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Uk to Maldives
Can anyone recommend the best route to get to the Maldives using a Amex 2-4-1 and Avios points (Approx. 250k available). Ideally spending as little cash as possible while flying in higher classes, if possible.
This is for a honeymoon trip, and future Mrs.Pointspointspoints has got the CW/F bug! Not sure if we can afford to pay for Business/ First on the Second leg (i.e Dubai/ wherever recommended to Male). I haven't looked at other Oneworld options as I don't know too much about them... We will be travelling from the UK on the 12th October 2018.. We obviously have a few weeks before the 2-4-1 will be released so want to come up with the best plan in good time ^ Thank for in advance! |
F
light Connections is a great way to plot possible routes A to B and explore non-obvious routings/Airlines (eg LCCs) |
Scacrilige to say this on the BA forum (so apologies in advance) but a flight + hotel package on Emirates was such good value that a paid F flight worked out at not much more than than the taxes you will pay on the 21-4-1 (and it was awesome!).
Congratulations and I hope you have a wonderful honeymoon. |
Was in a similar predicament planning our MLE trip for next April. 2-4-1 in hand and a similar taste for J/F. BA direct from LGW is seasonal and won't be operating when we intend to travel. Same for you travelling in October (I believe it operates November-March)
The best I came up with for minimal cash outlay was Heathrow-Doha-Heathrow on BA triggering the 2-4-1 and a separate Qatar Airways redemption Doha-Male-Doha. 110k Avios + around £800 and the voucher for the BA redemption (Club World). 50k Avios for Economy / 150k Avios for Business for the QR redemption.... plus around £200 in taxes for the 2 of us. Only you can decide whether this represents good value. You would also need to incorporate stopovers in Doha in both directions because the schedules don't align that well and being separate redemptions you won't be able to thru-check/connect. That said, Qatar have now waivered visa requirements for many nationalities and Doha can make for a interesting city stopover. Hotel quality is also very good and prices for high end chains reasonable but given the choice I know we'd prefer more time in The Maldives. After much deliberation and not wanting to trek around Europe for an ex EU deal in Business(£1480 each rtn Pisa-Male on Qatar) for this trip, we decided to bite the bullet, booked Qatar Economy as a paid for thru ticket from LHR for a similar cash outlay as the Avios option with the ability to pick well timed connections and enjoy thru checkin / connection and kept the Avios and 2-4-1 voucher for a Club World Caribbean redemption instead. |
The closest you can physically get would be Bangalore, from where it's a 1hr55 Air India flight to MLE. I wouldn't really recommend it though as a transit unless a stopover in India is appealing to you. We actually did this before BA flew to MLE: a few days in Delhi, and then we had to connect through CMB to MLE back then. In fact we overnighted in CMB which had the advantage of us getting to MLE early.
I mention this in case: have you noticed that BA has just launched lights to SEY. The Seychelles are great but not the Maldives - there are honeymoon resorts but they're quite different. So if you've understandably set your heart on MLE I wouldn't change it, but SEY would be a more practical choice! |
We've had the SEY v MLE debate! I would love the ease of the new SEY route, but we both think the Maldives will suit us better...
From the above answers, I think we may be better looking at going in November (wedding is September, and we cannot go earlier than 12/10), so we may as well go within the normal season, rather than just before.... LON-DOH-MLE looks like it might be a good option... Is there a way to do a search on the BA website for Nov 2018, so we can see what flights are available? I also had a quick look at the Emirates holidays page, but can't get any options that far in advance? |
Originally Posted by PointsPointsPoints
(Post 28859092)
We've had the SEY v MLE debate! I would love the ease of the new SEY route, but we both think the Maldives will suit us better...
From the above answers, I think we may be better looking at going in November (wedding is September, and we cannot go earlier than 12/10), so we may as well go within the normal season, rather than just before.... LON-DOH-MLE looks like it might be a good option... Is there a way to do a search on the BA website for Nov 2018, so we can see what flights are available? I also had a quick look at the Emirates holidays page, but can't get any options that far in advance? Pilot37 |
You can only really use this year as a guide, but there's no guarantee BA will operate the same next winter. This year it appears the first flight is October 29th, then it's 3 times a week. That happens to be the end of October half-term, and at that point Orlando drops from 14x to 10x per week. So that may be where the capacity is coming from - seems reasonable to think that will be a repeated switch.
You could of course book an open jaw with your 241: LON-DXB/AUH/DOH in Oct and MLE-LON when it operates, to go a bit earlier. Just make sure a oneway DXB/AUH/DOH-MLE is a sensible price. |
From personal experience, if you want to go direct on BA's winter schedule, the Avios seats in J are taken approx 30 seconds after they are released so be fast on the phone. Sadly its not one of BAs best offerings service wise.
If a couple of days either side in Dubai/Doha appeals (due to the rather horrible connect thru times) then that may be the best answer |
Originally Posted by Swissroll
(Post 28859342)
From personal experience, if you want to go direct on BA's winter schedule, the Avios seats in J are taken approx 30 seconds after they are released so be fast on the phone. Sadly its not one of BAs best offerings service wise.
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A bit OT but I have been many times to the Maldives but in the 1990s. A very different place to visit now. Warm water has bleached the coral and it has become much more commercial. It used to be a very exclusive place and very special... less so now IMHO.
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Originally Posted by snaxmuppet
(Post 28859993)
A bit OT but I have been many times to the Maldives but in the 1990s. A very different place to visit now. Warm water has bleached the coral and it has become much more commercial. It used to be a very exclusive place and very special... less so now IMHO.
I'm certain that thousands of holidaymakers are very content with their holidays there every year. Nowhere is the same as in the 90s. |
Originally Posted by pauldb
(Post 28860204)
Good of you to put a downer on the OP's honeymoon plans. :rolleyes:
I'm certain that thousands of holidaymakers are very content with their holidays there every year. Nowhere is the same as in the 90s. BTW I didn't say it was no good... it is still the Indian Ocean and there isn't a bad place I have been to in the Maldives... I am just saying it isn't what it used to be. |
Originally Posted by snaxmuppet
(Post 28860266)
LOL! I am sure I didn't... and if I did then it doesn't take much does it. I am sure they have done their research. Are we not allowed to pass comment now then?
BTW I didn't say it was no good... it is still the Indian Ocean and there isn't a bad place I have been to in the Maldives... I am just saying it isn't what it used to be. Who would be the best value carrier to go onwards from Dubai/ Abu Dhabi? (That is, if the DOH/ Qatar option doesn't work out...) |
How about QR?
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