Do you know what booking class code this books into at that fare? (I want to check if it gets UA miles)

I can't figure this one out - how do you get 38K < 35K?

I guess maybe the same way that SYD-YVR-YYZ-EZE-YYZ-YVR-SYD = 30,808 miles is greater than 35K miles? :)

In the right fare class, it could work.

Yes, in theory it could. But the bargain fare of AUD $ 2,059 plus taxes is most unlikely to correspond to the right fare class.

My bad - I don't know what calc I did originally to get just over 35K. Even adding the SCL stop en-route between YYZ-EZE (as well as on the return) only adds another 1500. :confused:
Apologies.
Still - it's close enough that a quickie real cheap seperate side trip wouldn't fix up. ;)
Books in L class and has a seasonality March to November from memory.

as no doubt you realised, i ment more, not less, so there still no point in going for bmi then ac

You can get the required # of miles for about the amount that Al B mentioned, but starting from elsewhere.
A CMB-(...)-JFK-LAX-(...)-CMB in C will get you circa 45K miles in DC for about GBP840 (transpac segs under TG code). Now, getting to CMB cheaply is the difficult bit :)

Dunno if this helps or not, but looking at my booked fares for the year, on US Airways (US) it would cost you approximately $2600 to reach Gold (50,000 miles and *G status) or half that for Silver.

In my case, that would be four PHX-LGW (or PHX-MAN) runs @ 12,000 miles each with a few extra miles depending on routing. Add two quick PHX-LAX flights for $100 each at 1,000 miles and you're done. The PHX-LGW flights clock in at just over $.04CPM, while the LAX would run about $.10CPM.

These would be W or V fare basis - deeply discounted and not upgradeable (but counting for 100% EQM). Again, depending on routing you can squeeze a Q fare out of them (which is upgradeable).

I'm sure there is a theoretical lower minimum for status, but this is an actual example. In fact, US recently had a fluke airfare to STX from MDT that was only $78 each way in F. If you booked 9 of those you would exceed the mileage requirements for Gold and would have spent only $1404 (and all travel would be in F!!!)

Hope this helps!

Sean

Fare pulled, was a great "Premium Run" though.
 

CMB-SIN-HKG-BKK-NRT-LAX-SFO-NRT-BKK-SIN-CMB in F for $2600. Enough for AC Elite at 35,452+- miles!