Best strategy for long US visit
Jul 13, 2011, 4:02 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 15
Best strategy for long US visit
My gf and I are going to the US for 4 months from August to December to travel and study and I just wanted to ask the experts (you) how to get the most of this...
We're starting from scratch as new members and expect to purchase open jaw BA economy tickets (maybe even WT+) to Seattle and home from San Diego. Do you think it would be possible to collect enough during our stay for an upgrade on the way home?
Credit card:
We're from Denmark, so as far as I can tell a BA credit card is not an option. Is it possible to get a US BA card once we have an address there?
Rental:
We expect to do a long term rent from Avis resulting in about 5500 miles if the 3 miles per £ spent is also eligible in the US.
Accommodation:
We will be on the road for about a month and do the occassional weekend trip after that, and while on a budget, we may occasionally stay with partners.
Shopping:
Any programs I should know of?
Any suggestions on how to do this would be much appreciated! If this is impossible to do for students then just break it to me
Thanks!
We're starting from scratch as new members and expect to purchase open jaw BA economy tickets (maybe even WT+) to Seattle and home from San Diego. Do you think it would be possible to collect enough during our stay for an upgrade on the way home?
Credit card:
We're from Denmark, so as far as I can tell a BA credit card is not an option. Is it possible to get a US BA card once we have an address there?
Rental:
We expect to do a long term rent from Avis resulting in about 5500 miles if the 3 miles per £ spent is also eligible in the US.
Accommodation:
We will be on the road for about a month and do the occassional weekend trip after that, and while on a budget, we may occasionally stay with partners.
Shopping:
Any programs I should know of?
Any suggestions on how to do this would be much appreciated! If this is impossible to do for students then just break it to me
Thanks!
Jul 13, 2011, 4:10 am
#2
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Shanghai
Programs: BAEC (Gold), PC (Plat), HH (Gold), MR (Gold)
Posts: 2,729
Firstly I assume you qualify for the appropriate visas...
You won't be able to get a BA card without a US credit history. Forget that option.
Have you priced out Avis yet? Mrs User Name and I saw some silly pricing when we looked at 100+ day rentals from the national chains (while we were traveling, as few years back) and ended up saving loads by going with a local, independent outfit.
I'm struggling to think of any legitimate ways you would earn BA miles for an upgrade on the way home, I'm afraid...
You won't be able to get a BA card without a US credit history. Forget that option.
Have you priced out Avis yet? Mrs User Name and I saw some silly pricing when we looked at 100+ day rentals from the national chains (while we were traveling, as few years back) and ended up saving loads by going with a local, independent outfit.
I'm struggling to think of any legitimate ways you would earn BA miles for an upgrade on the way home, I'm afraid...
Jul 13, 2011, 4:31 am
#3
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Earth
Programs: Proud owner of 3 Mucci's (yes, 3!) the latest being Chevaliere des Bains Chauds, BA Silver (6 yrs)
Posts: 10,985
I think your first problem will be convincing the Immigration Officer that you're not intending to work or overstay those 4 months. If you're entering with an ESTA through the VWP then Immigration only normally give you a 3 month stay as maximum.
If you're planning to study you WILL need a visa which allows you to do this.
Be under no illusions that you will be questioned quite extensively for a visit of that length. You will need to prove that you have accommodation, sufficient funds for the length of stay, return ticket, etc.
I can't think of anyway you can earn miles whilst in the US to use to pay for an upgrade on the return.
Your posts says "we expect ...." on a few occasions. Do I take it that means you've booked nothing so far? If so, August is just over 2 weeks away and being school holidays air fares will be expensive, and that's if still available. Ditto car hire.
As for car hire, have you checked that Avis will allow you to pick up in one State and return to another? There's usually a heavy cost for this, if they allow it at all. Avis are one of the more expensive car rental agencies. Why not look on the internet and see if you can find something cheaper.
Bearing in mind that a compact car with Avis is circa. £400 for a 21 day stay you might even want to consider whether it might be cheaper to buy a small car for 4 months.
There's a lot of detail you'll need to sort out before going ahead with this.
If you're planning to study you WILL need a visa which allows you to do this.
