Tibet on points
 

Foregive me if this is covered in another thread, but the FT mobile app sucks and the search feature doesn't work.

Anyway, I am curious as to thoughts on the best way to travel to Tibet on points and miles. I want to make sure there aren't any options I am overlooking. Thanks in advance for thoughts and comments.

What options have you found thus far?

Tibet on points
 

From where?

Do you already have a collection of miles/points?

Tibet on points
 

Sorry, from the U.S., specifically Florida, but we can position anywhere with the companion pass if necessary. We would likely use AAdvantage miles to travel business on a saver award, but I am not sure what the best routing would be to get to Lhasa.

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

"We would likely use AAdvantage miles to travel business on a saver award, but I am not sure what the best routing would be to get to Lhasa."

You can't. No AAdvantage partner flies to LXA. Google "LXA airport wiki" to find the Wikipedia article for LXA airport; that article will list all carriers that serve LXA, and from which airports.

I'm pretty sure that the closest you can get with AA miles is KTM, which has scheduled service to LXA. Otherwise, your AA miles can get you to any of a number of Chinese cities (on AA/CX/JL) which have scheduled service to LXA.

Note that AAdvantage awards to KTM cost more miles than AAdvantage awards to China.

guv1976 handled air

starwood has st regis lhasa

Check the actual prices for days you wish to go, but my bet would be that flying from Western China is most economical. Look at CTU, CKG, and KMG since internal Chinese ticket prices are first based on distance then on discount level. The only way to get all the way there on miles is Star Alliance or Skyteam.

Good sites for internal China flights are CTrip and eLong. They will both offer the discounted prices but on the major international sites (at least until fairly recently) you'll only see Y fares.

Personally, I think it would be more interesting to use the new train.

Don't forget that you need a special permit in addition to a Chinese visa.

We used Chengdu as a stopover on the way. Ord to Shanghai then on to chengdu for a couple of days to see the pandas and enjoy excellent Sichuan food, especially hot pot. The train was not yet completed, nor the st Regis. .although I have mixed feelings go about that kind of development. We were on 2 persons our own, but needed to pick up the permit and airline tickets in China which were delivered to us at the shanghai airport.The arrangements were made with a Nepalese travel agent. Things may have changed but that was our experience. Tibet was wonderful, but sad. You might also like Yunnan province which is the Closest Chinese province to Tibet. Banyan tree has so e terrific hotels and scenery is great.

I was also going to suggest going via Chengdu and be sure to check out the Pandas while you are there.

100% - I did this last week on an unexpected (due to the Nepal earthquake) trip via Chengdu, I'd suggest getting there for 8am so you can see the pandas eat their breakfast, as it gets busy in the late morning, and the pandas are so full they just lie around digesting the bamboo haha ^

I would also second the recommendation for ctrip and e long easy to use, can set alerts for prices. Except for busy holiday seasons when Chinese are travelling closer in fares are u sully cheaper for internal China. C trip can also have good hotel pricing as well, although if you hook you chain hotel through them you will not generally receive a stay credit. One other p,ace we went in Tibet was lake Namtso a beautifully Coloved sacred lake in the middle of nowhere. It's hard to find places you have all to yourself

CTU is the obvious "port of entry", there are several flights to LXA daily on various different airlines (some of which are part of a global alliance).

As Osmo said, check out the pandas while you're in Chengdu. And once you're in Lhasa, please stay in a Tibetan-owned hotel.