March 10, 2019

Two return trips to Bali to reduce the cost of flights to LA??

Need to fly to Los Angeles in business class? Why not treat yourself to a couple of trips to Bali while you’re at it!

American Airlines have some amazing business class airfares from Bali to Los Angeles at the moment. So amazing, that it can actually work out cheaper to fly return from Sydney to Bali , then return from Sydney to Los Angeles and then return to Bali again, all in business class, than it would be just to book the return trip to LA.

Below is an example of what this looks like.

So, that’s a return trip with Qantas to Bali in September, a return trip to Los Angeles in early May with American Airlines and then another return trip to Bali with Qantas at the end of May, with all flights in business class!

The total price for this itinerary is $7459.00*, which is $2247* for the return ticket to Bali – out on the 22nd of September 2019 and then back on the 1st of June 2020 – and then $5212* for the rest of the flights, which make up the return ticket from Bali to Los Angeles.

If all you booked were the Sydney to Los Angeles and return flights with American, the total price would be $7805.00*.

So it’s $350 less and it includes two round trip flights to Bali in business class with Qantas! As if you wouldn’t!

There are two factors in the Bali to Los Angeles fare rules that make this work. Firstly, it’s a mileage based fare and secondly stopovers are permitted in both directions.

Being a mileage based fare (as opposed to a fare with a specific routing paragraph) and seeing as the maximum permitted mileage between Bali and Los Angeles when travelling over the Pacific is 10,735, it means you’re able to travel via Sydney in both directions, as Bali to Sydney to LA is 10,390 flown miles.

American Airlines allow you to use Qantas for the Bali to Sydney and return flights and in each direction you can stay in Sydney for as long as you like, as long as you keep within the 12 month maximum trip duration for the AA ticket and also for the positioning ticket need to complete the three trips, which will just be a return ticket from Sydney to Bali.

*Prices correct as of 25 June 2019. As with all airfares, prices are subject to seasons, availability and can be changed or withdrawn at any time.

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