Tight connection in BTR?
 

The Platinum rep I just spoke to wouldn't book me on this flight because there isn't enough time in BTR -

#2564 - Charlotte (CLT) Depart 4:35 pm to Baton Rouge (BTR) Arrive 5:47 pm
#2565 - Baton Rouge (BTR) Depart 6:15 pm to Charlotte (CLT) Arrive 9:17 pm

But it looks like I can book on Expedia (which would mean I couldn't use my USAir credit, but ...)

I saw somebody mention that this is probably the same plane - any way to find out for sure?

One would assume its the same plane because USAir only services BTR from CLT. But I would call the Plat desk to confirm this.

I'm tempted on the PHX-CLT-MBJ-PHX flight, though I probably would take a night in MBJ rather than returning the same day. The airport map on MBJ's website does show a "transit lounge", so you may not have to go through passport/customs if connecting.

Got it, don't care, sticking with UA status.

Though if I win the lottery I might fly LAX-PHX-DCA-BOS-PBG to move up a level in one fell swoop :D

Absolutely. (LGA start for same isn't bad either). DCA is OK if you do RT, but not OW. Cheap on 7/17 and 7/31, too. This weekend has e-saver. I'm doing a OW via shuttle as I live in the west. BOS was cheaper but I don't think I'd make it there in time - full flights inbound in the AM.

BTR overnight: Microtel, Hilton Garden Inn, Spring Hill Suites 1 mile from airport together by Burger King just south of I-10 interchange (or Supreme Motel $55 at 1/2 mile on road out). For Microtel, use THEIR website, not Wyndham Rewards, and enter "67243" in corp code box for ABN rate (abnsave.com/wyndham) for $62.38. HGI and SHS are higher, but you can throw points at them.

UPDATE 7/11: I just got back from BTR: Beware that right now that the hotel vans stopped at 11pm, and you arrive at 11:30pm. Only Crowne Plaza/Holiday Inn van from downtown was there (for crew?), and 1 taxi. Taxi cost is about $6.40 or $6.80. (HGI gal was friendly and almost picked me up in her own car when she got off at midnight - ended up sharing a taxi). I told the SHS night manager about the new CLT-BTR flight that started 6/24, and suggested that the van run 1 hour later until midnight - and she will bring it up with her general manager - there is hope, and you can help by letting them know that it is needed - They were not aware of the new flight. In the morning, the SHS van starts at 6am, (not sure for HGI), and Microtel starts at 7am. Microtel was willing to pay for taxi back to airport, however. Your flight back BTR-CLT is at 7:25am, however. There are only 4 A gates (CO, DL) and 4 B gates (US Airways) at BTR.

You should also be aware that LSU and Southern U. will cause hotel demand when school starts, and on weekends with home football games (taken very seriously, and you may have to rent a car to find a hotel down the road on those weekends).
LSU starts Mon 8/23; orientation before that. In-town LSU football: 9/18, 9/25, and 10/2 - plan accordingly on 1-night on either side of game.
Southern U: Onsite registration 8/13-14, classes start 8/17. For sports: 9/18, 10/2, and 10/9 home football.

I found one good deal from DCA to PVR for $544 ai, but you have to stay there minimum 2 days Friday-Sunday. Average hotel price at PVR is around $100.

DCA-CLT
CLT-PVR

PVR-PHX
PHX-PHL
PHL-DCA

Will this itinerary qualify for 4/h/j/s ?

Avp Hop skip jump
 

I've booked avp - clt - btr... Btr-clt-dca-lga for $309 in August...Hopefully I'm understanding it correctly and this is 4 credits.

Amy

For those around CLT, i found CAE-CLT-BTR on a Fri night + overnight + BTR-CLT-MLB-CLT-CAE on Sat = 4 points (east, west, BTR, MLB) for $504.20 all in.

(CAE is only 1.5 hour drive from CLT on the weekend)

Thanks for this routing. I was looking at something to PVR from ORD when I was there the first week-end in August but this would be better with no overnights in PVR. Looking at the routing though, the first flight out of MLB is only allowing a 40 minute connection time - arriving from CLT at 1:00 and departing at 1:40. There is a later flight that leaves at 7 and gets back to CAE at 11:30. That would probably be the best alternative in doing this, yes?

Ok tell me if this is a good deal... I think I found a 4 pointer from SYR for next sunday. SYR-DCA-BOS-PBG-BOS-LAS-PHX. all-in for 538 on orbitz.

(syr-dca: East hop)
(dca-bos: shuttle)
(bos-pbg: new route)
(pbg-bos: nothing)
(bos-las: west jump)
(las-phx:nothing)

I've been doing sample 4 point routing from SYR and am having a real tough time coming up with under 538. Does someone with more flight route experience think this is a good deal, or mebbe can point me to a better one?

