Jun 12, 2021, 1:25 am
Last edit by: Nephoi
DO STATUS: DO #1 SEATTLE/EVERETT & DO #2 LOS ANGELES BOOKABLE
Please add your usernames below if you are planning or considering to join the DO.
If you want to remain anonymous, please send me ( ISTFlyer ) a PM and I would add you in the list. Unless, you specifically request me to add you in to the list with your username, I would only mention you as Anonymous member.
Organizing Committee:
ISTFlyer
Nephoi
Members Planning to Join:
PGberkshire
Vintagepilot
flyingroundtheworld
midvid
wilsnunn
Efincomputer
Tocsin
Lenis
AlphaXray
Cymro
Reetmafreen
Simon Schus
camdentown
HPN-HRL
shl +1
nh1980
Total Number of People Planning to Join: something around 25
Please add your usernames below if you are planning or considering to join the DO.
If you want to remain anonymous, please send me ( ISTFlyer ) a PM and I would add you in the list. Unless, you specifically request me to add you in to the list with your username, I would only mention you as Anonymous member.
Organizing Committee:
ISTFlyer
Nephoi
Members Planning to Join:
PGberkshire
Vintagepilot
flyingroundtheworld
midvid
wilsnunn
Efincomputer
Tocsin
Lenis
AlphaXray
Cymro
Reetmafreen
Simon Schus
camdentown
HPN-HRL
shl +1
nh1980
Total Number of People Planning to Join: something around 25
DO: SOF-USA West Coast TP Run July-August 2022
Jun 12, 2021, 1:05 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
DO: SOF-USA West Coast TP Run July-August 2022
Dear FlyerTalk BA forum community and dear guests,
Today, I am officially announcing the opening of the dedicated thread of the proposed SOF-West Coast USA Tier Point Run DO which is planned to happen on July or August 2022.
This DO might look different than other DO’s as the date and the routing of this DO would be set by the community and this DO would be the best way to socialize with other FlyerTalk members & their fellow guests; as well as earning Tier Points together.
As booking a Tier Point run requires discounted Business Class availability, the planning and the set of the dates would be done well in advance and when the tickets are released on sale, all members intending to join would receive notification about the availability of the flights.
A poll has been created for your convenience which would allow me to hear from you regarding the best routing and layover cities so that I could organize the DO how most of the community wants to.
LINK TO POLL: https://forms.gle/odcL8bbxxAz1nxFdA
You could find detailed answers of FAQ in post #2
Post #3 is reserved for the list of Members Joining
Post #4 is reserved for the plan of the DO when confirmed
Post #5 is reserved for Poll Analysis
Posts #6-7-8 are reserved for future use.
Today, I am officially announcing the opening of the dedicated thread of the proposed SOF-West Coast USA Tier Point Run DO which is planned to happen on July or August 2022.
This DO might look different than other DO’s as the date and the routing of this DO would be set by the community and this DO would be the best way to socialize with other FlyerTalk members & their fellow guests; as well as earning Tier Points together.
As booking a Tier Point run requires discounted Business Class availability, the planning and the set of the dates would be done well in advance and when the tickets are released on sale, all members intending to join would receive notification about the availability of the flights.
A poll has been created for your convenience which would allow me to hear from you regarding the best routing and layover cities so that I could organize the DO how most of the community wants to.
LINK TO POLL: https://forms.gle/odcL8bbxxAz1nxFdA
You could find detailed answers of FAQ in post #2
Post #3 is reserved for the list of Members Joining
Post #4 is reserved for the plan of the DO when confirmed
Post #5 is reserved for Poll Analysis
Posts #6-7-8 are reserved for future use.
Last edited by ISTFlyer; Jun 12, 2021 at 2:04 am
Jun 12, 2021, 1:05 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
Frequently Asked Questions
Why should I join this DO?
It’s a great way to join a community organized event, meet fellow FlyerTalk members and their guests; and most importantly, secure a minimum of 800 Tier Points.
If I don’t have status, should I still join this DO?
The answer is YES. Even if you don’t have any Tier Points in your account, only by joining this DO, you could achieve BA Executive Club Silver status from scratch and you could achieve more than 50% for the threshold on your way to BA Executive Club Gold status.
Would I need to be a FlyerTalk member to join this DO?
No, but it is highly recommended to be a FlyerTalk member as it would be useful to subscribe to this thread
When would the DO take place?
