Need 7,400 AA EQMs or 11 segments from ORD
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA Plat, UAL Premier Exec, SPG and HH Gold
Posts: 498
Need 7,400 AA EQMs or 11 segments from ORD
First, I know I'm an idiot for waiting until December 9 to think about trying to save my spouse's AA status by the end of the year. In my own defense, I was supposed to have enough business trips to keep my status (since cancelled )and figured he'd just have to suck it up next year and not be in group 1, have exit row, etc. Anyway, today he threw a fit, so I'd appreciate any help or advice trying to figure this out.
Here are the parameters:
We can't fly next weekend. We could fly the 22, 23, 24, or 25, 29, 30, or 31st. He needs 7,400 EQMs or 8 segments. I will go along with him because otherwise it'd be a disaster, and I need 4,300 EQM or 8 segments. We've done 1 other MR before -- 2 days flying to and from DFW to take advantage of the Dallas bonus in earlier this year -- so we're not completely clueless, but pretty close. It would be nice to go somewhere interesting and/or warm, but we have a vacation planned to Ireland in April so we're not looking to turn this into a week-long trip or anything more than a few days. $500 or less per person (exclusive of any hotels, etc.) would be ideal.
I've spent the last couple of hours and pretty much have come up with the following options:
1) 6 RTs from ORD-MCI @ $98 each before tax. (Because you only fly 804 actual miles/RT, would have to do 6 RTs to get the 11 segments he needs because he wouldn't get enough EQMs.) For figuring mileage/dollar, it looks like 1000 miles RT, plus the 200 gold bonus per RT, and the 25,000 FLY06 bonus. Therefore, it looks like 6 RTs would yield about 35,000 miles with booking bonuses. Disadvantage -- can't seem to find a way to do 6 in one day at $98 each, so it looks like we'd have to go to O'Hare to do these 2 separate days. Not the end of the world, but not ideal.
2) ORD-LHR: $502 each with tax -- actual miles, gold miles, booking bonus, FLY06 = 15,400 miles total, I think. Advantage is being able to spend a day in London. Disadvantage is that we would only get one trip toward the FLY06 bonus so we'd have to fly twice in January to get the fly FLY06. (But could pay for one with the money we'd save doing this over option #1.)
3) ORD-CDG: $517 each with tax -- no direct flights at that price, so it looks like you spend about 12 hours just flying around and doing layovers.
4) ORD-DFWs: couldn't find enough trips cheaper than around $200 each.
5) Looked at some of the fares to Mexico (Cancun, etc.), but they only give about half the required miles at about $400/trip, so that isn't close to the best deal I could find.
Any thoughts/suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Thank you!
Here are the parameters:
We can't fly next weekend. We could fly the 22, 23, 24, or 25, 29, 30, or 31st. He needs 7,400 EQMs or 8 segments. I will go along with him because otherwise it'd be a disaster, and I need 4,300 EQM or 8 segments. We've done 1 other MR before -- 2 days flying to and from DFW to take advantage of the Dallas bonus in earlier this year -- so we're not completely clueless, but pretty close. It would be nice to go somewhere interesting and/or warm, but we have a vacation planned to Ireland in April so we're not looking to turn this into a week-long trip or anything more than a few days. $500 or less per person (exclusive of any hotels, etc.) would be ideal.
I've spent the last couple of hours and pretty much have come up with the following options:
1) 6 RTs from ORD-MCI @ $98 each before tax. (Because you only fly 804 actual miles/RT, would have to do 6 RTs to get the 11 segments he needs because he wouldn't get enough EQMs.) For figuring mileage/dollar, it looks like 1000 miles RT, plus the 200 gold bonus per RT, and the 25,000 FLY06 bonus. Therefore, it looks like 6 RTs would yield about 35,000 miles with booking bonuses. Disadvantage -- can't seem to find a way to do 6 in one day at $98 each, so it looks like we'd have to go to O'Hare to do these 2 separate days. Not the end of the world, but not ideal.
2) ORD-LHR: $502 each with tax -- actual miles, gold miles, booking bonus, FLY06 = 15,400 miles total, I think. Advantage is being able to spend a day in London. Disadvantage is that we would only get one trip toward the FLY06 bonus so we'd have to fly twice in January to get the fly FLY06. (But could pay for one with the money we'd save doing this over option #1.)
3) ORD-CDG: $517 each with tax -- no direct flights at that price, so it looks like you spend about 12 hours just flying around and doing layovers.
4) ORD-DFWs: couldn't find enough trips cheaper than around $200 each.