How are you getting back to SYR?

Can you do something like SYR-LGA-DCA-CLT-BTR-CLT-SYR?

SYR-LGA = East Hop
LGA-DCA = Shuttle Skip
DCA-CLT = Nothing
CLT-BTR = New Route Jump, West Hop
BTR-CLT-SYR = Nothing

A similary Itinerary out of BUF is pricing out at about $420 in August.

Thanks for the heads up Sabre. Ya, I just priced that out, and it comes to around 500 in mid august, typical inflated prices out of SYR. I actually have to go to phx either this week or next, so thought i'd might as well go for a 4 pointer on the way out, just wanted to see if anyone had figured out a cheaper route to do that, but for 538 it just maybe worth it.

DFW
 

Haven't heard too much regarding Texas-based itineraries. How about DFW-PHL-BOS-PBG-BOS-DCA-DFW? $330 in August. 2 hops (PHL-East/DFW-West), 1 skip (BOS-DCA shuttle), 1 jump (new route BOS-PBG) = 4, correct?

Anyone in the dca area want to do either dca-clt-btr-clt-bos-dca (350) or bwi-clt-btr-clt-bos-dca (320) with me? Pm me haha

looks like a great find! ^ Just outta curiosity what site are you using to price out your itinerary? it's so tedious just going throught the calander or even using the flexible date option on kayak its becoming a pain....

Also for those in the know.... (and this may have been answered, but i'm not skimming through 17 pages) I'm doing the trail silver promo (which i had silver status before this current promo) so the question is if I reach the 15000 mile threshold which would give me gold with the trial promo, and if I had 4-7 h/s/j with this promo, would I be PP, or is it one or the other :confused:

Wish I could take credit for being smart, but I simply put "DFW-PBG" (since we know PBG is one of the new "jump" destinations) in US Air's website. All I did was tinker with some August dates and pick the lowest fares. Needed to travel Thursday-Saturday. AUS wouldn't work because most eastbound AUS connections appear to be through CLT, which messes up the shuttle skip. Now...what is there to do is Plattsburgh?

Good to hear. Happy hopping! (and skipping and jumping) :)

From Plattsburgh you can rent a car and see Lake Placid and the Adirondacks, take the ferry over to Vermont, or take a short drive up to Montreal. All very worthwhile weekend trips IMO.

You took the words out of my mouth. Sararac Lake is even prettier and there is a Saranac Brewery too. On the way stop by Attica Prison and Danemora Prison for the Criminally Insane. (don't drive up past the warden's house though, you might get arrested)

The ferry from Plattsburg goes to Burlington, home of Green Mountain Coffee and Ben and Jerry's nearby.

What about 8?
 

I love the ideas flowing for 4 hops/skips/jumps... as a Gold, I want to get 8 and go for CP... any good tips?

PHL-based, and will cover E/W with regular travel, so that hits 2 already...

I'm thinking it will involve PBG (LGA-BOS-PBG looks pretty good and picks up 2 more)
Likely involve PVR (PHL-PVR via CLT is $450ish ai) and picks up 2 more

Any other good ones to get another 2?

Fly down to MLB then over to BTR and back home. That would give you 2 new route jumps.

I'm booked, 4 HSJ points in one day. Two tickets:

DCA-CLT-BTR (three points -- East region, West region, New Route)

BTR-CLT-LGA-DCA (one point -- Shuttle)

(needed two because the turnaround @ BTR wasn't legal on a single itinerary, same aircraft notwithstanding)

I should also be able to speed up the return by standing by on earlier CLT-LGA and LGA-DCA sectors, assuming things are generally on time. This promo is a fantastic deal for existing Plats.

twj

Considering the status bumps from DEQM and this promo, it would be nice for US to reward those earning CP with straight BIS miles. Haha I know.

Actually I'm just glad not to have to spend the effort figuring this one out. I give you all a lot of credit.

i don´t know if this helps, but you can book out of ORD in evening, overnight in CLT, get the morning CLT-PVR and then catch a late afternoon PVR-PHX-ORD, and get in just before midnight. Total time 30 hours, and you sleep in CLT

I booked the later flight, but will try to get put on the 1:40 once I land at MLB. I fully expect them to be using the same plane for both flights, and its not a heavy route (unless its packed with people on this challenge!)

How long are they running the PHX-MBJ route for? I know it's seasonal but when do they consider the end of the season?

It was supposed to end in April, but I think they made it year-round! It isn't daily however, but I think Tue/Thur/Sat/Sun.