The DO is set to take place in July or August 2022. The poll mentioned above is asking the availability of the members and the most preferred date would be the date that the DO would take place on.
As a respect to July and August Tier Year end members, the night from 8 July to 9 July and the night from 8 August to 9 August would not be included in the DO.
How long would the DO take?
The DO is planned to take 8 calendar days. This is subject to change, although a longer DO would not be preferred to accommodate those working in person and need to be present in their office and have limited time off.
What days would the DO start and end on?
As the Sofia-West Coast fare requires the transatlantic leg to be taken on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday; it has been decided that the best option to depart Sofia would be on a Wednesday afternoon and take the transatlantic flight from London on Thursday.
Flying the transatlantic leg on a Friday or during the weekend would increase the fare by GBP128 per direction so unless the majority of the community can’t fly during the week, the westbound transatlantic leg would take place on Thursday.
The eastbound transatlantic leg is scheduled to be flown on a Tuesday evening arriving at London the following morning.
If you can’t make a Wednesday-Wednesday trip due to your work schedule, you could indicate this in the respective section of the poll.
Where would the DO take place?
The main destination of the DO would be set by the community, although to benefit from this fare and maximize Tier Points, the main destination would be somewhere in West Coast USA. You could vote your selected destination on the poll. Los Angeles, San Francisco ( Bay Area ), and Seattle are default destinations but you could provide additional suggestions in the poll.
Why is Sofia chosen as the start point of the DO?
There is a discounted Sofia – USA fare which allows the cheapest combination from Europe to the USA to get the Tier Points as cheaper as we could. That is the reason why Sofia is selected as the origin point of the DO?
I don’t want to fly to Sofia but start from another European city or London, is it possible?
The answer is YES, you could join the DO anywhere within the itinerary; thus you could position to London and benefit from other Europe-West Coast USA fares by joining us on the transatlantic leg from London.
For example, if you are based in Barcelona, you could fly BCN-LHR on your own and join us on the transatlantic leg by avoiding a positioning flight to Sofia.
In which cabin we would fly on the flights?
The fare is a Business Class fare and the flights would be on British Airways Club Europe and Club World, American Airlines Flagship Business and Domestic First.
What routing would the DO consist of?
The DO would have 4 flights in each direction.
The westbound flights would be like the following:
Flight 1: Sofia to Heathrow ( 80 Tier Points )
Flight 2: Heathrow to Boston/New York/Miami ( 140 Tier Points )
Flight 3: US Domestic Flight on the American Airlines A321T or 777-300ER ( 140 Tier Points ) which might be from New York/Boston/Miami to Los Angeles or from New York to San Francisco
Flight 4: Short Haul US Domestic Flight ( 40 Tier Points ) which might be from Boston to New York, New York to Miami, Los Angeles to San Francisco, Los Angeles/San Francisco to Seattle [ A321T flights on JFK-BOS and 777 flights on JFK-MIA would be preferred if available ]
Would I have lounge access on this itinerary if I don’t have status?
Yes, you would have access to the BA contract lounge in Sofia, the BA Galleries Club in Heathrow, New York, and Boston; as well as any American Airlines Admirals Club, Flagship Lounge location.
Why isn’t Helsinki or Madrid included into the routing?
To accommodate more members and to complete the DO within 8 calendar days, Helsinki and Madrid are not added to the routing. Also, Finnair Transatlantic flights from Helsinki are really limited and we would like to accommodate more people in this DO as we could.
Update as 15 August 2022: Based on feedback, the side DO's might include an Helsinki routing, although the main DO would not include a 2nd European city to maximize the time in the USA.
Could I do a Back-to-back in Sofia?
Without checked baggage, doing a Back-to-back is possible in Sofia; although there would be a pre-DO event in Sofia
What happens if there is excessive demand or lots of availability conflicts regarding the DO?
Then the organizing committee, would arrange two pre-set dates and two different SOF-West Coast DO’s. In that case, the main destination of both DO’s would be different.
If there are multiple DO’s, could I attend both?
Of course, the answer is yes.
If there are multiple DO’s, would another thread be created for the second DO?
No, if there are multiple DO’s, the official thread would be this one for both DO’s.
Why there is a 2nd poll?
The second poll would be used to ask for small clarification details where the results would be used in addition to the first poll.
How could I access the 2nd poll?
You could click here to access the poll.
