ChurchofTee

Question for the experts. I am flying DFW-SFO (stopover) SFO-HKG via CX. My return is from SIN (which we will go after HKG) - HKG (CX) - NRT (JL) - DFW (AA). I want to take advantage of the stopover from DFW to XXX. Upon talking to an Exec Plat Agent the other day, she was saying that I might not be able to do this since the gateway city is also my departure city. Is this the uneducated agent or will this be a problem?

I am busy searching for XXX locations online but still unknown. Second question: For this stopover it has to be either USA/Canada/Mexico/or Caribbean?

And third, does it have to be direct or can it be a connection (say via MIA to POP as an example).

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

1. Uneducated agent. All awards are now one-ways. What you do on one award has nothing to do with what you do on another award.

2. Yes.

3. Connecting, post-stopover travel is permitted.

crimson12

I'm relatively new to AA awards so perhaps this is a bit of a basic question. I'd like to take a trip to South America next year. I'd also like to take a trip to Italy next year. In J, each trip costs 100k, so 200k total. I'm trying to use AA's award rules to my advantage to reduce that number.

The short question is, is my free stopover at the North American gateway limited only by MPM rules? Let's say I want to fly LIM-JFK(stop)-MXP. Can I do this? Am I limited only by the MPM for the LIM-MXP route? AA flies, on its own metal, both LIM-JFK and JFK-MXP, so intuitively I feel like this should be possible.

This chart http://www.aa.com/i18n/disclaimers/a...rtnerChart.jsp tells me that South America Zone 1 (e.g., LIM) to Europe is 55k in J. So could I fly JFK-LIM one way (30k in J); LIM-JFK(stop)-MXP (55k); and then MXP-JFK (50k). If so, it seems that I could manage the trip for 135k, which is obviously much better than 200k.

Thanks in advance!

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

Free stopovers are only offered on awards between North America and another zone; they are not offered on awards between South America 1 and Europe. Moreover, awards between South America (1 or 2) and Europe do not permit a transit via North America.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

If you are willing to endure some inconvenience -- and a couple of extra flights -- you should be able to get your trips to LIM and MXP for a total of only 130K AAdvantage miles by booking a distance-based Explorer award. An itinerary like phl-mia-lim-jfk-mxp-mad-jfk-bos should work. You could actually add several more legs, as you would be entitled to a total of 20,000 flown miles on the award.

For more information, take a look at the thread on Explorer awards.

crimson12

Hm, interesting. So what if I did this:

JFK-LIM
LIM-JFK(stop)-MXP?

Then my travel would be between NA and another zone (SA1). I guess in this case I would get tripped up by the MPM between JFK and MXP?

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

LIM is not in NA, it's in SA 1. All awards, other than the Explorer awards, are one-ways.

crimson12

I see. So it would book as two one-ways, not a JFK-LIM-JFK roundtrip?

But what about when people book, say, JFK-LHR-JFK(stop)-LAX? If it booked as two one ways then the second leg (LHR-JFK-LAX) would not originate in NA.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

The free gateway stopover is valid -- in either direction -- on awards between NA and another zone. So you could do LIM-JFK (stop) - some other North American destination on a SA 1-NA award. Similarly, you could do Hawaii-NYC (stop) - MXP on a North America-Europe one-way award.

What you cannot do is stop over (or even connect) in North America on a South America-Europe award.

crimson12

So then presumably I could do Hawaii-NYC (stop) - LIM? my only limit would be the MPM between, e.g., HNL and LIM?

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

The first question is whether LA publishes a through-fare from HNL to LIM. If the answer is yes, the second question is whether that fare permits routing via NYC. (Some fares are route-specific; others are MPM-based.)

Microwave

It looks like you've already started to get some good help on this, but I'll go ahead and merge this in with the relevant master thread. You'll also find a wealth of information in this thread (especially the OP), as well as the FAQ at the top of the forum.

~Moderator

Microwave

I'm no expert, but it does appear that LA do publish an MPM-based fare HNL-LIM with sufficient mileage to allow JFK to be the North American gateway (when 25% is added of course).

crimson12

ARG. I am going to be in HNL on a DL award and I was thinking I could cancel the inbound and book a one-way HNL-JFK(stop)-LIM.

But I am actually stopping over in SEA on the way back on my DL ticket. Can I instead fly SEA-JFK(stop)-LIM?

3Cforme

See post #761. guv1976 has identified qualifying criteria.