aktchi

It is reasonable if you think I am being paranoid, and I think you are being willfully myopic, but here it goes...

All tricks work because the corresponding rules exist in some table or other. So what? They keep working because of inertia, because nobody has the motivation to go change them. If we discuss it publicly and overuse it, the people and the office get embarrassed in front of their peers or, worse, superiors. Now they have the motivation to fix the darn thing.

Most of the flights people are booking and discussing here are 8-10 months out and have very few seats sold yet. So we are not hiding in a big crowd. Of those very few sold seats, a large portion fits a pattern detrimental to the airline's bottom line.

RM may not have released any seats even for their top elite's upgrades, and yet several people have self-upgraded just by choosing I0 flights. Would that not draw RM's attention?

aktchi

I believe it. However, that is even more pathetic: to get a trick killed without even taking advantage of it, just by blabbering about it in public.

The fact that very few people have booked these tickets does not mean they don't attract attention. They could still be a very large % or even 100% of the sold FC seats in some flight 10 months out. That will attract attention.

pbd456

i havent bought one yet as i can only start in aug 18 as i will need to position back to east coast from jfk (ending an ex cai rtw fare there)

Calchas

If you want this, I would purchase it sooner rather than later.

pbd456

i need it for aug 20. and AA wont open schedule until 330 days.
Also, the fare rule says i need to change 2 days before the flight.
and i want stopover in JFK on both direction. i want to cut a few days slack when i make change.
optimally, want ex cai on aug 20 and back to cai in end of may in 19 (school ends). can only wait.

it is even hard to decide the route.

if i were to credit to AS, i would want LHR JFK on BA. but i lose out on one segment and have to fly crappy BA J class.
If i fly AY as BA codeshare, AS credits based on actual operating carrier, and AY I class does not get 100% premium bonus.
or if I try to keep AA exec plat.. i need more flown miles for EQD.
and i may credit to JL for JL emerald as i have 50k miles expiring by Sept 18 (being JGC Premier resets the mileage expiration.)
too much to think.

nk15

What's the obsession with the A fare, let's hope it doesn't kill this deal...

aktchi

Yeah, let's hope not, but I won't be exactly stunned if all this talk about A class gets the fare itself a closer look or worse. With QR out of action ex-CAI, this is one good deal there. Anyone who needs to book one, A or not A, should do so at the earliest opportunity.

aktchi

My comments in BLUE.

pbd456

it may be a good deal. but it is still 2k.. and rich for most people unless they have a taste of status that will come with the fare. my guess is most people are not going to MR on this fare unless they can position easily and have a valid reason to travel to/from

ie. i doubt people would do a few back to back just for the tier points on this fare.

aktchi

You are absolutely right. Positioning to CAI is a very big hurdle for most people, both real and psychological. That's not a bad thing though as overuse would likely have killed the fare; high barrier to entry is what has kept the opportunity alive for the few who will take the trouble.

pbd456

i have trained my parents to do deal (they flew out of CAI last month) and my dad is fairly insistence in keeping his BA gold as he is based in HK (for CX F lounge) once one tastes a good life, one can never go back.

IAN-UK

And that's all fine and understandable if they needed to get to Hawaii, or wherever. Otherwise, I think the point being made was that $4K plus the considerable expense/hassle in positioning become a hurdle in most minds.

US$5K will buy a fair amount of airport comfort, even in Hong Kong Time it right and you won't even need a lounge...

Calchas

We are not talking about TOM here, CAI is well served by a number of European carriers.

IAN-UK

Not sure if you've got a tongue somewhere in your cheek, or you're just being difficult

In fact Cairo is served clumsily and at some expense from (most of) Europe. Throwing miles at it helps, but it takes a good few and the co-payment is north of friendly.

And though I've developed a soft spot for the place over my time there, I grudgingly admit it's not the easiet place for rigging up connections. Certainly not not nearly so bad as some make out, but not exactly straightforward.

For security and comfort connecting to BA's early morning departure probably needs a visa and overnight. Another cost and a bit more faff.

To be honest I'm just a little conflicted - I've railed at folk damning Cairo and its airport, yet cautioned others treating turnrounds there as routinely as a Dublin or an Amsterdam. So let's settle on it being an interesting turnround experience

Keter

As it was available for ALL to/ from US BA fares for around 3 months i guess many people just got it for granted. I doubt CAI traffic has any big share here.

The review of financials from codesharing with AA for some period of time is probably where the reason is.