Originally Posted by dvs7310

Not sure I'm following that logic. You'd save loads of time if you're saying that taking the JFK-TPE-TYO route will cost you a night in Taiwan. OZ JFK-ICN links up to the night flight on OZ to Tokyo, think it's NRT, no need to visit Korea or even stay overnight short of irregular operations.

Originally Posted by decillion

I mean we would get into TPE at night and then the next day fly out for $185-300 pp to Tokyo. We'd have to buy a return from TYO to TPE in the end so I only count it as basically another one-way out of pocket expense, which would be better than having to fly economy from the Northeast US to Asia, and I think we would rather pay $200 total change fees if we have to cancel EVA than sit in coach. I also don't see the point in flying JFK-ICN to TYO on OZ because that wouldn't save any time and we don't want to go to Seoul anymore, actually. EWR is also the preferred airport for my family because it's closer than JFK since we live outside Manhattan.

People seem to say that it's easy to get saver space later on EWR-NRT is this true even during the winter holidays?

Basically the three options are:

1. Least cost deficit, highest risk: Don't book JFK-TPE on EVA, wait for EWR-NRT on UA if saver space opens (risk losing saver space on JFK-TPE on EVA)
2. Moderate cost deficit, low risk: Book JFK-TPE on EVA, cancel for $200 if EWR-NRT saver space opens, save on booking TPE-NRT one-way
3. Highest cost deficit, no risk: Book JFK-TPE on EVA and then pay for TPE-NRT out of pocket, do not do UA EWR-NRT