American Air 787 Sao Paulo to Tokyo, $2900 in Business 46k EQM
I saw another flight on sale from Brazil so I thought I may try to find some business and first class fares out of Brazil and I managed to find a really good deal out to Tokyo (HND) on American Airline’s newest 787 all the way from Brazil up to Tokyo. The routing is GRU-LAX-HND. The ticket is cheaper at under $2700 out of Rio, and you will be flying 777: GIG-MIA-DFW-NRT. It is also all on AA flight numbers.
This flight is about 23k flight miles and with American Airline’s new program, it awards 2 EQM on discount business. The entire flight is on American Air flight numbers so you should earn the full 2 EQM even in discount business.
If you travel before July 2016, you can earn under the old RDM rules, which is 100% miles flown + 50% bonus. For those with Platinum or EXP status, you earn 100% extra. So here is what you’ll earn:
- 47k EQM
- 47k RDM
That is almost half way to EXP status with just one flight. I normally spend just under $6k a year on American to qualify for EXP so this isn’t that much more expensive, plus you will be flying in business class on American Airline’s newest internationally configured 787.
The huge downside is that it originates all the way in Brazil, which requires you fly to there and back. Luckily, there are still many cheap economy tickets out of the US to GRU or GIG in the late winter/early spring (~$500-$700) so it wouldn’t be too bad to fly down there to start this mileage run. If you do intend to go to Brazil (leave the airport), you will need a visa. If you are just transiting, you will not need a visa, but you may be stuck at the airport all day as the flights from the US land in the morning, and the flights back won’t leave until late at night.
Fare Availability:
- February 22nd till end of schedule
- Min stay is 10 days.
How to Search for Availability:
- Go to Google Flights, put in GRU to Tokyo and then click the calendar to see when it is valid. The availability should be wide open starting in late February. Click below on the link to AA.com to book.
- You can check out this link on Google Flights.
Fare Class:
- I (discount business)
Routing:
- GRU (Sao Paulo) – LAX (Los Angeles) – HND (Tokyo)
- GIG (Rio) – MIA (Miami) – DFW (Dallas) – NRT (Tokyo) – ORD (Chicago) – MIA (Miami) – GIG (Rio)
- Both routings will be 23k flight miles
Mileage:
- Miles Flown: 23,564 miles
- Elite Qualifying Miles: 47,128 miles
- Redeemable Miles: 23,564-47,128 miles, depending on status
Here are the flight rules:
Category 3: Seasonal restrictionsFROM BRAZIL - PERMITTED 13JAN THROUGH 03FEB OR 07FEB THROUGH 29JUN OR 19JUL THROUGH 15DEC FOR EACH TRANSPACIFIC SECTOR. TO BRAZIL - PERMITTED 13JAN THROUGH 11FEB OR 16FEB THROUGH 14JUL OR 06AUG THROUGH 31DEC FOR EACH TRANSPACIFIC SECTOR.Category 4: Flight restrictionsTHE FARE COMPONENT MUST NOT BE ON BOEING 777-300ER AIRCRAFT. AND THE FARE COMPONENT MUST NOT BE ON BOEING 787 PASSENGER (ALL SERIES) AIRCRAFT. AND THE FARE COMPONENT MUST NOT BE ON ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING AA FLIGHTS 6000 THROUGH 9999. AND THE FARE COMPONENT MUST BE ON ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA.Category 4: Flight restrictionsTHE FARE COMPONENT MUST NOT BE ON ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY WS. AND THE FARE COMPONENT MUST INCLUDE TRAVEL VIA EACH