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1st ever run to make AA plat

1st ever run to make AA plat

Old Nov 18, 2002, 8:02 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: NYC, NY, AA Gold since 1991, finally Plat in 2002!, HH Silver
Posts: 30
1st ever run to make AA plat

I am making my first ever mileage run to make AA plat this year. After 12 years as AA gold (since the ripe old age of 12!), I am 4 segments away from plat status (am 10,700 Q points away, so I am focusing on segments only). I can only fly Dec.6 (same day return) or Dec. 7 (next day return)
I just moved to PHL, which as a US Scareways hub has very few AA flights. Lots of AA Eagle though. I have found PHL-BGR-PHL Dec. 6-Dec. 8 for $298.
Can anyone help with the following questions?:
1)do you actually buy a ticket that has same day return? all so expensive, yet if I buy Dec. 6-Dec. 8 to get Sat. night stay, can I just standby on the return on the same day? Am confused by new rules re. standby. My fare rules say:
3. PASSENGERS HOLDING CONFIRMED
RESERVATIONS AND TICKETS MAY STANDBY FOR EARLIER/LATER SAME DAY AA NONSTOP AND/OR CONNECTING FLIGHT/S BETWEEN THE SAME ORIGIN AND DESTINATION AIPORTS. A.THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL COST PROVIDED THE
FLIGHT/S AND ROUTING ARE APPLICABLE FOR THE FARE CHARGED.FOR TRVL ON/AFTER JANUARY 1 2003 USD 100 STANDBY FEE APPLIES UNLESS A PSGR PRESENTS HIMSELF/HERSELF AT AA TKT COUNTER AT THE AIRPORT OF DEPARTURE NO LATER THAN 2 HR. AFTER THE SCHEDULED DEPARTURE TIME OF THE FLIGHT SHOWN ON THE PASSENGERS TKT. THEN THE PSGR WILL BE ACCOMMODATED ON A STANDBY BASIS ON NEXT AVAILABLE AA FLT AND NO STANDBY FEE WILL BE CHARGED. B.IF THE CHANGE IS NOT APPLICABLE FOR THE FARE CHARGED-I.E. INVALID ROUTING/AIRPORT/ DEPARTURE TIME/ETC/-THEN THE PSGR MUST PAY THE DIFFERENCE IN FARES PLUS THE CHANGE FEE.

For ticket changes:
2. CHANGES TO OTHER THAN THE ORIGINATING
FLT ARE PERMITTED ON/PRIOR TO TKTD DEPARTURE DATE OF EACH FLIGHT PROVIDED A.THERE ARE NO CHANGES IN ORIGIN/DESTINATION/ STOPOVER POINTS. B.THE CHANGE MEETS MIN/MAX STAY PROVISIONS OF ORIGINAL FARE.

Does this last point apply if I request to return standby on the same day? Technically the ticket would have been more expensive had I booked it that way in the first place, so not sure. Gold status helps me get standby but there is only so much room on Eagle ER3. Currently Galileo shows all returns wide open (7 all across) but this could change by the time I fly...I would hate to be stranded in Bangor...
2) Is there a way I can get a list of all Eagle schedules on line?
3) Are there any suggestions out there for ways to find cheap same-day tickets? I have searched the forums and know itn, expedia, travelocity, etc. but no one seems to say whether they buy same day returns

Thanks in advance for your help
blondelatin is offline  
Old Nov 19, 2002, 3:32 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Posts: 6
Blondelatin,

This is my first post, and I never fly AA, so you'll might find better answers later on.

1. That said, I found a better fare for you: $ 213.00 including tax, for a day trip to New Orleans (MSY). You can just book this fare at the AA website. This is the itinerary:

-----
From: Philadelphia, PA (PHL-Philadelphia Intl.)
To: New Orleans, LA (MSY-New Orleans Intl.)
Fare Basis Code: LR14QSPN

AMERICAN AIRLINES 3033
PHL Philadelphia 12/06/2002 06:35 AM
STL St Louis 12/06/2002 08:12 AM S80

AMERICAN AIRLINES 2817
STL St Louis 12/06/2002 09:20 AM
MSY New Orleans 12/06/2002 11:15 AM S80

AMERICAN AIRLINES 2950
MSY New Orleans 12/06/2002 12:13 PM
STL St Louis 12/06/2002 01:58 PM S80

