Gelato run

[FlyinCajun]

Yes, I want to go to Italy and eat as much gelato that a human can withstand.
Here's the particulars:

1. What route are you looking for? We live in Los Angeles, the destination is Florence. I think we'll have to go thru Milan.
2. What dates do you want to travel (mention how flexible you are)? We are booked for the Palio July 1, 2, & 3 in Siena and need to look for a spread of 10 to 12 days.
3. Do you want to fly first, business, or coach? (maybe also "are you willing to fly coach for a positioning flight") Business Class at the least, please, especially for the very long leg(s). Yes, we would be willing to fly coach for a positioning flight.
4. How many passengers? 2
5. How many points do you have, in which programs? Here's the fun part. American - 200k, Avios - 80k, URpoints 160k, Luftansa, 57k, Delta 70k.

Ready! Set! Go!

 

[pillow25]

Some things to think about:

1. Are you willing to accept alternate forms of transportation within Italy? Like can you land in Rome and take the train to Florence?

2. Nonstop only? Or how many stops are willing to tolerate?

3. Is Milan simply a layover or a place you actually want to stop and visit?

 

[FlyinCajun]

Some things to think about:

1. Are you willing to accept alternate forms of transportation within Italy? Like can you land in Rome and take the train to Florence? Trains aren't a problem, Rome is a bit far but not out of the question. This is why we were thinking Milan.

2. Nonstop only? Or how many stops are willing to tolerate? Again, this is why we were thinking Milan. I found that we could get there via ORD, JFK or MIA and not have to deal with LHR(heavy taxes). Also, we could consider AirBerlin, there are smallish planes that fly from Dusseldorf to Florence. We'd like to keep the stops to a couple if possible.

3. Is Milan simply a layover or a place you actually want to stop and visit? We've been to Milan, it's fine for a day or an overnight to catch an early flight out.

Thanks!

 

[MickiSue]

FWIW, our first trip to Italy to visit DD, we flew into Rome and took the train to Florence. Not a big deal; the train station at Fiumicino has trains running to the Rome Central Station all the time, and the train from there to Firenza can be nice. If you do fly into FCO, be sure to check the length of the trips from R to F. There are slower trains that stop at every.little.station between points a and b, and much faster ones that stop only at a couple bigger stops between. The difference between the cheapest and the next cheaper tickets is minimal, and can make a big difference in comfort, as well. Not necessary to buy the tickets in advance, there are ticket kiosks in the station, and you can use them in English, as well.

Unless you buy advance tickets for the Accademia, don't bother. We stood in line, in Oct, not a hot month for tourism, for over an hour and a half and moved a total of 10 feet. There are reproductions of the David and other sculptures in the museum in a piazza nearby. Have fun. If you have allergies, bring stuff. Firenza is OLD, and on a river; there is a LOT of mold around, and summer is peak growth season.

OTOH, it's also beautiful!

 

[FlyinCajun]

@MickiSue thank you for the advise! We've been to Tuscany before and also Rome so we know what we're getting ourselves into and how to deal with the trains and such. Yes, it's an amazing experience and the scenery is unforgettable. I'd rather we get as close to Florence as possible, this is why I'm thinking Milan as an arrival/departure city because of the time we have. As much as I love train travel I'd rather we have shorter travel times to be able to spend more time at gelato stands.

 

[smittytabb]

@MickiSue thank you for the advise! We've been to Tuscany before and also Rome so we know what we're getting ourselves into and how to deal with the trains and such. Yes, it's an amazing experience and the scenery is unforgettable. I'd rather we get as close to Florence as possible, this is why I'm thinking Milan as an arrival/departure city because of the time we have. As much as I love train travel I'd rather we have shorter travel times to be able to spend more time at gelato stands.

You are booked for the Palio di Siena? How cool! There are a lot of inexpensive fares from JFK to Milan these days to compete with an Emirates fare.

 

[FlyinCajun]

You are booked for the Palio di Siena? How cool! There are a lot of inexpensive fares from JFK to Milan these days to compete with an Emirates fare.

Yes, we have grand stand seats and hotel for 3 nights, roughly $1700. Yes, it sounds pricey but this is a bucket list trip for us and standing didn't sound as entertaining as being able to see the race itself. I need to pressure my partner to get me dates for travel so I can jump on the flights ASAP!

 

[MarkD]

Some things to think about:
Also, we could consider AirBerlin, there are smallish planes that fly from Dusseldorf to Florence. We'd like to keep the stops to a couple if possible.

This is what we did sort of. We were able to score 2 biz class tickets one-way home from Naples for 50K AA miles per person. Our actual route is NAP-DUS-MIA-LAX. The NAP-DUS leg is in economy, but the DUS-MIA leg is in Biz and MIA-LAX is in FC.

Air Berlin is not one of the premium carriers but it looks good enough to me.

 

[FlyinCajun]

This is what we did sort of. We were able to score 2 biz class tickets one-way home from Naples for 50K AA miles per person. Our actual route is NAP-DUS-MIA-LAX. The NAP-DUS leg is in economy, but the DUS-MIA leg is in Biz and MIA-LAX is in FC.

Air Berlin is not one of the premium carriers but it looks good enough to me.

Thanks @MarkD
I'm not opposed to flying Air Berlin, it looks like a comfy ride up front.

 

[FlyinCajun]

So I've broken down and contacted 3 different Award Bookings services found on FlyerTalk. Kind of interesting what I've been getting. 1 has actually shown me potential routes, I'm guessing this is what they are but I haven't figured it all out yet. The other 2 have replied to my initial email with "we're getting started expect something within 48 hours", which is later today.

