seattleBH

4/19. LIS to JFK to ATL to NAS. 65k in D1. But you do risk DL coming after you for the fare difference.

tennessetom

if you try this keep in mind unless they recently dropped the requirement NAS requires a health visa that you would have to apply for, not that hard but without it you won’t be able to board in LIS I would assume

btonkid12345

For that price difference just fly it all (doesn't it earn MQMs still anyways) and just buy the NAS-XXX back to the US...

MSPeconomist

This assume that OP can meet the entry requirements for Nassau, although that would be necessary even if OP were to terminate the journey at JFK.

BTW, 65K is very low for a TATL in D1, even OW. Check carefully that all segments are in D1, FC, or business class.

TomMM

I see plenty of UA LIS-EWR award availability during your time period .

Palal

LIS-LON is usually cheap (on any number of carriers, including FR, EZY, W6). Award availability and $$ tickets are not that expensive from the UK.

Another option is RAM through CMN.

madrigalbna

Actually I never even thought about routing through IST, that's a great idea!! I will check now, you are a genius!


Yes I saw this and it may just make sense to book a revenue ticket instead of trying to use miles, I am travelling with my partner and thought it would be nice to book a business class fare for a long haul flight (she has never flow business ever) but the revenue ticket prices are quite high from what I have see. I did forget that the time I have been considering leaving Portugal is around Labor Day in the states so I definitely may have to rethink that.

What airline/alliance do you see usually that is the best? when I have checked reward flights historically through LON the Taxes and Fuel Fees are around 300-350GBP

How did you find this fare? When I was looking I didnt find it, for 65K I will just go to NAS haha

I spent quite a while looking yesterday and only saw economy on the nonstop route from LIS to EWR on UA, all the business class flights I saw were connecting within EU/Schengen before departing the zone which I have been advised against doing.

Palal

LON-NYC is £319 on Westjet or £325 on TP (you wouldn't enter Portugal, so no issues).
LIS-LON is cheap on Ryanair or Easyjet.

You're probably better off flying on Turkish airlines - 550€ LIS-NYC one way in Y.

If you are set on J,
TP has an £842 fare from LON to NYC via LIS on Apr 20. That would require you to fly to LON (or another UK origin).
There's also a J fare MAD-LIS-JFK on TP for 774€, but that would require you to fly to MAD and then backtrack. Technically that would be a violation of your visa extension, which would require you not to leave Portugal, but you could probably get away with it, since you wouldn't be leaving Schengen in MAD.

RobertS975

I am not an attorney, but it would seem to me that if Portugal legally extends the poster's stay in Portugal, an EU country, then that extension is valid in the entire EU.

And why be so fixated on business class for a relatively short daytime flight?

One could make their way over to Casablanca and take the RAM flight to JFK.

Repooc17

Is the US a required destination?

flyerCO

Agreed. Not sure why lawyer thinks this is issue. If was legally in Portugal then was legally in Schengen.

madrigalbna

Not correct, the visa extension is not an "Official Visa" just as all member states can issue status within their own states, I am here in Portugal and arrived under Visa Waiver and am in "Process" of status change to an official visa, with Covid the government here has become dreadfully slow and inefficient with processing visa appointments.

Thus, they have automatically "Extended Visas" for people who are here waiting a status change, that does not give them access to the EU, it just means they cant be deported for overstaying in Portugal. I now have a need to travel to the the US for business and then tend to fly to South America after but unfortunately Portugal has not been able to grant me my status change in seven months.

Its a bit nuts.

Not initially no, but I do need to make my way to Miami something in late April/May

Apologies for delayed responses from me, I honestly did not expect so many replies and I am quite humbled by the amount of people that are willingly to help me. I have been a member of this forum since 2009 but have rarely posted (although I do come here for information and to read threads).

Again, I am so grateful to all of you who have posted.

MSPeconomist

HUH? Labor Day in the USA is the first Monday in September. I thought you were planning to return to the USA in around May. [May 1 i Labor Day in much of the rest of the world, including most/all of Europe and the last Monday in May is Memorial Day in the USA.]

madrigalbna

Lol sorry you are right, I meant holiday times, I have been bit distracted while replying (im supposed to be working haha).

Looks like I am going to skip the Biz class idea and just fly the DL LIS to JFK in Main Cabin award, 40,000 sky pesos plus €181 in taxes and fees (steep). it makes the most sense, nothing in Biz class I could find was reasonable.

MSPeconomist

What's the price of a ticket paid with money? IIRC if you have any DL credit card, you can use pay with miles and get approximately one cent per RDM. You *might* be more likely to get a FCM upgrade offer if you pay with money (even using pay-with-miles).

BTW, I approve of your decision to avoid going through a third country. No need to worry about IROPs, entry/transit requirements, and additional COVID-19 tests.