Help getting to DUB without breaking the bank
Jan 2, 2014, 4:01 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: AA Life P/2MM, HH Life D
Posts: 11
Help getting to DUB without breaking the bank
Anyone have any ideas on getting into DUB? AA won't give any milesaver seats on their direct flight from ORD. Can fly business class on BA but go through LHR and get hit with over $1000 per ticket tax charge! Usually consider myself a master of manipulating the system but this one has me stumped.
Jan 2, 2014, 4:19 pm
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
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Location: Not here; there!
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
Google "DUB airport wiki" to see which AA partners fly to DUB.
Google "DUB airport wiki" to see which AA partners fly to DUB.
Jan 2, 2014, 4:25 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Multiple locations
Programs: AAdvantage ExPlat LT Gold, BA Silver, Aegean Star Gold
Posts: 5,037
Avios BOS-DUB is just 25,000 points RT in Y or 50,000 points RT in Business...
Chicago/New York to Dublin/Shannon
Economy: 40,000 Avios points
Business: 80,000 Avios points
http://boardingarea.com/onemileatati...el-surcharges/
Chicago/New York to Dublin/Shannon
Economy: 40,000 Avios points
Business: 80,000 Avios points
http://boardingarea.com/onemileatati...el-surcharges/
Jan 2, 2014, 7:58 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2003
Programs: OW Emerald
Posts: 1,452
Or fly to LHR on AA and connect to a BA flight. Plenty of ORD-LHR seats, and the BA surcharge from LHR-DUB is not $1000 - you can buy a LHR-DUB RT for $200.
Jan 2, 2014, 9:09 pm
#5
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: HND
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K
Posts: 1,230
Jan 2, 2014, 10:25 pm
#6
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: NYC
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Jan 3, 2014, 5:21 am
#7
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Tyrone,EU
Programs: Avios Hunter
Posts: 2,811
You don't say when you are looking to travel.
Couple of examples.
For Apr, there are dates showing 20K AA economy flights via JFK plus Ł3
For Oct, there are dates showing 50K AA biz flights via JFK plus Ł3
Couple of examples.
For Apr, there are dates showing 20K AA economy flights via JFK plus Ł3
For Oct, there are dates showing 50K AA biz flights via JFK plus Ł3
Jan 3, 2014, 6:53 am
#8
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,039
Regards
Jan 3, 2014, 4:30 pm
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: AA Life P/2MM, HH Life D
Posts: 11
Should have given better information. This would be for late July through early August (high tourist season) and for 4 people (probably the biggest sticking point) and my family (way too spoiled in always flying biz when they go) wants to stay in biz. Actually found one route with IB thru MAD but when I called to book it they said AA won't let you fly on an award ticket into DUB on anyone but them or BA. Never heard that before. Struck out trying ORD, DFW, JFK, BOS. I think I may have to use any anytime reward for going over and milesaver coach coming back.
Jan 3, 2014, 5:06 pm
#10
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: HND
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K
Posts: 1,230
Should have given better information. This would be for late July through early August (high tourist season) and for 4 people (probably the biggest sticking point) and my family (way too spoiled in always flying biz when they go) wants to stay in biz. Actually found one route with IB thru MAD but when I called to book it they said AA won't let you fly on an award ticket into DUB on anyone but them or BA. Never heard that before. Struck out trying ORD, DFW, JFK, BOS. I think I may have to use any anytime reward for going over and milesaver coach coming back.
*Pretty much BS - I didn't take into account Guv's point about a published through fare.
Last edited by tylerdurden4543; Jan 3, 2014 at 5:37 pm
Jan 3, 2014, 5:10 pm
#11
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Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.601 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
"Actually found one route with IB thru MAD but when I called to book it they said AA won't let you fly on an award ticket into DUB on anyone but them or BA."
Call AA back. The agent might be in error, but if IB does not publish an ORD-DUB through-fare, then you cannot book ORD-MAD-DUB as a single one-way award.
It would certainly be cheaper to work up a distance-based Explorer award (which would require you to include a second one-world partner on your itinerary), rather than pay 150,000 miles/person by combining a SAAver award with an AAnytime award.
"Actually found one route with IB thru MAD but when I called to book it they said AA won't let you fly on an award ticket into DUB on anyone but them or BA."
Call AA back. The agent might be in error, but if IB does not publish an ORD-DUB through-fare, then you cannot book ORD-MAD-DUB as a single one-way award.
It would certainly be cheaper to work up a distance-based Explorer award (which would require you to include a second one-world partner on your itinerary), rather than pay 150,000 miles/person by combining a SAAver award with an AAnytime award.
Jan 4, 2014, 11:06 am
#12
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Ireland
Programs: BA Gold, A3 Gold, BD..oh, wait..
Posts: 4,045
Also be aware that MAD - DUB is operated by Iberia Distress..sorry, Express. Really, I'd take a direct coach from JFK etc over flying them if I could.
Jan 5, 2014, 7:26 am
#13
Join Date: Jan 2011
Programs: Aer Club Platinum, BAEC Silver, Star Alliance Gold, Flying Blue Gold
Posts: 123
Have you checked Aer Lingus fares?
They used to be fairly competitive on routes out of USA
They used to be fairly competitive on routes out of USA
Jan 6, 2014, 3:42 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Programs: AA Life P/2MM, HH Life D
Posts: 11
I will check out the explorer rewards. I haven't done one of those yet. Air Lingus was definitely the cheapest way to go if I was paying for a ticket but I was trying to get away with only paying taxes/fees. I will try AA back and see if a different agent will be able to get it booked through MAD. Thanks everyone for all the replies.
Jan 6, 2014, 4:02 pm
#15
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA PLT 2MM
Posts: 473
A year and a half ago, I found Iberia Express to be indistinguishable from shorthaul Iberia in business. I guess you can take this either way, but neither were worse than BA for example.