~200K AA miles; need to move 2 + infant to BOS and MAD from MIA
Oct 1, 2011, 8:48 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: U.S.
Programs: Marriott, AA
Posts: 12
~200K AA miles; need to move 2 + infant to BOS and MAD from MIA
Hi all...
We are flying out of MIA and I need to get my wife, baby and I to BOS for Thanksgiving.
Then I need to get us to MAD 3rd week of Jan from MIA....
Trying to do it all in Business to make travel with an infant a bit easier...
Any 'best way' or is it just a matter of approaching it as a simple cost vs. miles use and adding it all up? i.e. is it better upgrade from economy on domestic and/or international tickets? etc., etc.,
Thanks!
We are flying out of MIA and I need to get my wife, baby and I to BOS for Thanksgiving.
Then I need to get us to MAD 3rd week of Jan from MIA....
Trying to do it all in Business to make travel with an infant a bit easier...
Any 'best way' or is it just a matter of approaching it as a simple cost vs. miles use and adding it all up? i.e. is it better upgrade from economy on domestic and/or international tickets? etc., etc.,
Thanks!
Oct 1, 2011, 9:27 pm
#2
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
Programs: aa plt 4.9MM LTAC
Posts: 14,828
step 1 is to check availability, which you can do on aa.com....
if saver awards are available, it is 25k/per round trip to bos....40k pp for mad if round trip...all in coach...w/3 seats, i think you will have 5k mi left...
up grades from paid coach are 25k mi + $350 pp each way mia-mad & 15k + $75 mia-bos....you can confirm on aa.com...
good luck....
if saver awards are available, it is 25k/per round trip to bos....40k pp for mad if round trip...all in coach...w/3 seats, i think you will have 5k mi left...
up grades from paid coach are 25k mi + $350 pp each way mia-mad & 15k + $75 mia-bos....you can confirm on aa.com...
good luck....
Oct 1, 2011, 9:32 pm
#3
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 668
This should really be in the AAdvantage forum. I'm no expert, but here are two important bits of info for you:
1) AA allows stopovers in the gateway city. So if you can find a oneworld MIA-MAD flight (Iberia?) you could book a ticket BOS-MIA-MAD with a stopover in Miami. That way you could then book a one-way MIA-BOS for the earlier flight.
2) AA has off-peak of 20k each way N. America to Europe during that time. There's no off-peak business discount though. But you could conceivably book:
MIA-BOS (12.5k miles) + BOS-MIA-MAD (20k miles) + MAD-MIA (20k miles) = 52.5k miles per person
To do that in business would be 125k miles per person, unless there's some tactic I'm not aware of. If you're willing to burn the miles by all means do business, but I find the AA off-peak rate such a steal that it's hard not to do economy.
1) AA allows stopovers in the gateway city. So if you can find a oneworld MIA-MAD flight (Iberia?) you could book a ticket BOS-MIA-MAD with a stopover in Miami. That way you could then book a one-way MIA-BOS for the earlier flight.
2) AA has off-peak of 20k each way N. America to Europe during that time. There's no off-peak business discount though. But you could conceivably book:
MIA-BOS (12.5k miles) + BOS-MIA-MAD (20k miles) + MAD-MIA (20k miles) = 52.5k miles per person
To do that in business would be 125k miles per person, unless there's some tactic I'm not aware of. If you're willing to burn the miles by all means do business, but I find the AA off-peak rate such a steal that it's hard not to do economy.
Oct 1, 2011, 9:38 pm
#4
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
Programs: aa plt 4.9MM LTAC
Posts: 14,828
good point on the mia stopover...is the baby under 2 yrs old?....are thinking about 2 seats + lap child?
Last edited by clacko; Oct 1, 2011 at 9:46 pm
Oct 2, 2011, 5:42 am
#5
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
Programs: aa plt 4.9MM LTAC
Posts: 14,828
you need to call aa re charges for a lap child on intl flights....there are taxes/fees which are much higher on business awards....
Oct 2, 2011, 6:15 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: U.S.
Programs: Marriott, AA
Posts: 12
Thanks for all of the answers! This gives a lot of strategy!
Yes, trying to put the baby (3 months today) in the lap to save $/miles.
Yes, trying to put the baby (3 months today) in the lap to save $/miles.
Oct 2, 2011, 8:36 am
#7
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
Programs: aa plt 4.9MM LTAC
Posts: 14,828
be sure to check w/aa re intl lap child.....iirc, its ~10% of walk up fares for the cabin + the usual ticks & fleas....
Oct 2, 2011, 2:03 pm
#8
Join Date: Sep 1999
Programs: AA EXP, SPG PLT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton GLD
Posts: 974
I would recommend checking on BA's website for IB availability from all US gateways. It is a good, accurate indicator. If you are EXP on AA, call AA directly as the AA website will not display expanded availability for EXP.
Oct 2, 2011, 3:08 pm
#9
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
Programs: aa plt 4.9MM LTAC
Posts: 14,828
another plan would be to do all coach w/2 mia-bos & lap....then 3 tickets bos-mia-stopover-mad, then mad-mia....probably least out of pocket cost, a lot less lap time.....
i don't know if there are bassinets in j....if not then its lap for the flight[s]
if y'all don't need the leg room in j, might be the best option....
let us know what you do....good luck...
i don't know if there are bassinets in j....if not then its lap for the flight[s]
if y'all don't need the leg room in j, might be the best option....
let us know what you do....good luck...
Oct 2, 2011, 5:07 pm
#10
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Chicago
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hilton Diamond, Marriot Titanium
Posts: 288
Not clear on your exact dates of when you have to fly where, but i just purchased business class tix for the end of November from Chicago to Barcelona roundtrip for about $1900. I know that the same fares are available to Madrid as well. Be flexible on your dates and you may be able to take advantage.