Author Topic: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread  (Read 442940 times)

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1540 on: October 19, 2015, 09:05:19 PM »
HA to finally retrofit their A330s with lie flat business.

... Too bad it will be 2-2-2 config.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1541 on: October 19, 2015, 09:08:35 PM »
HA to finally retrofit their A330s with lie flat business.

... Too bad it will be 2-2-2 config.
Still the best option to HI though, at least for most people.

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1542 on: October 19, 2015, 09:11:18 PM »
It meets the competition, whereas once they're spending money, they should have just gone reverse herringbone. And, if the hard product competition you're meeting is United, that's an altogether worse problem.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1543 on: October 19, 2015, 09:18:35 PM »
It meets the competition, whereas once they're spending money, they should have just gone reverse herringbone. And, if the hard product competition you're meeting is United, that's an altogether worse problem.
I agree, they should have gone with reverse herringbone, but even so they're still the only ones flying any lie flat to HI from the west coast and other cities.

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1544 on: October 27, 2015, 03:26:33 PM »
Haven't read the whole thing, but something doesn't add up...

http://www.businessinsider.com/man-gets-60000-emirates-airlines-flight-with-frequent-flyer-miles-loophole-2015-10

Quote
Travel blogger Sam Huang recently cashed in his Alaska Airlines frequent-flyer miles for a $60,000 trip around the world, and luckily he took plenty of pictures documenting what it was like.

"Unlimited Dom Perignon, wild caviar, and a shower spa while flying 40,000 feet in the air — it's no wonder the Emirates First Class Suite is consistently named one of the best airline seats in the world," Huang writes over at his travel blog, TopMiles.

Huang's trip spanned 11 cities, seven countries, and five continents, and he managed to pay only $300 for the journey — in addition to cashing in his frequent-flyer miles — by taking advantage of a clever loophole when booking the trip. After checking with the airline, Business Insider can confirm that the booking was legitimate.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline ilherman

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1545 on: October 27, 2015, 03:56:23 PM »
What's the problem? He had lots of AS miles and he bookedvia KE. JFK-DXB is 21k. Is it not possible to visit 5temple continents with AS award routing rules when booking EK?

BTW, Johannesburg to JFK via DXB is just $3,200 in F!
You can say what you think when you think what you say.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1546 on: October 27, 2015, 04:00:49 PM »
What's the problem? He had lots of AS miles and he bookedvia KE. JFK-DXB is 21k. Is it not possible to visit 5temple continents with AS award routing rules when booking EK?

BTW, Johannesburg to JFK via DXB is just $3,200 in F!
Now that's a bargain!

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1547 on: October 27, 2015, 04:04:26 PM »
What's the problem? He had lots of AS miles and he bookedvia KE. JFK-DXB is 21k. Is it not possible to visit 5temple continents with AS award routing rules when booking EK?

BTW, Johannesburg to JFK via DXB is just $3,200 in F!
Says he booked with AS. Not officially possible.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline a mirrer

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1548 on: October 28, 2015, 09:07:19 AM »
Says he booked with AS. Not officially possible.
online you can route sin-nyc through melbourne so he most probably did that and then called to change the flights to his routing

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1549 on: November 02, 2015, 03:28:00 PM »
Two disconnected calls, three hours of research, four hours on the phone with Delta, five reservation agents, deleting legs, ticketing, adding the legs back, and then reticketing right as the window to book this type of ticket closes forever, and it's done.

All in business except for the first JFK-LAX leg.

4 days in BOB and 7 days in MEL.



As I look more closely at this trip, I think it may be a lot of travel for 12 days.

As it stands currently, I'd be spending 3 days in BOB (after a schedule change), and then ~5 days split up somewhat between SYD/MEL (I lose nearly a day in AKL).

Now I'm thinking I do this instead:



I'd get the same 3 days in BOB, but I'd make the destination AKL instead of SYD/MEL. Doing this cuts out a leg, gives me another half a day, gives me an opportunity to do the North Island of AKL and saves the OZ trip for a completely separate trip.

Thoughts?
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1550 on: November 02, 2015, 03:50:35 PM »
Makes sense to me. Trying to cram MEL and SYD together in less 1 weeks is crazy. Better to do AKL properly and save MEL/SYD for another time.

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1551 on: November 02, 2015, 03:55:44 PM »
Makes sense to me. Trying to cram MEL and SYD together in less 1 weeks is crazy. Better to do AKL properly and save MEL/SYD for another time.

