YYZC2, mini trip-report. Was able to get the flights this past weekend - LGA-TPA-LGA on Jan 30, LGA-PBI-LGA morn of Jan 31 and JFK-LGB-JFK returning red-eye early AM Feb 1, LGA-TPA-LGA morning of Feb 1. Only a couple delays, going around turbulence on the way to LGB, and changing a tire enroute to TPA on Feb 1.
The first two sets of flight attendents did in fact recognize my buddy and I (we're 6'2 and 6'3, difficult to blend in) and were thoroughly interested in what we were doing. Neither even knew about the promo. Also, the check-in agent at TPA on Feb 1 asked us why we didn't have a boarding pass. When I said "connecting flight", she said, "there aren't any connecting flights really to LGA - you just came down on this didn't you?" Then she got excited, and just wanted to know what the award tickets were going to be used for.
Useful sidenotes - New Yorkers are crazy - I appreciate Toronto SO MUCH after this. What's the point in honking when you're not going to get anywhere (oh wait, many Torontonians have decided to take up this past time as well....)????
Secondly - when the hell did the Empire State building get so tall??
Also, we ended up driving to JFK, and back to La Guardia on the morning of Feb 1. We somehow avoided paying for parking at LGA by parking on the street, literally the closest spot to the airport. Was actually legal too. Corner of Ditmer and 94th I think.
Fourthly - Long Beach airport is ridiculous. It is like a mobile home.
Lastly - AA needs to lose the 'airline silver' livery - even if that is part of the fabric of their being, it's getting to look pretty ghetto.
So, in the end, my friend and myself each got a free award ticket for our selves, a free award ticket for 2 others, and 20,044 AA miles each (including 4 x 1000 online bonus, plus 5000 FLY04 bonus miles). What to do with them I do not know. YYZ-LHR on BA to increase the miles? Cornflakes run to Detroit???
Also, YYZC2, if you could further explain the aformentioned 'gold challenge', it would be appreciated. I searched the AA posts, could not really comprehend how it would apply to me since I was not targeted by the email.
Thanks, Canadair.