LAX-CCU: best use of miles/points (need advice)
 

Apologies in advance if this is the wrong sub-forum.

I am trying to figure out the best miles/points redemption for LAX-CCU (Kolkata, India) in Feb of next year. Other than LAX, SNA and SAN are also close-by to where I live.

Dates: Feb 1 to Feb 24.

Points/Miles I have:
AA: 166k (self) + 82k (wife)
UA: 54k
BA avios: 50k (self) + 50k (wife)
Chase UR: 155k
Citi TY: 70k (self) + 64k (wife)

Homework that I have done so far:

1. On AA website: LAX-BOM-LAX (via LHR): 90k miles + $663; need to do BOM-CCU-BOM separately
2. On BA website: LAX-BOM-LAX (via LHR): 50k avios + $1300; need to do BOM-CCU-BOM separately
3. On UA website: LAX-CCU - LAX: 80k miles + $50
4. On Chase UR website: LAX-CCU-LAX on Emirates: 130k points (but I get to earn miles?)
5. On TYP network (Citi):LAX-CCU-LAX on Emirates: 115k points ( but I get to earn miles?)

Any other creative ideas, especially using Avios? I can't seem to be able to route it away from LHR which racks up too many fees. All the dates I tried have BA availability so the website won't even show me partner airlines.

Pm me with these details and I'll do it for you :)

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

For travel in February, you can get a Coach roundtrip between LAX and India for only 80K AAdvantage miles, by combining a North-America to Europe off-peak roundtrip award, with a Europe to India roundtrip award. (You can also get a European stopover this way, if desired.) The aa.com website will only show availability on AA/BA to Europe, and BA to India. If you call AA, you can check availability on other carriers from LAX to Europe (AB, IB, TN), and on other carriers from Europe to India. (Several AA partners fly to India; partner carrier 9W actually serves CCU.)

Flying through London is not particularly expensive; it's redeeming Avios that's expensive, because of the fuel surcharges that BA assesses when traveling on BA and on many of its partners.

Dragonair is set to launch HKG-CCU service from the winter. I'm not sure of the latest update as there were some delays at CCU airport. But if its ready you could do CX to HKG and then HKG to CCU. You would have to do it as separate awards though.

This assumption is false. There is a lot more availible then what is shows on aa.com. AA has partners (besides BA) which fly to India (and likely CCU) which will not charge fuel surcharges. As long as you avoid BA you only have to pay taxes. Look at aa.com partners to see your options. IIRC they included Eithad, Jet Airways, and Kingfisher.

Or do XXX-CCU-XXX separately, where XXX is either DEL or BOM. Buy a ticket on an LCC (e.g. Indigo, very reliable) for this domestic sector. Should come out to about $150-$200 RT.

Also, Chase UR transfers to United, which combined with your 50k will easily cover two tickets.

Any particular reason for this reccomendation? I am not familiar with the area, but if an airline has partners which fly there, you can add on this segment for no additonal cost...

... as well as Cathay Pacific. I was hoping to do a Cathay Pacific from LAX-BOM and Jet Airways from BOM-CCU. From what I am understanding, my only option is to call AA and have them put together this itinerary using miles. Right? I can't see Cathay or Jet availability on aa.com.

Fly to DAC and fly DAC CCU separately. much lower miles requirement

if you fly to DAC, you can easily just buy a $50 r/t ticket from DAC-CCU :)

thats the trick :)

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

AA does not permit a North America to India award to route via the Pacific. You would need two separate awards.

Good call. On UA, LAX-DAC-LAX is 65k miles + $82. Assuming $50 RT for DAC-CCU, total is 65k miles + $132.

Compared to flying to CCU directly on UA for 80k miles + $50.

So I am saving 15k miles for $82 - not bad.

I will still probably go direct to CCU because the DAC option will take me close to 40 hours but this is an interesting angle to flying in to South Asia in general.

the problem with flying DAC-CCU is that the flights are highly unreliable. I was stuck there for about 8 hours past departure both times we did this.. Your best best is to do Jet Airways from DAC-CCU if you have to because they're the only ones who seem to compensate for this.