DONE4 Routing Suggestions
 

Hi:

I am planning a DONE4 and will book the ticket with AA in Sweden before May 31 (thanks Flyertalk!). After reviewing the FAQ, reading many posts and using the various validation tools I have settled upon the following trip:

ARN-xMAD-EZE-UIO-SCL-IPC-SCL-MIA-IAH-LGA-LAX-HNL-NRT-DEL-HKG-CMB-HKG-FRA-AMM-xMAD-ARN (giving me 2 stopovers in my continent of origin (FRA and AMM)).

A couple of questions:

1) Does this trip look valid?

2) Also, I need to stop in Houston, but am having trouble optimizing the routing (from a BA tier point perspective). Can anyone suggest routing changes between SCL and LAX in the above trip to increase tier points?

3) Are there any segments above that will be particularly difficult to ticket (such as HNL-NRT)? Also, I would prefer to fly ARN-xLHR-EZE, but don't see availability in D. Should I just give up and go with Iberia?

Many thanks!

Welcome to FT and the oneworld forum!

They will probably be reluctant to ticket this because you have no AA transoceanic AA flights.

Actually any AA long haul international will do... as in SCL-MIA ?

Not really, at least not IME. AA GSAs insist on AA transatlantic and/or transpacific. YMMV, of course.

TAL in Sweden are pretty easy to work with. I predict that if the OP stipulates that the HNL-NRT leg be booked using the AA code they'll be fine with it.

Yep, agree, that could do it.

To the OP: I think this hasn't been tried before so if you let us know the outcome many would benefit.

I am yet to have an AA transatlantic or pacific flight on my DONEx's ticketed by AA. Usually I have just some NA segments on AA.

Thanks all -- I'll report back after I have spoken to AA.

On the HNL-NRT flight who has the better seat in D -- AA or JAL? I noticed that it looks like JAL might use old business class seats on this route.

But were they issued in WAW, CAI, ARN or CPT? Yes, I have also had OWEs without AA transoceanic flights, but the comment I made was about GSAs, not plain AA. GSAs (at least the ones listed), for some reason, operate on more restrictive rules.
 

AA does not fly this route. The AA flight number you see is a codeshare on JALways metal.

Hi & welcome!

Just a remark: it appears that the AA direct service (1 stop in ORD, single plane service) between IAH and LGA (AA 382) does not operate on Saturdays and Sundays. Keep this in mind when booking, otherwise it'll cost you a segment (which you don't have, since you already have 20 in your itinerary).