pewpew

I used to use Google flights and specify the carrier as A3, then search XXX-Europe, but that no longer works. How does everyone here go about looking for segment runs to maintain A3 status? If anyone already knows anything good out of TXL, I'm all ears

:D!

I still use ITA Matrix which is not perfect when it comes to A3, but helps to narrow down possibilities.

I haven't found anything good this summer. I suspect that the planes are more filled up so they don't need to offer special deals. I haven't looked at winter yet.

If a return is expensive, try one-ways and then get a low-cost flight back to TXL, and do this twice.

This year I did CPH-ATH-LHR and LHR-ATH-LHR. Next year I am just going to do LHR-ATH-SKG return.

Actually I find the A3 flights to be the easy bit. It's harder to get 12000 miles (or 7000 since the A3 flights give you something) without a long-haul. My long-hauls are on oneworld so I had to do 12 SK flights this year, and am kind of fed up with CPH now

mylabel

Well easiest and cheapest way would be flying via ATH to domestic airport in Greece example, SKG.

But if you want to fly international to use all upgrade coupons I would say GVA, BRU and WAW use to have a cheap flight.

Knobbgb

If October counts as winter the French regional airports are quite cheap (MRS, BOD) as are DUB and EDI. I recently booked SKG-ATH-EDI for 56 Euro and DUB-ATH-MRS for 54 Euro, both in in October. The DUB flights have been extended through the winter and are VERY cheap right now. They're also the longest A3 flights in Europe, which is good for miles earnin. DUB-CHQ is available for around 60 Euro in November and December, for example. The current 'sale' starts in January and there are many mbargains right through to April.

I tend to just look out which destinations are cheap and then play around with city pairs, rather than use the tools. There aren't that many choices and I have the luxury of quite a lot of spare time.

murilix

IMHO, if you are not from Greece, the most direct and logic way is fly to a Greek city other than ATH and then back. With some many nice Greek cities to visit, I figure you will need 10 years of segment runs to exhaust the good options.

Last year, I did find a 3-segment flight that suited me (RHO-SKG-ATH-MAD), but the flight to RHO was a 2-segment one, so I ended up with 5.

Another option is get one long layover in ATH and then do a quick fly-and-back to place with the cheapest fare you can find on the date, I did this the year before, to HER.

Tokyoite

TXL-SKG via ATH is 60 euro one way in November. Cheaper to book two one ways, to get a quick return (One night) at your destination.

p78

I did this year 3 runs LHR-ATH-WAW-ATH-LHR 4 flights in 24h
3700aegean miles....
works out 110GBP each run (2 separate tickets with just 40min in Warsaw (but very easy)

djjaguar64

Theres also MLA now where Aegean is flying to, so thats another option.

BlackForestUli

Rather than searching for the perfect 4-segment run, I tend to look if a direct flight I have to take anyway can be reasonably replaced by two A3 flights with a change in ATH or SKG.

For example, when I need to fly FRA to LHR (ideally with some flexibility on the dates) I do not book the obvious LH or BA flight straight away. Instead I first try to see if routing on A3 metal would also get me from FRA to LHR with two segments on A3. Same for the return flight.

Most of the time the A3 flights take too much time, but every now and then I manage to collect 2 or 4 segments.

I also tend to decide based on finding A3 flights where I can use some of my upgrade vouchers.

Noobflyer59

Out of txl, I have found the best four segments run to be SKG. Very inexpensive tickets ath-skg-ath, very frequent connections should you miss a departure, lounge with direct boarding, inexpensive airport hotels (as opposed to Athens). Try different booking combinations like one-way txl-ath-skg, international return + domestic return and so on, could mean big price differences.