Palm Springs in August is a bold choice. Do you like the surface of the sun?

 

Scrap that, managed to get it to 960 TP's for �1364.

And yes, 50 degrees it seems. I think I'll be getting another flight internally to somewhere cooler... Austin, TX?

 

Austin might be cooler, but it won't be much colder that time of year. There would be a lot more to do in Austin than in Palm Springs.

 

The Vegas casinos are about 22 or so year round�and you can always find cheap rooms.

 

Good find. It is interesting that by overnighting in HEL on the way to the US and the Y sector from PSP to PHX can marry all the segments to get the fare to pop up. The cost to switch the Y flight to an I flight is an extra $276 US. $276 is not worth the extra 20 tier points. Using DUB has a starting point sure saves on the Carrier Imposed Surcharge (over $500). Added the breakdown of the cost to use DUB vs AGP has the starting point. Again going from 960 tier points to 1080 tier posts costs you $518.80

Here is the DUB start brake down.


Here is the AGP start break down.

 

Think I have now maxed this out, 1120 TP's for �1404. Completely forgot about AS and AT being one world, so this fare works via three continents. Rules do not mention CMN but it works for transfers too.

Doing the final sector both ways, in Y, PHX-PSP-PHX is what drops the price by circa $500.00 to the GBP above.

Hint: You can do LHR-HEL-AGP-(stopover)-LHR-MAD on the return which appears to reset the transfer count - but I suspect LHR-HEL-MAD is causing problems when I run it for flight six.. Powertools work for AA/Europe on this routing. (edit: yes, for $150 you can stopover in AGP then do LHR-HEL-AGP-MAD again for an extra $56 but this results in 18 flights and nobody will book this!). 16 flight limit?

Starting in Dub is a must, but you can end in San Jose, Palm Springs or Santa Barbara it seems - and return for not a dissimilar price. You can shave �150 by ending in MAD (via AGP, BCN) or VCE (BA).

I've definitely gone over 125% MPM but it its bookable, and I assume ticket able via AA and Expedia (edit: can confirm it is bookable on AA EUR site, inspect page and view the record locator there before payment. I've now called and paid, �1502 for 1310 TP Hope they schedule change to make it onto the transcon.).

You can price it up via BA Holidays too, directly with non intuitive flights - DUB-PHX for example. Perks being distance based Avios and time to pay.

A friend has found �1364 for 1040 TP by doing a slightly different US shuffle (MIA-AUS-JFK-PHX-PSP)

 

I found the other day that LBB from PHX vice PSP priced the same. Makes me think its an artifact of the BA/AA system considering the PHX mini-hub connections to smaller stations, so perhaps Yuma, Tucson, Flagstaff, El Paso etc might be in play.

 

Out of Lubbock, Yuma, Tucson, Flagstaff, and El Paso the only obvious answer for summer travel is Flagstaff. Heck, some of those places aren't worth a visit any time of year.

 

it might be worth checking Santa Fe, and El Paso is excellent for a food stop�just saying.

 

The return flight can be also ex Mexico (MEX, PVR, MTY, OAX, etc., etc.) for mas o menos same price.

 

would love to do this one sadly cant away too long, hopefully it can be shortern