AA KUP/YUP challenge

[Gold Member]

My friend is travelling to the US and I've convinced her that QF SG is worthwhile, so she's keen on flying KUP/YUP fares to hit 700 SCs. I've spent a couple of hours looking up various permutations of flights to/from Anchorage and nermous Caribbean islands and the best I could come up with was ~620 status credits From Seattle to Grand Cayman and then back to DC at a total cost of $1,600 USD which is ~ $2.8 per SC. (She could take a direct economy fare with AA codeshare on Alaska airlines from SAN to SEA to commence status run).

Conditions are:
- Must depart SAN April 5
- 4-5 days up her sleeve to get to DC via intermediary destination(s)
- doesn't mind where she goes for the status run... but would prefer a location with 4* Priceline hotels/resorts if possible
- Ok to overnight at airport if necessary (but would need to add ~$50 for PL hotel accom to total price of status run)
- Prefer Reagan (DCA) over Dulles (IAD)

Anyone have any better suggestions to hit 700 SCs at about $1,500 or cheaper?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

head over to FT... BA forum... there is currently active discussion on 'known tier point runs for less than £1.25'. I believe ba tier poi ts are more or less awarded in the same bands as qf scs (but do check before purchase!!)

 

[openseat]

LAS seems to be the best departure point on the west coast at the moment. LAS - SJU has some good routings (eg. LAS-LAX-JFK-MIA-SJU) The LAX JFK even books into first on a three class plane but it has to be overnight (but that saves on accommodation costs).
So perhaps your friend could use points to fly to LAS or book a cheap flight, and use LAS as the departure point for the KUP.

 

[serfty]

SAN is not the cheapest place to start/end, the same can be said for WAS.

5th Apr: 2:50pm: SAN-(S)-xLAX-(P)-LAS for USD580 earns 70 SC's.
5th Apr: 2:50pm: SAN-(V)-xLAX-(V)-LAS for USD173 earns 20 SC's.

5th Apr: 6:30pm: LAS-(A)-xLAX-(A)-xJFK-(I)-SJU for USD540 earns 300 SC's

7th/8th: 8:30am: SJU-(I)-xMIA-(A)-xJFK-(Y)-BWI for USD512 earns 170 SC's.
7th/8th: 8:30am: SJU-(I)-xMIA-(A)-BWI for USD512 earns 150 SC's.

That's not enough!

 

[Gold Member]

I've found something but its still above $1500. These flight combinations were available on all dates I check around early April. And thanks for your input guys, didn't know LAS was the current flavour for YUPs... Serfty, I think I may have found another cheap origination point for YUPs - MSY! BWI pretty cheap too.

LAS-MIA-ORD-SJU: 300 SC and $539 USD inc taxes. (ORD-MIA credits as 1200+ miles in QF system despite AA stating otherwise)
SJU-MIA-DFW-MSY: 210 SC and $574 USD inc taxes.
MSY-DFW-BWI: 180 SC and $472 USD inc taxes.

TOTAL of 690 SC and $1585 USD inc taxes. $2.29 per SC. She then just needs an AA positioning flight from SAN to LAS ($72 via LAX in Q class - 20 SCs more), and a train connection from BWI to DC (Amtrak has fares from $11!!).

Can anyone do any better?

BTW, my searching has shown that AA have reduced the flight routing combinations within mainland America to 3 segments almost universally (though I found some with 4 but stupidly priced or included 1 or 2 economy flights). 4 segments are available only with connection to far out places like Anchorage, Hawaii, Caribbean, Bermuda etc. They used to offer 4, and sometimes I've even seen 5 segments in the View All Results a year or two ago. These were kick cough status runs but have since dried up. I wonder if QF cottoned onto these status runs and kindly asked AA to limit available segments in the interests of their FFP.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I've found something but its still above $1500. These flight combinations were available on all dates I check around early April. And thanks for your input guys, didn't know LAS was the current flavour for YUPs... Serfty, I think I may have found another cheap origination point for YUPs - MSY! BWI pretty cheap too.

LAS-MIA-ORD-SJU: 300 SC and $539 USD inc taxes. (ORD-MIA credits as 1200+ miles in QF system despite AA stating otherwise)
SJU-MIA-DFW-MSY: 210 SC and $574 USD inc taxes.
MSY-DFW-BWI: 180 SC and $472 USD inc taxes.

TOTAL of 690 SC and $1585 USD inc taxes. $2.29 per SC. She then just needs an AA positioning flight from SAN to LAS ($72 via LAX in Q class - 20 SCs more), and a train connection from BWI to DC (Amtrak has fares from $11!!).

Can anyone do any better?

BTW, my searching has shown that AA have reduced the flight routing combinations within mainland America to 3 segments almost universally (though I found some with 4 but stupidly priced or included 1 or 2 economy flights). 4 segments are available only with connection to far out places like Anchorage, Hawaii, Caribbean, Bermuda etc. They used to offer 4, and sometimes I've even seen 5 segments in the View All Results a year or two ago. These were kick cough status runs but have since dried up. I wonder if QF cottoned onto these status runs and kindly asked AA to limit available segments in the interests of their FFP.

some good finds there on the yups.

I would doubt qf would have asked to limit segments... it would be in aa's own interest to limit the nu ber of segments... a few years back a friend flew IAH-DFW-ORD-LAX-LAS on a yup for USD239.

I cannot see how AA made anything off that!!

 

[TheInsider]

A basic breakdown of the cheapest milage runs.

Discounted First Class and Flyer Talk Fares

 

[Reggie]

Hi I'm looking at;

"AA263 WASHINGTON/DULLES INTL to LOS ANGELES/INTL"

There is a fare for around US$1041 called Instant Upgrade, is this one of the YUP / KUP fares?

 

[Blackadder]

Yep that would be the YUP.