Alternatively, you could copy this link to your browser: https://forms.gle/ietKeGYrWTzMa7u16
When would the 2nd poll close?
The poll would close on Sunday, 22 August 2021 23:59 GMT+3.
Responses submitted after this date would not be taken into consideration.
When would the actual travel dates and flights would be announced?
The actual travel dates would be announced in August or September when inventory is opened, and the flights are available on sale. To allow members that have participated in the poll an advantage of early booking, those members would be contacted before everyone else through FlyerTalk PM or e-mail ( if they are not a member of FlyerTalk ). The flights would be posted here later that day, in order to allow time for members participated in the poll in different time zones to book those flights on the phone.
Can I modify my answers on the poll?
Yes, without filling a new form, you could change your answers on the poll. If you accidentally filled out a new form, the most recent form that you filled out would be considered as valid.
What happens if there is no more availability on one of the DO flights?
An alternative flight would be posted so that all members could attend all events. It is not expected to have this issue on the Sofia-London or the transatlantic flights; however, on AA Domestic flights with limited Business/First seating, we might run into this issue. The organizing committee would initially select flights with closer alternatives ( eg. 8pm and 9:30pm JFK-LAX flights) or select wide-body flights with high-density premium cabin seating within the USA ( MIA-LAX on the 777-300ER ) so that we don’t run with that issue.
What happens if the Sofia – USA fare pulls by the time the date/flights are set and booking becomes available?
An alternative would be provided by the organizing committee. Any updates would be shared in this specific thread.
What happens if border restrictions are still in place by then?
The organizing committee would ask every attending member individually about their opinion and depending on the number of members attending and could fly, the DO might be cancelled, converted to a flight meet-up only set-up with members that could fly or be postponed to a future date.
What happens if I receive a schedule change notice from the airline?
The organizing committee would search for alternative flights that would best suit the DO’s plan and not minimizing the number of Tier Points earned.
As the current schedules for Summer 2022 are placeholders, this is very likely to happen.
The organizing committee would be in touch with all members throughout this thread or by private message when the itinerary is confirmed after the schedule change.
The organizing committee would prioritize free rebookings according to the BA Book with Confidence policy and would prioritize options that would not require any fare recalculation. If required, another poll would be published at that time.
Could I book the Tier Point Run through American Airlines, Finnair or Iberia?
It’s highly recommended that you book your Tier Point Run through British Airways as they offer the most flexibility during schedule changes. You could alternatively book through another Atlantic Joint Business partner, although during a schedule change, you might get less flexibility and not be rebooked on that the organizing committee has decided depending on the airlines routing policy.
Could I book the Tier Point Run through an OTA or credit card partner?
It’s not recommended that you book your Tier Point Run through an OTA or a credit card partner. During schedule changes, you would need to deal with them and rerouting on a complicated itinerary might be tough. Although, if you have a reputable travel agent that could handle complicated things, feel free to book with them.
Could I book the Tier Point Run through BA Holidays?
Yes, you could book the Tier Point Run through BA Holidays but be aware that you would need to deal with the Bremen call center which only during the weekdays. Also during peak cancellations, your holiday might be cancelled by them automatically so if you are planning to book with British Airways Holidays please consider the risks.
Could I upgrade the cabin that I’m traveling by myself?
Yes, that is permitted, you could travel in BA First or AA Flagship First in eligible segments if you wish to using cash upgrade methods or via miles.
Could I fly Economy Class/Premium Economy Class on flights?
Yes, you are welcome to fly in a cheaper cabin.
How would the hotels in the DO would be chosen?
The poll asks about the hotel chain preference of members. This would be one of the considerations when selecting the DO hotels.
Although, for members that have a limited spending budget, at the main DO location and the layover points, an alternative under GBP150 per night (including taxes, fees, surcharges) would be always offered.
For those who are booking this trip through BA Holidays, the organizing committee would make the effort to select a hotel that partner with BA Holidays for the hotel in the main destination.
Is it mandatory to stay in the selected hotels?
No, you are welcome to make your own arrangements elsewhere. Although, during group activities; if private group transportation is required, the respective shuttle, minivan would preferably depart from the selected hotels.
Could I rent a car during this trip?
Yes, although not all hotels selected might offer parking; also in case there is a group transportation in one of the extracurricular activities, you could join with your rental/own car.
What would be the extracurricular activities that are planned in this DO?
