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oneworld / AA Explorer award with AA Miles (discuss, questions) [ENDED 8 APR 2014]

N.B. new oneworld/AA Explorer awards are no longer available as of the end of the day on April 7th, 2014.

Existing awards will be honored.

This thread is ONLY to inquire or add about existing oneworld Explorer awards; to comment on the loss of this booking option, please follow the discussion on:
Oneworld Explorer Awards Eliminated -- Effective Immediately [8 Apr 2014]

See the first post, below, for the rules that prevailed through 7 April 2014 and apply to those who booked Explorer awards prior to the end of these useful award tickets.

oneworld / AA Explorer award with AA Miles (discuss, questions) [ENDED 8 APR 2014]

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Dec 18, 2012, 2:47 pm

#871

Austinrunner

Suspended

Join Date: Jul 2003

Posts: 4,861

Quote:

Originally Posted by zznoname

Working on a 20,000 mile / 130,000 AAmiles J Class Explorer AAward trip.

Traveling from late June to August with extended stays in Viet Nam, Philippines, Thailand, India and Madrid there are some challenges:

We've come up with this under 20K... Any suggestions are appreciated.

ORD-HKG, CX
HKG-HAN, CX
HAN-HKG

LAND SEGMENT to HKG-BKK

Air Asia
HKG-Philippines
Philippines-BKK

BKK-DEL, RJ
DEL-AMM-MAD, RJ

You cannot book the following as an Explorer award because it contains 2 open jaws:
ORD -> HKG (CX) -> HAN (CX), BKK -> DEL (RJ) -> AMM (RJ) -> MAD (RJ)

Dec 18, 2012, 7:22 pm

#872

zznoname

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: ORD

Posts: 1,845

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austinrunner

You cannot book the following as an Explorer award because it contains 2 open jaws:
ORD -> HKG (CX) -> HAN (CX), BKK -> DEL (RJ) -> AMM (RJ) -> MAD (RJ)

Typo. Left out the MAD-ORD.

Dec 18, 2012, 11:01 pm

#873

ilovetofly

Join Date: May 2004

Programs: AA EXP

Posts: 1,204

Quote:

Originally Posted by Austinrunner

(1) Ask AA to book you on the QF codeshare (operated by JQ) from DPS to SIN. So, your routing would be DPS -> SIN (QF operated by JQ) -> CMB (CX). Or instead DPS -> KUL (MH) -> CMB (MH).

(3) What's wrong with JED -> AMM (RJ) -> ORD (RJ) -> SFO (AA)? That would be only 8,800 flown miles.

SFO -> HKG (CX) -> DPS (CX) -> SIN (QF on JQ-operated flight) -> CMB (CX) -> AMM (RJ) -> JED (RJ) -> AMM (RJ) -> ORD (RJ) -> SFO (AA) would total 24,619 flown miles http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=SFO-HKG...ED-AMM-ORD-SFO

SFO -> HKG (CX) -> DPS (CX) -> KUL (MH) -> CMB (MH) -> AMM (RJ) -> JED (RJ) -> AMM (RJ) -> ORD (RJ) -> SFO (AA) would total 24,625 flown miles http://www.gcmap.com/mapui?P=SFO-HKG...ED-AMM-ORD-SFO

Is MH already available for AA miles redemption?

Dec 19, 2012, 5:32 am

#874

AAgoraku

Join Date: Aug 2002

Location: ULN/TYO/ICN/PEK/SFO/OAK

Programs: AA Gold

Posts: 562

Quote:

Originally Posted by ilovetofly

Is MH already available for AA miles redemption?

No. I've been told repeatedly February 1. But I have my doubts that MH's system will be ready.

Dec 20, 2012, 1:04 pm

#875

zznoname

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: ORD

Posts: 1,845

Discount Carriers Asia

We're working on an Explorer AAward and need extra flights around Asia.

We want to visit Da Nang and Manilla and end up in BKK.

Air Asia is one option and Jetstar out of HAN.

Would anyone know of other discount airlines that travel between HKG-HAN, or MNL-Viet Nam?

Thanks.

Dec 21, 2012, 6:19 am

#876

zznoname

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: ORD

Posts: 1,845

Quote:

Originally Posted by aktchi

Just curious why you think so. The flight is long enough for good sleep and JL service is fine. Of course, so is CX, but did you have bad experience with JL anytime?