-Kinglobjaw

Anything for us poor Midwest folks? Can't go out of the country.:(

LNK,OMA,MCI on weekends. Just looking for 4 hits.

Thanks,

Dracs

PHX to MBJ flies Sat/Sun/Mon; MBJ to PHX flies Fri/Sat/Sun.

Looking at their online schedule, it looks like it only operates through 8/16.

Folks, There are some mileage specials for Bonus Miles (PVR (and SJD), YHZ and MLB) and Double Preferred Qualifying Miles (PBG) out there.
See my post #51 here:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/us-ai...l#post14277738

G3FF - 1500 miles for next flight after registration.
PLAT - double preferred qualifying miles FROM PBG to BOS(or beyond) round trip - Have to start in PBG and go r/t. (new mkt)
YH10 - Halifax (via PHL) 1000 bonus miles (new mkt) - once
MB10 - CLT to MLB r/t 1000 bonus miles (new mkt) - once
MX10 - 5000 F and 2500 Y bonus miles for CLT-PVR (new mkt) or CLT-SJD (Los Cabos) for r/t.

See dates and registration links / details in my post.

That works.
Others:
1. Drive to BTR, and then fly BTR-CLT-DCA/LGA-BOS for $220 one-way (or via DCA/BOS to LGA for $321 one way). To go to DCA via BOS or LGA must be a round-trip to get a good fare. 4 points.
====
2. DFW-CLT-MLB overnight-MLB-CLT-PVR-overnight (unless you can coax a same-day 57-minute return - looks like fare rule wants a Saturday night stay) - PVR-PHX-DFW (or on to CLT and back again). 5 points.
3. DFW-CLT-SJU is pretty cheap. 3 points, but might be a good combo with #2 above for the total of 8.

Suggest you look at 7/31-8/2 or weekend of 9/11. I note some markets have fares that drop after Labor Day.

Hmm.... looks like the only time I can do this would be 7/22-7/23 LAS-CLT-MBJ-PHX-LAS. Unfortunately, like everyone on this thread, I am worried about the connection time, checking back in, clearing customs etc... in MBJ to catch the PHX flight back. Heck.... between that and if the CLT-MBJ flight will be on time.

Has anyone booked this routing with the close connection time yet? Also, is it possible to checkin online for an international itinerary like this? Or do I have to check in with a T\A? I wonder if their is a transit lounge and I could use that instead of having to clear customs and immigration?

Are there any other easy 4 point trips out there? I like the one above because it can be done in one shot, albeit it's a close call. Ideally I would like to do the above and then another 4 point one if possible to try and make Chairman.

You don't know how many times (you probably do, since you've been posting as much as I have about it) I've wanted to pull the lever on this trip, but I haven't. I have all the same issues, all the connections, transit status, etc. and after reviewing, I'm still not sure.

Unfortunately, all my business travel has dried up so whatever I do will have to be in one shot with maximum h/s/j values, since anything outside of a seamless itinerary is just miles for me. But, I'm game...

I did actually book for 7/23-7/25 for PHX-CLT-MBJ-PHX, with a night at a hotel.

Are you going to pull the trigger and role the dice on this one? What dates are you looking at?

How much are you into it all for? Did you book it as a package via USAirways Vacations?

MBJ customs and immigration
 

I've seen lots of postings around trying to do a quick same day turn at MBJ in less than 2 hours. I have gone through MBJ many times in the last few years, and it has almost always taken over an hour to clear customs and immigration. So, for those who are looking to make it work in about 90 minutes to catch your return, I salute you. I think we are going to see alot of postings, though, from FTers who tried this and missed their returns. Just my 2 cents. :p

Anyone scout out trips from CT
 

Has anyone checked out any cheap (and quick) 4 point trips from BDL. This is my only hope of hitting CP this year. Looks like I could drive to either NY or BOS, but kind of a pain. Hoping to find something from BDL. I can pretty easily get East and West through regular biz travel.

The flights are $513.28, plus $108 for the hotel (Toby's Resort, seems to get good reviews on TripAdvisor).

US Airways vacations are for a minimum of two nights, so that didn't work. If you wanted to stay two nights, the cheapest for one person is $769 (air and hotel).

I think the question about just connecting at MBJ is if you have to go through customs, etc., or if you can just stay in a transit area.

I'm in Richmond, but I might go for that. Is it pretty wide open on dates? I have alot of travel backed up through early August.

I'm already planning on a quick turn from RIC to PVR for 4, but your suggestion would get me 2 more (and only leave me 2 away from CP). From GP to CP for under $1k would be nice, but I'd love to get it cheaper. ;)