Routing Possibilities ORD >< KTM on *A
I'm going from ORD to KTM in late September and because I'm *G/United I would like to stick to member flights. My understanding is that unless I book it from United I'm going to get much fewer PQM on most member airlines. I also have a few days on either end I can play around with and would love to find somewhere to stop off in for a day or two.
What fun routing would you suggest? Any airlines/routes that are best to avoid? I've been to Delhi, Istanbul, Bangkok, Beijing, and Chengdu (which are the main connection points I can think of to Nepal by air) before, but it's been a while. I'd love to see Hong Kong, but given the recent news...
Booking direct on United routes me ORD > SFO > CTU > KTM which is fine going, but it's $3.5k+... which will probably be too much for this client's budget. Booking legs independently is much cheaper but will I have any assurance in the case of missed connections, baggage, etc. (I typically don't check bags, but might have some purchases on the way home)? I much prefer booking all through one airline (United), but the cost is significant to do so.