AA EXP - Help With Maximizing RTW for Mile/Point Qualification
 

I am an AA EXP. After being sidelined for most of this year I am back to work and need to hit EXP before the end of the year.

Currently sitting on:

YTD Qualifying Points = 38,795
Miles = 34,129

I have the need to be in Europe and Asia this month and thought of doing a OneWorld mileage run. I will fly in Business Class.

Can I please get some help figuring out if I am getting the most out of this ticket in order to get as close to or meet the 100k needed. Time is not so much an issue for me as far as how many stops I make, but I do have two specific locations I must reach (CDG & HKG).

LAX is the starting point, but could also depart SNA. Need to reach CDG. I was thinking:

LAX, LHR, CDG, LHR, BKK, HKG, NRT, JFK, SNA (or LAX)

Thanks for any insight in helping me maximizing the miles I can earn here.

You need 61,205 EQP, which at 1.5 EQP/Mi in J or F means around 41K BIS Mi.

Here's one possible itinerary that gets you there -

LAX AA xLHR AA MCT BA LHR AY HEL AY CDG CX HKG CX BKK CX HKG CX SIN AA xNRT AA DFW AA SJU AA DFW AA BOS AA MIA AA LAX.

That comes to almost 44K miles, good for almost 66K EQP, so you could edit it a little and still be safe.

For mileage earning, you'd want to use the AA codeshare on LHR-MCT, AY to and from HEL, and the AA code on the JL flight between SIN and NRT, in order to keep your 100% plat bonus, which isn't granted on BA or JL flight numbers. Doing so along with cabin bonus should net you right around 100,000 spendable miles for the trip.

Remember no more than 2 stopovers in the continent of origin, and you can't leave the US once you return (hence the SJU run instead of some longer segs to Central America.) Also don't forget the advance purchase requirement and the minimum travel time (10 days from first to last international segment.)

I'm curious - is there any way to change a BA LHR-DXB-LHR already ticketed as a BA flight number to the AA code share?

Thanks!

Can you point me to the tool used to calculate the miles?

Also what is the advanced purchase? I am looking to book now for departure Nov 18ish.

Only if you're connecting directly to/from another AA flight. Phone time.

http://gc.kls2.com/ - usually right within a mile or three.

http://www.oneworld.com/content/libr...rule_sheet.pdf

Also, the oneworld itinerary validator calculates EQMs as well as validating the route ...

• http://slfft.zendfree.com/0.95/award.htm

To add slightly to what Gardy said, that's an AA metal flight.

metal is the jargon that the aircraft is a real AA aircraft and not a codeshare on another airline. Codeshare is an AA flight number on a aircraft owned & operated by another airline eg AA flight number on BA aircraft. Glossary here from the top of the screen.

duplicate post

The rule limiting "stopovers" to no more than two in N America (in this case) is going to mean some fairly hectic flying around the US. Please remember, though, that a stopover for these purposes is defined as a departure more than 24 hours after arrival. The 24 hours maximum gives you at least a chance to get a bit of a break between flights. (It's not like the 6 hour rule that I have heard about for some awards.)

The itin. that Gardyloo has suggested maximizes the segments that can be used on a DONE3 ticket, which costs $8,600 + taxes & fuel fines. If you pay another $500 for a DONE4, you can go to a fourth continent and avoid the hectic US mileage run. Your taxes might even be lower as you'd have fewer AA flights and hence fewer fuel surcharges. (AA don't charge fuel surcharges on other carriers flights.) Downside is that you might earn fewer spendable miles.

As an example LAX-LHR-MCT-LHR-HEL-CDG-HKG-SIN-NRT-DPS-HKG-SYD-PER-ADL-BNE-SYD-LAX is over 48,000 actual miles, and could be more valuable if the SIN-NRT-DPS sectors on JL/JO were changed to segments flown by CX or KA. My understanding is that AA codeshares or AY/QF/CX flights are preferable to BA or JL when it comes to earning.

Instead of going via Australia, you could possibly rearrange it to get a trip to S Africa and on to HKG, although you wouldn't be able to get the AA codeshare on LHR-JNB/CPT and would have to use the BA flight no.

Not every route is codeshared by AA. Their Middle East partners are with GF I believe.

So i assume: you want to travel with nice airlines to some interesting points and also dont want to waste too much time i would look at:
1. In Europe one side trip to the middle east (Muscat - very nice, Dubai, Abu Dhabi etc). Real business class mainly from LHR.
2. Between Europe and Asia most flights cover approximately the same distance. If you go to NRT first you find more long flights.
2. In Asia NRT-SIN is a good sector. Again good business class and good distance. Bali is also a good destination.
3. Between Asia and US use CX HKG-xxx. Longest flights and good airline

So i would do somethink like
1. SNA-XXX-LAX in the US as a first domestic trip independent of the RTW trip
2. LAX-LHR-MCT-LHR-CDG-NRT-SIN-NRT-DPS-HKG-JFK-LAX
and then
3. use the remaining coupons for some US flying.

2 alone is around 42000 miles = 63000 points without too much wasted time and comfortable flights.

I do not believe that the above would be allowed for a xONEx ticket since SNA and LAX are co-terminals and the ONE Rule Sheet states: "Travel may not be via the point of origin". #2 by itself would be fine, but not in conjunction with 1 and 3. Now if SNA was SAN, then that would be possible since SAN and LAX are not co-terminals. It also appears as though there would be 3 stopovers in originating country which is not allowed: after #1 independent trip, after #2, and #3's destination unless #3 is just a mileage run.

If the OP wanted to take advantage of the extra coupons then pay for a puddle jumper to SAN and start from there:

1. SAN-LAX-LHR-MCT-LHR-CDG-NRT-SIN-NRT-DPS-HKG-JFK-LAX
and then
2. Use the remaining 4 coupons ex-LAX/SNA for a r/t somewhere in the US.

After completing #1 LAX would be origin country stopover #1, and the r/t destination of #2 would be origin country stopover #2.

The OP said s/he wanted to make EXP and maximize miles. Under the AAdvantage program one does not earn the 100% platinum bonus on flights carrying BA or JL flight numbers. Thus e.g. CDG-NRT-SIN, say on JL metal will earn 14,058 EQP and 11,715 spendable miles, while CDG-HKG-SIN on CX metal will earn only 11,337 EQP but 17,006 spendable miles, i.e. more miles for less flying. That's why I'd try if possible to link as many BA- or JL-operated flights to AA connections, in order to get the AA code (hence AA earning rules) onto the partner plane. The AA RTW desk is more than happy to oblige on this - more revenue for the airline.

I do agree that there's a lot of fairly hectic flying involved, but 40K+ BIS miles in less than six weeks is going to be a slog no matter how you cut it. I'm going to be doing a 34K mi RTW in 12 days starting in about 3 weeks, and even though it's in F and J it's still going to be very tiring.

I've done the MCT-xLHR-LAX trip and for AAers the LAX-LHR or v.v. segment is what e-VIPs were made for.

Co-terminals are not recognised for xONEx. A lot of discussion on this forum about how a segment must be used for trips between airports that are classified co-terminals in some airfares.