Award flight(s) AKL-FRA-LON-CHI/NYC, input welcome, July 2017

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Aug 8, 2016, 9:59 pm

superspudbucket

Original Poster

Join Date: Jun 2009

Programs: AA Gold, Hyatt Plat, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, IHG Plat, Carlson Gold

Posts: 246

Award flight(s) AKL-FRA-LON-CHI/NYC, input welcome, July 2017

In July 2017 I will be booking a single award flight from AKL back to the USA and am considering returning with a layover in FRA and/or LON. Curious about any input/ideas folks might have. I have loads of AA and BA miles. No UA miles. I also have KrisFlyer miles (about 200K) and about 150K of Alaska miles although I'd rather use them for another flight with my partner.

The easy/obvious one is probably CX AKL-HKG and then a CX direct to FRA (85K AA miles) and then whatever I can find back to ORD or JFK (57.5K AA miles). 142.5K miles including a stopover in Europe.

But I'm curious about going via the Middle East. Looking at the AA award chart I see AKL to the Middle East is 80K and then the Middle East to Europe for 42.5K. So I could add in a stop in the Middle East for an extra 37.5K miles. Rather intriguing but not sure if it is worth it. BUT if Qatar opens up the AKL-Doha route I might just do it for the sake of a 17 hour flight.

I'm not all that familiar with the routings in this part of the world so am open to suggestions. I'll be posting stuff as I figure it out as well.

Aug 9, 2016, 6:20 pm

number_6

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Join Date: May 1998

Location: Portland OR Double Emerald (QF and AA), DL PM/MM, Starwood Plat

Posts: 19,589

HongKong is a much more interesting stopover than DXB etc. You can also go via Japan which might have more award availability. Pretty tough to get DXB to USA awards on Oneworld.

Aug 10, 2016, 2:14 pm

superspudbucket

Original Poster

Join Date: Jun 2009

Programs: AA Gold, Hyatt Plat, SPG Gold, Hilton Gold, IHG Plat, Carlson Gold

Posts: 246

Quote:

Originally Posted by number_6

HongKong is a much more interesting stopover than DXB etc. You can also go via Japan which might have more award availability. Pretty tough to get DXB to USA awards on Oneworld.

Thanks. I generally agree about HKG/NRT but the appeal of DXB or DOH is that I've never been there before. The direct AKL-DOH seems to have availability in C (via the BA search tool) but I'm not seeing the days I want. But lots of availability for AKL-HKG (CX) and HKG-DOH (QR) which ends up costing the same for AA miles and I could even do a stop in HKG if I booked individual legs (same # of points). Then QR has lots of flights on to FRA.

Hmmmm....need to see if I still have a friend in Doha.