Apr 30, 2016, 12:36 pm
Last edit by: Server
OCTOBER 2016 UPDATE
LAX-JFK TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHTS:
1. Same day turns possible on the E-jets and morning 738s.
2. Bonuses now based on fare paid.
3. As of OCTOBER 2016, best fares are now around $1000. Fare tends to rise a few hundred for 2 pax. Fares can also occasionally rise for no discernible reason, but the price spikes have thus far proven to be temporary. Fares have the trend to drop during the year. Keep checking for fares in the $700-$800 ranges for best possible pricing.
4. Airport hotels with shuttles - Crowne Plaza Panama Airport & Riande Aeropuerto. The CP is slightly closer; the Riande is slightly nicer. The CP shuttle leaves the hotel every :00 and :30 and runs 24 hours but they seem to leave a few minutes early as it had left when I went down at 4:00AM on the dot. Also, note UberX charges a US$14 surcharge on top of the ~US$2 fare. CP has poor sound isolation, I could hear my neighbors on both sides including talking, crying baby etc. Had to wear earplugs to sleep.
5. Lounges:
Please refer to this thread for more detailed and accurate information on lounge access in general: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/1656378-help-desk-will-i-have-lounge-access-access-rules-2016-a.html
6. PTY Customs:
NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)
If you want the transcon bonus, enter the search with a connection in JFK. (e.g. LAX-JFK,JFK-MIA,MIA-PTY,PTY-JFK,JFK-SFO.) You can play around from there to get the best deal. Some of the better deals do not start and end in the same city (e.g. start in LAX, end in SFO may be cheaper than start/end in LAX).
Also, it's possible on the outbound portion to time it so you have no more than a 60-minute layover at JFK or MIA (though note that some of these flights aren't available on weekends). While yes, JFK is notorious for delays, this rarely applies for inbound red-eye flights. Also, note that AA 28 below is sometimes "hidden" if you're looking on Google Flights inside a much more expensive trip; that does not necessarily mean, however, that you can't get it for one of the trips under $1,000 (in other words, try it out to see).
NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)
Below is the shortest-possible outbound itinerary that has the LAX-JFK transcon on AA's A321T with flat-bed seats:
LAX-JFK on AA 28
10:45pm - 7:22am
JFK-MIA on AA 200
8:15am - 11:24am
(Note: AA has now switched all of the metal it used on this leg - on all JFK-MIA nonstops - to 757s instead of the 767s with international-style F & J seating.)***767 and 772 are back. Flight 200 is a 772**
MIA-PTY on AA 4434
12:33pm - 2:48pm
(Note: Even more distressingly, AA switched from using a 737 on this leg to an RJ, presumably because summer is off-peak season in Central America. The 6:05pm flight still uses a 737 if a full-size aircraft is a must.)
LAX-JFK TRANSCONTINENTAL FLIGHTS:
Recent fare rule inclusions, effective October 2016, now prevent any routing via JFK on the non-stop transcontinental A321T aircraft. Any future booking will demand a significantly higher fare to route on the non-stops via JFK. Unless the fare rules are modified and these clauses are removed (highly doubtful), the ability to fly on the transcons via JFK is a thing of the past.
IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL BETWEEN LAX AND NYC
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA
BUT NOT ON AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A321 (SHARKLETS) AIRCRAFT.
AND
IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL BETWEEN SFO AND NYC
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA
BUT NOT ON AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A321 (SHARKLETS) AIRCRAFT.
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA
BUT NOT ON AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A321 (SHARKLETS) AIRCRAFT.
AND
IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL BETWEEN SFO AND NYC
THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA
BUT NOT ON AIRBUS INDUSTRIE A321 (SHARKLETS) AIRCRAFT.
1. Same day turns possible on the E-jets and morning 738s.
2. Bonuses now based on fare paid.
3. As of OCTOBER 2016, best fares are now around $1000. Fare tends to rise a few hundred for 2 pax. Fares can also occasionally rise for no discernible reason, but the price spikes have thus far proven to be temporary. Fares have the trend to drop during the year. Keep checking for fares in the $700-$800 ranges for best possible pricing.