We like JAL food and the NRT lounge better than CX
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/15178887-post31.html

but ORD-HKG on CX has the new J seating. The best in the air.
http://www.cathaypacific.com/cpa/en_...wbusinessclass

JAL is flying with angled J seats.
http://www.jal.co.jp/en/inflight/int...dex.html#rosen

Last edited by zznoname; Dec 21, 2012 at 6:37 am

Dec 21, 2012, 11:26 am

#877

aktchi

Join Date: May 2007

Location: ORD, DEL

Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)

Posts: 6,185

Quote:

Originally Posted by zznoname

OK, I understand. Actually I have flown ORD-HKG in CX J and the seats are very well designed. On the same itinerary I flew RJ upon return; their seats are much roomier, but you can never find a spot to set down anything, from eyeglasses to headphones to books. By contrast, CX has very clever nooks for everything.

In a few weeks, we are going ORD-BKK on an F award. It will be ORD-JFK-HND in AA F, then HND-BKK in JL F. (This was booked on a very short notice, so J wasn't available, nor CX F on most routes. I think we got HND because most people try to avoid its inconvenient hours. Based on some comments in the threads you quoted, I feel lucky I that I failed to get CX out of LAX.

)

Last edited by aktchi; Dec 21, 2012 at 11:33 am

Dec 21, 2012, 11:32 am

#878

aktchi

Join Date: May 2007

Location: ORD, DEL

Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)

Posts: 6,185

---Duplicate Posted in Error---

Dec 22, 2012, 10:13 am

#879

zznoname

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: ORD

Posts: 1,845

Just found out IB is cancelling MAD to ATH, IST and CAI this January.

Ouch!

http://www.businesstravelnews.com/Bu...rlines&a=trans

Dec 22, 2012, 3:51 pm

#880

zznoname

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: ORD

Posts: 1,845

Please. What air distances do you think AA is calculating between:

ord-lhr-ist-amm-cai-amm-del-bkk

Land segment

Hkg-han-hkg-ord

Dec 22, 2012, 3:55 pm

#881

Happy

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Jul 2003

Location: Florida

Posts: 29,763

Quote:

Originally Posted by zznoname

Please. What air distances do you think AA is calculating between:

ord-lhr-ist-amm-cai-amm-del-bkk

Land segment

Hkg-han-hkg-ord

Distance is a simple sum of all flown segments added together. You can get that from Great Circle Mapper which is quite close to what AA system would show with may be a few miles plus or minus.

Dec 23, 2012, 7:24 am

#882

zznoname

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: ORD

Posts: 1,845

A part of our Oneworld Explorer AAward goes through LHR.

ORD-LHR (stop) IST.

Would flying AA metal have a lot cheaper total taxes and fuel charges?
What would the difference be between the taxes/fuel charges on AA metal and BA?

Are the BA fuel surcharges not applicable for transit flights and only for stopovers?

Also... Austin. AA is quoting $375. J class taxes for:

AA 86, ORD-LHR (Stop)
BA 678, IST (Stop)
RJ 166, AMM
RJ 505 CAI (Stop)
RJ 508, CAI
RJ 102, AMM-DEL (Stop)
CX 708, BKK (Land9 Segment)
KA 297, HKG-HAN (Stop)
KA 296, HAN-HKG
CX 806, HKG-ORD

Does that seem about right to you?

We're thinking about flying BA metal ORD-LHR for more availability options.

Thanks for your help.

Last edited by zznoname; Dec 23, 2012 at 10:32 am

Dec 23, 2012, 9:55 am

#883

aktchi

Join Date: May 2007

Location: ORD, DEL

Programs: AA (Plt Pro; 1.5 MM)

Posts: 6,185

Quote:

Originally Posted by zznoname

Would flying AA metal have a lot cheaper taxes?

On award tickets, Yes. (I am assuming you want to count fuel surcharges as "tax".)

Quote:

What would the difference be between the taxes on AA metal and BA?

Honest taxes should be the same, but airlines encourage you to think of their fuel surcharges as a tax too and those are worse on awards that include BA time.

Quote:

Are the BA fuel surcharges not applicable for transit flights and only for stopovers?

You are thinking of UK's passenger tax (aka luxury tax). BA's fuel surcharge is applicable whether you transit or stop. Best way to avoid it is to minimize your time on BA flights.

Dec 23, 2012, 10:31 am

#884

zznoname

Join Date: Jun 2008

Location: ORD

Posts: 1,845

Yes. Thanks. I meant to included fuel surcharges in the tax.

Dec 23, 2012, 4:43 pm

#885

beofotch

Join Date: Apr 2003

Location: CLT

Programs: AA ExPlat, Hyatt Globalist, Bonvoy Lifetime Titanium

Posts: 1,551

I just tried placing a one-world award on a 5 day hold. It had LAN segments, and AA told me that as of Dec 21 and until further notice all flights with LAN segments must be ticketed immediately. They refused to give me a record locator number - even after we found availability for 11 segments!