cperciva

As I was checking in for my YVR-YYZ-IST-MUC-SOF travel yesterday, the desk agent looked at my itinerary and said "this is a joke, right?"

Given the mileage running I hear about people doing, I'm sure this is far from the craziest itinerary flyertalkers have flown -- which makes me wonder, how crazy *have* we collectively gotten?

I'm talking about routings to get somewhere you want to go, not just flying around in circles, so I'm not looking for EYW stories here.

jbb

The craziest routing I heard about was discussed on this board very recently which involved routing through the same city twice. I believe the route was something like YXU-YYZ-YUL-YYZ-YOW.

MKE-MR

Not Canadian, but I've done MKE-ORD-PIT-ART-PIT-LAX before. The return was similar but the PIT-ART was cancelled so I ended up being rerouted LAX-PHL-PIT-PHL-MKE. So two double transits on the same trip.

supatight80

If it's a 'joke', then what does it say about aeroplan which does not give you an option but only book a flight with at least 3 stops just to get to your 1st destination...and that's only 1 way.

Maybe she/he hasnt seen intl. award bookings much

jbb

Looking at your itinerary again, there really is nothing that crazy about it. The only seemingly superfluous stop is MUC... one would think you could get from IST-SOF without a connection. Otherwise though, having to stop in YYZ to get to Europe from YVR is fairly normal and then having to stop at a European hub to get to the smaller airport (SOF) is also normal.

I've only made a couple 3-cnx flights in my life and both were to ZA: YEG-LHR-MUC-JNB-DUR, and YEG-LHR-ZRH-JNB-DUR

EDIT, forgot that I think once i had to do something like HNL-SFO-ORD-IAD-LHR... but it wasn't to do with earning points, its just what my cheap ticket put me on.

mountainboy

That choice hits a misconnect IST-SOF, and the result is a rather long wait. Beautiful lounge, though...

AtlanticXpat

Well, next month I'm doing YYT-YYZ-YVR-SYD-SIN-BKK-HKG-YYZ-YYT over the course of two weeks. Not a mileage run but a biz trip. Going to Asia/Oz from the East Coast invariably means 2 stops before you actually go TPAC. The only superfluous bit of my intinerary is the stop in BKK. Our TA can't get me biz class on SQ so currently I'm routed on TG via BKK. I'm hoping she can change this as I'd rather miss out that extra stop.

The best routing story I had was my MiL who rather foolishly tried to use an airline standby ticket (one of my BiL's works for an airline) for Easter travel YYT-YHZ. When she was told she had no hope of getting on a plane to meet her planned flight for YHZ to mexico for a wedding/vacation she had to buy a massively expensive ticket that took her YYT-YDF-YYR-YHZ. That's a very scenic route.

Livyer

Shouldn't that be *2* stops in the first paragraph?

I did YYT-YYR-YHZ back in June. Twenty five minute connection in YYR, but with the same aircraft, no chance of missing the connection. Funniest part was walking into the terminal and having to get back in line to reclear security.

You are right about the scenic part (although slightly different routing). It was a sunny June day, and flying over Central, northeast coast and Great Northern Peninsula was well worth the extra time.

rankourabu

I miss the days of BMI award tickets
I flew NOU-AKL-LAX-FRA-IST-GYD-ASB one summer. 18750 points in J
TAS-IST-PEK-GMP(stop)-HND-HNL set me back another 18750

This year I had to get to Australia from the Middle East and flew DOH-DXB-IAD-LAX-MEL. Also done SYD-LAX-MSP-ATL-AMS-IST a few years ago

Planning to use my US miles for F on YYZ-ORD-LHR-KUL-HKG-HND next year.

I would however never do stupid routings like this if I had to go to work at the destination, but when you have plenty of time, why not!

WildcatYXU

Well, for people who don't really like flying anything we do may seem crazy. They will drive to YYZ from here to get on a direct flight. So they consider our YXU-YYZ-YUL-POP route crazy (done it before and will do it again). Same for YXU-ORD-WAW-RZE. Here in Canada I did YCG-YVR-YEG-YYZ-YXU, or YXU-YOW-YUL-YHZ-YYT. With this one I actually got out of the aircraft continuing to YUL and waited for the next one. I booked some fun itineraries for my family members too. Last year my sons flew YXU-YYZ-IST-VIE-KSC-VIE-WAW-YYZ-YXU when visiting the family in the old country.

lcohen999

Yyz-hnd-sin-syd-akl-syd-(yvr)-yyz

heraclitus

Heh. Might make for a good game... Mileage Run or Aeroplan Redemption?

PilotTobe

I had this happen on my YOW-YYZ-YWG-YYC-YEG-YVR flight :P Same with YHZ-YUL-YYZ-YXU-YOW (everyone assumed it was an AE ticket)

PilotTobe

Haha I am honoured for this nomination :P

Sean Peever

lol I had what might be the same Agent at YVR the other week ask me "trying to get in extra segments" when I dropped off my luggage.

I had to tell her no, sadly it was an aeroplan reward that was booked a couple hours before getting to the airport.