5) Looked at some of the fares to Mexico (Cancun, etc.), but they only give about half the required miles at about $400/trip, so that isn't close to the best deal I could find.
Any thoughts/suggestions would be very much appreciated.
Thank you!
Last edited by CheapSk8; Dec 9, 2006 at 10:55 pm Reason: clarity
#2
2) ORD-LHR: $502 each with tax -- actual miles, gold miles, booking bonus, FLY06 = 15,400 miles total, I think. Advantage is being able to spend a day in London. Disadvantage is that we would only get one trip toward the FLY06 bonus so we'd have to fly twice in January to get the fly FLY06. (But could pay for one with the money we'd save doing this over option #1.)
#4
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,246
Just so you know...If you are AA Plat now you will be AA Gold next year if you don't qualify. You mention not being group 1 and being able to select exit rows...the only way that will happen is if you are AA Gold now.
I wouldn't hesitate in doing the $78 all in MSP/ORD flights. I'm doing 3 of them on tuesday. I leave at 9:25am and get back at 9:20pm. You might have trouble finding availability to get 3 of them done in a day.
I'm also not sure why you need to go along with your husband on the flights...that is only going to add to the cost. MR flights are no different than regular flights. The whole idea here is to minimize costs.
Check out www.farecompare.com
I wouldn't hesitate in doing the $78 all in MSP/ORD flights. I'm doing 3 of them on tuesday. I leave at 9:25am and get back at 9:20pm. You might have trouble finding availability to get 3 of them done in a day.
I'm also not sure why you need to go along with your husband on the flights...that is only going to add to the cost. MR flights are no different than regular flights. The whole idea here is to minimize costs.
Check out www.farecompare.com
#5
In Memoriam
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: dallas texas usa
Programs: aa plt 4.9MM LTAC
Posts: 14,828
i think that the lhr option would be best....get it done for $500....
having looked around a bit, you could probably do 6 segments a day....so 2 days for 11 or 12. probably would cost more than lhr....
i tried multi city ord-okc-aus-ord and found 6 segs for about $400....doable in 1 day...the ord-msp rt's @ less than $100 ea might be best if you can sked them...
anyway, have fun and get the status...
having looked around a bit, you could probably do 6 segments a day....so 2 days for 11 or 12. probably would cost more than lhr....
i tried multi city ord-okc-aus-ord and found 6 segs for about $400....doable in 1 day...the ord-msp rt's @ less than $100 ea might be best if you can sked them...
anyway, have fun and get the status...
#7
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA EXP 2.5 MM / Hilton DIA/Marriot PLT/Hyatt PLT
Posts: 23
One Note: the MSP/ORD flights in December are often delayed due to weather. Tuesday forecast is a rain/snow mix - (i.e., de-icing).
Hope it works out well for you
Hope it works out well for you
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA Plat, UAL Premier Exec, SPG and HH Gold
Posts: 498
I really appreciate everyone's feedback and suggestions. I looked into the ORD-MSP flights and I think we'll do one of those in January, along with an ORD-LGA flight in January, to finish off the FLY06 if we end up doing one longer trip now. (With JetBlue starting from Chicago, it looks like the flights to LGA are low now and will hopefully be going even lower.)
Also, for clarification -- he's currently AA gold, so he's up a creek without status if he doesn't do a MR before the end of the year.
Also, for clarification -- he's currently AA gold, so he's up a creek without status if he doesn't do a MR before the end of the year.
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA Plat, UAL Premier Exec, SPG and HH Gold
Posts: 498
one more question. . . .
If we fly back to the US from LHR or CDG on 12/31, arrive in NY late on the 31st, and then arrive back to Chicago on the 1st, thereby having flown enough miles in 2006, will the miles for LHR or CDG to NY post as 2006, or will they post as 2007 because we won't finish the return trip until 2007?
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: Chicago, IL
Programs: AA Plat, UAL Premier Exec, SPG and HH Gold
Posts: 498
Just a quick update. . . We did a trip to London (4 nights) at the end of the year. Obviously not pure MR at that point (especially with the awful exchange rate ), but the original intent was to keep status and we succeeded. Much of the trip was less than great (Hilton Tower Bridge still has some kinks to work out, blackberry wasn't working so had to keep checking in with the office, stores were packed (but some good deals, even with the exchange rate), etc. Anyway, we were upgraded on the return trip to business class, and suddenly all was forgotten! When the gate agent specifically said we were being upgraded because of our status, it put all the hoops we jump through into perspective and, dare I say, made it all worth it!
Thanks everyone -- now we're headed to MSP to finish the fly 3 get 1!
Thanks everyone -- now we're headed to MSP to finish the fly 3 get 1!