Hi there,
My wife and I are in the initial stages of booking an FEZSQ RTW. Here are the criteria, i would love to get feedback/suggestions on how to maximize/improve the routing:
1. We live in IAH, so need to depart and return to IAH.
2. We want to visit India & Singapore. Caveat is that we need to visit India first, then Singapore. This order is important..
My initial thoughts are:
IAH-DME-DXB on SQ (book so we arrive and leave DME the same day, so no visa issues/stories, we are both US Citizens)
DXB-BOM/DEL on Emirates since SQ metal doesn't fly this route (buy seperately, i'm ok with flying into BOM or DEL).
BOM/DEL-SIN on SQ (i'm ok with leaving out of either BOM or DEL)
SIN-LAX (maybe pay the surcharge?)
LAX-IAH on non SQ metal, maybe on CO.
I'm finding the Emirates DXB-BOM J online for about $700 one way per ticket, which isnt bad.
Any thoughts on how else to do this trip? Are there other routes i'm not considering that can possibly further minimize non-SQ flights and still run the sequence of India first, Singapore second?
I would love to have this routing work with us taking non-SQ metal at the start of our trip and finishing with SQ so that SQ is what we experience last. (maybe asking for my cake and eating it too?)
Since the FESZQ fare is very restrictive and you need to visit India first, your routing seems to be the best way to maximize your time in SQ F.
If you chose the all-J SIN-LAX SQ nonstop, there wouldn't be any surcharge but you would be downgraded to flying J.
If you want to maximize your F experience, I'd consider either of the two one-stops to the west coast:
SQ 12: SIN-NRT-LAX (currently) on a 744.
SQ 2: SIN-HKG-SFO on a 77W similar to your IAH-DME leg.
If you want to maximize your F experience, I'd consider either of the two one-stops to the west coast:
SQ 12: SIN-NRT-LAX (currently) on a 744.
SQ 2: SIN-HKG-SFO on a 77W similar to your IAH-DME leg.
SFO777, great point, I agree. I think the SIN-HKG-SFO might be a great option.
Thank you very much for the quick response!! BTW, your TR with your dad looked incredible, I'm sure it will be something you cherish for a long time. Its also the main reason for us looking at this offer/fare.
Take care,
Jakeg104
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jakeg104
IAH-DME-DXB on SQ (book so we arrive and leave DME the same day, so no visa issues/stories, we are both US Citizens)
No can do!
SQ stopped flying DME-DXB a little while ago.
Edited to add:
I did YYZ(AC)SFO-HKG-SIN-DEL(EK)DXB-DME-IAH(AC)YYZ 2 months ago. SQ told me the DXB-DME was canceled. They offered me a refund. I refused to take it and they eventually agreed to buy me the EK DXE-DME in F
Everything was confirmed but they didn't issue the tickets. I called and called and they said they couldn't buy me the EK flight any more! They lied!! So I said we could skip DXB but they'd have to fly us back to SIN and allow us to stopover SIN a second time, then take the SIN-DME non-stop. They agreed. This arrangement was even better! We had 5 longhauls in F and got 5 amenity kits! So we went to KUL instead of DXB and canceled our EK J tickets. We still came out ahead and we logged over 24K flight miles plus COS bonuses on these tickets.
Just take SQ61 from IAH to SIN and backfly SIN - India v v.
You can hypothetically make an interline connection at DME, at least to LH or LX: they're in the same terminal with SQ, and if you already have a connecting BP, you can get through security back into the departure lounge (just as the through transit passengers on SQ 61 do).
But I wouldn't recommend it without a Russian visa. And even if you do it that way, you'll end up with fairly expensive LH or LX tickets from DME to India via Europe.
Another option -- again, just get the Russian visa -- is stop over in Moscow, and buy onward tickets to DEL on SU. They fly the route daily, but they leave from SVO, not DME......
Just take SQ61 from IAH to SIN and backfly SIN - India v v.
Another option -- again, just get the Russian visa -- is stop over in Moscow, and buy onward tickets to DEL on SU. They fly the route daily, but they leave from SVO, not DME......
Bitterroot, good options. Looks like i need to research SQ's routes some more.
It seems to arrange this thing you have to pretty much know SQ's entire flight schedule and also have an eidetic memory for geography!
On that front I searched through SQ's PDF timetable to find all non-SIN non-stop flights. Not sure if the MI flights count but they don't seem to get you anywhere anyways.
The CAI/DXB/IST combination is interesting but do these count as European cities? Are you allowed to backtrack at that point? Still it only helps if you want to start or end at one of them.
SFO HKG SQ1/2
LAX NRT SQ11/12
SFO ICN SQ15/16
JFK FRA SQ25/26
KWI AUH SQ457/458
DXB IST SQ490/491
DXB CAI SQ492/493
CEB DVO MI566/588
REP PNH MI622 (no return flight!)
DAD REP MI630/636/633
SQ61 from IAH is listed as a One-Stop to SIN and as the first leg to connections through SIN. Nothing about using it to DME.
ok, here are all their one-stop flights with their stops listed. "=" means they'll sell you a ticket for that leg but "-" means that leg isn't listed in their schedule.
It doesn't look like you can book DME-IAH or vice versa. Nor MXP-BCN or KHI-LHE or AUH-JED or JNB-CPT.
ok, here are all their one-stop flights with their stops listed. "=" means they'll sell you a ticket for that leg but "-" means that leg isn't listed in their schedule.
It doesn't look like you can book DME-IAH or vice versa. Nor MXP-BCN or KHI-LHE or AUH-JED or JNB-CPT.
SQ has traffic rights between IAH and DME. They do not have traffic rights, even for their own stopover passengers, on the other sectors you listed.
If you originate at LHR on an SQ-only xEZSQ fare, the only place you can go is SIN. The first coupon has to be on SQ, and that's the only destination they serve ex UK. You can add MI flights as sidetrips from SIN for an extra charge, but MI is not included as a carrier in the basic EZSQ fare.
Finally, that fare is only for sale ex-UK, ex North America, and ex-SIN. You cannot originate at any other point on that type of fare. It'll show as on offer ex-TPE, too, but it's not actually bookable originating there under the rules.
Last edited by Bitterroot; Aug 25, 09 at 12:08 pm.
(maybe asking for my cake and eating it too?)
I refused to take it and they eventually agreed to buy me the EK DXE-DME in F
