Need to spend $3k to requalify for 1K. Best way for an infrequent J flyer?
Oct 9, 2018, 9:54 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
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Need to spend $3k to requalify for 1K. Best way for an infrequent J flyer?
Before people start asking if it’s worth it or not, to me it is.
I’m going to be about $2600 PQD short of requalifying for 1K. I just got a new job that will have lots of travel, but nothing until next calendar year.
The only long haul J I have flown has been AA, but I’m back on the star alliance team for now. I’ve always wanted to try it out, so just wondering what everyone thinks is the best bang for the buck. I want to experience as much as I can on United and perhaps some other *A.
Im based in Detroit, but know there’s a lot of good fares ex-YYZ. Some quick searching end of December had $2900 open jaw fares YYZ to NRT (lots of options) back to DTW or GRR. I could route via EWR on the way out and back via ORD (on UA or NH), that would let me try the Polaris lounge at both locations (if UA way back) and fly the real polaris product EWR-NRT.
I also have two GPUs, so maybe it’s worth trying to fly on LH or ANA and upgrade into first. I’ve always wanted to try Austrian in J as well, maybe Swiss. Maybe through YYZ on the way out for their special lounge? I want to be able to experience just as much when not flying too.
So I guess what I’m really trying to say, is what do you think the best experience I can buy in J for $3,000? I’m not looking for the simplest or easiest - I want to experience as much as I can, as I don’t usually get the opportunity to do. I’d be looking for probably no more then 36 hours in my destination, probably right before Christmas. Thoughts?
I’m going to be about $2600 PQD short of requalifying for 1K. I just got a new job that will have lots of travel, but nothing until next calendar year.
The only long haul J I have flown has been AA, but I’m back on the star alliance team for now. I’ve always wanted to try it out, so just wondering what everyone thinks is the best bang for the buck. I want to experience as much as I can on United and perhaps some other *A.
Im based in Detroit, but know there’s a lot of good fares ex-YYZ. Some quick searching end of December had $2900 open jaw fares YYZ to NRT (lots of options) back to DTW or GRR. I could route via EWR on the way out and back via ORD (on UA or NH), that would let me try the Polaris lounge at both locations (if UA way back) and fly the real polaris product EWR-NRT.
I also have two GPUs, so maybe it’s worth trying to fly on LH or ANA and upgrade into first. I’ve always wanted to try Austrian in J as well, maybe Swiss. Maybe through YYZ on the way out for their special lounge? I want to be able to experience just as much when not flying too.
So I guess what I’m really trying to say, is what do you think the best experience I can buy in J for $3,000? I’m not looking for the simplest or easiest - I want to experience as much as I can, as I don’t usually get the opportunity to do. I’d be looking for probably no more then 36 hours in my destination, probably right before Christmas. Thoughts?
Oct 9, 2018, 10:06 pm
#2
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: Chicago
Posts: 1,161
I noticed really cheap J fares from ORD to Bucharest (~$4,200 r/t) in Nov routing through Munich and Vienna. Some were on UA metal, some were LH or OS. You might finagle a stop in MUC or VIE and take in their Xmas ambience? Use google flights as search engine, then link into UA.com.
Oct 9, 2018, 10:26 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: SFO
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Posts: 3,300
San Francisco & London, J is $2600ish
Toronto & Singapore, about the same.
Check out premium fare deal thread for more:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premium-fare-deals-740/
If you add on the ORD-YYZ or ORD-SFO, you should hit your $3k...
Toronto & Singapore, about the same.
Check out premium fare deal thread for more:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premium-fare-deals-740/
If you add on the ORD-YYZ or ORD-SFO, you should hit your $3k...
Oct 9, 2018, 11:17 pm
#4
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I like your NRT itinerary, with the NH / UA 77W combo plus Polaris lounges. If you want to do Europe instead, there's often an EWR-FRA fare available in the $2700 range.
You mean the 180 day advance purchase LHR fare . . . not sure that will work for OP
Agree with the Premium Fares forum suggestion.
You mean the 180 day advance purchase LHR fare . . . not sure that will work for OP
Agree with the Premium Fares forum suggestion.
Last edited by Kacee; Oct 9, 2018 at 11:37 pm
Oct 9, 2018, 11:58 pm
#5
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It's extremely unlikely that you could find a GPU-able business class fare on LH or ANA within your budget, now that UA has closed the P-fare loophole (LH P fares were very briefly GPU-able).
Oct 10, 2018, 7:04 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: DTW/MBS
Programs: UA 1K, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, Formerly Starbucks Gold
Posts: 3,525
I noticed really cheap J fares from ORD to Bucharest (~$4,200 r/t) in Nov routing through Munich and Vienna. Some were on UA metal, some were LH or OS. You might finagle a stop in MUC or VIE and take in their Xmas ambience? Use google flights as search engine, then link into UA.com.
San Francisco & London, J is $2600ish
Toronto & Singapore, about the same.
Check out premium fare deal thread for more:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premium-fare-deals-740/
If you add on the ORD-YYZ or ORD-SFO, you should hit your $3k...
Toronto & Singapore, about the same.
Check out premium fare deal thread for more:
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/premium-fare-deals-740/
If you add on the ORD-YYZ or ORD-SFO, you should hit your $3k...
Price itself isn't the issue, but rather how can I make the most of my time at the airport and in the air. So let me rephrase my questions - and snarky responses aside - what is the best experience you can possibly get on a (I'll focus on UA) itinerary. Is it the real polaris product on the 777-300, and one of the Polaris lounges? Flying something like EWR-LAX-xxx and trying the transcon product and then another business leg?
Oct 10, 2018, 7:39 am
#8
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: NYC (Primarily EWR)
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Posts: 9,005
The new Polaris seat is on the 77W. If you want to make the most of the UA lounge experience, I would do EWR-SFO-Int’l destination and back. This would allow you to use the Polaris lounges in both EWR and SFO. Same thing if you decide to route via ORD, but ORD won’t have any guaranteed routes with the new seat, whereas SFO has many routes using the 77W.
Oct 10, 2018, 8:32 am
#10
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Oct 10, 2018, 8:35 am
#11
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That said, the SSL is fantastic.
Oct 10, 2018, 8:46 am
#12
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I assume you are referring to the Signature Suite at YYZ. Given entry requirement for SSL requires PAID J (no upgrades) ticket on Air Canada long-haul INTL flights only, it may be hard to plate the ticket on 016, which you would need for PQD purposes.
That said, the SSL is fantastic.
That said, the SSL is fantastic.
So maybe I just focus more on YYZ-EWR-NRT and then whatever back. It's looking like I don't have as many options as I thought I might at first.
Oct 10, 2018, 9:07 am
#13
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You're right, I don't see much on AC for the TPAC legs (unless I go AC both ways, which would be an issue plating on 016). IS that JV related? Does UA or ANA have to fly the TPAC leg?
So maybe I just focus more on YYZ-EWR-NRT and then whatever back. It's looking like I don't have as many options as I thought I might at first.
So maybe I just focus more on YYZ-EWR-NRT and then whatever back. It's looking like I don't have as many options as I thought I might at first.
YYZ-EWR-NRT seems like a respectable trip to me. You'll get the Polaris lounge outbound and the NH lounge back. Those are among my favourites worldwide. If you wrestle with the routing, you may be able to tack on a leg to China to extend the trip and have the connection experience in Japan, but that would only be worth the effort if you're comfortable navigating China visa rules (and China itself!).
Oct 10, 2018, 9:24 am
#14
Join Date: Dec 2014
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I’ve found if you want / need to do a TPAC in J adding a leg through SIN really reduces to $$$$. In Nov I found (in bis-F) a DTW - EWR - NRT - SIN - NRT - SFO or EWR - DTW for 3.4K. It’s over your requirements but it is 77W and 787 for the long haul legs. You get your choices on Polaris lounges in both directions and the NH lounge in NRT.
Oct 10, 2018, 9:40 am
#15
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YYZ-SIN is dirt cheap right now (won't even get you enough PQD), although not sure the routing offhand when it comes to a diversity of products. I have a soft spot for the LH 744s (in preference to the 748s) but that's mostly an upper deck thing.