Help booking EDI->SIN-MEL->EDI
 

Hi all,

My partner and I are returning to OZ this year. I will be going one way from EDI, stop over in SIN then to MEL. My partner will do the same but needs a return MEL -> EDI for around the first week in March.

We would like to use Oneworld as I am OW Sapphire (AA Platinum) and my partner wants to join AA by doing the Challenge, so that she gets Sapphire as she will be doing a few MEL -> EDI and MEL -> (USA) next year.

Can any one suggest what the best / cheapest options will be that will help us get the two fares with a minimum of 10,000 qualifying miles for the outbound flights....

Thanks!

BA booking EDI-LHR-SIN-MEL with SIN-MEL on a BA codeshare QF flight.

AY may be another option. I would suggest you just play around with ITA Matrix and the "/alliance oneworld" option. Any option will be over 10,000 miles.

Yes but 10,000 butt in seat miles may not equal 10,000 elite qualifying points, which is what is needed for the challenge
Depends on the booking class
OP needs to look at the BA earning chart on aa.com to know this (or the AY earning chart if flying AY)

Thanks for the responses.

BA is VERY expensive. We are talking £2,500+ for return economy. Sure for this we will get well over 10,000 qualifying miles (as they will be economy flexible fares for what is available) but we are hoping to get the flights for more like £1,000 - £1,500 return.

I checked out Malaysia airlines but they only offer LHR return, not EDI. They are around £1,500 for the LHR / MEL return (with the SIN stop over) so would have to add another £150 ish for EDI -> LHR return. Not a bad option but was hoping to be able to fine others... The only problem with them is some fares are non qualifying miles so would get 0....Now I think these flights are actually 50% or 100% qualifying so might work...

I also tried Qantas and can get return for around £1,500 but the majority of the flights are emirates metal so assume that these will not get qualifying miles.

I tried the matrix and could find good fares ex IST for example but was hoping someone might have other ideas i have not thought about.....

So, I guess what I am trying to say is its not as simple as just booking OW due to the Qualifying miles concern and / or the cost....

If you are trying to do this and complete an gold or platinum challenge on AA then you should be asking this in the elite status challenge help desk thread on the AA forum:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...-platinum.html

That said even though MH earns as a oneworld member now I don't think that this will help with the gold or plat challenges unless you are able to fly an AA codeshare:
http://www.flyerguide.com/wiki/index.php/Challenge_(AA)

Again the AA forum should be able to help.

What are your dates? BA should be about half that price if you are somewhat flexible with dates.

I'm assuming this is with a KUL stopover rather than SIN. MH is non-earning for the AA challenge.

QF flies LHR-DXB-SYD/MEL. So not really an option unless you get an QF codeshare on Emirates metal for part of the journey, which will be non-qualifying.

You really need to decide on your requirements, as at the moment all of them are impossible.

Your current requirements are:
The only way to do this is with a 100% earning fare on BA which will be over £1500.

If you relax the qualifying miles part, I still think BA is going to be the cheapest option with some flexibility on dates.

If you relax the Singapore stopover option, this will open up some extra options but still unlikely to meet the qualifying miles requirement.

We are very flexible. Leaving anywhere from 25th Dec to around 8th of Jan, returning around 1st / 2nd week in March (for the return leg)



Thanks, based on the previous post I just just realised this.


Right, I was looking at that but its not possible to do a stop over other than Dubai with QF to be qualifying.



The AA qualifying part is more secondary to the main requirement of the one way plus return tickets on OW (to get the extra baggage allowance, seat selection, lounge etc). So for example if its £1,500 OW but non qualifying but £2,500 OW with Qualifying, we will go for the non qualifying and look to get on the CX Amex cards.

What I was looking at yesterday was basic return EDI -> MEL and can get 6th Jan - 8th March for about £1,200 BUT there MUST be a stop over on the way over (don't ask, its too long a story) and as soon as I add a stop over the price seems to go up to £2,500....Can you book a non stop over then add one after booking? Is the only way to book a stop over is to go through the multi - leg part of the booking?

Also, with the oneway leg, if booking a return is cheaper, then great, happy to do that.

I don't believe Singapore is mandatory so HK / KL / Bangkok etc could all be quite possible.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Cheapest I can find for the return trip assuming a 1 week stopover:
£1457 with AY flying: EDI-LHR-HEL-HKG-MEL return with stopover in HKG
£1548 with BA flying: EDI-LHR-HKG-MEL return with stopover in HKG

If you book ex-London there are some additional options for around the same price.

