SCJ on the 15th of April but, that the lowest one OW fare on AA for that date is a BAP3 for $ 1,233. My amigo, keithguy, has broken the fare in PHX and come up with a suggestion which was considerably less than the lowest OW published fare.

Personally, I liked that one, but the following suggestion seems like a bigger bang for the buck to tvl4free... but my idea uses a fare which has a few special requirements and pecadillos which require a little more thought and planning than you might be willing to give at this late stage of the game, but I'll just go ahead and splatter this idea out there and see what happens. The rules for this deal might seems a little complicated.

This 'mini-vacation' is based on an AA RT fare of $ 697 and fare basis of MLXPX6M from CHI to TPE. This fare basis is interesting in that it will allow you to travel from CHI to SFO on Monday the 14th and stop over there4free. You could either go nonstop or via the routing I've suggested to max out a few extra miles, if you would be so inclined. (Infact, this fare will also allow you to have an additional 2 S/O for an additional $100 apiece, but more on that later). One of the pecadillos about this idea, however, is that the continuing over water portion from SFO - TPE must take place AFTER September 1. So, in effect, because of the permissible stopovers, we have the opportunity here to not only get you to SFO on Monday, but to plan two (and possibly three) additional little mileage runs all in one - all using just one fare.

Here's a quickie sample itinerary that I put together (which could possibly be tweaked to max out any additional route bonuses which might be going on at present) and an explanation of how this could be used for an etra run or two:

1 AA1325M 15APR MO ORDSTL HK1 1047A 1206P/O $ J01 E
2*AA2917M 15APR MO STLDFW HK1 110P 311P/X $ J01 E
3 AA1419M 15APR MO DFWSFO HK1 354P 549P/X $ J01 E

4*AA7961M 02SEP MO SFOTPE HK1 130A 545A#1/O $
5*AA7960M 03SEP TU TPESFO HK1 715P 325P/O $

6 AA1994M 04SEP WE SFODFW HK1 920A 257P/O $ J02 E
7*AA3006M 04SEP WE DFWSTL HK1 402P 556P/X $ J02 E
8*AA2654M 04SEP WE STLORD HK1 635P 754P/X $ J02 E

FQT 697.00 88.75 5.00 6.00 796.75 MLXPX6M 11APR/TVL4FREE/2:50P

CHISTL 500 STLDFW 548 DFWSFO 1468 SFOTPE 6450
TPESFO 6450 SFODFW 1468 DFWSTL 548 STLCHI 500

TOTAL = 17, 932 Q Miles TOTAL PLATINUM miles = 35, 864

$ 796.75 / 35,864 miles = 0.02 cents per mile for S 1-8
$ 731.17/ 30,832 miles = 0.02 cents per mile for S 1-5

1. Segments 1-3 will get you to SFO and could be replaced with a nonstop if you so desire.
2. S 4-5 would be your second run and would take you to RT from SFO to TPE. You could do this later,
sometime after Sept. 1. SFO-TPE is a long trip, and so you will note that I built it with just a long enuf layover so that you could get some rest. Of course, you could stay longer if you wished.
3. Please note that in addition to pricing this itinerary as a RT from ORD to TPE for $796.75 MLXPX6M, it could also be priced (S1-5) as an open jaw from ORD-TPE-SFO FOR ONLY $731.17.

As shown above, S1-8 would reap about 17,932 Q miles or 35,864 total Platinum miles. On the other hand, if you only flew S1-5, and abandoned the run here (and you can do this by just purchasing S1-5), you would earn 15,416 Q miles or 30,832 total Platinum miles.

Again, as mentioned, you could abandon this proposal after segment 5 at a cost of $731.17 and be done with this run - or you could continue on back to ORD ON THE SAME DAY for a total cost of $ 796.75. It's important here to note that you wouldn't necessarily have to return to ORD. Possibly you might want to go somewhere else, and thus begin a THIRD RUN. In order to avoid the $100 stopover charge (you can only have one4free) in SFO on the return, you would have to continue on TO SOMEWHERE within 24 hours of arriving in SFO. What I'm trying to say is that you don't necessarily have to return to CHI. Maybe there is somewhere else that you might want to go...???

OR once back in SFO, you could for the $100 extra stopover fee, stopover there AGAIN, and then begin your third ONE WAY RUN to CHI and/or somewhere else later on.

Only downside to the third trip is that where ever you might decide to go, there would need to be a cheap OW fare to get you back home to SFO again. This is usually not a problem with advance planning.

I hope this is somewhat clearer than muddy water. E-me if anything seems muddy.

Happy travelin' to ya.






[This message has been edited by tvl4free (edited 04-11-2002).]