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-   -   Routing and partner advice (https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/information-desk/1760002-routing-partner-advice.html)

dukerau Apr 18, 2016 9:31 am

It was very tough to follow OP, so I'll condense my understanding of the question. OP wants premium class travel BOS-JNB round trip. Current balances:

Citi TY: 66k
SPG: 30k
AA: 70k
Avios: 75k
Amex MR: 40k
Chase UR: 71k

As wcrhkd posted above, you're just short of enough AA miles for a business class one-way. Fortunately, you can trasnfer 5k SPG to get the 75k AA needed. Definitely hold off on transferring until you find a flight you want to book. SPG transfers aren't instant, but you should be able to put a hold on the flights and then transfer. AA via DOH could be quite appealing since QR (Qatar Airways) flies BOS-DOH-JNB. Most awards will have at least 2 connections as there are few cities that are served by both BOS and JNB within the same alliance.

Do you have any United? Not to offend but you left some out before and mentioned you apply for cards bloggers direct you to, so I wouldn't be surprised if you have a UA balance as well from the Chase UA card. 80k UA would be enough for one-way on a United partner in business class. So that would do it for you. You have 71k UR, which transfer to 71k UA. If you don't have an existing UA balance, there are other ways to get the 9k UA needed, but nothing attractive. For example, 18k SPG transfers to 9k UA (though if you do that you might as well do 20k SPG to get 12.5k UA).

Another possibility is using Singapore miles. Amex, Chase, Citi, and SPG all transfer to Singapore (SQ) miles, so they're a good way to combine your disparate balances. However, depending on which airline you find availability on, you may have to pay fuel surcharges using SQ miles, so you'd want to make sure they're going to be reasonable/non-existent before transferring to SQ. Transfers to SQ take a day or two from Amex, Chase, and Citi (no experience with SPG transfers to SQ but I would save the SPG anyway and use up the others) and SQ doesn't allow holds, so there's a slight risk there. But you definitely should not transfer before knowing there's a way to use them. SQ miles also expire 36 months after earning (unlike most programs where earning 1 new mile extends the validity of all your miles), so you don't want balances there without a planned use. If fuel surcharges are reasonable on an SQ award, you have enough miles to do a round trip SQ business class award.

MSPeconomist Apr 18, 2016 9:45 am

Weren't people having some problems (accounts closed, for example) when they tried to transfer AmEx into a new SQ account, especially if the details on the account didn't match exactly? I think this was reported here and in at least one blog, although I don't recall the details or whether there was a resolution of the issue.

Megz Apr 18, 2016 4:35 pm

I'm not clueless, I just have an open period of time..But I now have faith I can do this. It would seem a benefit to be able to jump into a day if you see something good. Of course it's around the 17th but plus or minus. It's holiday.
I do not apply for the bloggers credit cards. I definitely do not but I do look around. No UA really.

Originally Posted by wcrhkd (Post 26499545)
Op,

Being clueless as to when you actually want to take this trip (other than Fall), I did a cursory check on BA and there happened to be very reasonable availability via DOH on Qatar. Business class was available, and I believe it's just one award with AA miles. Not absolutely certain, but I think it's 75,000 miles one way, so you would need to top off your AA account with some SPG points.

As for the return, you could transfer some UR points to UA. Coach is readily available in October, with some days having business as well.


wcrhkd Apr 18, 2016 6:38 pm

Oh no...I meant I was clueless in regard to your travel dates. That's why I just tried random dates in Fall for a simple search.

Megz Apr 19, 2016 1:55 am


Originally Posted by wcrhkd (Post 26504002)
Oh no...I meant I was clueless in regard to your travel dates. That's why I just tried random dates in Fall for a simple search.

No, you're good! I'm sure I appear such but I can only ask questions to learn. I'm speaking the lingo but I know most of it( from the wiki, to be honest)
No shame.

LondonElite Apr 19, 2016 2:11 am

Just to be clear, wcrhkd was not being rude, he meant that he didn't have a clue when you actually wanted to travel, so he guessed. ;)

Megz Apr 19, 2016 5:27 am

I'm clear but thanks.


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