glennhaak

It is bookable through AF/KL site via Powertools, but on OTA's you get the cheapest price.

Example: https://matrix.itasoftware.com/#view...Tm3kkxrZp1E005

Concerto

Hopefully can make it work on expedia.de. Really not into matrix, I'm one of those who has never got anywhere with it and fiddling around has lost me time and made me irritated. But surely it will be visible on some of the OTAs.

glennhaak

If you need a hand, send me a PM with dates and I'll look into it for you.

Concerto

Thanks glenhaak, it will probably be during the Summer or late Summer. So I may get back to you later, as seems a very good opportunity to up the XP count and the area around Billund is really nice, as is the whole of Denmark. In the meantime, I will do some of my own work on the offer!

f0zzyNUE

currently on sale - LHR-ICN from 1227€ in business class - can be XP-maximized to 130XP

see https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30644578-post4.html

Concerto

Nice one. These are the sorts of deals we need to know about here. Here is the XP ratio on my most recent bookings, a couple of which contain very reasonably priced double open jaws on KLM:

AZ : DUS-FCO-VRN/ZRH-FCO-DUS Economy €164.00
XP = €9.59

KL : DUS-AMS-GVA/LHR-AMS-BRU Economy €208.29
XP = €10.41

KL/AF : GVA-AMS-LHR/DUS-CDG-GVA Economy CHF178.00
XP = CHF8.90

AZ : BRU-FCO-VLC-FCO-BRU Business €311.00
XP = €5.18

unusualtravelblog

You can price the BRU-VLC XP run down to €293 with an OTA, it making 4,89€ per XP.

Example: https://bit.ly/2QFQpwI

Concerto

Hmmm, sexy! I'm seeing it for EUR292 there. This might become a default XP run for me, although I am finding getting overland from DUS to BRU a little bit dearer than I expected (with Deutsche Bahn you have to book at least 4 weeks before to get the best prices). Additionally it does not seem possible to avoid the overnight in Rome on the way back. So the extra outlay for the déplacement plus a hotel or two along the way somewhat waters down the value of this deal. But it's still a great one! Hope we find some more going forward!

Xandrios

That Alitalia fare is quite a common one though. Its available on almost all European routes through FCO or MIL, though not at all times.

Personally I have used the same fare/sale between AMS and ATH multiple times as I was able to combine it with my actual transport needs. I would recommend to monitor routes that you are planning to fly in the future to see if the same Alitalia sale opens on there too. That way you don't fly solely for the XP's, but can still enjoy the extra earnings on your scheduled trips.

Concerto

I had a good look at this and the hotel is a bit further away, physically, than I thought. With a flight at 08h25 the following morning I think I am going to end up booking a room at the more expensive Hampton by Hilton at FCO airport. By the time you factor in the train fare (€8 per direction, according to Trenitalia) that makes it an extra €32 for 2 persons to stay at this Holiday Inn, which is available for €66 on the night in question (which makes it €98 with the train fare). I would go for it if the flight to BRU left a bit later than 08h25 and if I intended to pursue the current IHG Accelerate equivalent promotion.

Having had a fish through the other hotel options, they all have payable shuttles, varying from €6 to €8 per person per direction, so onsite Hampton by Hilton it is.

Fabo.sk

The HIs shuttle is free from the airport to the hotel, payable the other way, but only runs quite infrequently. The train is, unfortunately, quite expensive.
Getting to the airport in the morning is not an issue, however I would also not prefer the HI if not for the promotion (I also stayed there on a mattress run for Accelerate)

Concerto

I would totally go for it if I was alone and pursuing the current ersatz Accelerate promotion. But I think the comfort and proximity of Hampton by Hilton wins out this time.

Concerto

Coming belatedly back to the subject of mileage runs and securing the Platinum card earlier than expected, here are my notes from my trip on Saudia Airlines (SV) via Jeddah to Dubai. This was booked on 31st December 2017 as an award ticket using Saudia miles just a day before they expired. I had had to buy some award miles (because a previous attempt to redeem the miles ended up with me canceling the ticket, with a batch of miles expiring as they landed back on my account). I don't have the info to hand but I recall spending about EUR60 on purchasing miles, and about USD100 in taxes, possibly a bit less. The trip would have cost EUR481 if purchased as a revenue ticket at the time of this booking, The whole itinerary booked into Economy M class and I put my FB number in (Gold at the time) in order to benefit from the lounge etc. After the trip, I saw that I had been awarded 9,502 miles and a total of 26 XPs, which meant that my following trip (to Madrid and Palma) would tip me over to Platinum status earlier than desired. I had calculated on doing it at year's end, just to keep my qualification period tied to the calendar year.