4. Airport hotels with shuttles - Crowne Plaza Panama Airport & Riande Aeropuerto. The CP is slightly closer; the Riande is slightly nicer. The CP shuttle leaves the hotel every :00 and :30 and runs 24 hours but they seem to leave a few minutes early as it had left when I went down at 4:00AM on the dot. Also, note UberX charges a US$14 surcharge on top of the ~US$2 fare. CP has poor sound isolation, I could hear my neighbors on both sides including talking, crying baby etc. Had to wear earplugs to sleep.
5. Lounges:
Please refer to this thread for more detailed and accurate information on lounge access in general: https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/1656378-help-desk-will-i-have-lounge-access-access-rules-2016-a.html
LAX AIRPORT
= When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on status, it is simply departing/connecting/arriving at any point on same ticket to and from an eligible international destination. PTY is eligible and not excluded regardless of length.
= When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on class of service disregarding status, it is the international long haul clause that applies. Therefore, no "oneworld/QF lounge" access for non-elites for trips to and from PTY unless booking transcons since PTY is under 5 hours. BUT AA doesn't enforce this in their own lounges so Admirals Club access is expected.
AA GOLDs(RUBYs)/NON-ELITES
Admirals Club access is granted regardless of routing as AA does not enforce international long haul rule. However, the oneworld J lounge does for Golds(rubys)/non-elites as they are aware the PTY flights are under 5 hours. Booking transcon flights in J/F gains access to the OWJ/QFF lounges.
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J lounge + QF F Lounge LAX>
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals + LAX oneworld J lounge>
<Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Technically NONE (PTY under 5 hours therefore class of service rule applies) BUT AA still opens Admirals Club doors to all customers because they dont enforce the long-haul rule>
AA PLATINUMs
Platinums gain access to all AC/Business lounges regardless of routing due to flying to and from PTY. They gain access to First/Flagship lounges when traveling in F 3-class transcon
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J lounge + QF F Lounge LAX>
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals + LAX oneworld J lounge>
<Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + LAX oneworld J>
AA EXPs
EXPs have access to all lounges at all airports regardless of routing so long as they are traveling to and from PTY on the same itinerary (an international destination neither excluded from AA's list of ineligible regions nor limited by the flight length rule)
<EXPs Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in Y = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in J = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
NON-AA ONEWORLD ELITES
All sapphires and emeralds have some form of lounge access on any flight systemwide
<non-AA sapphires on ALL AA FLIGHTS = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX>
<non-AA emeralds on ALL AA FLIGHTS = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX + Flagship Lounge + QF F lounge LAX>
OTHER AIRPORTS
SFO - Admiral's Club (Centurion Lounge for a fee)
JFK - Admirals Club & Flagship Lounge for EXP/First 3-class/Emerald
MIA - Admiral's Club (Centurion Lounge for a fee), Oneworld Premium Lounge for EXP/First 3-Class/Emerald
PTY - No lounge access (Copa with PP, or for a fee, for 7am or later flights)
YVR - No lounge access (PP for a fee)
DFW - Admiral's Club (with F/C Dining for EXP/Emerald) (Centurion Lounge for a fee)
= When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on status, it is simply departing/connecting/arriving at any point on same ticket to and from an eligible international destination. PTY is eligible and not excluded regardless of length.
= When trying to gain oneworld J / QF F access based on class of service disregarding status, it is the international long haul clause that applies. Therefore, no "oneworld/QF lounge" access for non-elites for trips to and from PTY unless booking transcons since PTY is under 5 hours. BUT AA doesn't enforce this in their own lounges so Admirals Club access is expected.
AA GOLDs(RUBYs)/NON-ELITES
Admirals Club access is granted regardless of routing as AA does not enforce international long haul rule. However, the oneworld J lounge does for Golds(rubys)/non-elites as they are aware the PTY flights are under 5 hours. Booking transcon flights in J/F gains access to the OWJ/QFF lounges.
