In retrospect, it seems like only yesterday that I was hit by the sudden notion that it might be a good idea to check United’s Mileage Plus website to see if they had any good mileage sales going on. In reality it was about six months ago on a blustery November afternoon in northern Colorado. At the time I was sitting in the downstairs living room at my sister’s house watching highlights from the previous Sunday’s football action.
Who knows why thoughts like this come to mind when they do – especially during football highlights - but the important thing is that when they do I generally act on them quickly - even though I may have nowhere in particular I’m looking forward to visiting. My subsequent investigations don’t always come to fruition but, much like a gold miner exploring a new claim, there’s always the potential to strike it rich (Which for me translates to a new adventure) and I’m always up for that. More often than not, the ultimate destination has nothing to do with it. It’s all about the airlines and the airplanes.
I have loved commercial jetliners since the day I first ever saw one, much less flew upon one. I was fortunate to grow up in an age when air travel, particularly jet travel, was still a novelty and flying anywhere was treated as a special event. Pretty much everyone dressed nicely and even adults seemed excited about the flight ahead. More often than not, boarding involved walking out onto the tarmac and climbing up a portable air stair into the aircraft. The sights, sounds and smells of the airport were much more pronounced outside than what we experience today from the confines of the terminal. Walking up to your waiting 707 past those big, low slung fanjets and then climbing up the stairway was far more dramatic than the comparatively sterile entrance via jetway that most airports provide today. Walk up close to any modern jetliner and it’s much easier to appreciate it as the magnificent flying machine that it is. Look at that same jetliner from the gate lounge and - it’s just an airplane.
By the time I was 12 years old I’d only flown fifteen times, but each and every one of those flights was indelibly etched into my memory. Six years of flying back and forth to school in New York and California along with miscellaneous summer excursions added another 82 flights and by the time I entered college I’d flown 102 flights on eleven airlines for a grand total of 74,530 miles.
I was about fifteen years old when I first discovered OAGs or Official Airline Guides. These were telephone directory sized books published bi-monthly that provided schedules for every airline flight operating in North America or Worldwide. Schedules, class of service, aircraft type and even meals were listed. In the days before computerization, OAGs were rightfully referred to as the Bible of the airline industry and no airline ticket counter or travel agency could operate without one or more of them.
I used to go down to local travel agencies and ask for their old OAGs. Returning home with my newfound treasure, I’d then pore over them page by page and chart things like where every one of the new wide-bodied jets was operating or where the remaining Convair 880s were flying. Additionally, I’d make up dream itineraries where I’d travel all over the world aboard the likes of British Caledonian VC10s, Air Mauritius 707s or Suriname Airways DC-8s – always in First Class. Destinations had nothing to do with it. It was always about the airplanes.
Now - many years later, nothing has changed insofar as my desire to travel far flung routings aboard exotic airlines. Any of you who’ve read some or all of my trip reports will know that more than a few of my travels have been decided on not so much by the destination but rather by the means of getting there. A good example of this would be last year’s split second decision to fly from Alaska to Australia via New York and Singapore, all so that I could celebrate attaining my 5 millionth mile flown while sat in First Class aboard an Emirates A380. Those of you unfamiliar with that five day, 35000 mile First Class adventure can read all about it right
HERE. The bottom line is that for me at least, if the right combination of trains, planes, boats, busses and/or ferries comes up – who cares where I’m going!
The great affair is to move!
But I digress.
At some point every year United’s Mileage Plus program has a mileage sale promotion. Truth be known, they probably have more than one but the best of them offer a 50% bonus on mileage purchases of 40,000 miles or more. I honestly had no idea whether that day back in November was a good time for a sale or not. It just seemed like a good time to check. At the time I had a grand total of 565 miles in my account – not even enough to cash in for a magazine subscription. It was time to add more miles.
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As many of you are well aware, the beauty of award mileage redemption on United is that as a member of the Star Alliance, routings are often available utilizing the services of multiple Star Alliance member carriers. Some of the routings are quite geographically diverse. Here are three examples from First or Business Class awards that I’ve redeemed over the past four years. As an added bonus, if you click on each highlighted link, you’ll be delivered to the trip report detailing that trip.
