Originally Posted by
scubadu
I have to say, I feel like someone missing the "secret handshake" to access an elite club in this thread; every time I've ever checked AAvacations for reduced prices in J I can't find anything even remotely compelling...
An awful lot depends on the route you are looking for - its certainly true that the bargains are only for certain destinations, and they're not necessarily constant.
That said, I've never seen a good deal for SIN or SYD or AKL and the best deals are usually those distant European capitals that give cheap J fares in the other direction (Stockholm, Budapest, etc). It used to be London, which was very nice, but those fares seem to be running $3500 these days.
The rule of thumb that seems to work is that if there is a cheap J fare to somewhere at some time (see the Premium Run threads), then aavacations will often offer you that bargain basement fare through the whole season. But if there is no cheap fare there at all, then you're probably out of luck.
It would be interesting to hear other thoughts and experiences on where these deals come out best.