Originally Posted by
browan04
Aloha! First time posting. I’m Delta GM (might get to Platinum in next two weeks, we’ll see) Anyway, I am hoping to use SkyMiles to book flights from Honolulu to Europe this July. Will be going to Austria and France but doesn’t really matter which airport, dates and order of cities very flexible.
I’ve been searching a bit and it seems it might be better to try and use miles on a partner airline flying through Asia (ICN or NRT or PVG) to Europe rather than flying from HNL through the mainland on DL.
Any thoughts on this? I’m also not sure how easy it would be to book online or if I’ll have to call an agent and walk them through this as they also try to route through the mainland rather than across the dateline.
Flying it more directly via TPE, PVG, NRT, KIX, NGO, etc. will be normally faster (only 1/2 an ocean vs 2 oceans to cross) and easier to book, plus better service levels also. But, you will be charged additive price. (Note: ICN is not available. All KE flights HNL-ICN are always blacked out by DL. Only KE HNL-NRT is available, so to go via ICN you have to go HNL - NRT or elsewhere - ICN.)
If you fly the long way over both Pacific and Atlantic, it'll price as a through fare, and if you can find dates and flights with normal pricing then grab it. Just avoid 737s and 757s of course, and for 767, A330 and 777 there are very few routes on DL (less than on AA or UA), and those are very rarely if ever available at the normal pricing.
Good luck!