AMERICAN AIRLINES 2890
STL St Louis 12/06/2002 04:42 PM PHL Philadelphia 12/06/2002 08:00 PM S80

Price 1 Adult: 160.92 USD (fare) + 52.08 USD (tax) = 213.00 USD
---
SEASONS - NO RESTRICTION
PENALTIES - CANCEL-NON REF
CHANGE-100.00 USD
FOR ALL CONDITIONS SEE TEXT RULE
DAY/TIME - NO RESTRICTION
ADV RES/TKT - RES REQ 14 DAYS BEFORE DEPART
TKTG WITHIN 1 DAY AFTER RESERVATIONS
OR AT LEAST 14 DAYS BEFORE DEPART
WHICHEVER IS EARLIER
WAITLISTING NOT PERMITTED ALL SEGMENTS
FURTHER RESTR APPLY SEE TEXT RULE
MIN STAY - NO RESTRICTION
MAX STAY - NO RESTRICTION
BLACKOUTS - 20DEC02-21DEC02 26DEC02 02FEB03 05FEB03
---
Found this fare through travelocity, under section flights, than on the left side: " I'm on a budget! Where can I go?".

After that I went to expedia.com. Since I now knew that there was a good fare from PHL to MSY I looked under "Airline Fare List". The cheapest fare required a Saturday night stay, but the second cheapest did not. Checked availability at itn.net, and found plenty of seats available.

I'm not really familiar with AA fares, especially not from PHL, so I don't know whether this is a good offer.

Sorry, I can't answer the other questions in point 1.

2. Just download the time table from the aa website. Under travel information, you'll find a section timetables. Can (download and) read it in Acrobat Reader. AE flights are also in there.

3. It's my first time to try this. Maybe my way works for you. Hopefully other posters have more (better) suggestions for you.

Have fun with your platinum status! I can't wait to do some Mileageruns myself to obtain such a status!
JustinTime is offline  
Old Nov 19, 2002, 5:51 pm
  #3  
kjh
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Michigan USA
Posts: 132
you could also try something like this to get your 4 segments and maybe have a couple of hours in the warm sunshine:

PHL-STL-TPA-ORD-PHL same day (for example: Sat. 14 Dec works)

Flight: AA3033
Depart: (PHL)- Sat, Dec 14 6:35am
Arrive: (STL) - Sat, Dec 14 8:12am
Flight: AA 2944
Depart: (STL)- Sat, Dec 14 10:36am
Arrive: (TPA) - Sat, Dec 14 1:58pm
Flight: AA 1004
Depart: (TPA)- Sat, Dec 14 3:58pm
Arrive: (ORD) - Sat, Dec 14 5:44pm
Flight: AA 1344 on a Boeing 737-800 Jet
Depart: (ORD)- Sat, Dec 14 7:18pm
Arrive: (PHL) - Sat, Dec 14 10:08pm
prices out at $187.50 total on www.travelocity.com - probably the same or less on aa.com and there you get the on-line booking bonus miles.

if you have not used it yet, the travelocity "dream map" is a pretty good tool to identify potential low cost "runs".

good luck....

kjh is offline  
Old Nov 19, 2002, 10:50 pm
  #4  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Nov 2002
Location: NYC, NY, AA Gold since 1991, finally Plat in 2002!, HH Silver
Posts: 30
Thanks JustinTime and kjh for your help. I think I will stick to the BGR itin b.c. it has the shortest flight segment I could find. Leaving PHL at 6.50 AM, I would be back by 2 PM. I am willing to pay up in order to spend less time in the air!

your help with the websites have been very helpful, I hadn't used those parts before.

Does anyone else have thoughts on the standby issue?
Thx
blondelatin is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2002, 10:17 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 13
You can't stand-by on a different date. They'll ask $100 per leg at minimum for stand-by, and you know even that is not guaranteed. You can pay $100, wait in the line, still might end up not boarding.
Baris Eris is offline  
Old Nov 20, 2002, 4:35 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: Dallas, TX, USA AA Plat
Posts: 1,342
Blonde,

You may want to try the AA thread.

Go to AA.com

on the specials box you ca put in city pairs to see what's what.

I think you can find some good deals.
Good Luck.
I'd look at PHL-JFK-LHR and back. See what that cost - lots of miles.
Also PHL-JFK-MIA-LHR and back.

------------------
TANSTAAFL - but if you work it right, FF miles comes pretty close.
CFM3RD is offline  

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