Seattle, WA to Port Elizabeth, SA:
Business Class Award
United: SEA-SFO-JFK
Austrian: JFK-VIE-ATH
Turkish: ATH-IST-KLI-EBB
South African: EBE-JNB-PLZ
Buenos Aires, AR to Kuala Lumpur, MA:
First Class Award
Lufthansa: EZE-FRA
Asiana: FRA-ICN
Thai: ICN-BKK-KUL
Santiago, CH to Cape Town, SA:
Business Class Award
Avianca Colombia: SCL-BOG-PTY
COPA Panama: PTY-GRU
South African: GRU-JNB-CPT
As it turned out, my timing was downright prescient. Mileage Plus was indeed offering its 50% bonus sale and at prices I found to be quite amenable. For the tidy sum of just $1,505.00 USD I was able to buy 40000 miles including an additional 20000 bonus miles, thereby enriching my Mileage Plus account by 60,000 miles. That’s enough mileage to go from anywhere to pretty much anywhere else on the planet in Business Class.
Now then, where to go? South America, the far north of Canada… what about the South Pacific? There were so many options! Truth be known, when I purchased the miles I was initially thinking along the lines of finding my way back down to South Africa via South America. The Star Alliance has some great award routings between South America and South Africa and there was a train in Bolivia that I wanted to ride before the service is cancelled in a couple of years. Additionally I had been considering the possibility of a trip by boat from Cape Town to the islands of St. Helena and Ascension. So South America to South Africa awards seemed like a good starting point.
That said, I was equally open to the possibility of other destinations as well. As I mentioned a few paragraphs back, a big part of the fun for me in these situations is in finding routings that offer an exciting combination of airlines, aircraft and routes. Of particular importance are flights aboard new airlines, flights aboard new aircraft and flights over new routes. Should I inadvertently stumble across the right combination of one or all these three features, I am generally open to significantly altering my original plans including the destination in order to take advantage of the favored flight plans.
I know, I know… all you straight-laced pragmatics are probably doing double takes over that last statement. Most normal people settle on a destination and then choose an airline because it is best suited to get them there. What kind of whack-o would pick his destination because of the airlines and routings involved in getting there? Me! That’s right, me – the guy up in seat 2A. I’m your friendly neighborhood whack-o and have been for many years. Not all of my travels are determined in this seemingly crazy manner but a significant percentage of them have been. What can I say? In today’s terminology I’m a world class Av-Geek and have been for many years. How many other people do you know of who have flown over 5 million miles aboard 190 different airlines and care enough about it all to write the occasional 40-50,000 word trip report for your reading pleasure?
Anyway, when it comes to exotic airlines and routings, I love shopping around and so I happily spent the next hour or so checking out various point to point itineraries. Hmm… What about Fiji or Tahiti? Back in the 80s I made numerous trips to both places. I love that South Pacific vibe and I have particularly fond memories of the three weeks I spent in the spring of 1984 camping out with friends under the stately coconut palms on the island of Moorea’s North Shore.
My Campsite on Moorea
The View From My Tent
That was over thirty years ago, though… A lot has changed in and around Tahiti since then. There are way more visitors resulting in way more development. Perhaps worst of all is that the prices for everything from accommodations to basic needs are waaaay higher than the 30 year adjustment for inflation suggests they ought to be.
A lot has changed for me, too. I can no longer haul a 74lb backpack around the South Pacific like I used to. Additionally, though I’m better off financially than I was back then, I am still by nature a budget traveler. Though my days of renting out someone’s back yard on Moorea are long past, there’s no way I’d be willing to pay the exorbitant prices now being charged by Tahitian hotels, not to mention your everyday Starwood property.
