AA is devaluing its award chart on March 22, 2016 but you’ve still got a week left to take advantage of the old chart. For 40K miles you can experience two of the world’s finest first class products on the world’s largest passenger aircraft.
Etihad Airways flies its A380 featuring first class “Apartments” between Mumbai and Abu Dhabi. Qatar Airways flies its A380 between Doha and Paris. Both flights have good award space.
While not the ideal long haul routings that allow for a full-on first class experince, this is a great way to experience two first class products for what amounts to 20K AA miles per flight. How to get to India or Paris? Check on cheap business class fares ex-CMB (if you start in Paris and end in Mumbai) and low one-way fares on Norwegian Air.
How to get from Abu Dhabi to Doha? Choose Etihad over Doha for the short connecting flight so you can experience the first class lounges in both Abu Dhabi (hopefully opening in May) and in Qatar (now open). All three segments can be on a single award ticket for 40K.
Remember, both Etihad and Qatar space must be booked over the phone wtih AA. Don’t forget to ask your agent to waive the telephone booking fee.
Is this a valid routing? I tried mixing two partners (EY is not OW) on one award and was told this was not a published fare.
@Mo: It is valid routing and a published fare on QR. I’ve definitely booked this.
Wait, I was a bit confused by how to get from Doha to Abu Dhabi if flying from Mumbai. I think you mean to choose Etihad over Qatar on that short flight, using Avios i would think, right?
@Ryan, I would use Ethiad for lounge reasons and you can include everything on one 40K ticket.
RYAN you must book this as a through AAdvantage award set of flights with a EY (regional F/J) segment between AUH-DOH as part of the booking (and to use the EY F lounge). Splitting it as three separate bookings (2 AA, 1 BA) costs many more miles and $s. You should be able to find and book this as a through set of three flights.