The extracurricular DO activities would be confirmed at a later stage when the itinerary is confirmed; some potential activities are like the following. Attendance to all activities would be optional and not mandatory
· Pre-DO event the evening before the DO at Sofia
· A domestic Tier Point run in the USA
· TWA Hotel JFK pool & plane spotting
· A day-trip with Boutique Air on the Pilatus PC-12
· Boston Duck Tours
· Boeing Factory Tour in Everett, WA
· And more…
You could provide your suggestions in the poll.
I am a Star Alliance or SkyTeam elite that is seeking for mileage, but I would like to attend the do?
In case of demand, a Star Alliance or SkyTeam do on the same dates would be organized with a similar routing. For example, while the main DO would fly LHR-JFK on British Airways, at the same time the *A community would fly LHR-EWR and everyone would meet in a potential event in New York.
In case there is demand, please contact the organizing committee.
I am based in the USA, could I join the DO without flying to Europe?
Yes, partial participation in the DO is totally acceptable and welcome. You could join any part of the DO including solely domestic flights or individual activities.
Is any professional organization involved in this DO?
No, this is a community created and organized DO and meet-up, the organizing committee is not intending to get revenue from this DO. It is not within the books of the plan to coordinate with a professional organization company for this DO.
Would the organizing committee accept payments?
No, the organizing committee would not accept any payments for flight and hotel bookings, and those would be directly booked with the member and the airline/hotel/travel agent. The DO committee has no responsibility if there is any problem on their bookings.
The only exception for collecting payments would be that the payments for group extracurricular activities just in case a group bill must be split. In this case, further information would be given to the participating members.
Does the organizing committee responsible for any changes, cancellations regarding the DO?
The answer is NO. Every member is responsible for their own actions and the organizing committee or FlyerTalk takes no responsibility for any inconvenience that might happen before/during/after the trip regarding the DO.
Would this page be updated if something new happens?
Yes, updates would be shared in this thread.
Could I ask any questions to the organizing committee?
Yes, please feel free to write your message below in this thread.
Why should I join this DO?
It’s a great way to join a community organized event, meet fellow FlyerTalk members and their guests; and most importantly, secure a minimum of 800 Tier Points.
If I don’t have status, should I still join this DO?
The answer is YES. Even if you don’t have any Tier Points in your account, only by joining this DO, you could achieve BA Executive Club Silver status from scratch and you could achieve more than 50% for the threshold on your way to BA Executive Club Gold status.
Would I need to be a FlyerTalk member to join this DO?
No, but it is highly recommended to be a FlyerTalk member as it would be useful to subscribe to this thread
When would the DO take place?
The DO is set to take place in July or August 2022. The poll mentioned above is asking the availability of the members and the most preferred date would be the date that the DO would take place on.
As a respect to July and August Tier Year end members, the night from 8 July to 9 July and the night from 8 August to 9 August would not be included in the DO.
How long would the DO take?
The DO is planned to take 8 calendar days. This is subject to change, although a longer DO would not be preferred to accommodate those working in person and need to be present in their office and have limited time off.
What days would the DO start and end on?
As the Sofia-West Coast fare requires the transatlantic leg to be taken on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday; it has been decided that the best option to depart Sofia would be on a Wednesday afternoon and take the transatlantic flight from London on Thursday.
Flying the transatlantic leg on a Friday or during the weekend would increase the fare by GBP128 per direction so unless the majority of the community can’t fly during the week, the westbound transatlantic leg would take place on Thursday.
The eastbound transatlantic leg is scheduled to be flown on a Tuesday evening arriving at London the following morning.
If you can’t make a Wednesday-Wednesday trip due to your work schedule, you could indicate this in the respective section of the poll.
Where would the DO take place?
The main destination of the DO would be set by the community, although to benefit from this fare and maximize Tier Points, the main destination would be somewhere in West Coast USA. You could vote your selected destination on the poll. Los Angeles, San Francisco ( Bay Area ), and Seattle are default destinations but you could provide additional suggestions in the poll.
Why is Sofia chosen as the start point of the DO?
There is a discounted Sofia – USA fare which allows the cheapest combination from Europe to the USA to get the Tier Points as cheaper as we could. That is the reason why Sofia is selected as the origin point of the DO?
I don’t want to fly to Sofia but start from another European city or London, is it possible?
