Author Topic: Help a Drago out (Family trip w/ miles) (Read 6932 times)

Drago · « **Reply #20 on:** September 30, 2014, 09:32:15 AM »

So I had intially booked the outbound to Hawaii thinking that this way I would save on the mileage cost.
But I've thought about it, and realized that this likely isn't too much of a savings.

As of now, I'll still have to fly KOA - LAX, and then LAX-CLE. Unless I can find direct on AA and use BA miles (I can't find that so far), then I'll still have to pay a standard Hawaii to USA rate, and then the 12.5k domestic rate to get back to Cleveland.

If I fly first to LAX, stop there for the wedding, and then do Hawaii and then go to CLE, then I'll need to pay the standard USA-Hawaii RT rate, which while more expensive than my current option, would at least afford me more routing options and would keep the flying better spaced out.

Thoughts?

(Also, is there anyway I could somehow use AS miles to do KOA - LAX - close to Cleveland, and book it with a one-way rate?)

Drago · « **Reply #21 on:** September 30, 2014, 01:06:04 PM »

So it looks like my wife has been scared off by the routing

Now I've gotta decide whether to just do LAX and hit up Yosemite and other nearby parks, or fly somewhere else nearby.

Ah well, I'll have to hold off on Hawaii until I find a mistake fare out of TLV.
Or until LY starts their direct flight to OGG.

Drago · « **Reply #22 on:** October 01, 2014, 04:38:56 PM »

So I'm down to 2 options.

1) Keep my current routing (TLV-LAX-SEA-KOA), and hope that either
A) I can snag direct tickets on the LAX-KOA flight on AA metal (unlikely in the summer)
B) My wife changes her mind and the possibility of crashing at a hotel for 5 hours makes the trip more reasonable

If the decision is not to go to KOA, I can just pick up my bags in LAX and head over to Yosemite.

2) Go to Asia using 30k AA miles, spend a week, and continue to to LAX. I put 5 HKG-LAX J tickets (55k per) on hold for the time being to help with this options.

Right now, option 1 is looking the most likely.

AJK · « **Reply #23 on:** October 01, 2014, 04:48:35 PM »

Option 2 sounds better to me.

Marco Polo · « **Reply #24 on:** October 01, 2014, 04:51:24 PM »

Quote from: Drago on October 01, 2014, 04:38:56 PM

So I'm down to 2 options.

1) Keep my current routing (TLV-LAX-SEA-KOA), and hope that either
A) I can snag direct tickets on the LAX-KOA flight on AA metal (unlikely in the summer)
B) My wife changes her mind and the possibility of crashing at a hotel for 5 hours makes the trip more reasonable

If the decision is not to go to KOA, I can just pick up my bags in LAX and head over to Yosemite.

2) Go to Asia using 30k AA miles, spend a week, and continue to to LAX. I put 5 HKG-LAX J tickets (55k per) on hold for the time being to help with this options.

Right now, option 1 is looking the most likely.

Voting for Asia as well. Plus the break in flying will be nice.

Drago · « **Reply #25 on:** October 01, 2014, 04:57:12 PM »

Quote from: AJK on October 01, 2014, 04:48:35 PM

Option 2 sounds better to me.

I agree in theory, but w/ some caveats.
1) Only 1 week in Asia
2) Paying a bunch more AA miles than was hoping for
3) WIll have been in Asia a few months prior.

Marco Polo · « **Reply #26 on:** October 01, 2014, 05:03:58 PM »

Quote from: Drago on October 01, 2014, 04:57:12 PM

I agree in theory, but w/ some caveats.
1) Only 1 week in Asia Not that bad, especially if in one location for a week.
2) Paying a bunch more AA miles than was hoping for
3) WIll have been in Asia a few months prior.

Drago · « **Reply #27 on:** October 01, 2014, 05:10:41 PM »

Quote from: Marco Polo on October 01, 2014, 05:03:58 PM

Good point.
This would completely exhaust my AA stock, btw 30k * 2 * 5 for SGN, and (30k + 55k) * 5
May have to schnorr a few miles from family.

Marco Polo · « **Reply #28 on:** October 01, 2014, 09:16:13 PM »

Quote from: Drago on October 01, 2014, 05:10:41 PM

Good point.
This would completely exhaust my AA stock, btw 30k * 2 * 5 for SGN, and (30k + 55k) * 5
May have to schnorr a few miles from family.

Isn't that what the game is about. Miles are not really worth much collecting dust in your account. Now when you are in LA, you will have some work to do to replenish your AA account.

