Planning trip to AU/NZ using AA miles, looking for guidance
Aug 1, 2010, 11:03 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 36
Planning trip to AU/NZ using AA miles, looking for guidance
Hey guys!
Hopefully I'm asking this in the right place - it's a little complicated so I wasn't sure where to start. Thanks in advance, and if I'm in the wrong spot, my apologies!
This is my first time ever flying international, so I'm a little overwhelmed on where to start because I'd like to use AAmiles to make it happen.
I've recently freed up my time and location, and I want to plan a trip from Atlanta to New Zealand, Australia, and possibly Fiji (or another island in the area) for 4-5 weeks, leaving mid January and returning Mid-February. My budget is a little tight so I'd like to do this as economically as possible.
I have 126,000 AA miles, and don't mind using them all for this trip, and would prefer to fly business class if possible, but I've never flown international before so I don't really know what I'm missing out on yet
Will this meet the requirements of a OneWorld Award (two airlines,), or am I pretty much S.O.L. because I'm only hopping around the south pacific? I apologize in advance for my ignorance! if I flew American from ATL to LAX or SFO that wouldn't count as one of my two, right?
Here is a sample flight path that I've put together of what I'd like to do if possible, but I'm quite flexible:
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=ATL-LAX...-LAX-ATL&MS=bm
The plan is to spend just a day in Auckland, two weeks in Christchurch, a day in Sydney, two weeks+ in Brisbane, and two days in Fiji.
Now, because the total mileage of all flights is less than 20,000 miles, am I right in assuming my cost would be 100,000 AAmiles to go Economy, or 130,000 AAmiles to go business class?
Now, if I CAN'T use a OneWorld Award, I get quite confused, as I don't quite know how the "free stopovers" or open-jaw awards work.
I guess I would try to book a flight using 62,500 points for a biz class on Qantas to Christchurch (connecting through LAX or SFO and then Aukland), and then book a one-way flight from Brisbane back to ATL via LAX or SFO (with a stop in Nadi, Fiji possibly?) for another 62,500....and worry about getting myself from Christchurch to Brisbane on a cheap local flight. (or, fly from LAX-CHC economy at 37,500, and then use points to jump around the "within one country" for 10,000 points).
I don't really need to go to Fiji, just figured I should while I'm down there if it wasn't going to cost me a lot more, but if that is gonna make things too complicated, I'd be okay with not doing it.
Obviously, the OneWorld (that would include my trip from ATL to LAX) would be the best bet (right?), but that's a moot point if I'm only using one airline here.
Sorry for all of the questions guys! I figured if I'm gonna do a trip to that side of the world, might as well do it right. Thanks to tips on these forums I have all these points and I'm finally in a position to start cashing them in.
Any help you can offer up would be greatly appreciated. And if there's a thread that would have answered all of my questions (I looked, I swear) that I missed, just point me in that direction and I'll go put myself in time out!
Thank you!
-Steve
Hopefully I'm asking this in the right place - it's a little complicated so I wasn't sure where to start. Thanks in advance, and if I'm in the wrong spot, my apologies!
This is my first time ever flying international, so I'm a little overwhelmed on where to start because I'd like to use AAmiles to make it happen.
I've recently freed up my time and location, and I want to plan a trip from Atlanta to New Zealand, Australia, and possibly Fiji (or another island in the area) for 4-5 weeks, leaving mid January and returning Mid-February. My budget is a little tight so I'd like to do this as economically as possible.
I have 126,000 AA miles, and don't mind using them all for this trip, and would prefer to fly business class if possible, but I've never flown international before so I don't really know what I'm missing out on yet
Will this meet the requirements of a OneWorld Award (two airlines,), or am I pretty much S.O.L. because I'm only hopping around the south pacific? I apologize in advance for my ignorance! if I flew American from ATL to LAX or SFO that wouldn't count as one of my two, right?
Here is a sample flight path that I've put together of what I'd like to do if possible, but I'm quite flexible:
http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=ATL-LAX...-LAX-ATL&MS=bm
The plan is to spend just a day in Auckland, two weeks in Christchurch, a day in Sydney, two weeks+ in Brisbane, and two days in Fiji.
Now, because the total mileage of all flights is less than 20,000 miles, am I right in assuming my cost would be 100,000 AAmiles to go Economy, or 130,000 AAmiles to go business class?
Now, if I CAN'T use a OneWorld Award, I get quite confused, as I don't quite know how the "free stopovers" or open-jaw awards work.
I guess I would try to book a flight using 62,500 points for a biz class on Qantas to Christchurch (connecting through LAX or SFO and then Aukland), and then book a one-way flight from Brisbane back to ATL via LAX or SFO (with a stop in Nadi, Fiji possibly?) for another 62,500....and worry about getting myself from Christchurch to Brisbane on a cheap local flight. (or, fly from LAX-CHC economy at 37,500, and then use points to jump around the "within one country" for 10,000 points).
I don't really need to go to Fiji, just figured I should while I'm down there if it wasn't going to cost me a lot more, but if that is gonna make things too complicated, I'd be okay with not doing it.
Obviously, the OneWorld (that would include my trip from ATL to LAX) would be the best bet (right?), but that's a moot point if I'm only using one airline here.
Sorry for all of the questions guys! I figured if I'm gonna do a trip to that side of the world, might as well do it right. Thanks to tips on these forums I have all these points and I'm finally in a position to start cashing them in.
Any help you can offer up would be greatly appreciated. And if there's a thread that would have answered all of my questions (I looked, I swear) that I missed, just point me in that direction and I'll go put myself in time out!
Thank you!
-Steve
Aug 2, 2010, 6:43 am
#2
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Welcome to FlyerTalk!
First, be sure to look over the FAQ, the Wiki and then check the threads on oneworld and partner awards. There aren't so many oneworld flights in than part of the world, but you can extend possibilities with partners, e.g. Air Pacific (FJ). You are going to have to be flexible, as the business awards tend to be difficult to get on Qantas (and FJ), and because it's often most productive to look out as far ahead as possible (330 days) or very close up.
Your first post was "moderated" - hidden from others until vetted out by a Moderator because of the included URL link - so the thread took a bit of time to become available for others. /Moderator
First, be sure to look over the FAQ, the Wiki and then check the threads on oneworld and partner awards. There aren't so many oneworld flights in than part of the world, but you can extend possibilities with partners, e.g. Air Pacific (FJ). You are going to have to be flexible, as the business awards tend to be difficult to get on Qantas (and FJ), and because it's often most productive to look out as far ahead as possible (330 days) or very close up.
Your first post was "moderated" - hidden from others until vetted out by a Moderator because of the included URL link - so the thread took a bit of time to become available for others. /Moderator
Aug 2, 2010, 8:18 am
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: Atlanta, GA
Posts: 36
Thanks JDiver!
Yeah, fortunately I'm quite flexible with my schedule. I should have read more carefully in those wikis, sorry bout that.
Looks like there's not much I can do as far as a OneWorld ticket goes to that part of the world unless I want to include a segment to HKG or something crazy (which would up my mileage significantly and take me out of range for what I have.
Thanks the the help! I freaking love this place.
-Steve
Yeah, fortunately I'm quite flexible with my schedule. I should have read more carefully in those wikis, sorry bout that.
Looks like there's not much I can do as far as a OneWorld ticket goes to that part of the world unless I want to include a segment to HKG or something crazy (which would up my mileage significantly and take me out of range for what I have.
Thanks the the help! I freaking love this place.
-Steve