So then, what about Fiji? I had made a couple of trips down there back in the eighties, staying about a week to ten days each time. It’s a lot more affordable than Tahiti and almost as pretty. Yeah, I could definitely do Fiji again. Let’s check out some routings…
The routings I found between North America and Fiji were either fairly direct (Alaska’s Mileage Plan) or fairly costly and mostly unavailable (United’s Mileage Plus). Well alright then – who says I have to start my award travel to Fiji from the U.S.? How about Asia? I could use my Alaska miles to get me a First Class ticket on Cathay Pacific or a Business Class ticket on China’s highly regarded Hainan Airlines to anywhere from Beijing to Bangkok, and then employ my Mileage Plus award points from there. I set to work exploring the possibilities…
Tap-Tap-Tap Click-Click Tap-Tappity-Tap-Tap-Tap…
Ohmygod! Check this out! Between Taipei, Taiwan and Nadi, Fiji Mileage Plus is offering a fantastic Business Class award routing involving four flights on three airlines covering 8,780 miles for just 30,000 miles!
April 3: Taipei to Seoul Thai Airways 1250p – 415p A330-300 Luncheon
April 3: Seoul to Sydney Asiana 800p – 740a 777-200 Dinner / Breakfast
April 4: Sydney to Auckland Air New Zealand 1150a – 455p 787-9 Luncheon
April 5: Auckland to Nadi Air New Zealand 945a – 1245p 777-200 Luncheon
The 8900 mile return routing, also available at 30000 miles, looked equally alluring…
April 11: Nadi to Auckland Air New Zealand 200p – 505p 777-300 Luncheon
April 11: Auckland to Beijing Air China 700p – 410a 787-9 Dinner / Breakfast
April 12: Beijing to Shanghai Air China 800a – 1015a A330-300 Breakfast
April 12: Shanghai To Taipei EVA Air 110p – 400p 747-400 Luncheon
It’s worth noting here that all of the above dates reflect the only ones that were available in early April for roundtrip travel between Taipei and Nadi. That they just happened to allow for a week in Fiji was a most fortuitous bonus indeed! Equally alluring were the airlines, the aircraft and the routes. Although only Air China represented a new airline for me, the Asiana 777 and all three of the Air New Zealand jets were types I’d not yet flown in those carriers’ liveries. The EVA 747 was an added bonus as is any flight aboard a 747 these days, and finally the Seoul to Sydney leg along with the Auckland to Beijing route would make nice additions to my international route map.
As I sat there staring at the computer screen, I could already see myself aboard each and every one of those flights; seat comfortably reclined with a tasty cocktail and a bowl of mixed nuts at hand while out my window the late afternoon sunlight highlighted a colorful tapestry of Pacific beauty gliding slowly by beneath us.
Gin & Tonic at 35000’
Once those mental images start forming, it’s hard to turn back. Not only was I looking at a great routing but best of all I had the means to make it happen right then and there. Now that, my friends, is a great feeling. Even better is the satisfaction that comes as you steadfastly type in all the relevant information, double check to make sure it’s all correct and then click the CONFIRM button.
Right on! We’re going to Fiji!
* * * * * * * * *
Now then, how to get to Taipei?
My original plan was to use a First Class award on Cathay Pacific via Hong Kong to Taipei. To that end I went ahead and booked one. I even scored a window seat aboard the midday departure out of LAX connecting to a flight the next day aboard Cathay’s new A350 into Taipei.
I love Cathay’s midday departure out of the West Coast for two reasons:
One: If I’m going to treat myself to a First Class flight the caliber of Cathay Pacific’s, I’d prefer to remain conscious for as much of the flight as possible. A full luncheon and a decently sized dinner are served on this fifteen hour flight, and in between there’s enough time to enjoy a bowl of one of Cathay’s excellent noodle soups. And perhaps even a glass of Johnnie Walker Blue. Or two. On the other hand, if like so many travelers all I wanted to do was sleep the flight away, I might as well have purchased a seat in Economy and taken an Ambien right after takeoff.
Two: Because of its midday departure and westbound routing, this entire flight is flown in daylight and – if the weather cooperates – it offers some spectacular views of Alaska and the mountainous Kamchatka Peninsula. For a guy who still enjoys the view out my window, flights don’t get much better than this.
Then again, it’s not every day I get to fly over to Asia. I have plenty of time on my hands and – as one who truly enjoys everything about flying from cruising the troposphere to experiencing the inflight service of new airlines – I have a great opportunity here to to do just that. Prior to this trip I’d logged flights aboard 180 different airlines. Why not add a few more?
