MilesBuzz! - Best First Class Award from LAX to SGN (Vietnam)

Hi everyone,

I'm helping a friend visit her family in Vietnam. I'd like to send her first class on a one-way award. I'm trying to determine what the best first class award option is for the least amount of miles.

Asiana has a pretty nice product, and I saw for 70K that United offers a one-way first class ticket on Asiana from LAX to SGN. Is this the least number of miles out there? I have 150K+ miles/points on United, American, US Air, Amex MR, Chase UR, and SPG.

Thank you for your help!
AAP

United may "offer" a ticket on Asiana but does that airline "provide" availability for the desired date of travel ? Since availabilty may be the determining factor in your choice of airline, flexibility in scheduling should help increase your options.
Asiana F is a very nice way to go if you can score it! Good Luck.

Cathay or Thai, depending on your cuisine preference. :p

You can even try SQ

Or ANA

Thanks for your quick responses. My friend is very flexible with flights -- anytime in September or early-October and is planning to head over for 6 months. I'm looking to use the least number miles and get a solid in-flight experience. I did my search on united.com looking for one-stop first class tickets. I see Asiana on 9/4 and Air China on 9/26. Both for 70K miles.

Not as familiar with the other alliances, but would like to know if there are other F awards on OneWorld or Skyteam carriers from LAX to SGN for less than 70K miles one-way.

UA miles for Lufthansa: LAX-FRA-BKK-SGN

You'll have to book within 2 weeks and hope availability shows up.

UA miles for Lufthansa: LAX-FRA-BKK-SGN

You'll have to book within 2 weeks and hope availability shows up.

That's definitely the long way, but it might be one of the best options for a last minute booking.

Personally Asiana is a much more appealing option to me...

AA is 67.5 to Asia 2 in F according to the chart I just looked at, so that's a little better than 70k...

That's definitely the long way, but it might be one of the best options for a last minute booking.

Personally Asiana is a much more appealing option to me...

AA is 67.5 to Asia 2 in F according to the chart I just looked at, so that's a little better than 70k...

Might want to make sure that the flight to SGN actually has F. Just saw that Asiana runs an A321 ICN-SGN = no F. CX runs an A340 that is 2-class.

That LH route is F all the way.

If there is availability in F, LAX-NRT-SGN on JAL using AA miles is a good route with only 1 hour connection time. Just did it in July.

Let me cast another vote for CX. I really love the CX F experience.

UA miles for Lufthansa: LAX-FRA-BKK-SGN

You'll have to book within 2 weeks and hope availability shows up.

I would second that because this is probably the only option to give an ALL F experience to the friend who would head over for 6 months, so some extra hours on the way there is no big deal, especially those hours are spent being pampered all the way.

Otherwise I would find a route that offers the shortest "downgraded" segment on the regional portion - the XXX to SGN that is regional plane with regional products and no F - minimize this segment when the longhaul would be an uninterrupted F all the way from North America to SE Asia. In this case I believe CX or SQ wins out.

Let me cast another vote for CX. I really love the CX F experience.

100% agree with this. CX is a treat.

The LH option is exhausting. I wouldn't do that.

Sounds like someone is trying to impress a girl.

100% agree with this. CX is a treat.

The LH option is exhausting. I wouldn't do that.

How is more time in F exhausting? If anything, it gives someone more time in the air to adjust to the time change than it does going over the Pacific.

I've done LAX to Asia in both directions this year, and give me the longer flight time if it's in F ^. CX might be great, but I wouldn't call the LH route exhausting.

OP, if you do decide to go with CX, I see that there are 2 flights HKG-SGN ... on some days, one of them is run on a 77W with F. I'd try to get that one over the A340 flight with only J.

Let me cast another vote for CX. I really love the CX F experience.

+1

I see redemption availability LAX - HKG on Sept 30, with continuing service to SGN on a 77W. At slightly lower mileage (AA 67.5k), this itinerary would be my first choice.

How is more time in F exhausting? If anything, it gives someone more time in the air to adjust to the time change than it does going over the Pacific.

I've done LAX to Asia in both directions this year, and give me the longer flight time if it's in F ^. CX might be great, but I wouldn't call the LH route exhausting.

