Maximizing Stopovers on a LAN Award to/through South America
Nov 3, 2011, 7:10 pm
#46
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Silver
Posts: 484
Here's what we recently booked, in case anyone is looking for more SA ideas. These are all in economy class.
LAX>LIM>CUZ - 20k miles pp
CUZ>LIM>GYE(stop)>GPS - 12,500 miles pp
GPS>GYE(stop)>LIM(stop)>LAX - 20k miles pp
Note that you cannot book GPS through BA's web site (at least not yet). You can check availibility using LANpass on LAN's web site (look for the ones in baby blue) and then you have to call BA. They refused to waive the fees for a phone booking too. I had them ask two managers and I even sent an e-mail after the fact and they could care less
LAX>LIM>CUZ - 20k miles pp
CUZ>LIM>GYE(stop)>GPS - 12,500 miles pp
GPS>GYE(stop)>LIM(stop)>LAX - 20k miles pp
Note that you cannot book GPS through BA's web site (at least not yet). You can check availibility using LANpass on LAN's web site (look for the ones in baby blue) and then you have to call BA. They refused to waive the fees for a phone booking too. I had them ask two managers and I even sent an e-mail after the fact and they could care less
Nov 3, 2011, 11:10 pm
#47
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
Nov 4, 2011, 12:12 am
#48
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: Hilton Diamond, IHG Silver
Posts: 484
Not looking for sympathy, just venting and letting others who want to book GPS know. It's kind of lame that their system errors out when trying to book GPS (and you can't book stopovers online anyway), but then they charge you to call them.
Nov 4, 2011, 2:30 am
#49
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Florida
Posts: 29,804
Nobody here, anyway, knows the answer to that question - and if they do, they are not talking 
.
We all have to wait till Nov 16th for the answers. SA may not be that much costlier (but could be); the best bargain now is IPC, which now is the same as SA, but surely will not be after Nov 16th. So, if that is on your bucket list, book it now!
.We all have to wait till Nov 16th for the answers. SA may not be that much costlier (but could be); the best bargain now is IPC, which now is the same as SA, but surely will not be after Nov 16th. So, if that is on your bucket list, book it now!
We dont have any desire to go to IPC therefore even though it is the bargain to be had on the current chart, we are not rushing to redeem a SA itinerary just so we could feel good about having grab some cheap award before the chart changes.
For me anyway, now the TATL mileage comes down, I might bite the YQ bullet and later just use the miles for F to Europe... The only problem is I dont think BA flies MIA - LHR!
Nov 4, 2011, 4:43 am
#50
Join Date: Jan 2000
Programs: Latinpass Million Miler. BA Gold.
Posts: 3,544
Nov 5, 2011, 9:12 am
#52
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
Award tickets are good for 1 year only - currently till Nov 5th 2012.
Best case scenario would be if after the (anticipated) changes on Nov 16th there will be a "grace" period before changes take place. Then you could make your booking for late 2012 at current rates.
Nov 6, 2011, 1:25 am
#53
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 4
Not that this is worth much...
I don't think so.
Award tickets are good for 1 year only - currently till Nov 5th 2012.
Best case scenario would be if after the (anticipated) changes on Nov 16th there will be a "grace" period before changes take place. Then you could make your booking for late 2012 at current rates.
Award tickets are good for 1 year only - currently till Nov 5th 2012.
Best case scenario would be if after the (anticipated) changes on Nov 16th there will be a "grace" period before changes take place. Then you could make your booking for late 2012 at current rates.
Nov 13, 2011, 10:35 am
#54
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 5
I've booked my return from Patagonia. I think it must be a contender for 'best use of a small number of airmiles' prize!
FTE-USH-AEP/EZE-SCL-LPB-LIM-LAX in Y (brief stopover in SCL, otherwise multi-day stopovers)
cost - 10,000 miles+133 (cost bought direct from LAN just under 2000)
It was a bit of a battle to get, and their system wouldn't allow it. In the end it was a supervisor on a weekend shift that 'forced it through manually'. I was told that I couldn't have it because LAN don't allow part cash/part miles; that there was no availability where there clearly was, and then was told airmiles are only valid on LAN Chile (not other LAN's) - all of which I knew were false (if, on the other hand, they had just told me I had to reroute, I would probably have just rolled over and accepted!).
