While I admire the creative thinking and the sheer practicality of this approach, I think some of y'all are too wrapped up in the miles/points culture to look at the problem from the layperson perspective.

The librarian wants to (1) Visit Paris for her (2) 30th birthday.

Montreal/Quebec City, while gorgeous and probably the closest to a European experience one can get in Canada/US, both pale in comparison to Paris. If you haven't turned 30 yet or forgot what it was like to do so, keep in mind that it can be a traumatic experience and that the best way to approach it is to celebrate the event in some grand fashion e.g. lifelong dream trip to the City of Light..

So, moving it to the off season to maxmimize mile redemption, or the other fine suggestions that have been listed, while normally helpful are impractical in this case.

Just my 2 francs :-)

Cheers

The off season starts October 15th, so it's a pretty good deal.

As to being impractical to move off season....I'd say it's nice to celebrate your 30th with something to look forward to a few months down the line (and, unfortunately, I have celebrated it but I wouldn't say it was traumatic). Nothing like post-birthday AND post-vacation letdown ;)I'd rather deal with one at a time myself. But, to each her own. If so, then I'd say use the $3k and if necessary go by herself if the tickets don't work themselves out.

And, while I might admire the empathy you've shown for the OP's friend, I'd note two other requirements were expressed: 1) she'd like to take her partner who will not be able to make a cash or points contribution 2) while spending no more than $3000.

That's a tall order. As noted in my earlier post in this thread, doable but tough and only by limiting spending while in Paris.

While turning thirty can be a traumatic experience for some, the advice to consider the offseason makes the OP's friend's trip more likely. Given the friend's financial resources, I would agree that it's unlikely she can go to Paris and do a consolation trip, but advice to consider the offseason certainly gives her more options.

Regarding the miles and points obsession, I just have to add that the OP posted his question on FT, which is kinda what we do here.

In 2000 I took a week long trip to paris and took along a friend whom was a grad student and we did the whole trip for 2500, including flights/hotel/meals/spending. well some costs have gone up but for about 4000 one could probably book and take this trip. or there are a few options depending on OP friends ability to spend and pay off a creditcard.
as of right now it seems that aa has no saver sapce for a pre birthday departure jfk or bos, however they do have return frmo paris space for 30k each the following week. and LH has space via the continental website for flights to paris the week before said birthday.
total needed is 60k CO/UA and 60 AA miles plus 200 each ticket taxes.
if Op friend gets the sapphire prefered card and AA card right now and meats the 6k combined spend they will have 53k sapphire points and and 53k aa miles. then after transferign sapphire points to UA the OP could purchase 7k miles from both ua and aa for about 200 each and book ua flight there and aa flight home all in y for about $600. add 600 for cheap accomidations in paris and there is 1800 to spend on food and admissions. very DOable.
I have been to Paris 4 times now. I now fly in F or J and stay at much nicer places however i still have fond memories of that trip in 2000, heck its when i first signed up for a ff account and started collecting miles. it also got me excited about travel and i started going over seas instead of "just to vegas"
best of luck

Au contraire. I'm turning 30 in the fall and planning on a RTW trip culminating with a jaunt in Paris so I know of what I speak. :p

Anyone who has ever been in Paris in August knows it bears little resemblance to the Paris of the other 11 months. I worry she will find the experience disappointing. Also I don't think it is impractical to postpone a birthday trip if it will significantly enhance the experience of that trip; one of my good friends took her 30th birthday trip 5 months after the actual birthday itself. Given OP's friend has not started collecting any miles and is dealing with a significant other who is either unable or unwilling to help in this process, a little practicality may be warranted. Of course if the OP's dream is to walk around in the heat with half the stores closed and only a fraction of Parisians left in the city as every other large group of obnoxious tourists makes Paris its playground all while paying double for the privilege, then that is certainly fine too, but she should know/consider the options.

Thank you to everyone for all the feedback. I read and considered all of it. This is my current plan. She will apply for two points cards very soon. The Citi Thank You Premier for 50k and the Chase Saphire Prefered for 50K. Assuming she gets both, she could use them to buy coach airfare to Paris. I have no personal experience with either card, but my reading here and elsewhere indicates that after she spends and gets the points she will be able to buy tickets through their portals using the points as the equivalent of cash. Is that correct? If so with the bonus for travel she should save $625 off each coach ticket.

Then in 90 or more days she could do the 80k PC card and use them to book a decent HI in Paris for 5 nights using cash points at 15K/night - assuming that deal is still available. But I feel like the hotel end of it should be easier because using Priceline or possibly some other card or deal she could get at least a decent rate somewhere.