The answer is YES, you could join the DO anywhere within the itinerary; thus you could position to London and benefit from other Europe-West Coast USA fares by joining us on the transatlantic leg from London.
For example, if you are based in Barcelona, you could fly BCN-LHR on your own and join us on the transatlantic leg by avoiding a positioning flight to Sofia.
In which cabin we would fly on the flights?
The fare is a Business Class fare and the flights would be on British Airways Club Europe and Club World, American Airlines Flagship Business and Domestic First.
What routing would the DO consist of?
The DO would have 4 flights in each direction.
The westbound flights would be like the following:
Flight 1: Sofia to Heathrow ( 80 Tier Points )
Flight 2: Heathrow to Boston/New York/Miami ( 140 Tier Points )
Flight 3: US Domestic Flight on the American Airlines A321T or 777-300ER ( 140 Tier Points ) which might be from New York/Boston/Miami to Los Angeles or from New York to San Francisco
Flight 4: Short Haul US Domestic Flight ( 40 Tier Points ) which might be from Boston to New York, New York to Miami, Los Angeles to San Francisco, Los Angeles/San Francisco to Seattle [ A321T flights on JFK-BOS and 777 flights on JFK-MIA would be preferred if available ]
Would I have lounge access on this itinerary if I don’t have status?
Yes, you would have access to the BA contract lounge in Sofia, the BA Galleries Club in Heathrow, New York, and Boston; as well as any American Airlines Admirals Club, Flagship Lounge location.
Why isn’t Helsinki or Madrid included into the routing?
To accommodate more members and to complete the DO within 8 calendar days, Helsinki and Madrid are not added to the routing. Also, Finnair Transatlantic flights from Helsinki are really limited and we would like to accommodate more people in this DO as we could.
Update as 15 August 2022: Based on feedback, the side DO's might include an Helsinki routing, although the main DO would not include a 2nd European city to maximize the time in the USA.
Could I do a Back-to-back in Sofia?
Without checked baggage, doing a Back-to-back is possible in Sofia; although there would be a pre-DO event in Sofia
What happens if there is excessive demand or lots of availability conflicts regarding the DO?
Then the organizing committee, would arrange two pre-set dates and two different SOF-West Coast DO’s. In that case, the main destination of both DO’s would be different.
If there are multiple DO’s, could I attend both?
Of course, the answer is yes.
If there are multiple DO’s, would another thread be created for the second DO?
No, if there are multiple DO’s, the official thread would be this one for both DO’s.
Why there is a 2nd poll?
The second poll would be used to ask for small clarification details where the results would be used in addition to the first poll.
How could I access the 2nd poll?
You could click here to access the poll.
Alternatively, you could copy this link to your browser: https://forms.gle/ietKeGYrWTzMa7u16
When would the 2nd poll close?
The poll would close on Sunday, 22 August 2021 23:59 GMT+3.
Responses submitted after this date would not be taken into consideration.
When would the actual travel dates and flights would be announced?
The actual travel dates would be announced in August or September when inventory is opened, and the flights are available on sale. To allow members that have participated in the poll an advantage of early booking, those members would be contacted before everyone else through FlyerTalk PM or e-mail ( if they are not a member of FlyerTalk ). The flights would be posted here later that day, in order to allow time for members participated in the poll in different time zones to book those flights on the phone.
Can I modify my answers on the poll?
Yes, without filling a new form, you could change your answers on the poll. If you accidentally filled out a new form, the most recent form that you filled out would be considered as valid.
What happens if there is no more availability on one of the DO flights?
An alternative flight would be posted so that all members could attend all events. It is not expected to have this issue on the Sofia-London or the transatlantic flights; however, on AA Domestic flights with limited Business/First seating, we might run into this issue. The organizing committee would initially select flights with closer alternatives ( eg. 8pm and 9:30pm JFK-LAX flights) or select wide-body flights with high-density premium cabin seating within the USA ( MIA-LAX on the 777-300ER ) so that we don’t run with that issue.
What happens if the Sofia – USA fare pulls by the time the date/flights are set and booking becomes available?
An alternative would be provided by the organizing committee. Any updates would be shared in this specific thread.
What happens if border restrictions are still in place by then?
The organizing committee would ask every attending member individually about their opinion and depending on the number of members attending and could fly, the DO might be cancelled, converted to a flight meet-up only set-up with members that could fly or be postponed to a future date.
What happens if I receive a schedule change notice from the airline?
