enviroian

Some questions below--please offer any advice. I'm looking to visit here over Thanksgiving later this year.

1. Award travel route. What is the best way to get there using miles in J?
2. Paid business class. Possibly cost prohibitive.
3. Paid coach class but use SWU on AA. This will get me how far? ICN or NRT? Then quick separate flight over?

How does one get to Pattaya from BKK anyway?

Thanks!

Antarius

1. Award is AA/JL for the most part. You may be able to snag CX, but highly doubtful.

3. Either to ICN or NRT/HND. Maybe PEK/PVG if they restart those routes, but I wouldn't chance it given their random COVID strategy. Then either KE, JL etc. Onwards. It's about a 6-7 hour flight.

Easiet way to Pattaya from Suvarnabhumi is via bus. it's a couple of hours (100 miles). You can also take a private cab or have the hotel arrange a shuttle - both cost more, but nothing crazy. A cab is probably 3000 THB including the tolls, which is 100 USD.

prathetkrungthep

In my experience doing AA/JL for BKK to/from US, the problem you'll encounter with post-covid premium award space will be finding something on TYO-BKK and much less so on the TPAC sector. If you're flexible on dates and US gateway, you're most likely able to find F or J award space on JL (or, well, AA if you really want to burn miles on whatever the dynamic rate is).

Since you're open to using SWUs and if you're trying to travel during peak season where TYO-BKK becomes impossible for award space, I would suggest also looking into flying AA to ICN or TYO and then getting separate tickets for TYO/ICN-BKK esp if you can stomach ULCC Y (occasionally cheap Y or even J tickets on that route pops up on full service carriers too.) If AA still flew to HKG it would probably have been a much more feasible option for you to do SWU + cash ticket given the much shorter flight to BKK from there, but alas.

JJeffrey

1) The best way to get there using miles is whatever way you can find availability on.
2) Not necessarily, there can occasionally be sales, check AA Vacations (there was a $2500 business class NYC-BKK running for a while). Also check using miles one way and paid the other.
3) The usual SWU availabilty games to Tokyo then you have a "quick" 6 hour flight to BKK, as noted above.

paullgo

I was able to get a CX award 2 days ago. Bos to Bkk. Business 70K. Cathay is starting to open award space.
One way fares from Bangkok to US much lower than from US. I got Qatar Business Bkk to Bos $2100.

enviroian

Okay here’s what I got. I booked business for 60k miles on 11/21 Dfw-San-NRT arriving the next day late afternoon.

I see Malaysia J flights for $1K the following morning Thursday NRT—KUL-BKK for 1K.

I’m seeing return one way J flights for $2500 on Sunday back to Dallas arrive Monday morning.

This would work. $3500 for all J plus 60K miles.

I would spend the night at NRT Wednesday night. Anything to do and feasible to go into the city? The Malaysia flight leaves at 10 am Thursday.

prathetkrungthep

Very feasible. The only catch would be that immigration can sometimes take a stupid amount of time at NRT and thus cutting into your layover. There are convenient rail and bus options to go into Tokyo within ~40min. Plenty of time to have a nice dinner, some quick sightseeing, shopping, etc. I would pick a hotel in the city over an airport hotel.

NDFan

I see lots of award space on CX from TYO-BKK via HKG on Nov 23 for 30K miles + $60-70 in J which is a good use of miles.

If you don't want to go into Tokyo, you can stay at Narita City which is about 10 minutes from the airport by frequent commuter train. Lots of hotels and restaurants and some temples which will give you a real taste of Japan if you haven't been before.

enviroian

Good info all thanks.

I’ve only got 7K miles left for a few weeks then am FCO trip should take me back up to 30K. Do those CX awards go quickly? If so I may buy miles to secure that award ticket.

NDFan

It's hard to tell. I did KIX-HKG-BKK on CX in J last month and there was plenty of availability.
When I looked for you around Nov 23 there was availability on several different flight combinations from both NRT and HND.
But as I am sure you know, it's impossible to forecast how long they will still be there.

kabroui

Is the JAL flight SAN-TYO still on the 787? I tried this pre-covid and the J product was very substandard (as in not lie-flat) Not to mention they practically roasted me on the flight. I don't think I would do it again.

I finally got back out to SEA last fall and after spending quite a bit of time trying to figure out something with OW, I ended up just giving up and buying J in SQ for around $4200 SFO-SIN.. Of course that meant I ended up coughing up for a pricey SIN hotel for a few days. After that, MH to KUL for a few days then onto BKK in Y for around $200.

This year I'm really hoping to burn some AA miles/SWU's going back out to Asia, but without HKG in the picture, I'm not sure that will be possible (flying east from western US is not an option). I hate connecting in TYO.... I never seem to be able to get an upgrade out of Tokyo, buying J is expensive, and JAL Y is miserable for a 6' 4" big guy for 6 hours. On the bright side, combined with a couple of other UA flights last year, the SQ flights put me at Star Gold, so that might open up some additional opportunities (UA, BR, SQ).

enviroian

Yes 788 service and was able to choose 1A apparently a good seat. I've never flown JL so I'm excited. Do 788's have air vents? I can't remember and reading what you mention about hot cabins I'll dress accordingly. I hate hot cabins.

kabroui

IIRC there were no air vents. I probably should give JAL another chance, but after having heard and read all the raves about them, I was just seriously underwhelmed. The seats on the flight are probably better categorized as PE rather than J. Food was just OK... not sure if they still serve drinks in tiny little glasses. I remember the gin and tonics were good for about 3 slugs and then I got stink-eye and ignored from the FA after ordering a third one. My request to turn down the heat a little were also ignored. NRT lounges were packed. Really, the only upside was connecting in SAN, which is a veritable paradise compared to LAX.

Antarius

there are no air vents. The cabin is frequently warm, that's just a cultural thing that you we have to deal with.

Service is typically excellent on JL. The first batch of 788s arrived with a below par angle flat seat (terrible decision making by JL) they are replacing them and may have by now. The 789 has the sky suite, which is a major upgrade.

NRT is and always will be the unwanted second child like IAD and Montreal Mirabel. It's a crappy airport in the middle of nowhere. That said, the JL Sakura and First lounges are nice.
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enviroian

the 788 I'm scheduled on is a sky suite.

https://www.jal.co.jp/jp/en/inter/se.../skysuite.html