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J lounge + QF F Lounge LAX>
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals + LAX oneworld J lounge>
<Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Technically NONE (PTY under 5 hours therefore class of service rule applies) BUT AA still opens Admirals Club doors to all customers because they dont enforce the long-haul rule>
AA PLATINUMs
Platinums gain access to all AC/Business lounges regardless of routing due to flying to and from PTY. They gain access to First/Flagship lounges when traveling in F 3-class transcon
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J lounge + QF F Lounge LAX>
<Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA) in J = Admirals + LAX oneworld J lounge>
<Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + LAX oneworld J>
AA EXPs
EXPs have access to all lounges at all airports regardless of routing so long as they are traveling to and from PTY on the same itinerary (an international destination neither excluded from AA's list of ineligible regions nor limited by the flight length rule)
<EXPs Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs Non-Transcon F (2-class) + PTY = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in Y = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in J = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
<EXPs on Transcon 3-class (JFK/MIA + PTY) in F = Admirals + Flagship + LAX oneworld J + QF F lounge LAX>
NON-AA ONEWORLD ELITES
All sapphires and emeralds have some form of lounge access on any flight systemwide
<non-AA sapphires on ALL AA FLIGHTS = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX>
<non-AA emeralds on ALL AA FLIGHTS = Admirals Club + oneworld J lounge LAX + Flagship Lounge + QF F lounge LAX>
OTHER AIRPORTS
SFO - Admiral's Club (Centurion Lounge for a fee)
JFK - Admirals Club & Flagship Lounge for EXP/First 3-class/Emerald
MIA - Admiral's Club (Centurion Lounge for a fee), Oneworld Premium Lounge for EXP/First 3-Class/Emerald
PTY - No lounge access (Copa with PP, or for a fee, for 7am or later flights)
YVR - No lounge access (PP for a fee)
DFW - Admiral's Club (with F/C Dining for EXP/Emerald) (Centurion Lounge for a fee)
6. PTY Customs:
Inbound to PTY -
Outbound to MIA -
7. Finding flights: - 12 noon - no lines reported
- 8PM Fri (5/27/16) - ~10 min line
Outbound to MIA -
- 4:40am - no lines reported
NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)
If you want the transcon bonus, enter the search with a connection in JFK. (e.g. LAX-JFK,JFK-MIA,MIA-PTY,PTY-JFK,JFK-SFO.) You can play around from there to get the best deal. Some of the better deals do not start and end in the same city (e.g. start in LAX, end in SFO may be cheaper than start/end in LAX).
Also, it's possible on the outbound portion to time it so you have no more than a 60-minute layover at JFK or MIA (though note that some of these flights aren't available on weekends). While yes, JFK is notorious for delays, this rarely applies for inbound red-eye flights. Also, note that AA 28 below is sometimes "hidden" if you're looking on Google Flights inside a much more expensive trip; that does not necessarily mean, however, that you can't get it for one of the trips under $1,000 (in other words, try it out to see).
NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)
Below is the shortest-possible outbound itinerary that has the LAX-JFK transcon on AA's A321T with flat-bed seats:
LAX-JFK on AA 28
10:45pm - 7:22am
JFK-MIA on AA 200
8:15am - 11:24am
(Note: AA has now switched all of the metal it used on this leg - on all JFK-MIA nonstops - to 757s instead of the 767s with international-style F & J seating.)***767 and 772 are back. Flight 200 is a 772**
MIA-PTY on AA 4434
12:33pm - 2:48pm
(Note: Even more distressingly, AA switched from using a 737 on this leg to an RJ, presumably because summer is off-peak season in Central America. The 6:05pm flight still uses a 737 if a full-size aircraft is a must.)
AA: LAX-JFK-MIA-PTY RT $702 in A/J 18.9K EQMs
Feb 8, 2016, 4:41 pm
#226
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 333
I'm in Panama City right now as well (till Wednesday), and I also had no idea it was Carnaval! That actually kinda sucks, since I legitimately have work to do and can't stay out all night partying. Yes, it's hot and humid, but as a native Texan I'm not fazed in the least. 
A few trip notes:
1) My itinerary worked remarkably well, for those wanting minimal layovers. I was on the 10:30pm flight out of LAX (28), which was of course an A321T; had a 55-minute layover at JFK before AA 200 left at 8:05am; then had nearly an hour at MIA before catching AA 1532, which got me in at 3:30pm.
2) Note that AA 200 is on the refurbished 772, not the old one that still has angled-flat seats (egads!). I didn't really need a flat-bed seat for a three-hour flight
but its J product is now nearly as good as that on the 773. While yes, half of its seats face the rear, it's nonetheless significantly better than other planes with similar layouts, e.g. BA. All offer quiet and privacy. (Somewhat oddly, the worst flight of the bunch was the one international leg, on a 738 with standard domestic F seating. They didn't even offer pre-flight cocktails!)
