Welcome to FlyerTalk,
TrAAveler8
Hello all, this is my first post on the forum but I have visited the site many times - thank you for your sage advice.
For reasons I won't bore you with, I need to earn about 7,200 EQM no later than April 5, 2016. I am EXP. So a question in three parts:
(1) For connecting flight itineraries with at least one stop, if memory serves mileage is awarded based on actual mileage flown (i.e. distance from segment 1 to segment 2 and then segment 2 to segment 3), rather than distance from origin to final destination as if it were a nonstop flight - do I have that right? The obvious goal is to capture more miles by traveling on a longer connecting flight rather than a non-stop one.
Not entirely; that's true for connecting flights with dissimilar flight numbers, through flights with the same number will generally earn A to C. E.g. AA 111 FCO-ORD (772) plus AA 111 ORD-LAX (738) = FCO-LAX for mileage earning purposes.
(2) Assuming I have the above correct, when I search online for connecting-flight routings between my city pairs that are deliberately less efficient on the AA site, I don't see options through hubs (i.e. Dallas) the same as I used to. What's the best way to create a deliberately inefficient but also inexpensive itinerary to accomplish my goals?
Trial and error. Use Google Flights, use the Multi City option on aa.com (you can sometimes force DFW etc. by inputting city pairs without nonstop flights).
(3) If all else fails, what is the best methodology to search for the least expensive ticket that meets a specific mileage target?
Start with Google Flights; you can set all kinds of parameters. Check the Travel Tools forum for threads like this one.
Check the Mileage Run - Discussion forum and the Mileage a Run Deals as well.