The organizing committee would search for alternative flights that would best suit the DO’s plan and not minimizing the number of Tier Points earned.
As the current schedules for Summer 2022 are placeholders, this is very likely to happen.
The organizing committee would be in touch with all members throughout this thread or by private message when the itinerary is confirmed after the schedule change.
The organizing committee would prioritize free rebookings according to the BA Book with Confidence policy and would prioritize options that would not require any fare recalculation. If required, another poll would be published at that time.
Could I book the Tier Point Run through American Airlines, Finnair or Iberia?
It’s highly recommended that you book your Tier Point Run through British Airways as they offer the most flexibility during schedule changes. You could alternatively book through another Atlantic Joint Business partner, although during a schedule change, you might get less flexibility and not be rebooked on that the organizing committee has decided depending on the airlines routing policy.
Could I book the Tier Point Run through an OTA or credit card partner?
It’s not recommended that you book your Tier Point Run through an OTA or a credit card partner. During schedule changes, you would need to deal with them and rerouting on a complicated itinerary might be tough. Although, if you have a reputable travel agent that could handle complicated things, feel free to book with them.
Could I book the Tier Point Run through BA Holidays?
Yes, you could book the Tier Point Run through BA Holidays but be aware that you would need to deal with the Bremen call center which only during the weekdays. Also during peak cancellations, your holiday might be cancelled by them automatically so if you are planning to book with British Airways Holidays please consider the risks.
Could I upgrade the cabin that I’m traveling by myself?
Yes, that is permitted, you could travel in BA First or AA Flagship First in eligible segments if you wish to using cash upgrade methods or via miles.
Could I fly Economy Class/Premium Economy Class on flights?
Yes, you are welcome to fly in a cheaper cabin.
How would the hotels in the DO would be chosen?
The poll asks about the hotel chain preference of members. This would be one of the considerations when selecting the DO hotels.
Although, for members that have a limited spending budget, at the main DO location and the layover points, an alternative under GBP150 per night (including taxes, fees, surcharges) would be always offered.
For those who are booking this trip through BA Holidays, the organizing committee would make the effort to select a hotel that partner with BA Holidays for the hotel in the main destination.
Is it mandatory to stay in the selected hotels?
No, you are welcome to make your own arrangements elsewhere. Although, during group activities; if private group transportation is required, the respective shuttle, minivan would preferably depart from the selected hotels.
Could I rent a car during this trip?
Yes, although not all hotels selected might offer parking; also in case there is a group transportation in one of the extracurricular activities, you could join with your rental/own car.
What would be the extracurricular activities that are planned in this DO?
The extracurricular DO activities would be confirmed at a later stage when the itinerary is confirmed; some potential activities are like the following. Attendance to all activities would be optional and not mandatory
· Pre-DO event the evening before the DO at Sofia
· A domestic Tier Point run in the USA
· TWA Hotel JFK pool & plane spotting
· A day-trip with Boutique Air on the Pilatus PC-12
· Boston Duck Tours
· Boeing Factory Tour in Everett, WA
· And more…
You could provide your suggestions in the poll.
I am a Star Alliance or SkyTeam elite that is seeking for mileage, but I would like to attend the do?
In case of demand, a Star Alliance or SkyTeam do on the same dates would be organized with a similar routing. For example, while the main DO would fly LHR-JFK on British Airways, at the same time the *A community would fly LHR-EWR and everyone would meet in a potential event in New York.
In case there is demand, please contact the organizing committee.
I am based in the USA, could I join the DO without flying to Europe?
Yes, partial participation in the DO is totally acceptable and welcome. You could join any part of the DO including solely domestic flights or individual activities.
Is any professional organization involved in this DO?
No, this is a community created and organized DO and meet-up, the organizing committee is not intending to get revenue from this DO. It is not within the books of the plan to coordinate with a professional organization company for this DO.
Would the organizing committee accept payments?
No, the organizing committee would not accept any payments for flight and hotel bookings, and those would be directly booked with the member and the airline/hotel/travel agent. The DO committee has no responsibility if there is any problem on their bookings.
The only exception for collecting payments would be that the payments for group extracurricular activities just in case a group bill must be split. In this case, further information would be given to the participating members.
Does the organizing committee responsible for any changes, cancellations regarding the DO?
The answer is NO. Every member is responsible for their own actions and the organizing committee or FlyerTalk takes no responsibility for any inconvenience that might happen before/during/after the trip regarding the DO.