3) My original plan was to rent a car, since they're listed on OTAs as "only" $7/day (economy) to $20/day (for an SUV). DO NOT DO THIS!! Upon arrival I noticed a customer in a heated argument at the Avis counter, which should have prepared me for what I'd find at Hertz. My "inexpensive" rental QUADRUPLED in price to $240 (!!) once insurance was added on ... and I was told this is "mandatory" under government regulations. (I do not know one way or the other if this is true, however.)
4) I took an Uber car to my hotel - and btw it's a flat rate of $25 plus tolls for all UberX trips from the airport to the city center. I've heard conflicting stories about taxis, but for the most part they should be avoided (unless Uber is in surge mode, I suppose).
Anyway, so far, so good. :-) Btw I'm staying at the Bristol, which I highly recommend if you're wanting something more low-key than the Hard Rock or Trump. I also managed to get a fantastic deal on it (via OTA): $95 my first night and $110 each for the subsequent two.
A few trip notes:
1) My itinerary worked remarkably well, for those wanting minimal layovers. I was on the 10:30pm flight out of LAX (28), which was of course an A321T; had a 55-minute layover at JFK before AA 200 left at 8:05am; then had nearly an hour at MIA before catching AA 1532, which got me in at 3:30pm.
2) Note that AA 200 is on the refurbished 772, not the old one that still has angled-flat seats (egads!). I didn't really need a flat-bed seat for a three-hour flight
but its J product is now nearly as good as that on the 773. While yes, half of its seats face the rear, it's nonetheless significantly better than other planes with similar layouts, e.g. BA. All offer quiet and privacy. (Somewhat oddly, the worst flight of the bunch was the one international leg, on a 738 with standard domestic F seating. They didn't even offer pre-flight cocktails!)3) My original plan was to rent a car, since they're listed on OTAs as "only" $7/day (economy) to $20/day (for an SUV). DO NOT DO THIS!! Upon arrival I noticed a customer in a heated argument at the Avis counter, which should have prepared me for what I'd find at Hertz. My "inexpensive" rental QUADRUPLED in price to $240 (!!) once insurance was added on ... and I was told this is "mandatory" under government regulations. (I do not know one way or the other if this is true, however.)
4) I took an Uber car to my hotel - and btw it's a flat rate of $25 plus tolls for all UberX trips from the airport to the city center. I've heard conflicting stories about taxis, but for the most part they should be avoided (unless Uber is in surge mode, I suppose).
Anyway, so far, so good. :-) Btw I'm staying at the Bristol, which I highly recommend if you're wanting something more low-key than the Hard Rock or Trump. I also managed to get a fantastic deal on it (via OTA): $95 my first night and $110 each for the subsequent two.
Feb 8, 2016, 5:22 pm
#227
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, ex-AA EXP, ex-UA 1K
Posts: 707
I'm new to these sort of runs and this thread but was able to cobble together the following (on hold until tomorrow) for April 1-5.
SFO-JFK-MIA-PTY-MIA-LAX $774.76
I'm staging from PDX, so tickets to/from SFO/LAX run an extra $160 so under $1K total.
Question - is this an amazing value premium fare deal out of PDX, or just good/average in your opinion? At $440 is was a no brainer. I have a flexible schedule - wondering if I should jump on this or keep looking for other fun long haul deals for 2016.
SFO-JFK-MIA-PTY-MIA-LAX $774.76
I'm staging from PDX, so tickets to/from SFO/LAX run an extra $160 so under $1K total.
Question - is this an amazing value premium fare deal out of PDX, or just good/average in your opinion? At $440 is was a no brainer. I have a flexible schedule - wondering if I should jump on this or keep looking for other fun long haul deals for 2016.
Nonetheless, keep the following in mind: this fare should not exist, PERIOD. While yes, AA flies from LAX to PTY via MIA for about the same price, it's just flat-out weird that they not only let you instead route via JFK, too, but let you do so via their far-superior A321T transcon service. (AA has four daily LAX-MIA nonstops, but three of them are standard domestic metal. The fourth is an older 767 with angled-flat seats in business. Oddly, it's the only one that's not a red-eye flight.)
