cruser1

Last week I posted two tier point deals from the West Coast. This week I'll post one for people on the Eastern Seaboard since I live in CLT.

At the moment you can book an itinerary from several airports within 300 miles of NYC (the area I searched) with a connection at CLT, DCA, or PHL, then a transcontinental flight to LAX and a connection to Cancun for $1194+ in business class on American Airlines. Unfortunately the cheapest fairs are on a first class recliner the whole way, but I will post some details on a connection in Miami so you can have a lie flat seat from MIA to LAX.

Fares range from $1194 to $1403 and all routings yield 640 Tier Points (40 + 140 + 140 + 140 +140 + 40 = 640). That would mean the cost per tier point ranges from $1.87 per TP to $2.19, which is pretty similar to the two deals I posted last week. The goal was $2 per TP or less.

On to the deal...

I'll start off by apologizing for the lack of lie-flat seats and all the old US Airways aircraft you're going to see! Adding a connection in Miami to LAX/SFO increases the price far above $2 per tier point and departing/arriving at JFK (A321T) blows up the price!

Start searching for dates this Spring or next fall (starting end of August). The deal also works as a one-way flight from CUN to the US - see Post #17.

The deal works from these airports and I've listed the price from each one
ABE - $1194
MDT - $1194
MHT - $1197
BTV - $1216
ACY - $1222
AVP - $1245
EWR - $1261 (this is NOT a non-stop across the country, there's a connection at CLT)
EWR - $1272 (this is NOT a non-stop across the country, there's a connection at CLT in one direction and MIA in the other direction - lie flat seating option)
PWM - $1308
PHF - $1310 (starting Aug 15 - no first class cabin before that date)
HPN - $1320
EWR - $1342 (this is NOT a non-stop across the country, there's a connection at MIA - lie flat seating option)
SYR - $1403

Routing / Connections
Origin City Above-CLT/DCA/PHL-LAX-CUN-LAX-CLT/DCA/PHL-Origin City Above (ex - HPN-CLT-LAX-CUN-LAX-CLT-HPN)

If you want a lie flat seat, you can find itineraries on select dates from Newark (EWR) that will allow you to connect in Miami on the way to/from LAX to EWR.
The routing EWR-CLT-LAX-CUN-LAX-MIA-EWR or EWR-MIA-LAX-CUN-LAX-CLT-EWR costs $1272+
The routing EWR-MIA-LAX-CUN-LAX-MIA-EWR (Miami connection in both directions) costs $1342+

There may be other places that Alaska Airlines flies besides CUN that result in a cheaper fare. When I started searching I wanted to start in New England and fly across the country in business to get 140 TP, then connect somewhere out West to another location at least 2k miles away to yield another 140 TP. Looking at the map, Cancun is just over 2k miles from LAX, so that's the destination I started searching for.

The following routes work, but they have no business class between the point of origin and CLT/DCA/PHL so they will yield fewer tier points.
SCE - $1168
LNS - $1202
SBY - $1274

Google Flights Example
https://www.google.com/travel/flight...TduSkuNScrqZE8




The two deals I posted last week
AA - SJC to PTY - $898 - Business
AA - SFO to LIM - $1223 R/T - Business

cruser1

Forgot to mention. Some of these itineraries can be found for slightly less, but the "flight" between the point of origin and PHL is actually a bus ride operated by The Landline Company. I'm guessing you'll still get your airline miles and tier points from those "flights", but I don't really know.

The example itinerary below is slightly cheaper than the one I posted above, but you can see the last "flight" is actually a bus ride.

cruser1

Here's an example itinerary from EWR to LAX with a connection in Miami in both directions and a lie flat seat on a Boeing 777 on the outbound trip and the return trip.

dkc192

Keep in mind that for most if not all of the year, LAX-CUN on AA is Saturday-only service.

cruser1

Correct!

Looks like you only have to worry about the bus from ABE, ACY, and LNS - https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...e/landline.jsp

I'm guessing that the EWR routing with a connection in Miami on the 777 is going to be the most popular option, so I took a look at the lowest fare each week from the beginning of Sept to the end of schedule and I'll post them below to assist in searching for dates that work. This is only for MIA-LAX connections operated by a 777 - you might find cheaper dates if you don't care what type of plane is flown between MIA and LAX.

EWR-MIA-LAX-CUN-LAX-MIA-EWR

$1342 - Aug 31 - Sept 9
$1342 - Sept 1 - Sept 9
$1401 - Sept 7 - Sept 16
$1401 - Sept 14 - Sept 23
$1342 - Sept 21 - Sept 30
$1401 - Sept 28 - Oct 7
$1342 - Oct 5 - Oct 14
$1283 - Oct 12 - Oct 21
$1430 - Oct 19 - Oct 28
$1489 - Oct 26 - Nov 4
$1489 - Nov 2 - Nov 11
$1577 - Nov 10 - Nov 18
$2347 - Nov 16 - Nov 25
$1577 - Nov 24 - Dec 2
$1607 - Nov 30 - Dec 9
$2071 - Dec 7 - Dec 16
$2101 - Dec 14 - Dec 23
$2221 - Dec 21 - Dec 31
$1757 - Dec 26 - Jan 6
$2071 - Jan 4 - Jan 13
$1607 - Jan 11 - Jan 20
$1577 - Jan 18 - Jan 27
$1577 - Jan 25 - Feb 3
$1577 - Jan 26 - Feb 3
$1577 - Feb 1 - Feb 10
$1577 - Feb 8 - Feb 17
$1577 - Feb 9 - Feb 17
$2591 - Feb 15 - Feb 24
$8710 - Feb 22 - Feb 28

SourSweetTea

Looks like these are all sell-up fares.

Brandinho1

cruser1 for mayor!!!

cruser1

Hahaha!

lovefly88

Any idea how many miles the ewr-Mia-lax-Cun and reverse would earn for a base member? Includes FL access?

cruser1

​​​​​​
The R fare class on AA earns 150% mileage - https://www.britishairways.com/en-us...-avios/flights

In the screenshot above it says that route is 11078 miles so you would earn 16617 Avios.

hamburglar

That some great detailed work you have here.

cruser1

Thank you!

lovefly88

Thanks

TrayflowInUK

Nice work and thanks for the commentary and research!

denkigroove

It seems there is the need of a one week in CUN bcs of LAX-CUN vv is only Saturday or is there a possibility for a shorter layover there?