SFO to MAD
 

Hello All,

First timer here, I am moving to Madrid Spain in late August. I need to booking a rewards flight preferably in first/ business class. I have over 130k points on my chase Sapphire Revered I can transfer and about 100k points in AA. Any ideas on how I can get the most out of my points to fly a nice first/business class product.

My top choices right now are:
BA 747/A380 to LHR then to Madrid for about 47.5k AA points but $600 in fees:(
Or BA 787 from SJ for 85k points and 800 in fees..
LUF 747 to MUN then to Madrid for 190K points but still need to 60k in spend to get.

If any recommendations please let me know :)

The aa.com website is incapable of displaying IB award availability. If you have a BAEC account, you can check IB award availability from IB's U.S. gateways. You can then call AA to book the itinerary (including connecting AA flights if you can find MileSAAver availability on them), with modest IB surcharges. You could also ask AA about availability on TN's LAX-CDG nonstop, connecting to IB CDG-MAD.

This is a one way?

You should be able to find something on *A using UA miles for either 57.5k (UA metal) or 70k (partner metal) at saver or 150k for standard.

Playing around with random dates in August I can't find anything to MAD but I do see some 70k options for SFO - DFW/IAD/ORD - FRA in J and then you'd need to just purchase a separate FRA - MAD ticket. I would play around with some other major *A hubs and see if you can get something like that put together and then just buy a revenue ticket for the last bit at the end.

I *think* as long as it's *A you should be able to interline the whole way if you go that route

Are your top choices based on actually seeing availability or just checking the necessary mileage. The point is that there may not be seats available. Given that you (1) need these for August, and (2) indicate that LH (not LUF) is available to MUC (not MUN), suggests to me that you have not checked actually available inventory. LH does not release F seats to non LH-top elites until 14 days prior to flight.

Yes, it would be a one way ticket.

I called AA several times they best option they had was SFO-LA-MIA- MAD which was way to many stops and 120k miles :/

Will look into the major hubs, Thanks for all the help much appreciated.

I'm looking based on the aircraft type and airline don't really care how I can get there. I based the BA flights price and class from what i found on AA website's..

SFO long haul flights to Europe generally are older products. Compared to what they offer when going the opposite way from SFO to any where in Asia.

I really need the business class flight as i am moving to Madrid for a year so I need the extra luggage space :) LOL

It's possible that 120K miles is the best that AA currently has available. It's also possible that you got a lazy and/or incompetent agent who failed to check routings utilizing IB/TN.
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If the problem is merely lack of AA SAAver availability from SFO/SJC to LAX, I would look into purchasing a cheap ticket on WN from anywhere in the Bay Area to LAX. You'd get two free checked bags on WN, but you'd have to transfer the bags yourself to your international carrier at LAX.

Any redemption from SFO to MAD involving AA miles will require at least one connection. Not sure why you feel that two connections is "way too many." When redeeming miles for international Business Class flights, flexibility is essential. ;)

This is a very good suggestion and applies to both AA and UA (via Chase UR) redemptions.

If you wanted to be really crazy, you could do SFO - ICN - MAD using UR ---> KE. Haven't costed it out yet but my guess is it would be in the 125k range.

You could also do something like 70k for SFO - AUH in EY J and then another 42.5k for QR AUH - DOH - MAD in J so 112.5k AA or alternatively 70k for SFO - AUH in EY J and then use UA miles for AUH - MAD at 45k (e.g., AUH - IST - MAD on TK J)

You could also do something like 70k for SFO - AUH in EY J and then another 42.5k for QR AUH - DOH - MAD in J so 112.5k AA or alternatively 70k for SFO - AUH in EY J and then use UA miles for AUH - MAD at 45k (e.g., AUH - IST - MAD on TK J)

Sounds like really cool adventure :) how would you transfer the points the for the first leg ?

You can search for EY space on the EY website under the Etihad Guest tab. If you see space under "Guest Business" that space is accessible to AA. You'll then need to call AA to book it over the phone. Ignore the pricing listed under Guest Business - that's just for using Etihad miles, the AA price is 70k for US - Middle East in J.

At the moment I don't see anything on SFO - AUH but I do see space on LAX - AUH and you *may* be able to add an AA leg SFO - LAX on the award if there is AA saver Y or saver J space.

You could also look into Qatar but they don't have an SFO flight so you'd need to find space on their LAX - DOH route on the BA website and then try and tack on the LAX - SFO space using AA Y or J saver space if available.

Just did a bit of searching and you should be able to do the following for 70k AA if you call in:

SFO - DFW (AA domestic F)
DFW - DOH (QR J, 777 - QR flight #730 )

Available dates: August 22nd, August 29th (though first leg is SJC - DFW not SFO - DFW). Since it's AA F to QR J you'll get the full AA F baggage allowance and then you'll just need to figure out DOH - MAD and can use UA miles (transferred from UA) for that.

If you wanted even more fun you could tack on a connecting leg from DOH - somewhere in Africa for an extra 5k or from DOH - India Subcontinent for no extra cost and then start your UA award from that point to MAD. Of course this works out to quite a bit more than the AA redemption on BA with fuel surcharges but it would much more of an adventure!

Cool I'm going to call and set this first leg up Thank you so much for all your Help!

Unless you really want to go via the Middle East, I would not give up -- yet -- on trying to find a SAAver North America-Europe award, perhaps with IB, or with TN/IB. Going via the Middle East or Indian Subcontinent will cost almost twice as many miles as using a single award.

If you do decide to go via the Middle East or Indian Subcontinent, note that you can actually stop over there -- not merely connect -- if you so desire, since you will be on two separate awards. And, if you want to go via the Indian Subcontinent, you can now redeem your AA miles for Westbound travel to India from California on Cathay Pacific; that's a fairly recent change to AAdvantage's routing rules.

Don't know if Premium Economy instead of Business Class would be acceptable to the OP, but Iberia's new discount carrier -- Level -- has Premium Economy available on its OAK-BCN nonstop for $700 in late August. Fare includes two checked bags. Bookable at Iberia's U.S. website.

I forgot about that change - good call. OP could use CX J and go SFO - HKG - DEL/BOM for the same 70k and then snag a separate UA J award (likely DEL/BOM - FRA - MAD on LH or DEL/BOM - IST - MAD on TK).

See the SAAver Help Desk thread in the AA Forum here. Be sure to read the Wikipost at the top of the page.

I'd try for SFO-LAX-MAD using Iberia's nice Business Plus product.