That's what I'm thinking. But I was going to just do MEL from Weds-Sun, spend one night in SYD and then leave.

I wasn't going to actually try to "do" SYD on this trip.

Does that change your opinion?
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1552 on: November 02, 2015, 04:00:37 PM »
That's what I'm thinking. But I was going to just do MEL from Weds-Sun, spend one night in SYD and then leave.

I wasn't going to actually try to "do" SYD on this trip.

Does that change your opinion?
Yes. We did MEL from Thu-Mon, which I thought was perfect for us. We did the GOR in 1 day and did not go to the Gampians. If you wanted to do the GOR in 2 days and visit the NP, you'd technically have enough time, but wouldn't have time for much else.

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1553 on: November 04, 2015, 11:03:06 PM »
Two disconnected calls, three hours of research, four hours on the phone with Delta, five reservation agents, deleting legs, ticketing, adding the legs back, and then reticketing right as the window to book this type of ticket closes forever, and it's done.

All in business except for the first JFK-LAX leg.

4 days in BOB and 7 days in MEL.



After three schedule changes, four reissues (just today), some HUCA, some sob story, and some snake oil sales, I've extended my trip to add 2 more actual days in BOB, upgraded the first leg JFK-LAX on DL from Y to lie-flat J (even though it was only peak award; had a supervisor agree to override), got rebooked in revenue J, and changed the MEL-SYD segment to allow me a night in the PH SYD.

Thus marks my finest (and most difficult) award booking yet.

Yes. We did MEL from Thu-Mon, which I thought was perfect for us. We did the GOR in 1 day and did not go to the Gampians. If you wanted to do the GOR in 2 days and visit the NP, you'd technically have enough time, but wouldn't have time for much else.

Yup, that's what we've planned. GOR and Grampians + Shabbas in MEL or PH, then a day in SYD.
« Last Edit: November 04, 2015, 11:12:00 PM by AJK »
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1554 on: November 04, 2015, 11:08:35 PM »
Wow!! Looks awesome! I'm slightly jealous that I've never had an award schedule change of more than 5 minutes, and nothing that would allow me to make any changes like this at al! Way to go!

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1555 on: November 04, 2015, 11:11:13 PM »
Wow!! Looks awesome! I'm slightly jealous that I've never had an award schedule change of more than 5 minutes, and nothing that would allow me to make any changes like this at al! Way to go!

Thanks; if you'll see from the OP, I booked this trip almost 11 months ago. That's eons in airline scheduling with LOTS to go wrong and be changed. The earlier you book, the more chance you have. (Reminds me for some reason of the the time value of money with pricing options...)
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1556 on: November 04, 2015, 11:25:31 PM »
Thanks; if you'll see from the OP, I booked this trip almost 11 months ago. That's eons in airline scheduling with LOTS to go wrong and be changed. The earlier you book, the more chance you have. (Reminds me for some reason of the the time value of money with pricing options...)
I booked my current Asia trip in May, 8 months out. I booked the last two Europe trips we took 6 and 8 months out also, yet nothing doing for me. Is 11 months out really better than 8?

Offline AJK

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1557 on: November 04, 2015, 11:29:22 PM »
I booked my current Asia trip in May, 8 months out. I booked the last two Europe trips we took 6 and 8 months out also, yet nothing doing for me. Is 11 months out really better than 8?

How many airlines and segments does the PNR contain? In this case, I had 7 segments and DL, TN, VA originally. After the first schedule change, it became DL, AF, TN, VA. Four airlines and seven segments = possible total mayhem.
2015: 116K bkd | 1.6M brnd | F: OZ,NH,AA,EK | J: UA,CA,TK,DL,TN,AF,VA | LIH,NRT,ROR,PEK,CNS,BOB,MEL,TLV & Pacific Hopper

Offline Ergel

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1558 on: November 04, 2015, 11:32:08 PM »
Where is the only relevant comment by Dan in this thread. Can someone quote it for me
Life isn't about checking the boxes. Nobody cares.

Offline Yehoshua

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Re: AJK's Trip/Route Planning Thread
« Reply #1559 on: November 04, 2015, 11:34:53 PM »
How many airlines and segments does the PNR contain? In this case, I had 7 segments and DL, TN, VA originally. After the first schedule change, it became DL, AF, TN, VA. Four airlines and seven segments = possible total mayhem.
Not nearly that many. Of the 3 separate PNRs I have, the most complicated has CX and JL, that's it. The others (SQ and CA) are stand alone.