Would this page be updated if something new happens?
Yes, updates would be shared in this thread.
Could I ask any questions to the organizing committee?
Yes, please feel free to write your message below in this thread.
Last edited by ISTFlyer; Aug 15, 2021 at 4:37 pm
Jun 12, 2021, 1:06 am
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
Plan of DO ( As of 15 Aug )
DO 1 MAIN EVENT: Date TBD ( Summer 2022 )
Location: Seattle/Everett
Organizer: ISTFlyer & Nephoi
Local Event Coordinator: TBD
DO 2: Date TBD ( Summer 2022 )
Location: Los Angeles Area
Organizer: Nephoi & ISTFlyer
Local Event Coordinator: TBD
DO 3: Date TBD ( Fall 2022 )
Location: Bay Area
Organizer: TBD
Local Event Coordinator: TBD
DO 1 MAIN EVENT: Date TBD ( Summer 2022 )
Location: Seattle/Everett
Organizer: ISTFlyer & Nephoi
Local Event Coordinator: TBD
DO 2: Date TBD ( Summer 2022 )
Location: Los Angeles Area
Organizer: Nephoi & ISTFlyer
Local Event Coordinator: TBD
DO 3: Date TBD ( Fall 2022 )
Location: Bay Area
Organizer: TBD
Local Event Coordinator: TBD
Last edited by ISTFlyer; Aug 15, 2021 at 4:39 pm
Jun 12, 2021, 1:07 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
Poll Analysis:
Poll analysis for the first thread is as below:
58 valid answers, 2 invalid answers
Reason for Invalid Answers: Duplicate submissions
Destination Votes:
Bay Area: 43 votes ( DO 3 destination )
Seattle/Everett: 41 votes ( DO 1/Main DO destination )
Los Angeles: 32 Votes ( DO 2 destination )
Las Vegas: 5 votes
Phoenix: 3 votes
Portland: 3 votes
San Diego: 2 votes
Pre-DO event:
43/58 people is planning to join the pre-DO event in Sofia 12/58 people is planning to either do a B2B or join from another city 3/58 people is not interested in a pre-DO event
Originating on Wednesday
As 56/58 of the people participated in poll #1 is OK to originate from Sofia on a Wednesday, we would originate on a Wednesday from Sofia.
Hotel Chain:
Hilton Honors: 34 votes
Marriott Bonvoy: 17 votes
World of Hyatt: 8 votes
IHG Rewards: 7 votes
Accor Live Limitless: 3 votes
Best Western Rewards: 2 votes
Radisson: 1 vote
Suggestions have been recorded and availability analysis would be re-conducted after the end of poll 2.
Poll analysis for the first thread is as below:
58 valid answers, 2 invalid answers
Reason for Invalid Answers: Duplicate submissions
Destination Votes:
Bay Area: 43 votes ( DO 3 destination )
Seattle/Everett: 41 votes ( DO 1/Main DO destination )
Los Angeles: 32 Votes ( DO 2 destination )
Las Vegas: 5 votes
Phoenix: 3 votes
Portland: 3 votes
San Diego: 2 votes
Pre-DO event:
43/58 people is planning to join the pre-DO event in Sofia 12/58 people is planning to either do a B2B or join from another city 3/58 people is not interested in a pre-DO event
Originating on Wednesday
As 56/58 of the people participated in poll #1 is OK to originate from Sofia on a Wednesday, we would originate on a Wednesday from Sofia.
Hotel Chain:
Hilton Honors: 34 votes
Marriott Bonvoy: 17 votes
World of Hyatt: 8 votes
IHG Rewards: 7 votes
Accor Live Limitless: 3 votes
Best Western Rewards: 2 votes
Radisson: 1 vote
Suggestions have been recorded and availability analysis would be re-conducted after the end of poll 2.
Last edited by ISTFlyer; Aug 15, 2021 at 4:48 pm
Jun 12, 2021, 1:36 am
#10
Join Date: Aug 2013
Programs: BAEC Gold, IHG Spire Elite
Posts: 1,713
With the OTP-West Coast fare a few years ago a huge thread occurred and people put their flights in the wiki. This allowed others to pick and choose their own flights and meet up with different people on different parts of their itinerary. There was a ‘main group’ which congregated on the same flights throughout but others did different dates and routings. Other mini Do’s also sprung up as a result.