Therein lies one of the major differences between me and most normal people, including a significant percentage of FlyerTalkers. I actually enjoy everything about commercial flight – not just the premium class service. When I board an Ethiopian 787 for the first time, I’m really looking forward to seeing what the plane looks like on the inside, what color the seats are, what the general cabin ambience is like, and yes, what the service is like, even if I’m in Economy Class. Where the plane is going has very little to do with it.
So, using Cathay’s midday trans-Pacific flight as my starting point, I started playing around with a few different itineraries around Asia prior to commencing my Star Alliance award flights from Taipei. What fueled each itinerary was not the destination but rather the airline and/or the aircraft. As such, in one instance I booked Cathay’s A350 from Hong Kong down to Manila not only because that represented my first flight aboard the A350 but also because it positioned me for my first flight aboard Cebu Pacific. That would take me to Kuala Lumpur where I’d board Malindo Air’s 737-900 down to Jakarta. From there I could make my way up to Taipei on KLM and Scoot Airlines via Singapore.
And on it went like this to the point where I eventually came up with four or five good itineraries I could work with.
One thing I had yet to figure out was how I was going to get home from Taipei once I’d completed my roundtrip from Fiji. My first instinct had been to book a Business Class seat aboard China’s Hainan Airlines. It has the distinction of being the only airline without an international First Class product to be awarded Skytrax’s coveted 5-Star rating. In terms of inflight service, its Business Class looks comparable to what you might expect in First Class aboard a U.S. airline. With one way awards going for only 50000 miles via Alaska’s Mileage Plan, it was also a great value.
Another attractive option was to fly home in First Class aboard either Cathay Pacific or Japan Airlines. JAL recently joined Alaska’s impressive list of partner airlines and was doubly alluring as I’d never flown it before.
Hmm… so many options…
* * * :-: * * * :-: * * *
I don’t remember exactly how or when the idea first came to me but hey – as long as I’m over in Asia and I don’t have to be home in any great hurry – why not look into riding the Trans-Siberian Railway across Asia to Moscow and then making my way home from there?
Any of you who’ve kept up with my trip reports over the years know that train travel is another passion of mine and the Trans-Siberian Railway has been on my radar for a good many years now. Honestly, what railfan would not want to ride the Trans-Siberian? It’s one of the Holy Grails of railroading! It is considered by many to be the world’s ultimate long distance train trip, a view that is hard to contest given the 5767 miles it travels from Vladivostok to Moscow.
So how about a train ride across Asia? Could I possibly make that happen as part of this trip?
Why not?
When most people think of the Trans-Siberian Railway, they usually think of the classic Russian train operating between Moscow and Vladivostok on Russia’s far eastern coast. What a lot of people don’t know however is that there’s also a branch that splits off at Irkutsk and heads down through Mongolia to Beijing, China. That train is often referred to as the Trans-Mongolian Railway and it is operated on different days and routes with either Russian or Chinese rolling stock. The deluxe First Class accommodations on the Chinese cars are by all accounts superior in both comfort and facilities to their Russian counterparts. That’s the train I wanted to ride.
When it comes to investigating train travel anywhere on the planet, I know of no finer destination on the internet than Seat61.com. It has an excellent and comprehensive section on riding the Trans-Siberian, complete with schedules, descriptions of the cars and classes of service offered, travelers’ reviews and a listing of the best places to book tickets.
A quick check of the schedules revealed a once weekly departure by the Chinese operated train out of Beijing. Unfortunately, it was scheduled to depart on the morning of the same day that I was scheduled to arrive in Taipei. Well dang!
Still, I wasn’t about to give up quite so easily. Although my original plan had been to fly across the Pacific and bop around Asia for a few days prior to heading for Fiji, there was no reason why I couldn’t reverse plans and do the Trans-Siberian first.
Herein lays one of the real benefits of traveling alone. When you’re as far along in trip planning as I was at this point, good luck trying to make this change when you’re traveling with one or more others. When you’re on your own however, you can do whatever you want. A friend of mine once pointed out how many well-known travelers and travel writers often traveled alone. Theroux, O’Hanlon, Stevenson, Danziger, Cahill, Bryson et al. Some of the crazy (and often impressive) things they did on their travels might never have been accomplished had they been obliged to arrive at a group consensus beforehand.
