So, TK has made another 'mistake' and has gifted the FT community with an awesome HKG-LAX in premium economy class ticket that is ONLY 800 USD RT. One-way is possible at half price. Based on the seat map of HKG-IST flight in July, I see that this ticket allows seat assignment in the 'old' business class section with the map showing 1-2-1 configuration. So, having thought about how to organize my trips in July/August to utilize this fare... I did a quick brainstorming and purchased one-way fare from HKG to LAX for late July.

My idea was that:

1) Fly to HKG via my return portion ticket to ICN from YUL (+ award ticket to HKG)

2) Use this TK fare to LAX

3) Buy one-way TK Y fare to CPT ~ 1200 USD

4) Buy one-way Y fare from TK CPT to HKG ~ 1000 USD

Now, as in my itinerary post, I was initially going to travel to CPT using SQ fare that is currently priced at 1500 USD RT from ICN (not yet purchased). I had planned on coming back to Korea and use one-way UA award to get to BKK anyway... So, essentially, to use this fare, I would have to (well, part of my project travel budget so...) spurge out another 700 USD... plus the 400 USD in cost. Isn't it also very interesting to note that this TK fare mistake has prompted me to buy 'more' TK fares?

Now, because of the nature of my visit to Cape Town this time around (I will be working throughout my stay to get my project organized!) and because my wife has already visited Cape Town last year during my business trip (10 days! ), my wife won't be traveling with me to Cape Town. With all these added cost, I am thinking that why 'waste' 1100 USD on a fare that gets me no where? I mean, I'd be closer to an elite status I had pretty much given up (100K with CO), but this 'crazy' flying around the globe to utilize this 'deal' won't get me to the 100K level. I'd have to do more mileage runs to top-off (I'd be about 17K miles short!).

So, considering that it would normally cost another 1500 USD to get to that level and this time around, my wife won't be achieving the same status level, I am seriously thinking is the 100K status with CO/UA worth it for another 2600 + USDs in spending where I don't actually get to see anything new and without my wife? Furthermore, given that UA SWUs are nowadays a bit more expensive to use (W fares are much higher than what I was used to when I was UA 1K in 2008/9 and four years before that). Unusable SWUs + plus small additional benefit as 100K over the Gold status, which both my wife and I will naturally achieve this year + 2600 USD spent that could have been spent elsewhere (i.e. to enhance our vacation or buy that iMAC 27 inch i7 processor that I had been wanting to get ). Of course, I will end up with more award miles, but no more than 40K additional miles since most flights don't involve CO/UA/AC/US/LH metal.

As you may have already noticed, I am leaning towards to canceling this TK Y+ ticket to LAX and just proceed as planed. 7-8 years of top-tier elite membership with UA/LA/AA has made me thinking about requalification every year and it hasn't been so pleasant experience to squeeze my way back to top tier status each year. There were a lot of luck on my side with last minute business travel or creative routings that didn't incur much additional cost, but brainstorming for elite requalification, as I said before, hasn't been an easy and probably brought me more agony than joy. I must realize that some years, I may be without any elite status and it is okay. It's not the end of the world. I have also come to realize that the 'addiction' with elite status and miles can only fuel more and more spending on travel that may not be necessary. In fact, elite status and mileage restricts us in our choice of airlines and hotel chains, which often results in additional spending. Alas, FTers would argue that these additional spending is justified by the 'return' in service and benefits that your receive as a loyal customer. That's absolutely true, but I am thinking that it shouldn't go beyond and 'out of control' and one needs to draw a clear line when to say 'no' to elite status and mileage.

In my case, this would be an interesting challenge, but shouldn't be so difficult as no matter how good of a deal this TK fare is, I am going to end up with a lot more unjustified spending and end up traveling without my wife, whom in part gave up Cape Town in favor of our family (staying at home in Korea) and also saving her airfare cost. To this, I think that 2000 USD could have been better used for my wife's ticket to South Africa to be with me rather than me jetsetting around the globe with only one purpose - earn miles and elite status.

In concluding, I must remind myself that CO Gold level (or UA 1P) ain't so bad. In 2003, when I first qualified for 1P with UA, I was so excited (because I barely made it by 10 miles - 50010 EQM) about my travels to come in 2004 with lounge access, double RDM on all of my UA flights. Next year will be interesting with my 'new' status