Be under no illusions that you will be questioned quite extensively for a visit of that length. You will need to prove that you have accommodation, sufficient funds for the length of stay, return ticket, etc.
I can't think of anyway you can earn miles whilst in the US to use to pay for an upgrade on the return.
Your posts says "we expect ...." on a few occasions. Do I take it that means you've booked nothing so far? If so, August is just over 2 weeks away and being school holidays air fares will be expensive, and that's if still available. Ditto car hire.
As for car hire, have you checked that Avis will allow you to pick up in one State and return to another? There's usually a heavy cost for this, if they allow it at all. Avis are one of the more expensive car rental agencies. Why not look on the internet and see if you can find something cheaper.
Bearing in mind that a compact car with Avis is circa. £400 for a 21 day stay you might even want to consider whether it might be cheaper to buy a small car for 4 months.
There's a lot of detail you'll need to sort out before going ahead with this.
Jul 13, 2011, 4:44 am
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 15
Firstly I assume you qualify for the appropriate visas...
You won't be able to get a BA card without a US credit history. Forget that option.
Have you priced out Avis yet? Mrs User Name and I saw some silly pricing when we looked at 100+ day rentals from the national chains (while we were traveling, as few years back) and ended up saving loads by going with a local, independent outfit.
I'm struggling to think of any legitimate ways you would earn BA miles for an upgrade on the way home, I'm afraid...
You won't be able to get a BA card without a US credit history. Forget that option.
Have you priced out Avis yet? Mrs User Name and I saw some silly pricing when we looked at 100+ day rentals from the national chains (while we were traveling, as few years back) and ended up saving loads by going with a local, independent outfit.
I'm struggling to think of any legitimate ways you would earn BA miles for an upgrade on the way home, I'm afraid...
On the rental, we've looked at a few options. Avis actually comes out at about $20 a day, which isn't too bad I think, but I will take your advice and contact smaller companies - Thanks!
Jul 13, 2011, 4:52 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 15
I think your first problem will be convincing the Immigration Officer that you're not intending to work or overstay those 4 months. If you're entering with an ESTA through the VWP then Immigration only normally give you a 3 month stay as maximum.
If you're planning to study you WILL need a visa which allows you to do this.
Be under no illusions that you will be questioned quite extensively for a visit of that length. You will need to prove that you have accommodation, sufficient funds for the length of stay, return ticket, etc.
I can't think of anyway you can earn miles whilst in the US to use to pay for an upgrade on the return.
Your posts says "we expect ...." on a few occasions. Do I take it that means you've booked nothing so far? If so, August is just over 2 weeks away and being school holidays air fares will be expensive, and that's if still available. Ditto car hire.
As for car hire, have you checked that Avis will allow you to pick up in one State and return to another? There's usually a heavy cost for this, if they allow it at all. Avis are one of the more expensive car rental agencies. Why not look on the internet and see if you can find something cheaper.
Bearing in mind that a compact car with Avis is circa. £400 for a 21 day stay you might even want to consider whether it might be cheaper to buy a small car for 4 months.
There's a lot of detail you'll need to sort out before going ahead with this.
If you're planning to study you WILL need a visa which allows you to do this.
Be under no illusions that you will be questioned quite extensively for a visit of that length. You will need to prove that you have accommodation, sufficient funds for the length of stay, return ticket, etc.
I can't think of anyway you can earn miles whilst in the US to use to pay for an upgrade on the return.
Your posts says "we expect ...." on a few occasions. Do I take it that means you've booked nothing so far? If so, August is just over 2 weeks away and being school holidays air fares will be expensive, and that's if still available. Ditto car hire.
As for car hire, have you checked that Avis will allow you to pick up in one State and return to another? There's usually a heavy cost for this, if they allow it at all. Avis are one of the more expensive car rental agencies. Why not look on the internet and see if you can find something cheaper.
Bearing in mind that a compact car with Avis is circa. £400 for a 21 day stay you might even want to consider whether it might be cheaper to buy a small car for 4 months.
There's a lot of detail you'll need to sort out before going ahead with this.