So then, how am I gonna get to Moscow?
I suppose I could launch into a few more paragraphs detailing how I worked it all out but this trip report is going to be long enough as it is, so why not just cut to the chase? Suffice it to say that my travels between Fairbanks and Moscow will involve ten flights aboard six different aircraft types built by five different manufacturers. Along the way I will utilize the services of seven different airlines. The longest of those flights – the trans-Atlantic sector – will of course be in First Class.
Although it didn’t start out that way, ultimately this will be an around the world trip traveling in an easterly direction but with a few zigs and zags along the way that will take me through places like Indonesia, New Zealand, Japan, Australia and Taiwan – though not necessarily in that order. Oh yeah, I’ve also got that week in Fiji!
The Map
All told, this trip will involve just over 53000 miles of air travel aboard twenty-one different airlines. Additionally it will include just over 8000 miles of rail travel aboard the
Trans-Mongolian as well as the
California Zephyr and the
Coast Starlight. And oh yeah, there’s also a road trip driving a thousand miles or so between Phoenix and Denver.
A note of caution however –
Those of you looking forward to an incredible travelogue describing all the marvelous places I visited, the fantastic hotels I stayed in and the amazing things I did will be sorely disappointed. My specialty and indeed my real interest – my passion as it were – is writing about getting there, not being there. In this regard I offer neither apology nor much in the way of explanation.
Suffice it to say that once upon a time I used to write traditional travelogues and I was pretty good at it, too. Throughout it all however remains the underlying fact that I’ve always had an appetite for actually going somewhere, i.e. flying there, riding there on a train or driving there in a car. In particular I’ve always been fascinated with the style of travel - or perhaps more to the point – traveling there in style. Given my passion for the First Class travel experience, what I really enjoy writing about most is getting there. If I could be said to be any good at writing these trip reports, I think it’s primarily due to my passion for actually travelling – as in going somewhere. And so it is that I’m going to stick to what I enjoy writing about most. At least here at FlyerTalk. Friends and family back home get a more traditional narrative but one that’s nowhere near as enthralling or detailed as you’ll be treated to in the tale to follow.
As for the actual writing, well, aside from the compulsory English classes I had to take in elementary school and high school, I’ve never formally studied it. Perhaps I just picked it up by reading every day since I was about thirteen because by the time I got to college I was deemed to possess sufficiently decent writing skills that I never had to take another English class. Even so, I never particularly enjoyed writing reports in school or college. It’s different though when you’re writing about something you really enjoy. I'm not saying I'm a good writer but amongst the trip report submissions here at Flyertalk - most of which are predominantly photo reports - I'm about as good a writer as you're gonna get when the focus is air and rail travel and not Champagne or blizzards.
I write from the perspective of one who’s experienced literally millions of miles of travel from back in the days when airlines distinguished themselves from one another by providing distinctive service, not just more flights and lower fares. Often I tend to wander off down memory lane with a remembered experience or two that a photo report would simply never be able to convey. For the vast majority of our younger members this may be quite frustrating while for others who can relate to those times it may prove to be most enthralling. Either way, it’s too late to change the stripes on this old tiger, so you’ll just have to bear with me and hopefully you’ll find the odd diversion entertaining if not occasionally informative. If you don't - hit the back button and go look at someone else's report. Given the clear preferences of Flyertalk's mainstream audience as indicated by responses to trip reports here over the years, there are plenty of better photographed and vastly more entertaining reports in the Trip Report forum than I'll ever be capable of submitting. That's cool. If only a handful of you enjoy a report of this size and scope, that's fine by me. I'm thankful for your readership!
Anyway, enough of the preamble. Are you all ready to take to the skies with ol’ Seat 2A for another epic adventure? If so, you
veteran readers know the drill by now. For those of you who don’t - go find yourselves a comfy chair, something tasty to nibble on and something even tastier to drink. Then sit back and settle in for what I think promises to be one of my best trip reports ever.
INDEX
To be added after complete report loaded