KDS777

Fly ORD-GRU or even better IAH-GIG.

BThumme

Thoughts on this? 3,035, meets the net PQD requirements I need.

Fare rules:
YTO-TYO P PFX7WUJE
TYO-GRR P PQE0WCJ0

EWR-YYZ (express jet e145, I could do an AC 175 but I have a 400 ua voucher I could use, so it would be fine for this)
2.5 hours at EWR for Polaris Lounge
EWR-NRT - 77W

For the return, I have two options I'm interested in:

NRT-LAX - A 789
3 hours at LAX, I would probably visit the Star Alliance Lounge
LAX-IAH - A 772
2 hours in the IAH polaris Lounge
IAH-GRR - An e175

OR
NRT-SFO - I believe this is a 77W
1.5 hours in SFO, I have global entry;
SFO-IAH - 788
3 hours in IAH for polaris lounge
IAH-GRR - An E175

I can't force an NRT-SFO/LAX-EWR-GRR/DTW for the return, that would be my first choice. I see ANA also runs a midnight-5PM (-1) flight, but google flight won't show that flight unless I split up the TYO-SFO leg, and then I can't search the day before.

fumje

Of those options, I like NRT-SFO-IAH-GRR better. I think 1.5hr is fine at SFO is fine, although lounge time will be short. Never been to IAH Polaris, but it sounds on par with the others. Of a few other possible improvements in routing I considered, none worked out, so perhaps that's about the optimum.

What do you mean you 'can't search the day before' if you split TYO-SFO? I assume you are using google flights multicity to force connection points. Does it not work if you put in the full search as as YTO-TYO (out date) // NRT-SFO-EWR-GRR (all return date)?

BThumme

ANA has a flight that leaves at 1205am and arrives at 5PM the night before. With multi-city, you can't select the day before for subsequent legs (so if I wanted to force an 8 or 9pm flight "the night before"). So If I picked December 22nd for that leg, that would arrive at 5pm on the 21st. My next search item then has to be the 22nd (or later). LAX does have 1245am flights though, but I would prefer a 9 or 10pm redeye east.

fumje

Oh, right. Pesky 6 minutes!

edit add: which NH flight is this? HND-LAX? I'm not aware of a late night TYO-SFO flight.

BThumme

It was HND-LAX. I was trying to get HND-LAX(-1)-ORD/EWR-(overnight, now the same day)-GRR/DTW.

jsloan

It sounds ridiculous, but did you try searching them in the wrong order? (e.g., LAX-GRR on Day 2 followed by HND-LAX on Day 1?) I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it priced properly. (I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if it didn't, either.

fumje

Excellent idea! I had to go try it. Unfortunately, it appears that google barfs when attempting to fare a search like that.

Repooc17

Can never go wrong with Tokyo!

YYZ-EWR-NRT-SFO-IAH-GRR - PL trifecta - can you get YYZ-EWR-NRT-SFO-IAH-ORD-GRR?

Assuming on-time arrival, you can still make an abbreviated stop at PL SFO even with 1.5 hours of connection. 20-30 minutes should be sufficient with GE and Pre. Just make sure you have Pre on the boarding pass, and don't make the same mistake I did (I will try to find the relevant post).

jsloan

Well, it was worth a shot...

username

Interesting. I did run into this. I think I ended up booking it and called in within 24 hours to have an agent change that.

BThumme

I cannot. The fare rules look like I get two transfers in the US. So it can be SFO and either ORD-IAH. I could always try and squeeze in an SDC though.

Chicago is probably the Polaris lounge I would like to see the most. But the only option I saw was a 737 SFO-ORD. So given that or a 788 to IAH, along with three hours in IAH, I think that's what I would lean for.

It also looks like the return segment to GRR has to be ticketed by Oct 22nd. I don't see that requirement for YYZ. So I'll have to see if I can get some help for an early Christmas present or plan on flying back into YYZ.

docbert

A one-way ticket to pretty much any of the countries listed will work fine.

Just change your MP address to that country once you're there, and the PQD will not apply.

(OK, so it's not that simple, but still!)

BThumme

I'm only 25 minutes away from Windsor, Ontario. In fact some people from there might be able to get to DTW faster then me some days.

Thanks everyone for all the suggestions and comments.

2stepbay

Won’t help the PQD. Needs to be a United tx.