Haagen Daz

On Google Flights, select "Finnair only" as the airline, then click through to book on their website.

dougzz

Hello and welcome to Flyertalk. You may get a welcome from an Ambassador, but sometimes new contributors get lost in the number of posts. A few posts earlier than yours the itinerary is there. Most would use Matrix to look at options and then book either with BA or AA directly. Conventional wisdom is to avoid travel agents where possible, although there are occasions when a good TA can be a real help. If you read back through the thread you'll see a lot of screenshots involving ITA Matrix. I'd read the Wiki and some of the threads related to TP, a good starting point is the dashboard at BA Forum Dashboard.

If you're looking at the US West Coast the cheapest starting point is at present I think Budapest. There are decent fares out of Dublin quite often. Typically the most TP are earned by going to the east coast and then the west coast as separate flights. So something like DUB-LHR-JFK-LAX-SFO adding the short hop to San Francisco at the end is an easy extra 40TP. Most of the cheaper US fares allow two flights in the USA, so best to take advantage of that. You don't have to come back the same route, I'll do the LHR-JFK-LAX on the outbound, but return LAX-LHR losing TP but feeling better with the longer overnight flight, but that's the sort of thing to get you thrown out of TP club.

Good luck.

icebird

Hello,

Finally managed to put together my first TP but i"m having problems booking it. It's all AA flight numbers but mix of AA and BA metal. I called BA to book but after an hour on the phone they could not get it to work - the agent couldn't see the I-fares I could see on ITA (I even refreshed my search while on the phone and it was still showing available and I am using LHR as sales city). They then tried the best buy button which I suggested might not work - and it didn't either.

The second agent said they could not book AA flight booking only and I needed to book via AA. Is that correct?

I can get it to book in EUR on AA via ITA matrix power tools but I'd rather not pay in Euros - plus rather deal with BA call centres if there are schedule changes. Am I stuck with doing via the power tools or should I try BA again?

Thanks for you help.
Ice

omk298

BA can book AA codes, but they aren't keen to. Is there a reason you can't book it on BA codes (need flights on AA, or more expensive)?

If you can still see it available then worth trying once more, but the more BA flight numbers the better.

icebird

Thank you. That’s very useful to know. BA flight numbers were a couple of hundred more. Might give it another try 👍🏼

omk298

I've got a run booked next year BUD-HNL return, booked with BA codes on BA tickets. When ( or if) I get some flight changes, is there any reason I can't use the 300 mile change of destination to move the return starting point to a different island?

istnylon

Could you tell for what dates and how much please you booked this run?

onobond

See answers to similar questions recently posted. The advice is to scroll upthread.
Good luck!

higham44

Sitting in T1 lounge at DUB waiting to start my first TP run to LAX via LHR and BOS. Security at DUB was a breeze (admittedly Fast Track) at 06.00. LHR yesterday for my positioning flight was busy but no holdups. The nightmare stories of life at airports appears to have eased or have I just been lucky for each of the five flights I’ve taken in last few months?

omk298

It was the itinerary I posted on post number 3718, except all on BA codes and slightly cheaper, at £1463 each.

David_Doyle

Just to note - are you calling BA in the UK to book this? This sounds like you're calling the UK to book an ex-EU itinerary where the UK POS (Point Of Sale) might be different than the country you're trying to book from.

Have you tried calling the BA call centre for the country you're departing from? They normally speak English and can ticket it for you.

SavvyTravel

Help wanted please. I'm looking for ~week in Oregon next May as a TP run/holiday. My aim is to go just after May 9 to get the TPs into the new year (I will drop to Silver at the end of June).

The routing is obviously BUD-Europe-EastCoast-WestCoast-hop (eg BUD-LHR-NYC-LAX-PDX). I've been playing with routings (and stopped yesterday because it was taking so much time; and this is partly speculative at the moment).

In terms of TPs and price (£1450) I'm ok with the results below but I am not happy with the overnight on a recliner back from PDX.



Is there a way on Matrix to input a via routing such as via 'LAX or SFO' because at the moment, although my search is BUD to any of of NYC, BOS, CLT, PHL airports, it seems a painfully slow way to be trying combinations when matrix is throwing up routes via ORD or DFW, which I don't want. Alternatively, can I shortcut this and put in a fare code or something? I am happy to pay a little more for lie flat and can definitely flex my days and routes.

dougzz

SavvyTravel

This seems to offer some options I like more than what you've found. It's not clear if you want to go to Seattle and come back from Portland, or that was just a compromise as you looked for options. You could change LAX to LAX,SFO but that seemed to throw a spanner in the Matrix works. Sometimes I find the more complicated the less chance of what I want. It's better to do two searches, one with LAX and one with SFO, but that maybe my own shortcomings. Avoid PHL and CLT as you won't get lie flats. I find that I class on the Transcons is always the limiting factor.

Edit: Having issues with edit and posting at the moment. Do from BUD to PDX and in routing put LHR JFK,BOS LAX and for return LAX JFK,BOS LHR produced option with lie flat in the £1540 range for me.

omk298

Dougzz has told you how to narrow down the options in ITA. An alternative is to book something that you are mostly happy with, and then work on the assumption that in the next 9 months at least 1 flight number will change or a flight will be cancelled. At that point you just need availability in the cabin, not in the fare class, so you can re-time your flights or re-route them within reason. There is a risk that you won't get any changes, but that seems a pretty low risk at the moment.

SavvyTravel

Thanks dougzz that's exactly the experience I was suffering from: 'it should work but it broke and I don't know why'. Advice to anyone reading this thread .. be prepared for a lot of personal time investment in exchange for your extra LPGS