Spongthrush

I hate to disagree and I'd also hate anyone to miss their flight; it is absolutely not easier to exit, go landside and back through security, Fast Track or not. If you follow Flight Connections and go via the escalator at baggage claim 1 you get inserted into the security screening queue near the very front. Full set of photos of the arrival and Flight Connection route is here DUB arrivals from BA LHR

I've done this twice in the last month and both times could have made a B2B on the aircraft that I got off, they were pre-boarding by the time I got to the gate. In August I tried going landside and back through, even with Fast Track this took an hour.

I know pax numbers should be reducing for the winter but Dublin security is slow at the best of times.

KARFA

I don’t think that connection route is open all day.

Tbh the couple of times I have gone through DUB over the last month I went landside. Fast track wasn’t busy, and despite a secondary both times I could have easily made the b2b if I had been doing it.

AlphaXray

I purposely booked a later return as opposed a b2b flight and I am glad I did. I got to the flight connections in good time, but for some reason my hand luggage got picked up for security check. They took everything out, put it through the scanner twice more and in the end they gave it back to me and said "thank you, you can go". Then walked to the gate to see at what stage of the turnaround the flight was. They had pushed back! I then went to the lounge and waited for my flight. Had I not been held at security, I would have made the return fight. Moral of the story...you never know, so have plan B ready!

xenole

I've got a little jaunt to the US next month with a couple of days in LA. Was looking at hotel prices and things like the HIX at LAX are £231 for a night! $512 inc. tax if I want to stay 2 nights, so I'm thinking, no! More than my flights cost....
Either I'll book a cheap hostel in Santa Monica, and/or a cheap flight somewhere (only £152 to fly LAX-SFO-JFK in MCE, or £79+ to go to Las Vegas, although some hotels there are stupidly priced as well........over £200 for the Luxor?)

Saladman

I’m guessing it’s the weekend?

Lefly

Honolulu prices are worse, but it seems to me there is nothing really cheap these days - and well into 2023 - for US hotels. It's a thing to consider carefully when planning TP runs in US, as the hotel prices can really shoot up the total cost, unless one has enough hotel points to put to good use. Also, the current exchange rates don't help at all.
If it was me, if there were enough decent hotels at decent prices, I would go to LAS, but that's also because I would not fly a transcon in MCE (I'm too old and out of shape for that )

xenole

That's why I tend to blow say 30k points on an airport hotel for the night.

Some Las Vegas hotels are down to a 1/5th of the weekend price mid-week.
To be honest, once I've spent $20 in Las Vegas gambling, I tend to walk. Can't be bothered throwing away more after that's gone.

Had a look at various other places, even places where you wouldn't think weekend nights would be too busy, and they're not much better, or the flight prices aren't justifiable.

Did a transcon in MCE earlier in the year (SFO to PHL, so not a 321T) and had the row to myself, so a poor man's bed. 5hrs or so ex-LAX isn't too bad especially if you were half cut on champagne from the QF lounge Worked out a lot cheaper than a hotel.

tinkicker

With 2 months left to year end I think I'll be about 820 TPs short of GGL (on the reduced scale). Based out of the UK, I've got some work holiday I need to use or lose so have a couple of days spare. Any suggestions?

xenole

Can't see something like that being cheap at all (especially if you've only a couple of spare days).
Perhaps a BA Holiday from MAN-LHR-JFK in CW with 5 days car hire could earn 720TP but would probably come in at £3k (+ maybe redemption flights, or cheap Y flights there and back?).
i.e. early flight from MAN-LHR, and get to JFK by lunchtime. Back same day on a nested flight. Back 4-5 days later.

There's things such as LHR-SOF but those might be £400-£500 for a same day return now, and you would need at least 5 of those anyway (unless you used the holiday option).
Not sure if you could do, say, Thurs 17th Nov LHR-SOF and come back on Tues 22nd Nov. Around £391 as a BA holiday which should yield 320TP. About €600 for the nested returns on the 17th / 22nd though (could be reduced with Avios). 480TP for <£1k.

higham44

I did my TPR to LAX in August and spent 2 nts in Courtyard by Marriott LAX. Cost £351 for the 2 nts, and included breakfast and free shuttle. Used Booking.com via BA app to get Avios for booking. No idea what the current prices are.

xenole

Cost me around £160 for a runway view corner room at the H LAX earlier in the year. Some prices are double that now.

flyerkit

This worked a few days ago. Wrapped in a BA holiday to Lisbon for 160 tp.
Total cost about £2100 plus lax hotel

xenole

Nice enough run, although there are some overnights in there that might bump up the cost a bit.
Not sure if the poster just has a couple of spare days, or can spare 5 days or so to do this.

2 days is pretty much going to cost ££££ (F LHR-JFK as a BA Holiday for £5k and nested flights for 50k Avios + £100 in Y or whatever £££).
Longer periods give more flexibility.

Maybe LHR-MAN same day returns might be possible? £250? in CE for 80TP.

BA038_Passenger

I’m travelling on my first TP run for years starting on Wednesday from AGP to LAX stopping in the usual places. First up is AGP to HEL at 1am. Is that going to be as nasty as I imagine it will be? At least my layover is not to bad prior at a couple of hours. The return is even worse!

I think I’ve decided on the H Hotel at LAX for a couple of nights, seems a better option than the Hilton LAX which has some pretty poor reviews now?

I think I’ve got buyers or bookers remorse! It will be worth it in the end to renew GGL at the reduced rate.

nufnuf77

Not cheap but the CDG-BKK F fares on QR might work - i usually do them as BKK-CDG-BKK A class for 4100gbp return yielding 840TPs. not sure how much the CDG-BKK-CDG is though.