AA Business Riyadh to San Juan Business: Big Deal, Small Deal, No Deal?

AA Riyadh San Juan is part of Still The Best Trip Report.

I am putting together another great TPOL itinerary. Right now I know that I am going to Tenerife South (see Not My Fault: Tenerife Airport, North Or South?). And as part of the TPOL to LIV PGA Trip Report, I may go to Saudi Arabia. In search of a flight back, I found what I thought to be a great deal:

• Riyadh to Doha in coach
• Doha to JFK business
• JFK-MIA first
• MIA-SJU business

All of this was for 80k AA points and $90.

Excited, I put it on a courtesy hold with AA. I proceeded to Google the business class review and came across Matt’s, from Live & Let’s Fly, review. After reading it, I am not particularly excited nor am I particularly discouraged about giving it a shot.

Here’s why I want to try it:

1. I have never flown long-haul AA. Indeed, the only flight review I have is a business class one from Medellin to Miami (see MDE-MIA: My First Business Class Flight on AA, Worth It*?).
2. I have flown QSuites 3 times already and I am bored of it (see Flight Review MIA-DOH: Qsuites to the World Cup!).
3. Any points booking where I fly door-to-door on one itinerary is preferable to having one where I have to add on a leg, in coach, to San Juan (see Southwest BWI-SJU: It’s no Qsuites But I’m Home).
4. There aren’t any affordable alternatives at the moment. I don’t like waiting to finalize itineraries and following the Punxsutawney TPOL Trip Report do not book open-ended itineraries (see Punxsutawney TPOL: Travel Lessons).

Here’s why I may let the hold lapse.

1. The AA review was underwhelming.
2. Qsuites may open up and there is a 30% transfer bonus to Avios right now.
3. 67.5k AA miles used to get me first on Cathay (see Cathay First JFK-HKG: Part 1 to Vancouver & Cathay First YVR-HKG: The Next Episode). I know there’s a devaluation but 80k for AA business seems pricey. I just booked Melbourne to Bangkok in business for 40k miles (see This Is The Best Use of 40k AA Miles).
4. My AA mileage is being depleted and I don’t think Citi is in the mood to approve me for another card.

Overall

The days of flying Emirates first for cheap are over (see Emirates Shower Class JFK-DXB: One More Time). The days of finding Etihad Apartments from AUH to JFK are a thing of the past (see Etihad Apartments: Emirates’ Wannabe Cousin). After an exhausting trip, all I want to do is get home with no fuss. I think this itinerary accomplishes that.

What say you?