ken7

First off, using BA miles for most of this trip. Already booked ORD-MIA-LIM in J using AA miles. Planning on booking a LIM-CUZ-LIM rdtrip with AA miles on LAN to do the Machu Picchu hike. Where I go from LIM is up in the air, but here is what I was thinking:

LIM-MAD (stopover)-GIG (stopover)-MIA-ORD. Iberia has flights from Lima - other cites in South America (Rio, Buenos, Santiago) but they all connect in Madrid.

I'm pretty sure that if booked through BA, you're allowed unlimited stopovers even on partner airlines. I guess my main question is the amount of mileage necessary for a LIM-MAD-GIG one way + GIG-MIA-ORD. It looks like a south america -> south america one way flight to me; and then a South america - North America one way. BA lists a SA-SA roundtrip as 25k miles in economy and SA-NA roudntrip as 40k in economy. Should I assume that my routing above would be 12.5k miles + 20k miles = 32.5k overall in economy?

https://www.britishairways.com/trave...club/_gf/en_us

guv1976

I very much doubt that BA will let you connect in Europe on a S.A. to S.A. award. To do so would allow travelers to fly an open-jaw roundtrip between S.A. and Europe for the cost of a one-way S.A. to S.A. award.

Captain Schmidt

LIM-MAD-GIG is a South America/Europe return journey = 70,000 BA Miles in Y.
GIG-MIA-ORD should be 50% of 40,000 = 20,000 again in Y.

MrHalliday

Out of curiosity, I made a test booking LIM-GIG
and when you get to the "Add Partners" point,
it only lists Lan Chile, and no availability at that.

So I don't thuink you are going via Madrid !

ken7

I would normally agree, but I called BAEC and used the automated prompt to try to book a flight from LIM-GIG. The first option they gave was on Iberia, LIM-MAD-LHR-GIG. It connects in Europe, but if you ask me it's a SA-SA award, because that's what I was trying for.

jerry a. laska

Good luck with that.

While you are normally allowed stopovers on BA miles bookings the stopovers can only occur at connecting points on the most direct routing.
In any event you will probably be better off asking for advice using BA miles on the BA forum. There have been a number of threads over the years discussing most direct routing.

ken7

I completely agree, but was taken aback when the first option offered for award seats LIM-GIG was through MAD and LHR on Iberia. I'll investigate and see what I find out, just wanted to know if anyone had experience with something like that. It wasn't a flight that I had conjured up, but the first one offered by the automated BAEC award flight chooser.

Hagbard Viking

While at it you can ask them is EWR-JFK with some stopovers spread out around the globe is considered a US domestic award...

thebobmc

While I would agree that it sounds far fetched, it is not a completely ridiculous idea.

I recall reading a while back in the UA forum about people booking PVG - HKG awards for 20K miles in Y, with a connection in ORD. I don't believe that they were allowed a stopover in ORD though.

Let us know the results of your investigation.