Drago · « **Reply #29 on:** October 01, 2014, 10:45:45 PM »

Quote from: Marco Polo on October 01, 2014, 09:16:13 PM

Isn't that what the game is about. Miles are not really worth much collecting dust in your account. Now when you are in LA, you will have some work to do to replenish your AA account.

MS? All of my AA CC's will likely be closed by then

ChaimMoskowitz · « **Reply #30 on:** October 02, 2014, 07:12:19 AM »

Quote from: Drago on October 01, 2014, 10:45:45 PM

MS? All of my AA CC's will likely be closed by then

Most of the time it is cheaper to MS with a 5x card then use the proceeds to purchase the miles/points you need.

Drago · « **Reply #31 on:** October 02, 2014, 07:33:27 AM »

Quote from: ChaimMoskowitz on October 02, 2014, 07:12:19 AM

Most of the time it is cheaper to MS with a 5x card then use the proceeds to purchase the miles/points you need.

I'm in Israel. Ain't too much MS that I'm doing these days, not do I plan on driving myself crazy in the little time I'll have visiting.
Did it last year pesach time, and it was hectic and annoying.

Drago · « **Reply #32 on:** October 02, 2014, 07:37:48 AM »

Quote from: Drago on October 01, 2014, 05:10:41 PM

Good point.
This would completely exhaust my AA stock, btw 30k * 2 * 5 for SGN, and (30k + 55k) * 5
May have to schnorr a few miles from family.

So I'm still waffling and running out of time.
On one hand, I'd love to experience CX J long haul, and I'm sure Asia would be great.
On the other hand:
A) Late July in rainy season in many of the typical vacation spots.
B) I've been wanting to do Yosemite for a long time now.
C) I'll be in Asia a few months beforehand.
D) Traveling w/ kids definitely complicates matters. Whether it's Y or J. Need to limit the connections, length of stopovers, etc.

It's a real shame that I'm wasting all time trying to figure things out in the week b/f yom kippur.

HolyNyc · « **Reply #33 on:** October 02, 2014, 07:57:16 AM »

Do you have the option to leave your kids in las Angeles and continue with your wife to Hawaii?

Drago · « **Reply #34 on:** October 02, 2014, 08:14:32 AM »

Quote from: HolyNyc on October 02, 2014, 07:57:16 AM

Do you have the option to leave your kids in las Angeles and continue with your wife to Hawaii?

unfortunately not

AJK · « **Reply #35 on:** October 02, 2014, 10:20:50 AM »

Quote from: Drago on October 02, 2014, 07:37:48 AM

So I'm still waffling and running out of time.
On one hand, I'd love to experience CX J long haul, and I'm sure Asia would be great.
On the other hand:
A) Late July in rainy season in many of the typical vacation spots.
B) I've been wanting to do Yosemite for a long time now.
C) I'll be in Asia a few months beforehand.
D) Traveling w/ kids definitely complicates matters. Whether it's Y or J. Need to limit the connections, length of stopovers, etc.

It's a real shame that I'm wasting all time trying to figure things out in the week b/f yom kippur.

Implicit in your post, at least to me, is that you want to do Hawaii and not Asia. So just make it work.

Drago · « **Reply #36 on:** October 02, 2014, 11:22:15 AM »

Quote from: AJK on October 02, 2014, 10:20:50 AM

Implicit in your post, at least to me, is that you want to do Hawaii and not Asia. So just make it work.

Great advice. I'm getting distracted by trying to maximize the LY and CX flights, but in truth it's just too much. It's ironic coming from me, a person who has always thought it was silly to allow the flight quality to 100% dictate the destination.

So it looks like we'll keep this, and if s/t direct opens up, then we'll switch.
And worst case, Yosemite and Lake Tahoe, isn't exactly the pits.

AJK · « **Reply #37 on:** October 02, 2014, 11:35:45 AM »

Precisely. You'll have a great time either way.

Drago · « **Reply #38 on:** October 02, 2014, 11:42:02 AM »

Quote from: AJK on October 02, 2014, 11:35:45 AM

Precisely. You'll have a great time either way.

And it may save me just enough miles to sneak out one last time with my girlfriend on either RJ/QR/Etihad.
Thanks, I feel a lot less stressed out.

Drago · « **Reply #39 on:** October 03, 2014, 03:26:39 AM »

So I ticketed TLV-KOA, and we'll decide about doing KOA when time gets closer.

And I put on hold TLV-HAN instead of TLV-SGN. It seems like the south is great with the beaches, but similar to what we've seen in Thailand, while the north has some amazing unique activities.