All found using the ITA Matrix multi-city tool. There are some Qantas options but with DXB-SIN on Emirates metal (QF code), not sure if that would qualify, I assume it wouldn't.

Depending on the fare rules, a stopover may be added at additional cost subject to availability. However best to book it as you want upfront. ITA Matrix will handle this if you use the multi-city tool.

Thanks, I tried the ITA matrix tool but could not take that an transfer it over to BA.com. I tried the same dates, start and end airports but it comes up with options on the Matrix that do not appear on the BA.com site...And the ones that do some up are significantly (£500+) more expensive....

Thoughts?

Find what you want on ITA then either call BA to book, or use a travel agent.

If the option is via HKG with a CX or QF code flight (rather than a BA codeshare) it won't show up on BA.com. Call and specify the exact dates and flight numbers and it should price within a few £'s. I have just recently booked something similar with BA, CX and QF coded flights.

Have you looked at Qantas

QF codeshares with EK on services so can cut journey connections down by doing GLA-DXB-SYD/MEL or GLA-DXB-SIN-MEL/SYD

It is from GLA rather than EDI but the 2 are not very far apart and can save on connections

If booked on the QF flight numbers will earn miles etc to AA and also with a QF flight number can undertake the Platinum challenge

Putting 28 dec in for departure from GLA and a cpl of nights in Singapore, ITA is pricing at GBP1433 for a fare outbound in M return in L which is 50% mile earning and 100% of miles earned for EQPS

GLA-DXB-SIN-SYD-DXB-GLA is 22288 miles , so easily meets the 10k EQP requirements

For other passenger not needing a challenge, the M/S fare came GBP80 cheaper at GBP1353 , so the fares average out at GBP1393

Thanks Dave, much appreciated.

I have found a BA flight EDI->-LHR->HKG then HKG->MEL and return MEL->EDI for about £1,250 so that is great. Now I just need to find out if my situation will allow HKG over SIN (as I said its a bit complicated).

As someone mentioned, one of the flights is a QF coded flight so I can't book directly with BA.com so once I sort out the HGK Vs SIN situation I will look to see what I can book. Strangely enough, this flight is CHEAPER than a one way on BA.....go figure....

probably completely different booking classes and fare conditions ; not really strange

£1213
return w/tax
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EDIMEL11:357:5533h 20m2Eco
MELEDI15:259:5029h 25m2Eco
Operated by Qantas Airways and Cathay Pacific
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Select from:
crystaltravel.co.uk: £1213 lastminute.com: £1226 Opodo: £1226
Depart - Mon 06 Jan 2014 - (Edinburgh)
This flight leaves on Monday and arrives on Wednesday

British Airways
Flight: 1445
Departs: EDI
11:35 Arrives: LHR
13:00 Economy
Aircraft: 320

British Airways
Flight: 25
Departs: LHR
18:35 Arrives: HKG
14:10 Economy
Aircraft: 388

British Airways
Operated by Qantas Airways
Flight: 7410
Departs: HKG
19:30 Arrives: MEL
07:55 Economy
Aircraft: 333

£1477
including tax
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EDISIN10:3515:0520h 30m1Eco
SINMEL19:556:307h 35m0Eco
MELEDI12:008:0031h 00m2Eco
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ebookers.com: £1477
Flight 1: Depart - Mon 06 Jan 2014 - (Edinburgh)

British Airways
Flight: 1441
Departs: EDI
10:35 Arrives: LHR
12:00 Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 767

British Airways
Flight: 11
Departs: LHR
18:30 Arrives: SIN
15:05 Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 747

Flight 2: Depart - Thu 09 Jan 2014 - (Singapore)

British Airways
Flight: 7402
Departs: SIN
19:55 Arrives: MEL
06:30 Economy
Aircraft: Airbus A333

Flight 3: Depart - Thu 06 Mar 2014 - (Melbourne)

British Airways
Flight: 7442
Departs: MEL
12:00 Arrives: SYD
13:25 Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 767

British Airways
Flight: 16
Departs: SYD
16:25 Arrives: LHR
05:20 Economy
Aircraft: Boeing 777

British Airways
Flight: 1432
Departs: LHR
06:35 Arrives: EDI
08:00 Economy
Aircraft: Airbus A321