a4racer

Hi there! I've been an Aeroplan member for 11 years, but only been collecting them seriously for a year or so.

This year, I have 30,531 status miles and 25 segments. This means (I think) that for 2K7, I'll have Prestige status, (25,000 miles or 25 segments). My thought now is: Elite status is 35,000 miles or 35 segments--so if I get 4500 odd status miles, I can get Elite for 2K7, or in the alternative, 10 more segments. The great thing is being based out of YXU, any YXU-YYZ flight is automatically 500 status miles and one segment, regardless of the actual length of the flight...so I guess I could do 5 return flights from YXU to YYZ...

As mentioned, I'm based out of YXU, and budget is an issue--are the perks associated with Elite worth me trying to accumulate another 5000 miles or 10 segments before December 31st? I'll likely have to fund this myself, so I'll want to keep this as cheap as possible...I was thinking off-hand, I could do two return flights from YXU to Sarnia (YXU-YYZ-Sarnia, so 4 segments, 2000 miles per trip) and then one return flight from YXU to YYZ, 2 segments, 1000 miles per trip)...any swankier way to get the miles for about the same price?

THANKS ALL!!!
a4racer

eastcoastcan

YYZ-DCA offers some seriously great 3-segment routings (ie: YYZ-YUL-YOW-DCA-YOW-YUL-YYZ) usually at the same price as YYZ-DCA. (think 150-200$ one way, or less).

So, if you could add your London leg onto that, you'd be looking at 4k miles due to the minimums.

There are probably other equally high-segment routings avail.

500 miles at a time

I think its 35K miles or 50 segments to get Elite and not 35 segments.

eastcoastcan

Also check out YYZ-PHL for even more insane high-mileage routings (YYZ-YVR-DEN-PHL return) etc.

jral

I'd go for it, (35K Q-miles) and maybe also look at UA or US deals out of DTW.

evdog19

You cheapest bet is to drive to Detroit and do a transcon on United or US Airways. Here is an example with a same day turnaround to avoid a hotel in California: (also if you leave early in the Morning from Detroit you can avoid the red-eye on the way back) The cost for this one is $231 USD (via Orbitz) or about $265 CDN. You'd pay more than that for one of the Sarnia flights!

Monday, December 4, 2006 Leave
United Airlines 701 Economy 60% on time Airbus A319 3hr 13min 1142 miles
Depart: 3:27pm
afternoon Detroit, MI
Detroit Wayne County (DTW) 2+ stops
Arrive: 4:40pm
afternoon Denver, CO
Denver International (DEN)
Change planes. Time between flights: 0hr 40min

United Airlines 209 Economy 70% on time Boeing 757 2hr 28min 845 miles
Depart: 5:20pm
evening Denver, CO
Denver International (DEN)
Arrive: 6:48pm
evening Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles International (LAX)
Change planes. Time between flights: 1hr 12min

United Airlines 6078 Operated by: UNITED EXPRESS/SKYWEST Economy Embraer 120 Brasilia Turboprop 46min 43 miles
Depart: 8:00pm
evening Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles International (LAX)
Arrive: 8:46pm
evening Santa Ana, CA
Santa Ana John Wayne (SNA)
Total duration: 8hr 19min Total miles: 2030 miles

Monday, December 4, 2006 Return
United Airlines 6078 Operated by: UNITED EXPRESS/SKYWEST Economy Embraer 120 Brasilia Turboprop 33min 43 miles
Depart: 9:27pm
evening Santa Ana, CA
Santa Ana John Wayne (SNA) 2+ stops
Arrive: 10:00pm
evening Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles International (LAX)
Change planes. Time between flights: 1hr 45min

United Airlines 128 Economy 80% on time Airbus A320 3hr 53min 1746 miles
Depart: 11:45pm
evening Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles International (LAX)
Arrive: 5:38am
morning Chicago, IL
Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)
Change planes. Time between flights: 1hr 57min

United Airlines 434 Economy 90% on time Airbus A319 1hr 14min 237 miles
Depart: 7:35am
morning Chicago, IL
Chicago O'Hare International (ORD)
Arrive: 9:49am
morning Detroit, MI
Detroit Wayne County (DTW)

evdog19

Don't forget that the ORD-DTW, LAX-SNA and SNA-LAX all receive 500 miles each, so you will have enough miles to make Elite. I would definately consider doing it for this price.

a4racer

I also have a $200 travel voucher from AC for a voluntary bump on a YYZ-YOW flight earlier this month, so that will help, provided I fly on AC metal...

