Award travel to Fiji or Tahiti using MileagePlus Miles?
Jul 7, 2015, 10:00 pm
#61
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Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Northern Calif./Eastern Ida.
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Have had zero luck on constant checking here, AA is much better with Qantas availability down there. Frequent checking has yielded good results on United in biz, but unfortunately it's a steep cost at 70K miles o/w for 2-4-2 biz on the 772 (versus, for instance, 72.5k miles for Qantas' F on AA 
)
NZ's premium economy looks pretty attractive and I don't think the mileage upgrade to first is too hefty -- no direct experience though.
)NZ's premium economy looks pretty attractive and I don't think the mileage upgrade to first is too hefty -- no direct experience though.
SMF-SYD on DL miles (80k)
SYD-CHC on EK ($)
CHC-HNL on NZ ($)
HNL-SMF on UA miles (40k)
Even this was not easy to achieve in the peak dec/jan travel window. I had an award ticket via BKK, PVG, and LAX on UA in J but gave it up. 41 hours in transit wasn't doable.
Jul 7, 2015, 10:24 pm
#62
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: PDX (wish I was in HNL)
Programs: Platinum
Posts: 1,687
I got four saver GF round trip fares SFO-SYD, and four SYD-AKL saver Biz one ways on NZ (!) two summers ago (winter in New Zealand). Paid for the AKL-ZQN-SYD leg, flying NZ. This was when we were still able to look for award availability on ExpertFlyer. I don't think this can be replicated again 
Jul 7, 2015, 10:31 pm
#63
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,187
First time posting, sorry if in wrong area!
I'm trying to use miles to fly 2 of us business class from Cleveland, OH to New Zealand with stop in Fiji in April 2016. I've read several things online about booking via Asia, using Fiji as main stop, etc. but really am just spinning my wheels looking at all the ways to try to make it work and thought I'd ask before continuing to spend more hours trying to figure it out.
I'm trying to use miles to fly 2 of us business class from Cleveland, OH to New Zealand with stop in Fiji in April 2016. I've read several things online about booking via Asia, using Fiji as main stop, etc. but really am just spinning my wheels looking at all the ways to try to make it work and thought I'd ask before continuing to spend more hours trying to figure it out.
There are plenty of business saver-seats available on various days for:
CLE-LAX-SYD-AKL (stopover)
AKL-NAN (destination)
NAN-AKL-SYD-LAX-CLE (return to origin)
Note an overnight stay at SYD is required on the return.
Jul 8, 2015, 12:31 am
#64
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
Getting to AKL in biz using miles from Asia has never been a problem for us.
Getting to the "Islands" from AKL is virtually impossible in biz but easily doable in the back. Over the past five years I have been able only once to book one seat in the front although we have been frequently upgraded even on award tickets, just a couple of weeks ago out of NAN ( maybe *G helps ). With the short distances, only PPT is a "long" five hour flight, Coach on NZ is absolutely doable and one can pay extra for exit seats etc. It's only 10-20 USD.
Getting to the "Islands" from AKL is virtually impossible in biz but easily doable in the back. Over the past five years I have been able only once to book one seat in the front although we have been frequently upgraded even on award tickets, just a couple of weeks ago out of NAN ( maybe *G helps ). With the short distances, only PPT is a "long" five hour flight, Coach on NZ is absolutely doable and one can pay extra for exit seats etc. It's only 10-20 USD.
Jul 8, 2015, 3:31 am
#65
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Houston
Programs: United Platinum, Chase Presidential Plus
Posts: 299
It would be much easier to take out some credit cards that earn AA miles and redeem them on Fiji Airways. I've done this redemption before.
Do you have your heart set on Fiji? UA's Pacific strength is in micronesia. You could have a wonderful, bookable trip to Palau and Yap (part of the Federated States of Micronesia).
Do you have your heart set on Fiji? UA's Pacific strength is in micronesia. You could have a wonderful, bookable trip to Palau and Yap (part of the Federated States of Micronesia).
Last edited by pinks; Jul 8, 2015 at 5:07 am
Jul 8, 2015, 3:50 am
#66
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: san antonio, texas
Programs: 3.2MM AA, 1.4MM UA,StwdLftPlt
Posts: 1,586
Getting to AKL in biz using miles from Asia has never been a problem for us.