What can be fairly stated is that AA is aggressively combating jetBlue's expansion into the region from its FLL hub. (Still, that doesn't explain the PTY fares; jetBlue/B6 doesn't fly here.) By "region" I mean what I guess you could call "Northern South America." B6 now flies not only to Bogota and Medellin, but also to Quito and even all the way down to Lima! I haven't checked Lima, but you can swap in any of the other three cities for PTY and still get a total fare under $1,000.
But again, none of these fares should, by any rational right, exist, so it's impossible to say how long it'll be before someone figures out the FT Jig. :-) Clearly AA knows about it, given the rapidity with which the $430 fares disappeared, so for all we know they've already instituted some sort of controls to keep such fares from reoccurring. (NB: It's nonetheless interesting that they didn't try to push it off as an error fare, as they infamously did last year in the Brazilian Incident.)
So, to answer your question: yes, all of these fares (whether out of PDX or SFO or LAX or wherever) are an amazing value, even if they are -- for the time being, at least -- "everyday" fares. There's no better ongoing EQM deal on a cost-per-mile basis anywhere within the OW system (for J fares, that is), or at least not one anyone here knows about. Will the super-awesome $430 fares return? My educated guess would be "more unlikely than likely." Hope that at least sorta helps!
Feb 8, 2016, 5:25 pm
#228
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, ex-AA EXP, ex-UA 1K
Posts: 707
Okay, but that still doesn't explain how my quote for a three-day trip rose from $70 to $240! (and that's the least expensive coverage) It also doesn't explain why the OTAs -- all of which claim they show the "total" price for car rentals, at the time of booking -- fail to make any note of this mandatory coverage.
Feb 8, 2016, 5:51 pm
#229
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 613
@kirker that's what I had mentioned to you in a previous post. You can find rental cars for only a few dollars a day but no matter what you say and have screenshots that say all fees included means nothing to them at all. They charge whatever fees they want.
Okay, but that still doesn't explain how my quote for a three-day trip rose from $70 to $240! (and that's the least expensive coverage) It also doesn't explain why the OTAs -- all of which claim they show the "total" price for car rentals, at the time of booking -- fail to make any note of this mandatory coverage.
Feb 8, 2016, 6:16 pm
#230
Join Date: Jan 2013
Programs: Hyatt Glb, MR Plat
Posts: 2,577
So I'm doing the run leaving LAX @ 10:30 PM 3/19 arriving PTY @ 2:30 PM 3/20 and leaving PTY at 6 AM 3/21. I'd like to see the canal and the Old Town (I like colonial architecture), have dinner, and then hang out somewhere as long as practical. I can read Spanish and I can get by speaking it. Never been to Latin America before.
It seems kinda pointless to get a hotel room given that itinerary since I'd have to be at the airport by 3-4 AM, right? I figure as long as transportation is readily available between town and the airport before midnight or 1 am I should be fine. And I can use the $$ I would have spent on a hotel room for taxis and dinner. Is that a reasonable plan?
It seems kinda pointless to get a hotel room given that itinerary since I'd have to be at the airport by 3-4 AM, right? I figure as long as transportation is readily available between town and the airport before midnight or 1 am I should be fine. And I can use the $$ I would have spent on a hotel room for taxis and dinner. Is that a reasonable plan?
Feb 8, 2016, 9:22 pm
#231
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: LHR, DFW, J Cabins WorldWide
Programs: AA EXP, UA GS, FB Gold, AS MVPG, MR Titanium, VS Gold
Posts: 954
In LA now coming back from this run, ran into a few FT's on the way there and back, had lots of fun, and great crews all around. Even managed to get in/out of JFK during snowy weather on time... a first for me!
Feb 9, 2016, 10:20 am
#233
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: YVR/LAX/PVG/TPE
Posts: 759
Hey I am new here! have been watching this forum for some time, and have searched around a bit. There is availability to CCS from JFK directly if anyone would love to not stop in MIA. Also possible to as far as UIO and GYE for a bit more. but is it worth it to do this later in the year as the AA devaluation may kick in at that time? Or should I just do it in March? (still showing similar prices for Mar.19th, interesting) Thanks a lot!
