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NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)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NOTE: LAX-JFK NO LONGER VALID FOR LOWEST FARES (effective OCT 2016)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
Jun 20, 2016, 10:38 am
#1201
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AA Million Miler, Hilton Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 94
I have seen this earlier on the thread - seems the thing to do is book separately and link PNRs after. I hate doing this but if it is the only way then that is the choice.
Jun 20, 2016, 2:22 pm
#1203
Join Date: May 2012
Location: SXE
Programs: QF LTG, VA Gold, BA Gold, HH, SFSC
Posts: 502
Doing a back to back MR next week.
YVR-PHX-JFK-DCA-MIA-PTY-MIA-PHL-DFW-YVR/$685 (June 26 - June 28th)
YVR-PHX-JFK-BOS-DCA-MIA-PTY-MIA-PHL-DFW-YVR/$750 (June 29th - July 3rd)
The first YVR-PHX leg is in Y, but otherwise I'm A/J the rest of the way.
EQM: 44,478 / $0.032cpm
RDM: 63,773 / $0.023cpm
This will push me right across the EXP threshold for the year, which will be nice for 2017 as I'm probably not going to hit the $12k spend during 2017 to re-qualify for 2018.
YVR-PHX-JFK-DCA-MIA-PTY-MIA-PHL-DFW-YVR/$685 (June 26 - June 28th)
YVR-PHX-JFK-BOS-DCA-MIA-PTY-MIA-PHL-DFW-YVR/$750 (June 29th - July 3rd)
The first YVR-PHX leg is in Y, but otherwise I'm A/J the rest of the way.
EQM: 44,478 / $0.032cpm
RDM: 63,773 / $0.023cpm
This will push me right across the EXP threshold for the year, which will be nice for 2017 as I'm probably not going to hit the $12k spend during 2017 to re-qualify for 2018.
I am heading from YVR on Thursday:
AA1189 YVR-DFW
AA2407 DFW-BOS
Friday:
AA1664 BOS-PHL
AA1068 PHL-MIA
AA959 MIA-PTY
Returning Monday:
AA981 PTY-MIA
AA1073 MIA-PHL
AA1675 PHL-BOS
Tuesday:
AA1240 BOS-ORD
AA1358 ORD-LAX
Jun 20, 2016, 9:35 pm
#1205
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 29
Just wrapped up my MR from this weekend. Ran into a few other folks on MRs (don't know if any of them were FTers).
I would definitely spend more than one afternoon in Panama next time; I didn't have a chance to go to the Miraflores Locks, but had a great time wandering around Casco Viejo. I stayed at the Crowne Plaza Panama Airport, it was very convenient, but I'd think if you want to spend more time in Panama City, you'd want to be closer in to the city (Uber counts trips to/from the hotel as from the airport, for some reason?)
Also, having the 77W serving the MIA-JFK leg was a real treat (I'm not normally one to drink terribly much, but those FAs kept me liquored up ha).
I would definitely spend more than one afternoon in Panama next time; I didn't have a chance to go to the Miraflores Locks, but had a great time wandering around Casco Viejo. I stayed at the Crowne Plaza Panama Airport, it was very convenient, but I'd think if you want to spend more time in Panama City, you'd want to be closer in to the city (Uber counts trips to/from the hotel as from the airport, for some reason?)
Also, having the 77W serving the MIA-JFK leg was a real treat (I'm not normally one to drink terribly much, but those FAs kept me liquored up ha).
Jun 21, 2016, 9:52 am
#1207
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NorCal
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott GLD, HH PLT, Hertz 5*
Posts: 766
Jun 21, 2016, 2:03 pm
#1208
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 29
Jun 21, 2016, 2:10 pm
#1209
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: NorCal
Programs: AA EXP, Marriott GLD, HH PLT, Hertz 5*
Posts: 766
I plan to bring Mrs BM next year on a early 2017 MR, (even though EQD's will be in the bin.. still need those EQMs and relying on having AA CC to make up the EQD requirement)
Jun 21, 2016, 7:38 pm
#1210
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Northern California
Programs: AA Plat Pro, Marriott Titanium, IHG Plat, HH Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Aeroplan 25K, UA Silver
Posts: 494
You can get it down to $907 with this itin, possibly lower if you juggle the dates. I just did a quick check, so you can now massage it. Hope it helps!
https://www.google.ca/flights/#searc...A350;sc=b;eo=e
Price shows at $1106, but when you click "purchase at American", you are transferred to aa.com and the price shows up as $907.
https://www.google.ca/flights/#searc...A350;sc=b;eo=e
Price shows at $1106, but when you click "purchase at American", you are transferred to aa.com and the price shows up as $907.
Although I have played around with the segments and other possible trips, I have not successfully found something feasible before August 1. My husband has watched me struggle for the last week every day on the computer, and my frustration was growing to the point I considered paying a lot more for run in order to fly business or to give up the idea of making EP.
Thank you again.
Jun 21, 2016, 7:56 pm
#1211
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: CID/ORD
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 66
You can get it down to $907 with this itin, possibly lower if you juggle the dates. I just did a quick check, so you can now massage it. Hope it helps!
https://www.google.ca/flights/#searc...A350;sc=b;eo=e
Price shows at $1106, but when you click "purchase at American", you are transferred to aa.com and the price shows up as $907.
https://www.google.ca/flights/#searc...A350;sc=b;eo=e
Price shows at $1106, but when you click "purchase at American", you are transferred to aa.com and the price shows up as $907.
Jun 22, 2016, 7:21 am
#1212
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: SFO
Programs: AA ExPlat, NW Plat, UA 2P
Posts: 565
My thanks for your posting. I have been working on a mileage run to make EP again for the coming year. Originally, I was going to let my status slide, but an unexpected bonus flight brought EP back into my sights. I hadn't been able to figure something out, but your posting is ideal and will get me there. My thanks for your kindness in sharing.
Although I have played around with the segments and other possible trips, I have not successfully found something feasible before August 1. My husband has watched me struggle for the last week every day on the computer, and my frustration was growing to the point I considered paying a lot more for run in order to fly business or to give up the idea of making EP.
Thank you again.
Although I have played around with the segments and other possible trips, I have not successfully found something feasible before August 1. My husband has watched me struggle for the last week every day on the computer, and my frustration was growing to the point I considered paying a lot more for run in order to fly business or to give up the idea of making EP.
Thank you again.
Jun 22, 2016, 10:54 am
#1213
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 170
Jun 22, 2016, 11:12 am
#1214
Join Date: Jun 2016
Programs: ex-multiyear AA EXP/OWE, now SA Gold/AC Super Elite
Posts: 165
This one which is almost identical to my MR prices now at $889 CAD ($693 USD):
https://www.google.ca/flights/#searc...1100-2400;eo=e
Jun 22, 2016, 12:36 pm
#1215
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 170
When I was digging to book my first run, I was able to find itineraries much cheaper. I ended up booking at $878 CAD (your link prices at $1228 CAD), but I did see a couple priced at $849 CAD.
This one which is almost identical to my MR prices now at $889 CAD ($693 USD):
https://www.google.ca/flights/#searc...1100-2400;eo=e
This one which is almost identical to my MR prices now at $889 CAD ($693 USD):
https://www.google.ca/flights/#searc...1100-2400;eo=e