OP, if you do decide to go with CX, I see that there are 2 flights HKG-SGN ... on some days, one of them is run on a 77W with F. I'd try to get that one over the A340 flight with only J.

I love flying and I love flying F but at some point you just want to get your destination. I've done LH F IAD-MUC-NRT and enjoyed it but was exhausted when I arrived and when I returned home. On the other hand I've done CX in F twice and I felt much better on arrival.

CX F is also a far better experience than LH F.

The OP is also getting a ticket for a friend who might not be as fanatical about flying just for the sake of flying as FTers.

Your comment about time zone acclimation doesn't jibe with me. You're up in the air and crossing time zones the entire time. You only start acclimating once you touch down.

Your comment about time zone acclimation doesn't jibe with me. You're up in the air and crossing time zones the entire time. You only start acclimating once you touch down.

For me, it's not when I sleep that dictates my jet lag, it's when I eat. I try to eat according to the time zone of my destination ... F allows me to sleep comfortably whenever I want and to dine on demand. Being able to adjust over a longer time makes it easier to hit the ground running.

I will further recommend LAX to SGN booked through AA on CX.

I did it last year and will do it again next year for Luna New Year. CX is a treat and can't wait to checkout their new F lounge in HKG.

I've tried JAL, ANA and Asiana, all great airlines but CX is the best so far. If I could I would do Thai or SG but they are not very flexible with F reward bookings. I might try to go through JAL/AA and book the SG route from Narita to Singapore on SG just to try their suites on the A380. But that's alot of hassle just to try out a product.

The easiest way for me since it is so easy to pick up AA points (and BA) and book through CX. I have earned well over 400k miles on AA in the past 2 years through the various offers. After 2 round trip F redemption I still have 150k miles left in my AA account.

Matter of fact I know I can earn the 135k needed for a round trip F class in a few months with all the offers available: Citi 50k Visa + 50k/40k Amex + Fidelity 50k+. This would take 5k in spending and having another 5k in cash to transfer in and out of Fidelity. I did it last year in 2 months.

I just did SGN to NRT coach and NRT to LAX F on AA. I wasn't entirely impressed w/ NRT to LAX F. Steak wasn't particularly good. Loved sakura lounge w/ pretty good food. Used up 65 AA miles I think. Would have loved to be able to get F on CX.

Great, thanks everyone for your comments. I've decided to move forward with the Cathay option using AA miles and keep my valuable United/Star Alliance miles. This friend is not fanatical about flying, and getting her there quickly & comfortably while minimizing cost (number of miles & taxes) is why I'm picking Cathay.

@jbalmuth - what tool(s) did you use to determine availability LAX - HKG on Sept 30, with continuing service to SGN on a 77W? I've got an ExpertFlyer account, but didn't see Cathay in the list of options, and don't have a lot of experience with OneWorld carriers outside AA.

Great, thanks everyone for your comments. I've decided to move forward with the Cathay option using AA miles and keep my valuable United/Star Alliance miles. This friend is not fanatical about flying, and getting her there quickly & comfortably while minimizing cost (number of miles & taxes) is why I'm picking Cathay.

@jbalmuth - what tool(s) did you use to determine availability LAX - HKG on Sept 30, with continuing service to SGN on a 77W? I've got an ExpertFlyer account, but didn't see Cathay in the list of options, and don't have a lot of experience with OneWorld carriers outside AA.

Both the JAL and BA sites would help you find availability. Unfortunately, I don't see LAX-HKG available in F on 9/30 anymore ...

Don't forget SFO as a gateway.

AA points for CX F. That's my plan for my next trip but flying out of SFO

CX is a treat and can't wait to checkout their new F lounge in HKG.

Is there a new CX F lounge at HKG? I know they were renovating the Wing business class lounge, but didn't know they did anything with the F lounges. The Wing F lounge cabanas are nice to relax in privately.

Both the JAL and BA sites would help you find availability. Unfortunately, I don't see LAX-HKG available in F on 9/30 anymore ...

Don't forget SFO as a gateway.

Qantas site also shows CX availability.