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NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)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NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)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 25, 2016, 7:29 pm
#361
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 7
Question on earned miles (sorry still getting the hang of this).
Looking at an April itinerary of SFO-JFK-MIA-PTY-MIA-JFK-SFO and trying to calculate the miles. I'm Executive Platinum so this is what I figured:
Actual Miles: 9660
Bonus for EXP: 9660
50% I-Fare Class of Service Bonus: 4840
AA Bonus Promo Long Haul/Short Haul (3500 + 3500 +1000 + 1000 + 500 + 500) =10,000
Total = 34,160 miles
Is this correct or am I missing something? For context, all fares are I fares except the JFK- MIA and MIA-JFK ones which are A fares.
Thanks!
Looking at an April itinerary of SFO-JFK-MIA-PTY-MIA-JFK-SFO and trying to calculate the miles. I'm Executive Platinum so this is what I figured:
Actual Miles: 9660
Bonus for EXP: 9660
50% I-Fare Class of Service Bonus: 4840
AA Bonus Promo Long Haul/Short Haul (3500 + 3500 +1000 + 1000 + 500 + 500) =10,000
Total = 34,160 miles
Is this correct or am I missing something? For context, all fares are I fares except the JFK- MIA and MIA-JFK ones which are A fares.
Thanks!
Feb 25, 2016, 11:31 pm
#363
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Houston, TX/Australia
Programs: AA EXP/Exec Citi, NZ* G, Nat EE, Avis PP, HH Gold
Posts: 649
Perhaps I should just answer "looks good" to "how is this?"
Feb 26, 2016, 5:38 am
#364
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 69
Okay, so you clarified that piece and apparently found an alternate to overnights in JFK. Now, are you making a statement, asking question about that fare, asking if someone has a better price somehow, or something else?
Perhaps I should just answer "looks good" to "how is this?"
Perhaps I should just answer "looks good" to "how is this?"
Feb 26, 2016, 12:38 pm
#365
Join Date: Mar 2012
Posts: 4
thanks
Thanks Milz, your helpful answer is much appreciated.
jj970,
That is correct. Routing through JFK not only grants more miles for the overall itinerary, but you will also get the AA kicker bonus miles that they are offering for flying in a premium cabin. In this instance SFO/LAX-JFK will result in additional 3.5k miles(or less for those with less or no status) each time the route is flown. I believe this current promotion runs until sometime in the summer.
Here is an AA link detailing the bonus:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/aadvanta...itle=moremiles
That is correct. Routing through JFK not only grants more miles for the overall itinerary, but you will also get the AA kicker bonus miles that they are offering for flying in a premium cabin. In this instance SFO/LAX-JFK will result in additional 3.5k miles(or less for those with less or no status) each time the route is flown. I believe this current promotion runs until sometime in the summer.
Here is an AA link detailing the bonus:
http://www.aa.com/i18n/urls/aadvanta...itle=moremiles
Feb 26, 2016, 2:21 pm
#366
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Houston, TX/Australia
Programs: AA EXP/Exec Citi, NZ* G, Nat EE, Avis PP, HH Gold
Posts: 649
Yeah, it looks good, I don't see any issues. And I don't see anything significantly cheaper. There's a $799 on the weekend of April 11th if you stay in MIA for 6 hours midday on the way down - not worth the $5, IMO. Otherwise, it's $804 that weekend, too, and most other weekends in April/May.
Feb 26, 2016, 9:22 pm
#367
Join Date: Dec 2014
Posts: 356
Question on earned miles (sorry still getting the hang of this).
Looking at an April itinerary of SFO-JFK-MIA-PTY-MIA-JFK-SFO and trying to calculate the miles. I'm Executive Platinum so this is what I figured:
Actual Miles: 9660
Bonus for EXP: 9660
50% I-Fare Class of Service Bonus: 4840
AA Bonus Promo Long Haul/Short Haul (3500 + 3500 +1000 + 1000 + 500 + 500) =10,000
Total = 34,160 miles
Is this correct or am I missing something? For context, all fares are I fares except the JFK- MIA and MIA-JFK ones which are A fares.
Thanks!
Looking at an April itinerary of SFO-JFK-MIA-PTY-MIA-JFK-SFO and trying to calculate the miles. I'm Executive Platinum so this is what I figured:
Actual Miles: 9660
Bonus for EXP: 9660
50% I-Fare Class of Service Bonus: 4840
AA Bonus Promo Long Haul/Short Haul (3500 + 3500 +1000 + 1000 + 500 + 500) =10,000
Total = 34,160 miles
Is this correct or am I missing something? For context, all fares are I fares except the JFK- MIA and MIA-JFK ones which are A fares.