TRANSPACIFIC SECTOR ON ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY JL. AND IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND AREA 1 THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY AA ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY US. AND IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL WITHIN AREA 3 THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ANY BR FLIGHT ANY CA FLIGHT ANY CI FLIGHT ANY CX FLIGHT ANY CZ FLIGHT ANY HU FLIGHT ANY KA FLIGHT ANY KE FLIGHT ANY JL FLIGHT ANY JQ FLIGHT ANY MH FLIGHT ANY MU FLIGHT ANY NU FLIGHT ANY OZ FLIGHT ANY PR FLIGHT ANY QF FLIGHT ANY SQ FLIGHT ANY TG FLIGHT ANY VN FLIGHT. AND IF THE FARE COMPONENT INCLUDES TRAVEL WITHIN SOUTH AMERICA THEN THAT TRAVEL MUST BE ON ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING ANY AA FLIGHT ANY LA FLIGHT ANY JJ FLIGHT.Category 5: Advanced reservation/ticketing restrictionsRESERVATIONS FOR ALL SECTORS ARE REQUIRED AT LEAST 50 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE. STANDBY NOT PERMITTED. TICKETING MUST BE COMPLETED WITHIN 3 DAYS AFTER RESERVATIONS ARE MADE OR AT LEAST 50 DAYS BEFORE DEPARTURE WHICHEVER IS EARLIER.Category 6: Minimum stay requirementsTRAVEL FROM INBOUND TRANSPACIFIC SECTOR MUST COMMENCE NO EARLIER THAN 10 DAYS AFTER DEPARTURE OF THE OUTBOUND TRANSPACIFIC SECTOR.Category 8: Stopover restrictions2 STOPOVERS PERMITTED ON THE PRICING UNIT ONLY AT THE GATEWAY ON EACH INTERCONTINENTAL SECTOR IN THE UNITED STATES LIMITED TO 1 FREE AND 1 AT USD 100.00. CHILD/INFANT DISCOUNTS APPLY.Category 9: Transfer restrictions1 TRANSFER PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE ONLINE ON THE PRIMARY CARRIER INTERLINE INCLUDING THE PRIMARY CARRIER FREE BETWEEN AA AND 4M/AA/JJ/LA/LP IN BRAZIL IN EACH DIRECTION FREE BETWEEN US AND 4M/JJ/LA/LP/US IN BRAZIL IN EACH DIRECTION. AND - 2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE ONLINE ON THE PRIMARY CARRIER INTERLINE INCLUDING THE PRIMARY CARRIER FREE BETWEEN AA AND AA/BR/CA/CI/CX/CZ/HU/JL/JQ/ KA/KE/MH/MU/NU/OZ/PR/QF/SQ/TG/VN IN AREA 3 IN EACH DIRECTION. AND - 2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE FREE ON AA ONLY IN THE UNITED STATES IN EACH DIRECTION FREE BETWEEN AA AND US IN THE UNITED STATES IN EACH DIRECTION FARE BREAK SURFACE SECTORS NOT PERMITTED AND EMBEDDED SURFACE SECTORS PERMITTED ON THE FARE COMPONENT.Category 10: CombinabilityDOUBLE OPEN JAWS NOT PERMITTED. APPLICABLE ADD-ON CONSTRUCTION IS ADDRESSED IN MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS - CATEGORY 23. END-ON-END END-ON-END COMBINATIONS PERMITTED. VALIDATE ADJACENT LINE OF FLIGHT FARE COMPONENTS ONLY. TRAVEL MUST BE VIA THE POINT OF COMBINATION. SIDE TRIPS PERMITTED. END-ON-END NOTE - ADD-ONS PERMITTED OPEN JAWS/ROUND TRIPS/CIRCLE TRIPS FARES MAY BE COMBINED ON A HALF ROUND TRIP BASIS -TO FORM SINGLE OPEN JAWS/ROUND TRIPS -TO FORM CIRCLE TRIPS EXCEPT FOR AROUND-THE-WORLD FARES. OPEN JAWS/ROUND TRIPS/CIRCLE TRIPS NOTE - WHEN FARES ARE COMBINED THE MOST RESTRICTIVE CONDITIONS APPLY INCLUDING CANCELLATION/CHANGE PENALTIES OR SERVICE CHARGES PROVIDED - COMBINATIONS ARE WITH ANY FARE FOR ANY CARRIER IN ANY RULE IN TARIFF IPRP - BETWEEN THE USA/CANADA-AREA 2/3 VIA PACIFIC IPRPC - BETWEEN AREA 1-AREA 2/3 VIA PACIFIC IPRSAAS - BETWEEN AREA 1-AREA 2/3 VIA PACIFIC IPRSAPN - AREA 1-SOUTH WEST PACIFIC VIA PAC AND N. AMERICA.