The rigidity of it being fixed dates and flights is too stifling for my liking. A week off work for this is also a tough ask for me personally. I much preferred the “put your flights in the wiki and if you fancy meeting up then all well and good” approach. At the end of my run I ended up on a LHR-OTP flight with a dozen fellow FTers in J and it was good fun, but at the same time my friend and I did our own itinerary which suited us.
YMMV of course. Good luck to all those who book this and have something to look forward to.
The rigidity of it being fixed dates and flights is too stifling for my liking. A week off work for this is also a tough ask for me personally. I much preferred the “put your flights in the wiki and if you fancy meeting up then all well and good” approach. At the end of my run I ended up on a LHR-OTP flight with a dozen fellow FTers in J and it was good fun, but at the same time my friend and I did our own itinerary which suited us.
YMMV of course. Good luck to all those who book this and have something to look forward to.
Jun 12, 2021, 1:46 am
#12
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
With the OTP-West Coast fare a few years ago a huge thread occurred and people put their flights in the wiki. This allowed others to pick and choose their own flights and meet up with different people on different parts of their itinerary. There was a ‘main group’ which congregated on the same flights throughout but others did different dates and routings. Other mini Do’s also sprung up as a result.
The rigidity of it being fixed dates and flights is too stifling for my liking. A week off work for this is also a tough ask for me personally. I much preferred the “put your flights in the wiki and if you fancy meeting up then all well and good” approach. At the end of my run I ended up on a LHR-OTP flight with a dozen fellow FTers in J and it was good fun, but at the same time my friend and I did our own itinerary which suited us.
YMMV of course. Good luck to all those who book this and have something to look forward to.
The rigidity of it being fixed dates and flights is too stifling for my liking. A week off work for this is also a tough ask for me personally. I much preferred the “put your flights in the wiki and if you fancy meeting up then all well and good” approach. At the end of my run I ended up on a LHR-OTP flight with a dozen fellow FTers in J and it was good fun, but at the same time my friend and I did our own itinerary which suited us.
YMMV of course. Good luck to all those who book this and have something to look forward to.
I'll definitely take your suggestion into consideration.
Currently, I am looking for the best suitable date for the main group and, side-itineraries are of course permitted.
A flight-meetup section for other dates than the main dates would be added at a later stage. Possibly before fall 2021. I have written this into my notes.
From post #2
Why isn’t Helsinki or Madrid included into the routing?
To accommodate more members and to complete the DO within 8 calendar days, Helsinki and Madrid are not added to the routing. Also, Finnair Transatlantic flights from Helsinki are really limited and we would like to accommodate more people in this DO as we could.
To accommodate more members and to complete the DO within 8 calendar days, Helsinki and Madrid are not added to the routing. Also, Finnair Transatlantic flights from Helsinki are really limited and we would like to accommodate more people in this DO as we could.
Also, unfortunately SOF-LHR-HEL-JFK in the summer season requires an overnight in London + an overnight in Helsinki & another overnight in London during the return which means 2 additional nights in Helsinki. With the fare difference + the two extra nights of hotel, you could easily earn that 160TP's within the USA.
Jun 12, 2021, 2:02 am
#15
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
Dear members;
If you are interested in joining, please fill out this form so I could evaluate the demand for the date, the routing, the layover cities for the main DO.
The Google Form ( the poll ) is now available: https://forms.gle/odcL8bbxxAz1nxFdA
The poll would be live until late-July 2021 as planned. The precise end date of the poll would be announced at a future stage.
Please also don't forget to add your name into the WIKI, if you don't want to remain anonymous, if you sent me a PM or wrote your intention to join in this thread, I have added your name as "Anonymous Member x".
Here is an overview how the initial draft plan looks like: Of course, cities and routing subject to change according to the poll results:
If you are interested in joining, please fill out this form so I could evaluate the demand for the date, the routing, the layover cities for the main DO.
The Google Form ( the poll ) is now available: https://forms.gle/odcL8bbxxAz1nxFdA
The poll would be live until late-July 2021 as planned. The precise end date of the poll would be announced at a future stage.
Please also don't forget to add your name into the WIKI, if you don't want to remain anonymous, if you sent me a PM or wrote your intention to join in this thread, I have added your name as "Anonymous Member x".
Here is an overview how the initial draft plan looks like: Of course, cities and routing subject to change according to the poll results: