How about LAS-PHX-CLT-MBJ-PHX-LAS in 22 hours for $451 all in? I found it on Aug 14-15 (Sat/Sun), probably other weekends as well. No sense driving when it's cheaper from LAS :P

Of course, this also has the transiting issue that is under discussion.

Just spoke with Chairman's desk to determine what the minimum valid international connection time in MBJ is. Turns out it is only 1 hour, which seems pretty short. According to the US supervisor, if a customs delay caused you to mis-connect, then US is not contractually obligated to assist. However, in practice, US would likely do what they could to accommodate a CP on the next flight to PHX (the next day). Obviously you'd be on your own for hotel AND there is a possibility they could get you back to PHX by sending you back through CLT, which would blow your jump.

Hmmmm... Decisions, decisions...

Awesome! Thanks for the heads up.

That's my biggest fear - rather than accommodate me the next day, they'll put me on the same day flight via CLT or PHL, both departing in the 14:00 hour. I'm only GP, and I'm sure MBJ is contracted staff? So I'd have to call for best service and I might not be as fortunate as a CP.

I have to be in FLL for a weekend in August. So far I've played around with the following that I think will get me 4 points.

Aug 6
BUF-LGA (NA East HOP)
LGA-DCA (Shuttle SKIP)
DCA-CLT-BTR (NA West HOP, Route JUMP)
BTR-CLT-FLL

Aug 9
FLL-CLT-BUF

All in about $551 via Orbitz. Higher than I'd like, but finding a 4th point while not venturing too far off from the East Coast is a PITA. Anyone have other ideas?

Easy. $412,70 AI on Expedia. Same Day, Aug 3:

BUF>CLT>BTR>CLT>DCA>LGA>BUF

BUF>CLT>BTR = 3: East, West, & New Route
DCA>LGA = shuttle

Thanks, along the same line of thought as I was thinking and posted just before you!

Only difference is I'm going to try and build it around a necessary trip to FLL Aug 6-9.

Speaking of which, the turn around in BTR is only 28 minutes. Is that doable and a legal connection or would it have to be ticketed separately?

You guys are too 'hardcore' for me ;) We are doing the MBJ routing over a weekend - nothing like a couple days to relax with drink-in-hand at the beach!

Having recently been there, the arrival immigration time is not a problem, since there's a good chance you'll be sitting up front, and be one of the first out of the a/c - but if you have to re-clear on the return, the wait time for that line is highly variable. I wonder if you could do an airside transit?

Expedia appeared willing to ticket, and I presume it's the same CRJ doing a quick turn, but I don't know BTR and whether you deplane directly into the terminal or if you're forced to de-plane to some sort of shuttle bus, which could complicate life a bit. So, it's a good point to consider.

Sad thing is, the LAS-MBJ round trip on a lot of days is $295 before taxes/fees, but you pay a premium for the CLT stop.

I've been trying to figure that out. It's a relatively small airport and doesn't look like passengers are funneled directly to immigration. Just need someone who has been there to confirm but I think it may be possible to do airside in which case I'll book immediately. :)

Me, I would just call them and find out (http://www.mbjairport.com/English/Custom.aspx), however, if past experience is any guide, I found nearly all of the officials to be needing a serious dose of customer-service training, so YMMV.

I can not seem to find any dates available for the above routing other then Aug 14-15. Unfortunately, I am out of the country from Aug 6-21. But if I can swing the above routing or even a LAS-PHX-PVR-CLT-LAS for less then $500, t hat would be perfect!

Best bet from SYR?
 

I'm in the same boat. Being in SYR leaves alot to be desired in terms of finding cheap airfare for this deal. I also have an upcoming trip to phx this week or next week which if i could include it in a 4 pointer (ending in phx) that would rock! Any help getting the biggest bang for my buck would be appreciated.

Yea, tried that. Got transferred a bunch with no resolution, and told to call airline which of course isn't necessarily going to know better than the airport staff.

So I went to Air Jamaica's website. You can book a flight FLL-JFK with a 1 hour connection in MBJ. Looking positive, still need confirmation. So I called Air Jamaica (800-523-5585) to ask the same question about airside connections but every time I pick an option to speak to someone I get disconnected.

Anyone else want to give this a shot?

Interesting promo...

As a platinum with 0 EQM this year (and last - Platinum status via AmEx) I just need a 4 point routing out of DCA to be Chairmans for 16 months now? Potentially 3-4 flights....

Anyone figured out the cheapest routing from DCA?

Another heads up from the FAQ, MSP is considered 'West' region. So MSP-PHL is 2 "hits"/"credits". Move over Grand Slam 2011, I'll take my "hits" with this.

I have confirmed with another supervisor and she read rules to me word for word. A 2010 CP that earns 4 or more "hits" will be CP to March 2012. As soon as I heard that I ticketed to PVR for under $300 r/t w/ a $50 E-TUV. ORD-PHX-PVR-CLT-ORD for 2 nights does indeed earn 4 "hits"- I checked that out as well.

Another suggestion to some folks living near MLB/BTR or PBG. You can get four hits for PBG-BOS-DCA-CLT-MLB/BTR. Yes, it is one fare. 1st hit for PBG-BOS new route, then 2nd hit for Shuttle, 3rd hit for East and CLT-MLB/BTR is a 4th hit for new route.

One of the most creative promotions out there!

-Kinglobjaw

Play around with dates for DCA-CLT-PVR-PHX-DCA will work. You'll have to spend at least a night in PVR.

good stuff - thanks Matt
I'm based out of Boston, too, and a Gold Preferred

This would bump me to Plat Preferred right away!

sweet, since I'm in Scottsdale now and didn't get upgraded on either leg of BOS-PHX

have you figured out how to get to CP yet?

Based on some previous poster, I found a BOS-CLT-BTR-CLT-BOS for $298...departure time is a little tough @ 6:50am and the return time is 12:15am the following day

but, I'll get Plat Preferred out of it....woo hoo!

That's only 3. 2 hops and 1 jump.

question about CP benefits
 

New question! (Though maybe I should start a new thread for this one. Oh well, it is related.)

I'm Platinum now, so the bump will put me to CP. Hooray! Does anybody know at what point the electronic upgrades to Envoy become available to a new CP? Would you get them immediately, or would that benefit not be available until the new calendar year? I asked the Platinum Preferred desk, they said the upgrades would be available immediately, but I'm not sure I trust the PP desk to give me a correct answer about CP! :-)

The answer to this question will impact whether or not I try really hard to get 4 points before a planned, but not yet booked, trip to Europe. It would be really nice if I could use those e-upgrades on a trip to Europe this year!

what day are you traveling?
finding it hard to match your rate

I can't seem to understand the point of this program. Maybe it is to get people to fly the shuttle or their failing new routes, but who, other than crazy mileage run flyer talkers would understand how to do this?

It is yet another dilution of USair preferred status, and why today, completely aware of this promotion, I booked on united. Soon you'll just be able to buy your status, and then being a "frequent" flyer will mean nothing.

The Plat Desk rep is correct; your CP upgrade certs are in your account (you can't see them online, but the CP Desk can) when your new CP status shows up online.

These immediate certs are a courtesy to a new CP in the middle of the program year. Use 'em or lose 'em, 'cause they expire Feb 2011 (but you can use them for flights after February). On March 1, 2011, a new set of certs is deposited electonically to your account for use during the 2011 program year ending Feb 2012.

At any one time, a CP can have only a set of these certs; they do not rollover into the following year.

So if I'm reading this right one could fly:

BDA-CLT (Caribbean, East)
CLT-YOW (Canada, New Route)

...and get a bump in status? It's $212++

Granted, you have to have a way to BDA and YOW, which I do....

You already can. For just under $4000 you can buy from scratch all the way to CP. Though even if bought today it's only valid through Feb 28, 2011. It was a little more palatable when it was $10 grand and extremely few people would be tempted. Buying status is a waste, you don't get the miles.

No. It's not actually US East and US West, it's North America East & West. YOW is obviously east, so your example is only 3 hits, not 4.

Good catch....there has to be something similarly cheap that then adds in a shuttle perhaps...

BDA-DCA-BOS-PHL-YHZ perhaps?

Thinking about this...BOS-DCA-CLT-BTR-CLT-BOS...would be 4, correct?

What day is everybody going to be in BTR? Maybe we could meet up for our 28 minutes there ;)

And as I can attest thanks to the old paper certs (not to be confused with these new electronic ones), nothing beats paying a cheap fare and then upgrading to C, since you no longer need a minimum $ value. ^

I am on hold with CP desk...trying to get confirmation. Maybe you guys can enlighten me before the CP angel comes back?

PHL-ANC (new route & east hop)
ANC-PHX-PHL (two hops for east and west)

So that would give me a total of 4...

Is this right? Help?

Looks like 3 to me (you can't have >1 hop for each area)

EDIT: you could do something like ANC-PHX-BOS-LGA-PHL and get the skip

Thanks to both Kudzu and Alphaguy for this information!

You know, this promotion is certainly going to get me to travel more than I had otherwise planned! Looks like I'll be making a quick trip to Jamaica this summer in addition to Europe this fall! A bit more money than I intended to spend, but I am super excited! ... And now I'll certainly have to do Europe next year too. Don't want those certs to go to waste! :D

Ooooooohhhh...yessss! That is what I'll do. You are my hero. My poor brain simply cannot wrap itself around this. Oh, the CP desk confirmed this as well...after being on hold and spending over 30 minutes on the phone...

Europe is always fun, and Envoy gets you there in comfort, but don't forget there's also Envoy service to GIG/TLV where these certs can be used for you and your companion; also (though no Envoy service) upgrades to Hawaii.

Hope you have a good time in faraway places :)

Great info kidzu. Just so i understand. I´m almost a C.P. with B.I.S. miles. When I get my C.P. i get the electonic upgrades on my account. I have to use the ones from this year by Feb 28/11, meaning that I have to buy the tickets by then. So on Feb 28/11, I can book the tickets for summer of 2011, and electronically upgrade them to F. Then on March 1/11, I will receive another set which I can use before Feb 28/12. Is this what you are saying??

Yes. A problem occurs when there's no upgrade availability on the flights you select in advance....and you're close to the Feb 28 expiration date of those certs. There's no waitlisting. In such a case, you'd just have to try to be flexible with travel dates and get your upgrades confirmed for you + companion at time of booking on or before Feb 28.

yeah it is. i take the MDT flights all the time and its significantly cheaper to fly from MDT to LAX with a layover in PHL then to go from PHL to LAX (even on the non stops).

I have friends that drive to the MDT airport to fly out of because its $300+ less sometimes.

CLT is a pretty common stop for me if its not PHL so I'm trying to figure out how to get there without buying a direct ticket because of the price... might have to "accidentally" miss a connecting flight