BoSoxin BKK.........Thanks..............Bt,182,210 at AmEX seems to be an excellent price, I think if my math is correct...around $4700 for J...wops I see why I was all so "Happy"....DONE3...I am thinking DONE4!! Any idea where that comes in? Did the T.A. mention a charge for using a credit card.........I don't think AMEX will charge for that........but who knows!!

Again ,thanks and any other tid bits would be appreciated.

TomT

TomT

As I mentioned in my PM, the best quote for DONE4 I got was 203440 Baht.

Can't you fly BA to Canada and get AAdv. miles? I thought the restriction was just to/from US over the Atlantic.

And, from all I've read, it seems the cheapest xONE fares are now ex CMB.

I have read about the cheaper price in CPH but we were going to BKK on a "regular run of the mill vacation trip" before I found Flyertalk and the challange of gaining staTus and have so much fun doing it!

Again thanks for the words of wisdom

TomT

Thanks for the tip but we want to go to BKK anyway....

Please excuse the mix up in cities on cheao tickets.....I am lost in lettters!!!

TomT

Alect:

You suggested I put together a rough trip outline and submit it to the experts and others. So, here is what I have come up with so far.....All segments are "stopovers".

As I have mentioned before I am interested in gaining AA Plat. as soon as possiable in order to gain the different clubs. As I see it gaining club use is a key to my being able to rack up milage. My reasoning is that if beloved wife has a comfortable place to rest her bones she will be more then willing to milage hunt with me...rather then look for a hotel as the wheels hit the deck.

Here is my first shot at our DONE4:

BKK/NRT/CEB/CNS/BNE/AKL/SYD/HNL/YVR/Fll...........I have only half assed worked the milage out, but I come up with something like 23,000.00 miles?The balace of the ticket will be used over the winter and next fall....but.... that will be another story.

Along with the DONE4 I am attempting to put together the best and most meaningful way of getting to AmEx door in BKK for the Done4 ticket. If I could use slight of hand I would just take a One Worlder in J to BKK from LAX..would solve a lot of problems.......I think....but if the added cost, lack of her cruise should bring on a non talking,non whatever in the next seat for 23,000 miles it sure is not worth it!!! Any suggestions along those lines would be appreciated also.

I will head for the side lines now and wait for all to do a number on my trip.

Thanks to all...(seems when you start on this forum you say that a lot!!!)

TomT

My first suggestion is to download the oneworld timetable from CX or AA web sites. A couple of cities do not have direct oneworld service or any service at all. E.G., HNL-YVR is not possible without a connection at DFW or ORD. I don't think that there is any service to CEB without going to Hong Kong. The BKK-NRT has to be a connection in HKG. Your permitted segments in Asia are going fast.

TomT

As to your routing, it is important to set out all the segments as there is a limit on these, and OW airlines only fly certain segments.

So your BKK-NRT-CEB-CNS turns into:


So BKK-HKG-NRT-HKG-CEB-HKG-SYD-CNS (as this is the only way to do it on OW airlines). Unfortunately this routing exceeds the 4 segments allowed in Asia. You can buy the extra segment though.

Similarly there is no direct HNL-YVR OW flight - you will have to go on AA HNL-DFW-YVR (flights via LAX are AS LAX-YVR code shares which is not allowed).

YVR-FLL turns into:

YVR-DFW-FLL

Unfortunately by this stafe you have used 4 of your 6 NA segments and you can only have 2 more from FLL including getting to a gateway from which you can go to Europe (unless you do a round trip ex-FLL and fly to Europe from MIA by driving down there).

As to getting to Amex's door - at least one of the agents which I sent to you will issue the ticket in BKK and fedex it to you here in the US. Otherwise you can ask to pick it up at the airport. But since you are staying in BKK anyway, why not have it sent to your hotel or pick it up in person?

As to the cheapest way of getting there - usually the cheapest is either a miles award flight or a cheap econ flight upgraded with miles or similar.

Alec

A no you can't - not in your continent of origin. And remember that you could only stop over (i.e. stay for more than 24 hours) in two of these places - NRT & CMB I guess. One possibility would be to buy a very cheap internal flight separately in the Philippines and then fly BKK-NRT-HKG-CEB//MNL-SYD...

Ofcourse that's correct christep - thanks for picking that up....

Gentlemen,

I can see that I have a lot to bone up on...will down load Cathy and B.A., AA and see what I can come up with....I thought what I put together was to easy!

Needless to say I have questions:

First, I understand I only get two stopovers in continent I start. How many segments? Do I get four?

Forgeting where I want to stopover anyone have a suggestion for getting the most milage out of Asia before I hop to Australia based on having just two stop overs and whatever segments I have.

I will see if I can't do a better job on homework and come back with a new plan.

On my getting to BKK.....I don't mind buying whatever it takes to gain miles and credit toward my Plat. goal but I have not come up with just what I have to spend. If say I buy a 800+ Cathy ticket will that give me miles and credit toward Plat. with AA or do I have to go to unrestricted or full. How do I find what codes work and where do I find the code on a certain flight?

Thanks for being so understanding.......beloved wife came in to the office and she can't belive the number of letters and the support from a bunch of guys out in the air someplace.

TomT

Yes - 2 stopovers (stop of longer than 24 horus) and 4 segments.

I think the longest flight in Asia is HKG-CMB. In terms of maximizing mileage of intercontinental sectors, always try to leave from the furthest airport in the continent to the furtherst airport in the arrival continent (flights allowing ofcourse). I think NRT-MEL is pretty good - no sure that QF fly anywhere in Asia further than NRT. From Sep 1 QF starts BOM-SYd service - 6308 miles.

I looked into this for ym wife and given the price differences could not justify OW carrier LAX-BKK - I went with $520 Thai fare for direct (one stop) flight - it also worked well with my arrivel into BKK from SYD to meet my wife. I believe disc Y CX fares don't earn AAdv miles - please check in AA Forum. AA price for the flight was exhorbitant.

What is the comment on this run................As the first leg of my DONE4

BKK/HK/NRT/MEL/SYD/AKL/SYD/HNL/MIA( Will use up N.A. secments over the winter then in spring carry on to Europe and end up back in BKK.

Any suggestions on improvement....any comments on "you can't get there from here"

How does the above look for the AA Plat. chall.

Thank you one and all.....

TomT

TomT

That looks fine and legal - and you will make AA Plat on the NRT-MEL leg.

HNL-MIA is going to be 2 sectors (via LAX, ORD or DFW). I would do it via ORD or DFW as that way you won't use up your one transcon sector. You will then have 4 NA sectors left - eg MIA-DFW-SFO-MIA, and can then continue MIA-Europe-etc....

You have only used 3 SWP segments. So if you are looking to max miles and visit somewhere pleasent, you could do MEL-PER-SYD-AKL-SYD. But of course that all depends on how close to your 20 segment limit you plan to be following European travel.

The routing looks fine according to the rules.