Feb 9, 2016, 11:04 am
#235
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: PDX
Programs: AS MVPG, SPG Gold
Posts: 187
Very good question. Yes, the $440 fare was a no-brainer, and I quite literally stumbled across it on a fluke, having already booked a second ticket on the same routing a few days earlier for the $702 stated in my subject line. Even that was an anomaly; as you've seen, the usual fare is closer to $800.
Nonetheless, keep the following in mind: this fare should not exist, PERIOD. While yes, AA flies from LAX to PTY via MIA for about the same price, it's just flat-out weird that they not only let you instead route via JFK, too, but let you do so via their far-superior A321T transcon service. (AA has four daily LAX-MIA nonstops, but three of them are standard domestic metal. The fourth is an older 767 with angled-flat seats in business. Oddly, it's the only one that's not a red-eye flight.)
What can be fairly stated is that AA is aggressively combating jetBlue's expansion into the region from its FLL hub. (Still, that doesn't explain the PTY fares; jetBlue/B6 doesn't fly here.) By "region" I mean what I guess you could call "Northern South America." B6 now flies not only to Bogota and Medellin, but also to Quito and even all the way down to Lima! I haven't checked Lima, but you can swap in any of the other three cities for PTY and still get a total fare under $1,000.
But again, none of these fares should, by any rational right, exist, so it's impossible to say how long it'll be before someone figures out the FT Jig. :-) Clearly AA knows about it, given the rapidity with which the $430 fares disappeared, so for all we know they've already instituted some sort of controls to keep such fares from reoccurring. (NB: It's nonetheless interesting that they didn't try to push it off as an error fare, as they infamously did last year in the Brazilian Incident.)
So, to answer your question: yes, all of these fares (whether out of PDX or SFO or LAX or wherever) are an amazing value, even if they are -- for the time being, at least -- "everyday" fares. There's no better ongoing EQM deal on a cost-per-mile basis anywhere within the OW system (for J fares, that is), or at least not one anyone here knows about. Will the super-awesome $430 fares return? My educated guess would be "more unlikely than likely." Hope that at least sorta helps!
Nonetheless, keep the following in mind: this fare should not exist, PERIOD. While yes, AA flies from LAX to PTY via MIA for about the same price, it's just flat-out weird that they not only let you instead route via JFK, too, but let you do so via their far-superior A321T transcon service. (AA has four daily LAX-MIA nonstops, but three of them are standard domestic metal. The fourth is an older 767 with angled-flat seats in business. Oddly, it's the only one that's not a red-eye flight.)
What can be fairly stated is that AA is aggressively combating jetBlue's expansion into the region from its FLL hub. (Still, that doesn't explain the PTY fares; jetBlue/B6 doesn't fly here.) By "region" I mean what I guess you could call "Northern South America." B6 now flies not only to Bogota and Medellin, but also to Quito and even all the way down to Lima! I haven't checked Lima, but you can swap in any of the other three cities for PTY and still get a total fare under $1,000.
But again, none of these fares should, by any rational right, exist, so it's impossible to say how long it'll be before someone figures out the FT Jig. :-) Clearly AA knows about it, given the rapidity with which the $430 fares disappeared, so for all we know they've already instituted some sort of controls to keep such fares from reoccurring. (NB: It's nonetheless interesting that they didn't try to push it off as an error fare, as they infamously did last year in the Brazilian Incident.)
So, to answer your question: yes, all of these fares (whether out of PDX or SFO or LAX or wherever) are an amazing value, even if they are -- for the time being, at least -- "everyday" fares. There's no better ongoing EQM deal on a cost-per-mile basis anywhere within the OW system (for J fares, that is), or at least not one anyone here knows about. Will the super-awesome $430 fares return? My educated guess would be "more unlikely than likely." Hope that at least sorta helps!
If you're based out of SFO or LAX, this is still a no brainer. Getting too/from PDX makes it a little less interesting, but still a pretty great ticket if you primarily fly AA.
