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Possible to book a PEK-FNJ (Pyongyang, North Korea) award?

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Possible to book a PEK-FNJ (Pyongyang, North Korea) award?

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Old Sep 2, 2014, 5:23 pm
  #1  
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Possible to book a PEK-FNJ (Pyongyang, North Korea) award?

I noticed the ae.com shows PEK-FNJ at 20K for USD 30, but since I don't have miles cannot do a test booking to see if this route will be issued. Has anyone recently booked such an award? If not, can someone who has miles try to go as far as the credit card entry page and see if an error occurs?

Thanks.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 5:27 pm
  #2  
 
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Can get to the CC page.

20k + $33.50
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 6:03 pm
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Air Koryo is a codeshare?
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 6:06 pm
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No. Air China flies the route.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 6:15 pm
  #5  
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And the booking would be useless, while its really easy to get the visa, you cannot enter NK unless part of a tour Although technically it would be possible (albeit very expensive) to have a private tour.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 7:35 pm
  #6  
 
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Awesome! Air China used to never release inventory for FNJ, but now that it does, makes my life easier
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 8:14 pm
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I believe those organized tours use special charter flights from PEK, usually coinciding with a national propaganda event (DPRK national games, Kim's birthday, etc.) You can't just take a random flight there.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 8:22 pm
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You can't just take a random flight there unless you're an accredited diplomat or aid worker.

Contact a tour agency if you want to go - Koryo Tours is the biggest and probably best (has been around the longest and seems to have the best contacts in DPRK). I've been and would highly recommend going. It's very strange, but it's the only place you can see a real closed society, and it probably won't last forever.
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Old Sep 2, 2014, 8:29 pm
  #9  
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Originally Posted by krayZpaving
You can't just take a random flight there unless you're an accredited diplomat or aid worker.

Contact a tour agency if you want to go - Koryo Tours is the biggest and probably best (has been around the longest and seems to have the best contacts in DPRK). I've been and would highly recommend going. It's very strange, but it's the only place you can see a real closed society, and it probably won't last forever.
Koryo Tours is certainly not the best. They may have been around the longest, which is I guess they grossly overprice their tours. All the tours are exactly the same - in the end you are following the exact same itinerary, eating in the exact same places, seeing the same things, as you well know, the tours are actually run by the Koreans, not by the company you book with.

But yes, it is an interesting trip. Its like visiting another planet. The Mass Games were simply mindblowing.

Shameless plug for my sortof trip report:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-tu-204-a.html
rankourabu is offline  
Old Sep 2, 2014, 9:20 pm
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
Koryo Tours is certainly not the best. They may have been around the longest, which is I guess they grossly overprice their tours. All the tours are exactly the same - in the end you are following the exact same itinerary, eating in the exact same places, seeing the same things, as you well know, the tours are actually run by the Koreans, not by the company you book with.

But yes, it is an interesting trip. Its like visiting another planet. The Mass Games were simply mindblowing.

Shameless plug for my sortof trip report:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-tu-204-a.html
wow, thanks for the rare trip report rankourabu.
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Old Sep 3, 2014, 7:32 am
  #11  
 
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I'm looking at going with KoreaKonsult, who are substantially cheaper than Koryo Tours (and offer the exact same thing)
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Old Sep 3, 2014, 8:16 am
  #12  
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Originally Posted by krayZpaving
You can't just take a random flight there unless you're an accredited diplomat or aid worker.

Contact a tour agency if you want to go - Koryo Tours is the biggest and probably best (has been around the longest and seems to have the best contacts in DPRK). I've been and would highly recommend going. It's very strange, but it's the only place you can see a real closed society, and it probably won't last forever.
I won't be taking a random flight. I will definitely book a package. Some of these packages seem to have an option to select JS or CA, so I was wondering if I could select CA and opt to buy that ticket by myself.
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Old Sep 3, 2014, 8:29 am
  #13  
 
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Originally Posted by rankourabu
Shameless plug for my sortof trip report:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-tu-204-a.html
Just read your trip report. Great photos!
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 4:28 pm
  #14  
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Looking to go in July and I think CA has stopped releasing award availability at least according to ae.com
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 4:54 pm
  #15  
 
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It is not worth it to book your own flight as the tours usually include one flight and one train with an upgrade for a very minimal amount of money (much less than point value). Plus, having been on air koryo, it is certainly worth the experience.
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