I must say, despite my fears of Saudia, transiting Saudi Arabia and the cruel nighttime nature of these flights, this trip was excellent and I would readily consider Saudia again for future trips in Economy. For me, it was Economy class like it used to be, decent and comfortable. Service was friendly and excellent, with pretty good food. Here are the details:

SV 126 CDG-JED Guest (M)

I approached my first Saudi Arabian Airlines flight with trepidation, unsure as to what it would be like, fearful of transiting Saudi Arabia itself, unsure if I could even check in. No problem inserting my Flying Blue gold number into the booking at check in (this was actually a Saudia Alfursan miles ticket). So I could use the lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle 2C, but it turned out to be really poor: I thought the Saudis would have demanded something better. The flight itself was amazingly comfortable with loads of legroom and seat comfort you can only dream about in Economy class on other airlines. I had a Saudi neighbour in the window seat returning home to Jeddah and there was nobody in the middle seat. We were greeted with Arabian coffee and dates and stylish printed menus were distributed. I was so surprised I asked the FA on my side if I was sitting in the right class! She seemed to take to me and really took care of me for the rest of the flight, bringing extra food and drinks, and offered an interaction that bordered on flirting - unheard of for the Saudi people! The main meal service had a choice of three hot mains - I had the Arabian cardamon infused chicken kofta with a Suman cod fish starter. Saudia is, of course, a dry airline so I enjoyed guava juice, avocado smoothie and pure mint tea. The IFE system wasn't brilliant but there was a fair selection of films, including a remake of Murder on the Orient Express with Kenneth Branagh which disappointed a bit. All in all, Saudia is in a time warp and I look forward to my next flight.
777-300 Seat 50L 9/10

JED-DXB SV598 Guest (M)

Transit through Jeddah airport was quite a novel experience, including my stay in the Alfursan business lounge. There, all the food was coloured green to celebrate Saudi National Day and it looked like food for a spacemen! Needless to say, it remained totally untouched during my stay in the lounge! An interesting talk with an Egyptair pilot helped to pass the time. Saudia calls boarding for its flights very early and I made sure to get myself to the gate on time. I wonder if that, coupled with the very long bus ride to the aircraft, caused some people to miss the flight because the plane was really empty. Even an A320 looks totally deserted with just 15 passengers. This aircraft was less clean and older, but service was excellent with a choice of hot meals and plenty of drinks. I tried to sleep a bit before a slightly late arrival at Dubai at 03h15.
332 Seat 43L 7/10

PeteM01

Thanks for the interesting report! I used to fly Saudia quite a bit a few years ago (no choice), and it seems that nothing has changed. I have added my comments to some of your points:

Concerto

Just to continue with this report, a sort of mini trip report within the context of mileage running, here are the notes from my return trip with Saudia to Paris.

DXB-RUH SV553 Guest (M)

After a pleasant enough stay in the Dubai Skyteam lounge and managing to guest my two friends (whom I met up with while in Dubai) into the nearby Marhaba Lounge using a Priority Pass (they were flying back to Düsseldorf with SWISS), I headed for the busy gate to board this completely full flight to Riyadh. Saudia laid on a 777-300 for this 1h30 trip and served a hot meal with starter (remember, we're in Economy class here). Once again, legroom and comfort was excellent for economy class. I made use of the IFE to watch a Malaysian film in Cantonese called A House of Happiness about an old man whose family and friends gather around him as he develops Alzheimers, which was excellent.
773 Seat 51J 8/10

RUH-CDG SV143 Guest (M)

I could say lots of nice things about this flight but despite having the best seat in Economy, by the emergency exit, I was damned uncomfortable, Not daring to stick my legs out for fear of getting my feet amputated by the trolley or whacked by the toilet door, I just couldn't get comfortable, my head rolling in all directions. So sleeping on this redeye flight was a fitful, painful affair, but I managed 3 to 4 hours all the same. To begin with there was a lot of waltzing around with the seats in order that a Saudi family could sit together, but I ended up with lots of space around me after two seat shifts. Had the feeling nobody wanted to sit near me! Maybe it was the garlic on the fish we picked up at the Dubai Waterfront fish market and had cooked for us there! The flight was delayed about half an hour due to a technical problem, but we made up some time on the way across the Red Sea and the Sinai. A hot Arabian breakfast (other choice was an omelette) was served which was a bit strange but quite good. Cabin crew were friendly in a way airline staff never are these days. My Gold card, however, did not get me into the Air France arrivals lounge at Paris 2C!
777 Seat 30D→33C 7/10