There is a special visiting student visa and we're in the process of getting it. Because of this we can't settle on flights yet, but the prices look ok. I'm keeping an eye on them... As for buying a car, the US system seems complicated. Among other things, insurance is hard to get as a foreigner staying temporarily... So I was mainly interested in hints for collecting points in the US as a foreigner, but seems there is little opportunity for this...
Thanks anyway
Jul 13, 2011, 4:59 am
#7
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Earth
Programs: Proud owner of 3 Mucci's (yes, 3!) the latest being Chevaliere des Bains Chauds, BA Silver (6 yrs)
Posts: 10,985
If the OP is going to buy the miles, he may as well buy the upgrade on the return flight at the airport. He may buy the miles and then the space doesn't open up.
Jul 13, 2011, 5:01 am
#8
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Shanghai
Programs: BAEC (Gold), PC (Plat), HH (Gold), MR (Gold)
Posts: 2,729
I think your first problem will be convincing the Immigration Officer that you're not intending to work or overstay those 4 months. If you're entering with an ESTA through the VWP then Immigration only normally give you a 3 month stay as maximum.
If you're planning to study you WILL need a visa which allows you to do this.
Be under no illusions that you will be questioned quite extensively for a visit of that length. You will need to prove that you have accommodation, sufficient funds for the length of stay, return ticket, etc.
I can't think of anyway you can earn miles whilst in the US to use to pay for an upgrade on the return.
Your posts says "we expect ...." on a few occasions. Do I take it that means you've booked nothing so far? If so, August is just over 2 weeks away and being school holidays air fares will be expensive, and that's if still available. Ditto car hire.
As for car hire, have you checked that Avis will allow you to pick up in one State and return to another? There's usually a heavy cost for this, if they allow it at all. Avis are one of the more expensive car rental agencies. Why not look on the internet and see if you can find something cheaper.
Bearing in mind that a compact car with Avis is circa. £400 for a 21 day stay you might even want to consider whether it might be cheaper to buy a small car for 4 months.
There's a lot of detail you'll need to sort out before going ahead with this.
If you're planning to study you WILL need a visa which allows you to do this.
Be under no illusions that you will be questioned quite extensively for a visit of that length. You will need to prove that you have accommodation, sufficient funds for the length of stay, return ticket, etc.
I can't think of anyway you can earn miles whilst in the US to use to pay for an upgrade on the return.
Your posts says "we expect ...." on a few occasions. Do I take it that means you've booked nothing so far? If so, August is just over 2 weeks away and being school holidays air fares will be expensive, and that's if still available. Ditto car hire.
As for car hire, have you checked that Avis will allow you to pick up in one State and return to another? There's usually a heavy cost for this, if they allow it at all. Avis are one of the more expensive car rental agencies. Why not look on the internet and see if you can find something cheaper.
Bearing in mind that a compact car with Avis is circa. £400 for a 21 day stay you might even want to consider whether it might be cheaper to buy a small car for 4 months.
There's a lot of detail you'll need to sort out before going ahead with this.
US immigration grants 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program - never more (but very seldom less, either). The chance of extensive questioning exists, so proof should be carried, but such questioning is not guaranteed. They should simply be prepared and ready.
It's very difficult to make broad-brush statements about the cost of car rental. It's demand-based, and (frustratingly) quotes will vary wildly (sometimes +/- 200% in my experience) based on the exact pick up and drop off dates and location. Changing pick up/drop off offices in the same city will vary the rate, and choosing one may trigger a one-way fee (if applicable) where booking from an office half a mile away does not. The chunky fee that one can get hit with is a result of the booking being one-way, regardless of whether the pick up is in one state and drop-off in another, or not.
Most insurance companies require a US driving license in order to insure a car at reasonable cost, and most (all?) states have residency requirements to get them - so buying is very seldom an option for visitors.
OP - There are, however, plenty of car rental deals to be scored - check out the relevant FT pages. (e.g. If you were thinking of using Marriott hotels, then they frequently have deals whereby you purchase gift cards and get $50 (stackable) Hertz gift vouchers). I had 3 successive holiday's worth of free car rental last time they did that one.
