AA Platinum Challenge - Tips

[NM]

Anyone got a good suggestion for a Millage run for a DONE4? I want to reap as much as I can first time around so it makes requalifying easier.

My recommendation is to cover the continents in this order:

SWP-Europe-NA-Asia-SWP.

This works particularly well for using the MEL/SYD-LHR flight as the challenge completion sector and hence earning 100% bonus on the longest sector. If already Plat, then you can do a two-flight between SWP and Europe so long as the stop in Asia (will be SIN, HKG, NRT, BOM or BKK) is a transit without stopover. That way you can leave your Asia continent until returning to SWP from North America. That maximises the mileage earning opportunity.

If travelling in the Northern summer, you can cough DFW-ANC-DFW into the mix for some good miles. Also some opportunities into the Carribean. In Europe, the common mileage run turnaround include DXB, IST and CAI. But you are limited to only two long European flights to/from London.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Here is a sample long DONE4 routing possible in northern summer.

SYD-LHR-KRT-LHR-MCT-LHR-SFO-ORD-ANC-DFW-JFK-SJD-JFK-HKG-KHI-HKG-AKL-ADL-PER-MEL-BNE

It can be improved.

 

[NM]

Here is a sample long DONE4 routing possible in northern summer.

SYD-LHR-KRT-LHR-MCT-LHR-SFO-ORD-ANC-DFW-JFK-SJD-JFK-HKG-KHI-HKG-AKL-ADL-PER-MEL-BNE

It can be improved.

And that would be enough to earn EXP .

 

[serfty]

Here is a sample long DONE4 routing possible in northern summer.

SYD-LHR-KRT-LHR-MCT-LHR-SFO-ORD-ANC-DFW-JFK-SJD-JFK-HKG-KHI-HKG-AKL-ADL-PER-MEL-BNE

It can be improved.

I think you meant SJO rather than SJD ... Still a good route at over 68,400 miles.

 

[serfty]

And that would be enough to earn EXP .

... with over 102600 AA QMiles ... and nearly 137000 AA Miles (Or 2 years QF WP renewal in our dis'enhanced' indiginous program)

 

[NM]

Or 2 years QF WP renewal ...

or AA EXP and QF WP (renewal) .

 

[Wubba]

I will be travelling on a business class round the world ticket in late September/October on the following routing:

SYD-LAX (Qantas) LAX-BOS(Qantas) BOS-YYZ (AA) YYZ-LHR (BA) LHR-EDI (BA) EDI -LHR (BA) LHR-HKG (CP) HKG-SYD (CP)

This obviously allows me to qualify for the Platinum challenge (I think!), but is that a correct assumption?

 

[Dave Noble]

I will be travelling on a business class round the world ticket in late September/October on the following routing:

SYD-LAX (Qantas) LAX-BOS(Qantas) BOS-YYZ (AA) YYZ-LHR (BA) LHR-EDI (BA) EDI -LHR (BA) LHR-HKG (CP) HKG-SYD (CP)

This obviously allows me to qualify for the Platinum challenge (I think!), but is that a correct assumption?

The SYD-LAX will complete the challenge. I would change the LAX-BOS to the AA flight number for some extra miles since if booked on QF it will be in D class and earn 25% class of service bonus whilst on AA ( assuming a 2 class aircraft ) it will be in A class and earn 50% class of service bonus

I suggest that you might be on CX ( Cathay Pacific ) for LHR-HKG-SYD

Also, do consider adding some domestic Australia sectors at the end to make more use of the ticket

Dave

 

[kelix]

SYD-LHR-KRT-LHR-MCT-LHR-SFO-ORD-ANC-DFW-JFK-SJD-JFK-HKG-KHI-HKG-AKL-ADL-PER-MEL-BNE

This will get me QF WP if done on a DONE4? hrmm....

 

[Dave Noble]

SYD-LHR-KRT-LHR-MCT-LHR-SFO-ORD-ANC-DFW-JFK-SJD-JFK-HKG-KHI-HKG-AKL-ADL-PER-MEL-BNE

This will get me QF WP if done on a DONE4? hrmm....

If credited to AA, it would get Executive Platinum status too which might be better to have. I am not sure about the validity of the routing though since I think that KRT is in Africa and MCT is in "europe"

Dave

 

[Wubba]

Many thanks Dave - I'll amend my booking!

And of course, you are correct - it is CX - oops, I'll get it right one day.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I think you meant SJO rather than SJD ... Still a good route at over 68,400 miles.

No I mean SJD Los Cabos, Mexico. It is a new route and JFK-SJD is not on the list of trans-continentals.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I would change the LAX-BOS to the AA flight number for some extra miles since if booked on QF it will be in D class and earn 25% class of service bonus whilst on AA ( assuming a 2 class aircraft ) it will be in A class and earn 50% class of service bonus

LAX-BOS is indeed 2 class. I'm flying that in October.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

If credited to AA, it would get Executive Platinum status too which might be better to have. I am not sure about the validity of the routing though since I think that KRT is in Africa and MCT is in "europe"

Dave

Sudan is one of the north Africa countries considered part of europe for the purposes of xONEx (wonderful geography that!), and furthermore is not on the list of restricted long intra-europe flights from UK (of which can only have 1 from UK and 1 to UK), thus allowing KRT on the same itinerary as MCT (or DXB or ...).

 

[Dave Noble]

Sudan is one of the north Africa countries considered part of europe for the purposes of xONEx (wonderful geography that!), and furthermore is not on the list of restricted long intra-europe flights from UK (of which can only have 1 from UK and 1 to UK), thus allowing KRT on the same itinerary as MCT (or DXB or ...).

Fair enough. Wonder if anyone at OW has actually looked at a map of the world to identify which countries are in which continents

Dave

 

[serfty]

No I mean SJD Los Cabos, Mexico. It is a new route and JFK-SJD is not on the list of trans-continentals.

Hmm ... what dates are you looking at?

Yesterday I did dummy bookings on AA.com for random dates in September and November and only retrieved 2 sector routes, gernally via DFW.

Today, I used AA.com's Multi-Day search utility, ordering by number of stops and it still only is returning journies each way of two sectors or more.

I've had a bash at Expertflyer and it only returns 2 sector flights for AA. There are a very few CO, DL , HP & US(codeshared on HP) flights.

The amadeus.net Availability does not return any oneWORLD non-stops.

 

[NM]

Fair enough. Wonder if anyone at OW has actually looked at a map of the world to identify which countries are in which continents

Dave

I think they made a definite decision to make it they the way they have due to the lack of OneWorld flights within Africa and the only realistic way to get to some of the North Africa locations being to/from Europe.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

Hmm ... what dates are you looking at?

Starts December 16. Note it only operates on Saturdays.

 

[Kiwi Flyer]

I think they made a definite decision to make it they the way they have due to the lack of OneWorld flights within Africa and the only realistic way to get to some of the North Africa locations being to/from Europe.

I don't know for sure, but that's what I think too.

 

[raccoon111]

Completed my Plat Challenge on 10 July, and I finally got my new card in the mail today (08 August).

The whole kit looked a little "budget" though. The welcome letter was printed inside the first page of the booklet, and the card attached to the inside of the rear cover. I was expecting luggage tags as well, but alas there were none... hmm. I did like how they personalised it by printing your name on the cover of the guide book though.

Anyhows, glad I'm finally AA Plat. Special thanks to Dave Noble and all the other knowledgeable forummers! Cheers