Anyone have any experience with Award Bookings services, good? bad? Was it worth it? Which ones?

 

[PWMTrav]

Do I understand that you must arrive in Italy before July 1?

 

[overclocked92]

2 tickets in business with the points you have is the challenge as I see it. There is business available on American/BA but not to get there by 7/1 with 200K points. If you would take coach you have some options, what I could find in a few minutes of looking.

LAX-MUC-PSA : 6/28-6/29 30k/person on Luftansa booked through United using UR points
FCO-CLT-LAS-LAX 7/8 30K/person on American (American & US Air flights)

Let me know what you think, I can try doing some more looking.

 

[FlyinCajun]

Do I understand that you must arrive in Italy before July 1?

Yes, we have tickets for the Palio, a package deal for tours, dinner and the race all starting July 1.

 

[FlyinCajun]

2 tickets in business with the points you have is the challenge as I see it. There is business available on American/BA but not to get there by 7/1 with 200K points. If you would take coach you have some options, what I could find in a few minutes of looking.

LAX-MUC-PSA : 6/28-6/29 30k/person on Luftansa booked through United using UR points
FCO-CLT-LAS-LAX 7/8 30K/person on American (American & US Air flights)

Let me know what you think, I can try doing some more looking.

@overclocked92 - As it's my partner's 50th birthday we'd really like to have it be a little better than a coach flight. I hope you understand.

thanks!

 

[PWMTrav]

There might be some other options as I'm searching now -

6/23 I see AA space on LAX-ATL-MIA-MXP in J
7/8 I see BA space MXP-LHR-MEX-LAX in J. You'll pay BA's fees, and the MEX-LAX leg on AS. This same routing is available a couple of other days that same week.

If I were you reading this thread right now, I'd be on the phone with AA booking the above dates. The outbound especially, because that 6/23 space is ALL I'm seeing with the miles you have. The $500 or so per ticket to fly BA is reasonable enough for the time of year you're doing this. I wouldn't expect this space to last long. Two stops might not be ideal, BA YQ might not be ideal, but I just found you June/July Italy award space in business class for two people so make the most of it

I see absolutely nothing for FCO. That's the better airport for getting to FLR since you can take a direct train from FCO to Firenze SMN now. MXP won't be too bad, though - Malpensa Express to Milano Centrale, switch trains, go to Firenze SMN. From there I think you need a Regionale to get to Siena.

 

[PWMTrav]

Well OP, the outbound space on 6/23 is gone - I hope it was you that booked it and not someone else! Update the thread when you get a chance, hoping things are working out.

Also, that BA LHR-MEX flight is on a 747. Maybe I'm a travel geek, but I'd pay $500 YQ just for that.

 

[FlyinCajun]

Ok - wow - @PWMTrav THANK YOU! but I'm late.

It just seems really crazy to be flying through Mexico to get home. That makes for an amazingly long trip home.

Guess I'll just keep sniffing around.

 

[PWMTrav]

Ok - wow - @PWMTrav THANK YOU! but I'm late.

It just seems really crazy to be flying through Mexico to get home. That makes for an amazingly long trip home.

Guess I'll just keep sniffing around.

I'll be perfectly honest with you - if you see space, you should jump on it. Your itinerary is peak of peak season for US to Europe. It's a time of year that under normal circumstances everyone is looking for award space, while no one is releasing the seats thinking they'll sell them. Given what AA's been doing with capacity management since the merger, I don't see that trend loosening.

You might try an award booking service, where they can move quickly on the space once you've authorized them to do so. However, they're likely to give you the same advice, and probably also tell you that flying through MEX is pretty reasonable an option that time of year.

Keep in mind AA's generous award rules - if you have the origin and destination booked, you can keep an eye out for other routings to open and change without fees. Even on different dates. I'm not sure if that applies with a non-OW partner (Alaska), but you can check the AA website on that.

Is an award booking a nice to have for you, meaning that you'll book biz with cash to get the dates you want if you have to? Or are you counting on a biz/first award for this trip?

 

[FlyinCajun]

@PWMTrav I do appreciate your efforts very much! I was just too late to get on the outbound and need to discuss the return with my partner, he's pretty much going to say 'no thanks' to flying through Mexico, it kills him to fly from London to LA.

I've looked at Award Services, a couple of them seem to have some really good reviews on their sites and on FlyerTalk. You're right, it'll be a process of as soon as they can get me something relativly close to what we're looking for, then we'll jump on it and at least have something.

We did a trip to Peru last year using miles and simply called the airline to get the reservations done, they weren't Award Seats and it all worked out to where we spent about $300 per person on air travel. Maybe I was just lucky? The agent on the phone told me that trying to book the whole thing wouldn't probably work, she suggested doing it segment by segment. That was a surprise for me as I expected them to just book what we told them and they'd be done.

 

[FlyinCajun]

Just signed up with FlightFox Award Booking Service, they seem very reasonably priced and have gotten favorable reviews. We'll see how this goes.

 

[taxicabnumber]

Keep in mind AA's generous award rules - if you have the origin and destination booked, you can keep an eye out for other routings to open and change without fees. Even on different dates. I'm not sure if that applies with a non-OW partner (Alaska), but you can check the AA website on that.

Generally, switching OW to/from non-OW will cost you the redeposit fee (though that might not be the case if you switch non-OW --> entirely AA/US).