FTE-USH-AEP/EZE-SCL-LPB-LIM-LAX in Y (brief stopover in SCL, otherwise multi-day stopovers)
cost - 10,000 miles+133 (cost bought direct from LAN just under 2000)
It was a bit of a battle to get, and their system wouldn't allow it. In the end it was a supervisor on a weekend shift that 'forced it through manually'. I was told that I couldn't have it because LAN don't allow part cash/part miles; that there was no availability where there clearly was, and then was told airmiles are only valid on LAN Chile (not other LAN's) - all of which I knew were false (if, on the other hand, they had just told me I had to reroute, I would probably have just rolled over and accepted!).
Nov 13, 2011, 12:04 pm
#55
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: MCI
Programs: Mega Bus Plaid; Southwest Airlines Ruby and Bates Motel Platinum
Posts: 246
I like many others are trying to book a trip with BA miles to SA before the Nov 16th deadline, but am having a devil of a time gaining access to availability. I have checked BA.com for availability, but I can't seem to get it to show any partner availability and on known routes it tells me neither BA nor its partners fly the route. I have also checked LAN.com, but am finding award availabilty there non existent. Is there an approach everyone is taking? Can I simply call ba.com and have them look for availability? Thanks.
Nov 13, 2011, 2:00 pm
#56
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 25
I like many others are trying to book a trip with BA miles to SA before the Nov 16th deadline, but am having a devil of a time gaining access to availability. I have checked BA.com for availability, but I can't seem to get it to show any partner availability and on known routes it tells me neither BA nor its partners fly the route. I have also checked LAN.com, but am finding award availabilty there non existent. Is there an approach everyone is taking? Can I simply call ba.com and have them look for availability? Thanks.
If its saying ba / partners dont fly the route and you know it's doable on lan with stopovers, check each leg separately - that worked for me.
Nov 13, 2011, 2:08 pm
#57
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: SoCal
Posts: 175
I just called BA and the agent told me that they have not been able to book award tickets on LAN since Friday. That doesn't seem right as it appears others have been able to book flights the past couple of days, but I'm curious whether anyone else has heard this. Thanks in advance.
Nov 13, 2011, 2:13 pm
#58
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 25
I just called BA and the agent told me that they have not been able to book award tickets on LAN since Friday. That doesn't seem right as it appears others have been able to book flights the past couple of days, but I'm curious whether anyone else has heard this. Thanks in advance.
HTH, and fingers crossed for you!
Nov 13, 2011, 3:30 pm
#59
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: SAN
Posts: 887
I just called BA and the agent told me that they have not been able to book award tickets on LAN since Friday. That doesn't seem right as it appears others have been able to book flights the past couple of days, but I'm curious whether anyone else has heard this. Thanks in advance.
Nov 13, 2011, 6:58 pm
#60
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 33
Just booked...
Agent seemed new, and I basically just told her the flights since I had checked availability already using qantas.com/ba.com. She said she had never heard of IPC until today, and that literally every call today was some crazy South America itinerary. I probably could have added crazier routing as she didn't seem too worried about where the stopovers were, but I didn't wanna push it!
I booked 3 one ways:
Business:
MIA-BOG stop
BOG-SCL stop
SCL-IPC destination
Economy:
IPC-LIM stop
LIM-GYE stop
GYE-GPS destination
Economy:
SCY-UIO stop
UIO-MDE destination
~$300 in taxes and 65,000 miles total
I booked 3 one ways:
Business:
MIA-BOG stop
BOG-SCL stop
SCL-IPC destination
Economy:
IPC-LIM stop
LIM-GYE stop
GYE-GPS destination
Economy:
SCY-UIO stop
UIO-MDE destination
~$300 in taxes and 65,000 miles total