Feb 9, 2016, 12:47 pm
#236
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Flyover Country
Posts: 157
Great information - thank you! I think it makes sense to fly back PTY-MIA-JFK-SFO/LAX to get AA's new product. I'm thinking about signing up for their credit card to get the 40,000 bonus miles and booking everything with AA. If I had more business travel this year, I'd do the Challenge and get Platinum this year, but I might save that for the future. Wish I had booked one of those $400+ fares!
If you're based out of SFO or LAX, this is still a no brainer. Getting too/from PDX makes it a little less interesting, but still a pretty great ticket if you primarily fly AA.
If you're based out of SFO or LAX, this is still a no brainer. Getting too/from PDX makes it a little less interesting, but still a pretty great ticket if you primarily fly AA.
The positioning is what's holding me up as well. The deal is great, and I'm really wanting to get some time on AA's new planes and do the plat challenge, but I'd have to position from OKC, which is a pain.
OKC-LAX RT is $400++. I can drive to DFW and then it's ~$250 RT, but that's still $1100 ai which isn't as compelling. I can non-rev/standby there and back for ~$150, but that seems pretty risky given my trip dates are during spring break (mid March).
Feb 9, 2016, 2:42 pm
#237
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Houston, TX/Australia
Programs: AA EXP/Exec Citi, NZ* G, Nat EE, Avis PP, HH Gold
Posts: 649
Hey I am new here! have been watching this forum for some time, and have searched around a bit. There is availability to CCS from JFK directly if anyone would love to not stop in MIA. Also possible to as far as UIO and GYE for a bit more. but is it worth it to do this later in the year as the AA devaluation may kick in at that time? Or should I just do it in March? (still showing similar prices for Mar.19th, interesting) Thanks a lot!
Feb 9, 2016, 3:21 pm
#238
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: LHR, DFW, J Cabins WorldWide
Programs: AA EXP, UA GS, FB Gold, AS MVPG, MR Titanium, VS Gold
Posts: 954
No, it is.
Just used it yesterday morning, they had the sign out and everything. At one point last year it was not, but it certainly is now.
From PDX its not bad - with the new AA service to LA coming later this year I have noticed PDX-LAX fares on DL/AS coming down, I scored my RT w/ UG to FC on AS for I think 211RT, not the best but certainly doesnt kill the value of the trip.
My totals for the trips, 9,432 base miles 24,150 bonus miles 33,582 total.
Just used it yesterday morning, they had the sign out and everything. At one point last year it was not, but it certainly is now.
Great information - thank you! I think it makes sense to fly back PTY-MIA-JFK-SFO/LAX to get AA's new product. I'm thinking about signing up for their credit card to get the 40,000 bonus miles and booking everything with AA. If I had more business travel this year, I'd do the Challenge and get Platinum this year, but I might save that for the future. Wish I had booked one of those $400+ fares!
If you're based out of SFO or LAX, this is still a no brainer. Getting too/from PDX makes it a little less interesting, but still a pretty great ticket if you primarily fly AA.
If you're based out of SFO or LAX, this is still a no brainer. Getting too/from PDX makes it a little less interesting, but still a pretty great ticket if you primarily fly AA.
My totals for the trips, 9,432 base miles 24,150 bonus miles 33,582 total.
Feb 9, 2016, 3:37 pm
#239
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA EXP (owe), BA Silver (ows), AB Silver (owr), WN A+/CP, IHG Spire AMB, Avis First
Posts: 1,414
Exactly what basis do you have for this? You aren't AA --- only RM knows whether or not fares should exist. This is a perfectly valid fare and this fare has existed for A LONG TIME. Who knows what RMs intentions are, but they seem to clearly want to sell at this price level... otherwise they would have pulled the fare by now. Mind you, the $400 price level has come back several times as well.
People calling things "error fares" and such is what led to the recent DOT decisions in the first place... If you call it an "error fare" you give AA the license to rescind the fare since you are apparently knowingly exploiting it...
People calling things "error fares" and such is what led to the recent DOT decisions in the first place... If you call it an "error fare" you give AA the license to rescind the fare since you are apparently knowingly exploiting it...
Feb 9, 2016, 4:50 pm
#240
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: YVR/LAX/PVG/TPE
Posts: 759
visa is not much of a concern for me, just very anxious if I should do this in March or in fall to connect with my South America trip. CCS is a difficult place to position into tho, I have to admit. I am just not very well-informed about the change in AA's FFP.