eponymous_coward

Yeah, that kind of stretches the definition of "sweet spot".

"BA F is good value because you're paying less than a thousand dollars in carrier surcharges and taxes for a round trip first class seat! And you get a London stopover!"

If you originate in INV on a BA F one-way to the USA, though, check out what it does to the surcharges and UK APD... if you'd like a "good deal" involving BA F and would like to visit the Scottish Highlands.

"EK F is good value because it's only 450,000 miles round trip to Australia! And I have family I can visit in Dubai!"

CDKing

You mean BA J+

eponymous_coward

Sure, but considering that AF F is DENIED, AY J is a myth (6 months of partnership, still no redemption chart), AF/KL J is hard to get, and DE/FI J is closer to Y+, BA F is the best AS mileage redemption in terms of hard/soft product you're going to for NA<->Europe, and it's reasonably plentiful thanks to carrier surcharges and UK APD scaring people off with a price tag for the miles.

Yeah, it's a ripoff compared to CX F but CX doesn't fly USA-Europe...

Oh, and I would say EK J is... reasonable-ish for India/ME? Not... terrible? Though with SEA being not even lie-flat J until the fleet's all the way converted (plus middle seats in J), that means routing to an A380 destination to get the bar and all-aisle access for a lot of the AS customer base.

fishywang

This is quite limited, but if you live in SFO/LAX, find a Caribbean destination you want to visit and AA has nonstops from both JFK and MIA (example: SXM), you can get an SFO-JFK-SXM-MIA-SFO for 60k in J (SFO-JFK in F), with stops at JFK, MIA and SXM. That's less miles than SFO-JFK roundtrip in F on AA (65k)

discoverCSG

AA J and F are (mostly) excellent hard products and halfway-decent soft products, available without the YQ, and with at least some availability.

jiburi

One-way 20K fare for HNL to CDG (or most european cities with AA service) Y is my pick for sweet spot. Y on BA is 32.5 K, still a good deal.

Jiburi

eponymous_coward

"Some"



MileSAAver / SAAver award reduction / scarcity discussion

jinglish

The only AA international destination I've found that seems to actually have some J award inventory is MXP, and even then I'm not finding any for T-330 right now.

eponymous_coward

AA has decent Y availability during European/Asian low season, and every so often randomly has some J availability, but you have to be seriously lucky/flexible to take advantage of it. BA J/F is WAAAAAAY more available.

But when you can get Y to Europe for $300-500 from all kinds of airlines, even 40k AS miles is around a penny per mile (and AS elites lose all benefits after 12/31). Ooooh, great, I can spend 40k AS miles (45k next year) being squashed in ten across AA Y as opposed to spending $500 and getting squashed in (insert name of random airline here).

Thunderroad

Though I'm not the OP, as someone new to Alaska I really appreciate the suggestions offered here. Keep 'em coming, especially for J and F, if there are any more ideas out there.

eponymous_coward

Like I said, if you're an AA veteran, you have "free stopover in the international gateway/hub on one ways" back on awards now that you switched to AS. I find that tremendously useful, even if I take it in the USA as opposed to overseas in LHR/HKG/DXB. Free transcon/one way to Hawaii or Mexico out of SEA tacked on to an award? Don't mind if I do.

Thunderroad

Thanks so much! This hadn't quite sunk through my thick skull when you first mentioned it.

Ah, for the days when AA offered an option like this...but then again, dropping that option is far from the worst way in which the Aadvantage program has deteriorated.

Flying for Fun

Don't forget Costa Rica. Beautiful country and very friendly people. I have been three times in the last year (once to LIR, twice to SJO) More miles from LAX than any Hawaiian Island from anywhere on the continental west coast and only a handful fewer than from ANC. Also for mileage runs it is a great use of a GGU by taking the redeye ANC-LAX and connecting to LAX-SJO. Connection time is <4hrs so only need one GGU for both flights. Even better with a companion Certificate.

eponymous_coward

I didn’t forget. Central America is not included as part of the North America award zone the same way Mexico and Hawaii are. You can’t stack SJO/LIR on an award the same way you can stack SJD or OGG.

I DID forget the Carribean, though, so in theory you could stack SXM or something similar to an AS award where AA is the only other partner. (I don’t think you can include AS to HAV.)

Flying for Fun

Ah, thanks for the info. I also was thinking HAV would not be eligible so didn't mention Cuba either.