Originally Posted by number_6
You could replace ORD-BOS-SFO-LHR with ORD-SJU-LAX-LHR for a bit more miles and better planes on AA (also more flight choices out of LAX-LHR).
Unfortunately the schedule is not going to work for ORD-SJU-LAX. There are three flights ORD-SJU (all 757 by the way), with the earliest departing ORD at 6:33am (too early for me) and arriving at SJU at 12:13pm.
Then there is only one direct SJU-LAX flight (763) that departs at noon. So I would lose a day overnighting at SJU. I would be better off overnighting at LAX where I know some people to meet for dinner.
Also since the SJU flights are J and F, the SC's earned at not as good. ORD-SJU-LAX would earn 60+100=160 SC's. ORD-BOS-SFO earns 30+150=180 SC's.
Still thinking I'll do ORD-LAX-JFK-LHR. Its less SC's (60+60+100=220 to LHR) via 340 for ORD-BOS-SFO-LHR. But I can tack on a LHR-HEL-LHR run as mentioned in previous post for another 120 SC's making it the same, and I get 763 from ORD-LAX on QF code share, QF 744 LAX-JFK. I also get to use the FL at LAX and BAEC at JFK for pre-flight dining. That gotta be better than the BA/QF lounge at LAX TBI. It does mean a shorted sleep opportunity over the Atlantic.
Originally Posted by number_6
LHR-MEL could be done as LHR-BKK-HKG-TPE-HKG-SIN-MEL, adding a day to go from BKK to SIN (I find LHR-BKK is much nicer flight than LHR-SIN due to the slightly longer distance and seems to have lighter loads).
I probably wouldn't add the HKG-TPE-HKG bit. I'll be ready to get home by then and will have enough SC's for requalification.
But I may consider LHR-BKK-SYD-BNE. That would be 30 SC's less than LHR-SIN-MEL-SYD-BNE, but one less sector, and I might have had enough of being in the air by then.
What is the QF F lounge like in BKK? I have only ever used HKG and SIN for Asia transit returning to Australia.
I also though of taking QF32 LHR-SIN, then CX to HKG (and enjoy thye Wing) and QF128 HKG-SYD-BNE, or AY (on QF codeshare) SIN-BKK and then QF home via SYD. But that means leaving London around midday so I lose my day in FRA or I don't get home until a day later. At least if I book QF10 as separate sectors/coupons LHR-SIN-MEL-SYD I know the connections will work ^ and can always change the SIN-MEL-SYD-BNE if I am asked to spend the day in the SIN office on the way home (always a possibility).