Jul 13, 2011, 5:01 am
#10
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 15
Thanks for the tip on the household account, we will do that... Is it usually cheaper to purchase miles for upgrades rather than paying for upgrades directly?
Jul 13, 2011, 5:06 am
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 15
Topic already covered, thanks for the quick answers! Also for the hints on rentals.. Starting to think it requires even more searching than flights. The Avis deal was roughly $2900 for a little more than 4 months one way, isn't that pretty good deal?
Jul 13, 2011, 5:11 am
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 15
Great, informative post - just want to clarify a couple of things you said.
US immigration grants 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program - never more (but very seldom less, either). The chance of extensive questioning exists, so proof should be carried, but such questioning is not guaranteed. They should simply be prepared and ready.
It's very difficult to make broad-brush statements about the cost of car rental. It's demand-based, and (frustratingly) quotes will vary wildly (sometimes +/- 200% in my experience) based on the exact pick up and drop off dates and location. Changing pick up/drop off offices in the same city will vary the rate, and choosing one may trigger a one-way fee (if applicable) where booking from an office half a mile away does not. The chunky fee that one can get hit with is a result of the booking being one-way, regardless of whether the pick up is in one state and drop-off in another, or not.
Most insurance companies require a US driving license in order to insure a car at reasonable cost, and most (all?) states have residency requirements to get them - so buying is very seldom an option for visitors.
OP - There are, however, plenty of car rental deals to be scored - check out the relevant FT pages. (e.g. If you were thinking of using Marriott hotels, then they frequently have deals whereby you purchase gift cards and get $50 (stackable) Hertz gift vouchers). I had 3 successive holiday's worth of free car rental last time they did that one.
US immigration grants 90 days under the Visa Waiver Program - never more (but very seldom less, either). The chance of extensive questioning exists, so proof should be carried, but such questioning is not guaranteed. They should simply be prepared and ready.
It's very difficult to make broad-brush statements about the cost of car rental. It's demand-based, and (frustratingly) quotes will vary wildly (sometimes +/- 200% in my experience) based on the exact pick up and drop off dates and location. Changing pick up/drop off offices in the same city will vary the rate, and choosing one may trigger a one-way fee (if applicable) where booking from an office half a mile away does not. The chunky fee that one can get hit with is a result of the booking being one-way, regardless of whether the pick up is in one state and drop-off in another, or not.
Most insurance companies require a US driving license in order to insure a car at reasonable cost, and most (all?) states have residency requirements to get them - so buying is very seldom an option for visitors.
OP - There are, however, plenty of car rental deals to be scored - check out the relevant FT pages. (e.g. If you were thinking of using Marriott hotels, then they frequently have deals whereby you purchase gift cards and get $50 (stackable) Hertz gift vouchers). I had 3 successive holiday's worth of free car rental last time they did that one.
Jul 13, 2011, 5:12 am
#13
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Shanghai
Programs: BAEC (Gold), PC (Plat), HH (Gold), MR (Gold)
Posts: 2,729
Was this price directly from the Avis US site? Car rental companies also make inventory available via 3rd party sites such as Expedia (and many others) and rates are often bundled with insurance (and more) on those companies non-US sites (e.g. expedia.co.uk) at far lower cost than booking directly with the rental company's US site (e.g. avis.com). It really does take a lot of trial and error, but the savings can be absolutely huge.
Jul 13, 2011, 5:13 am
#14
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Shanghai
Programs: BAEC (Gold), PC (Plat), HH (Gold), MR (Gold)
Posts: 2,729
Great info on the rentals here, thanks. I don't want to derail this into a visa discussion, but we will not enter on a standard tourist visa, but a visa which requires acceptance into a university (it's called F1). It allows for a stay of the duration of the program + a little time before and after. The interview is held before entrance at an embassy...
Jul 13, 2011, 5:15 am
#15
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Earth
Programs: Proud owner of 3 Mucci's (yes, 3!) the latest being Chevaliere des Bains Chauds, BA Silver (6 yrs)
Posts: 10,985
WT to WT+ is £179, WT+ to CW £399 - so yes it would be more expensive to upgrade WT+ to CW but far more chance of it being available for cash than for miles. It's a risk you have to decide on, unfortunately.