Thanks!
Feb 26, 2016, 9:53 pm
#368
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: AA Exec Plat
Posts: 105
Feb 26, 2016, 10:58 pm
#369
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: NYC
Programs: DL ✈️
Posts: 638
Here are the earnings for someone being on NYC if you wanna do a mega mileage run... less than 5cpm for flying business most of it.
If only I could reposition easier. It's 50k r/t in business saaver award, or 25k r/t in economy saaver award (have to sleep 1 day in lax)
If only I could reposition easier. It's 50k r/t in business saaver award, or 25k r/t in economy saaver award (have to sleep 1 day in lax)
Last edited by tomasdev; Feb 26, 2016 at 11:03 pm
Feb 27, 2016, 12:53 pm
#370
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: SNA
Posts: 928
Just booked the LAX routing for Memorial Day weekend. $815. Out late Friday, back late Sunday, overnight in PTY (recover Monday). The flights aren't pretty, but hey, if MR-ing were easy everybody would be doing it.
Last edited by pmblinn; Feb 27, 2016 at 12:54 pm Reason: clarification
Feb 27, 2016, 12:54 pm
#371
Join Date: Jul 1999
Location: East Hampton/Dorado Beach
Posts: 591
Are stop overs allowed on this fare ?
I assume less than 24 hours are always permitted but what about a longer stop over in one of the connecting cities ?
Can you stop over for 30 days ?
One stop over in each direction ??
Thanks !
I assume less than 24 hours are always permitted but what about a longer stop over in one of the connecting cities ?
Can you stop over for 30 days ?
One stop over in each direction ??
Thanks !
Feb 27, 2016, 2:39 pm
#372
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 291
Anybody doing this MR on 4/1-4/3 ($837) and 4/16-4/18 ($815)?
After these two trips, it would be sad for me since I won't do anymore MR for this year because I'll be ~85k EQM already.
On the second trip, it looks like I don't have to book hotels and even clearing customs at PTY
AMERICAN AIRLINES 32
LAX Los Angeles April 16, 2016 02:30 PM
JFK New York April 16, 2016 11:07 PM
AMERICAN AIRLINES 2243
JFK New York April 17, 2016 05:30 AM
MIA Miami April 17, 2016 08:38 AM
AMERICAN AIRLINES 1021
MIA Miami April 17, 2016 09:45 AM
PTY Panama City April 17, 2016 11:53 AM
AMERICAN AIRLINES 1474
PTY Panama City April 17, 2016 03:30 PM
MIA Miami April 17, 2016 07:35 PM
AMERICAN AIRLINES 946
MIA Miami April 17, 2016 09:29 PM
JFK New York April 18, 2016 12:31 AM
AMERICAN AIRLINES 171
JFK New York April 18, 2016 06:15 AM
LAX Los Angeles April 18, 2016 09:31 AM
After these two trips, it would be sad for me since I won't do anymore MR for this year because I'll be ~85k EQM already.
On the second trip, it looks like I don't have to book hotels and even clearing customs at PTY
AMERICAN AIRLINES 32
LAX Los Angeles April 16, 2016 02:30 PM
JFK New York April 16, 2016 11:07 PM
AMERICAN AIRLINES 2243
JFK New York April 17, 2016 05:30 AM
MIA Miami April 17, 2016 08:38 AM
AMERICAN AIRLINES 1021
MIA Miami April 17, 2016 09:45 AM
PTY Panama City April 17, 2016 11:53 AM
AMERICAN AIRLINES 1474
PTY Panama City April 17, 2016 03:30 PM
MIA Miami April 17, 2016 07:35 PM
AMERICAN AIRLINES 946
MIA Miami April 17, 2016 09:29 PM
JFK New York April 18, 2016 12:31 AM
AMERICAN AIRLINES 171
JFK New York April 18, 2016 06:15 AM
LAX Los Angeles April 18, 2016 09:31 AM
Feb 28, 2016, 10:58 am
#374
Join Date: Jul 2015
Location: NYC
Programs: SPG Platinum, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, AA Executive Platinum
Posts: 51
Thanks for the tip. I just put this on hold with AA. Going to apply for Platinum Challenge tomorrow and book it. Including my positioning most likely economy flight JFK-LAX round trip I think this should net around 25K EQM if I'm doing the math right. That's more than double of what's needed for the challenge. And 1/4 of the way to EXP. Not bad for some $1400 the cost of the challenge including hotels (might do points for that) on mostly flat bed flights.
Feb 28, 2016, 11:26 am
#375
Original Poster
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, ex-AA EXP, ex-UA 1K
Posts: 707
If anything I wished I'd woken up later - I had a solid half-hour to kill before going through gate security.