I didn't know that flights on AC partners (Star Alliance) count at full pop towards Aeroplan points...

Mrp Alert

You probably can use the AC voucher for UA code-share flights. I would try to book something like this:
YXU - YYZ
YYZ - IAD/ORD (AC op by UA)
IAD/ORD - SFO (AC op by UA)
SFO-LAX/LAS/SNA/SAN/CLD/PHX/TUS - any city in AZ, CA, NV (AC op by UA)
repeat the same routing in reverse - you might have to loose a segment on the outbound or return, but still will do quite well on the miles. You can use UA.com, AC.com and the downloadable star alliance around the world program (star-alliance.com) to get the flight numbers and then have AC phone reservations book it.

seanthepilot

Cheapest probably is to fly to Detroit or Buffalo & Use/Save the voucher for next year.

Then you've got the status & the voucher.

Some people trying to find low-fares compare routes on cities flown by Southwest, but ticketed/flown on thier chosen airline.

tcook052

Not all *A partners, grasshopper, only some like UA.

Perhaps it's my adversion to the short hop runs, but I would suggest something like LHR (the Other London) which AC has dirt cheap AND has a double bonus mile promo on at the moment. Please note that this isn't double Q miles, but double the regular base miles.

Having just checked, AC has LHR from YXU for CAD$279 OW + tax 4-6 Nov. in Leisure class, which earns full AC AP miles. According to GCM, the 8112 Q miles you'd earn would be topped up by 8112 bonus miles for CAD$866.88 all in, providing of course you register for the linked AP promo.

Keep in mind that two Sarnia runs add up to approx CAD$680 incl tax, so for only a few hundred more you could rack up an extra 12K miles, which isn't a bad deal.

Just a thought...

a4racer

So, if I did the above, would the extra 12K miles not used in qualifying for 2K7 be able to be carried over for 2K8, or is it a clean slate, ie: I'd have to qualify based on Jan 1. 2007 to December 31. 2007? I think it's probably the latter. I'm intrigued by this possibility--using the $200 travel voucher, I'll spend $666.88 all in, and get about 16,000 miles (are they all status miles?), get my Elite status for 2K7, and still have 16,000 miles to use for other flights...sounds pretty good--just have to deal with a 7 hour flight (that said, I just did a YXU-YYZ-YVR-KIX and a PEK-YVR-YYZ-YXU this month!)

tcook052

Yes, only Q miles earned in a calendar year count towards elite and there is no carry-over. Note that only the regular base miles would count towards requalifying, not the whole extra 12K you would earn versus doing the Sarnia option.

No, as mentioned in my earlier post, the bonus is not status or Q miles, simply a doubling of the regular base miles. But yes, you could rack up more miles by paying not a lot more.

That's my suggestion and I'm sticking to it.

thefareguru

Note that no overnight will be required in London; you will have a 2-hour connection there - just check in for your return flight while in Ottawa.

There is a later flight from YYZ to YHZ, but with only 25 minutes between flights, a late departure out of Pearson would be a dealkiller because it would be an illegal connection; you could book it but the risk is all yours.

a4racer

On the cusp of signing up for that great Detroit - LAX - John Wayne trip, I got word that I'm required to fly out to Vancouver on business...our company has a policy that, although we fly Tango Plus (Economy) most of the time, we are able to bump up to Executive First (pseudo-bizclass) for redeyes. So, I'll be flying out Tango Plus, and back Exec. First. That will give me, according to webflyer's mile marker (with Aeroplan's 500 mile minimum, and 50% Q mile upgrade for Exec), 2580 miles on the outbound, and 3660 miles on the inbound (no exec. on YYZ-YXU leg), which should give me 6240 Q-miles on the trip, or 36,771 Q miles for 2K6, bumping me up to Elite for 2K7!

Again, thank for all the help and suggestions--I'll DEFINITELY need your help to keep my Elite status for 2K7, I anticipate less business travel next year...