Getting to the "Islands" from AKL is virtually impossible in biz but easily doable in the back. Over the past five years I have been able only once to book one seat in the front although we have been frequently upgraded even on award tickets, just a couple of weeks ago out of NAN ( maybe *G helps ). With the short distances, only PPT is a "long" five hour flight, Coach on NZ is absolutely doable and one can pay extra for exit seats etc. It's only 10-20 USD.
Getting to the "Islands" from AKL is virtually impossible in biz but easily doable in the back. Over the past five years I have been able only once to book one seat in the front although we have been frequently upgraded even on award tickets, just a couple of weeks ago out of NAN ( maybe *G helps ). With the short distances, only PPT is a "long" five hour flight, Coach on NZ is absolutely doable and one can pay extra for exit seats etc. It's only 10-20 USD.
Jul 8, 2015, 7:10 am
#67
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Japan
Posts: 5,577
In contrast to a previous poster, I did not see Any business class availability from either AKL or SYD thru AKL to NAN for the 90 days preceding my departure next May using the UA website's calendar feature. I presume these upgrades occurred at the gate? When I plugged the PNR from NZ into their website, it allowed me to book seats on both the PVG AKL business class section and the AKL NAN econ then errorred out before completing the booking. It did show that I would pay extra for the best seats in econ-which I found mildly irritating since the award is for business class. It has been awhile since I have flown on a split award-should the unicorn of a J seat appear on the ALK NAN segment before my departure, I can call into UA and grab it, correct?
Jul 8, 2015, 8:02 am
#68
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 57,514
Although business seats are quite rare on LAX-AKL, one can avoid Asia altogether by connecting in Australia.
There are plenty of business saver-seats available on various days for:
CLE-LAX-SYD-AKL (stopover)
AKL-NAN (destination)
NAN-AKL-SYD-LAX-CLE (return to origin)
Note an overnight stay at SYD is required on the return.
There are plenty of business saver-seats available on various days for:
CLE-LAX-SYD-AKL (stopover)
AKL-NAN (destination)
NAN-AKL-SYD-LAX-CLE (return to origin)
Note an overnight stay at SYD is required on the return.
Jul 8, 2015, 4:12 pm
#69
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 4,187
Jul 8, 2015, 5:52 pm
#70
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 9
Thanks for all the info! I'm spending time writing all the codes so I can read them 
. We are not set on Fiji. We've been to Moorea & Bora Bora, and are open to another location so I'll certainly check out others if needed.
To clarify, we are fine with economy for shorter flights - just saved miles for years to go business on the long hall from the US to New Zealand (or SYD on way to NZ).
Indelaware, this is probably a really rookie question - but when entering the CLE-LAX-SYD-AKL (stopover) / AKL-NAN (destination) / NAN-AKL-SYD-LAX-CLE... am I entering on the website a multiple destination of 1) CLE - NZ 2) NZ-NAN 3) NAN-CLE and then the rest comes together when it gives me the options?
. We are not set on Fiji. We've been to Moorea & Bora Bora, and are open to another location so I'll certainly check out others if needed.To clarify, we are fine with economy for shorter flights - just saved miles for years to go business on the long hall from the US to New Zealand (or SYD on way to NZ).
Indelaware, this is probably a really rookie question - but when entering the CLE-LAX-SYD-AKL (stopover) / AKL-NAN (destination) / NAN-AKL-SYD-LAX-CLE... am I entering on the website a multiple destination of 1) CLE - NZ 2) NZ-NAN 3) NAN-CLE and then the rest comes together when it gives me the options?
Jul 8, 2015, 5:59 pm
#71
Join Date: Jul 2015
Posts: 9
Another quick rookie question - when you say that we should look up the legs online and then call United to book (b/c online often won't work), do we need to call about super saver we actually found available online, or will they have additional options that we can't see online and I just give legs and approx dates (b/c they are flexible)?
Jul 8, 2015, 5:59 pm
#72
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: JAX
Programs: UA Plat MM, AA Gold MM, Marriott LTT, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 3,770
Jul 9, 2015, 8:28 am
#75
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: Palm Desert, CA
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Posts: 259
About 9 months ago I tried for weeks to get to NZ using miles in business class. I had absolutely no success getting business all of the way. The best I could produce was using OZ to ICN in J and then ICN to NZ in coach. I decided to go LAX-ICN-SYD using OZ in a combination of F & J and then buying a ticket SYD-NZ. The bonus was I could stop in Seoul before continuing on the SYD. Good luck!
