USA Status Run

[chrisbris]

Hi All,

I know there is so much knowledge on here about YUPP fares etc so thought I would use this new forum to get some help and of course happy to offer the recommended gratuity to someone who helps me with a great status run.

Happy to get a private message with responses etc as I know some of the YUPP fare info is closely guarded

Since the status match to Virgin I have flown Virgin and AirNZ nearly exclusively and been really happy. But with a new job that is primarily flying Qantas and 4 x international economy trips in Qantas next year I think it would be great to get back to gold (or dare I say Platinum).

So onto the challenge – I have 3 / 4 days free in the USA to do status runs. I arrive into LAX at 1945 on Sunday 9 September and then need to be in DFW by midday on 12 September. The arrival date is flexible – could be LAX on the 8[SUP]th[/SUP]. Budget around $1500. Status Credit year just renewed so will be at 0.

So I’m looking for the best status credit run over those dates!

Thanks!

 

[Must...Fly!]

Start in Vegas.

9th Sept LAS-LAX-DFW-RDU-MIA-SJU
1 night in Puerto Rico
10th Sept SJU-MIA-RDU-DFW-LAX-LAS

All legs book in First except MIA-SJU-MIA - these are in I (Business).

420SC O/W
840SC R/T for 762USD.

Now it's the 11th which means you can't do it all again unfortunately, so you'll probably have to turn domestic.

LAS-LAX-DEN is 150SC for $275.

BUT if you can get in on the 7th it would be best.
8th LAS-SJU
9th SJU-LAS
10th LAS-SJU
11th SJU-DFW

For SJU-DFW you can do SJU-MIA-MCO-DFW for 210SC, arrives at 3:55pm - too late if you MUST be in DFW by 12pm on the 12th.

But if you could stretch it to get in that late on the 12th or get in on the 7th...

8 Sept LAS-LAX-DFW-RDU-MIA-SJU 420SC $381
9 Sept SJU-MIA-RDU-DFW-LAX-LAS 840SC $381
10 Sept LAS-LAX-DFW-RDU-MIA-SJU 1260SC $381
11 Sept SJU-MIA-MCO-DFW 1470SC $361 <-- WP!

Total cost: 1505USD and 1470SC!

Now I've done all that...if only I had enough money to get stateside and do this!!

 

[chrisbris]

Thanks Must...Fly! Looks like a great earning idea.

How long does that routing take? I can't find it on the AA website...

 

[Must...Fly!]

Looks like I made a slight error...You actually have to depart LAS at 7:35pm the day before you arrive in SJU - arrive in LAX and do the red-eye to DFW, then on to RDU, MIA and SJU (arr 8:35pm). But you can do the return trip in a single day, however you don't arrive back in LAS until 9:50pm which is too late to do the entire run again

However...you can do the run departing almost straight away again from LAS, but with a different routing.

Run 1
8 Sept: LAS-LAX-DFW-RDU-MIA-SJU 420SC $381
10 Sept: SJU-MIA-RDU-DFW-LAX-LAS 420SC $381

But it means you need to be in LAS for a 7:35pm departure and really can't do it again, unless you take an alternate routing to SJU for round #2 (LAS-ORD-MIA-SJU) and even then you don't get in to DFW in time.

Perhaps you should do one round of the SJU and return run and take the 840SC for gold, and see if someone can inform of a good domestic run to do on the 11th?

 

[chrisbris]

Cheers Must...Fly!

I appreciate your help! How do I go about booking this? I can't find more then 2 connections on the AA site?

Can you message me your details so I can send you the recommended gratuity.

Cheers

 

[Must...Fly!]

Booking is relatively easy, but a little challenging as well.

You must book through the AA.com US website, as the AU version does not sell the cheap F fares.

Go to aa.com (make sure you are on the USA site and keep the country of residence as USA).

Choose a multi city itinerary and put in the following;
Flight 1 LAS-DFW (day 1, evening)
Flight 2 DFW-RDU (day 2, morning)
Flight 3 RDU-SJU (day 2, all day)
Flight 4 SJU-RDU (day 3, morning)
Flight 5 RDU-DFW (day 3, afternoon)
Flight 6 DFW-LAS (day 3, 6pm)

Search by schedule and show 20 results.
Select "First/Premium with restrictions"

Choose the following flight #'s
Flight 1: 781 and 700
Flight 2: 300
Flight 3: 805 and 1267
Flight 4: 1714 and 1004
Flight 5: 383
Flight 6: 2473 and 1198

Then press next, don't bother logging in. Should price out to ~US$673 and all will book in to class "A" or "P" with the exception of the MIA-SJU-MIA legs which will book in to business "I"

Put in all your details + QFF number.

On the payment screen is where it gets interesting. AA don't sell the instant upgrade (i.e. cheap first seats) on their Australian site, and don't allow Australians to book on the US site. But there is a treasure island adjacent to LAX that will assist.
Put your postal address in address lines 1 and 2 in the format as below
42 wallaby way
sydney, australia, 2000

City as "El Segundo" and State as California. ZIP code for El Segundo is 90245.

Then all *should* be sweet!

 

[pagingjoan]

I've followed these posts with great interest for a while but never had the flexibility in travel times to allow any sort of SR in the US. A small window of opportunity has just arisen but, from what I've read, I understand that it is the non-US segments that make the price/SC so attractive.

In this case, it is unlikely to be possible to travel outside the US for this segment of the trip.

I have attempted to follow the general advice from Must....Fly!, which has led to the brilliant outcome posted above, but can't replicate anything even remotely comparable, keeping to domestic US routes.

Will be travelling with +1 (who won't contemplate a convoluted SR), and will be starting in BOS. Need to be in SEA, then back to NYC. WAS has its attractions. Otherwise, no Must Do locations. Time will not be a problem as there is a window of around two weeks. Sufficient SCs to make it to the magic 3600 mark would be fun - but the gap will not be great by that stage, so value for money is probably the real issue on this first trial run. Travel is in August.

Any tips/clues/starters would be most gratefully received.

 

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