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A-List flight requirements

Clferrari
Explorer C

Hey —-

 

Was wondering if booking one way flights still count as 1 flight for A List membership. OR do they have to be round trip?

 

Thanks!

 

(need to plan the rest of my year-end flight and need at least 4 to keep my A List status

9 REPLIES 9

Re: A-List flight requirements

DancingDavidE
Aviator A
Solution

@Clferrari wrote:

Hey —-

 

Was wondering if booking one way flights still count as 1 flight for A List membership. OR do they have to be round trip?

 

Thanks!

 

(need to plan the rest of my year-end flight and need at least 4 to keep my A List status


A round trip flight counts as 2, a one-way flight counts as one by itself. 

 

I book mostly one-way tickets for myself which allows the flights to be changed/canceled easier using online self-service, the points are computed right away (don't have to wait for the return leg of the itinerary). Occasionally it helps with complex multiple-city trips.

 

Edit: ....and good luck! I'm not sure I'm going to make it on business travel myself this year, I may need to pick out a couple of fun day trips MDW to MSP or some other frequent/close/cheap routes. 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: A-List flight requirements

jmattrid
Explorer C

Does it benefit you to book a flight with a layover as opposed to nonstop? In other words, does each leg of a trip count as a flight for A-List?

Re: A-List flight requirements

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@jmattrid wrote:

Does it benefit you to book a flight with a layover as opposed to nonstop? In other words, does each leg of a trip count as a flight for A-List?


No, connecting flights all count as one trip. In order to count them as two (or more), you'd have to book separate tickets to each city. You can do this online for adding one extra destination as "multi-city" booking.

 

 

 

 

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: A-List flight requirements

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@DancingDavidE wrote:

@jmattrid wrote:

Does it benefit you to book a flight with a layover as opposed to nonstop? In other words, does each leg of a trip count as a flight for A-List?


No, connecting flights all count as one trip. In order to count them as two (or more), you'd have to book separate tickets to each city. You can do this online for adding one extra destination as "multi-city" booking.

 

 

Are you sure? My understanding is that using advanced search > multi-city will do the opposite of what is desired. For a segment to be tier-qualifying it needs an individual confirmation number, and using multi-city combines separate flights into one confirmation (like a regular connection, but unlike just booking those flights individually).

Re: A-List flight requirements

bec102896
Aviator A

@chgoflyer wrote:

@DancingDavidE wrote:

@jmattrid wrote:

Does it benefit you to book a flight with a layover as opposed to nonstop? In other words, does each leg of a trip count as a flight for A-List?


No, connecting flights all count as one trip. In order to count them as two (or more), you'd have to book separate tickets to each city. You can do this online for adding one extra destination as "multi-city" booking.

 

 

Are you sure? My understanding is that using advanced search > multi-city will do the opposite of what is desired. For a segment to be tier-qualifying it needs an individual confirmation number, and using multi-city combines separate flights into one confirmation (like a regular connection, but unlike just booking those flights individually).


I have booked multi-city (point to point is what i have heard it called) several times and I get 2 flights towards A List it's like 2 one ways on the same confirmation number. 

Re: A-List flight requirements

chgoflyer
Aviator A

@bec102896 wrote:

@chgoflyer wrote:

@DancingDavidE wrote:

@jmattrid wrote:

Does it benefit you to book a flight with a layover as opposed to nonstop? In other words, does each leg of a trip count as a flight for A-List?


No, connecting flights all count as one trip. In order to count them as two (or more), you'd have to book separate tickets to each city. You can do this online for adding one extra destination as "multi-city" booking.

 

 

Are you sure? My understanding is that using advanced search > multi-city will do the opposite of what is desired. For a segment to be tier-qualifying it needs an individual confirmation number, and using multi-city combines separate flights into one confirmation (like a regular connection, but unlike just booking those flights individually).


I have booked multi-city (point to point is what i have heard it called) several times and I get 2 flights towards A List it's like 2 one ways on the same confirmation number. 


 

Ok, good to know -- thanks for the info! Looks like this might have changed with the update to the "next generation" reservation system in 2017 (I've read multiple reports of it not working this way, but they're all older).

 

I'm wondering how the system distinguishes a custom-built connection from a "regular" one?

Re: A-List flight requirements

bec102896
Aviator A

As @DancingDavidE said one way flights and RT flights count as long as you paid for the ticket points flights won't count towards earning A List 

 

if your going to be short a couple legs I recommend trying to book a day trip during a sale I know last year they did a big sale in October plus they have the $69 sale on now and book to a Southwest hub like Chicago, Houston, or Dallas to name a few. if you live at one of the hubs look for a place close by for example last year I was going to be 3 segments short of A List preferred so I flew from Austin to Lubbock to Dallas to Austin as a day trip to get the 3 legs and it was $49 for each leg. 

 

and yes @DancingDavidE maybe a day trip to Disney or Vegas would be good to re earn that status 

 

Happy travels! 

Blake 

Re: A-List flight requirements

DancingDavidE
Aviator A

@bec102896 wrote:

As @DancingDavidE said one way flights and RT flights count as long as you paid for the ticket points flights won't count towards earning A List 

 

and yes @DancingDavidE maybe a day trip to Disney or Vegas would be good to re earn that status 

 

Happy travels! 

Blake 


Hey Blake, don't give my wife any ideas! 🙂 Wait...maybe a day trip down to catch Big Bad Voodoo Daddy...

Home airport MDW, frequent visitor to MCO to see the mouse.

Re: A-List flight requirements

bgubs14
Frequent Flyer C

Something else that sometimes works for me is making a flight 3 instead of two trips. As it stands I’ll have 24/25 qualifying flights (maybe 30 total ) so I am adding a leg to one of my trips. My travel will take me to DC for work so I’m booking MDW-DCA and BOS-MDW on the business side and then getting a cheap flight on my own DCA-BOS(around 60 bucks )  and doing a little day trip in Boston 

 

good luck! 🍀