SilverKris

Hi everyone,

I apologize if this is the wrong place to post this!

After reading this ridiculous TR (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...na-thai-f.html), I feel like I'm doing something wrong. He was able to essentially travel around the globe, in Int'l F, on multiple high end carriers, for only 120k miles.

I current have 90k Chase UR points, and 150K AMEX MR points. Soon I'll have another 50k Chase points.

What would be the best way to travel to Asia from the US, roundtrip, in F, and on the high end airlines (SQ, Cathay, LH, etc)? I feel like transferring all of my points to say, SQ, would end up costing so many more points than what this guys was able to do...

I'd just love to make an informed decision before transferring all of my points to one carrier and loosing the ability to move them around.

All advice is appreciated!

LwoodY2K

I'd say you have 2 main options:
1. Read trip reports and various subforums to see how people booked trips you want to go on, then acquire points and book them.
2. Pay one of the points booking services to do the research/booking for you.
In your shoes, I'd try and figure out what airlines I'd want to fly and look for reports of booking with them.

With your specific currencies, I think you could probably do something like LAX-NRT-SIN and SIN-FRA-JFK all on SQ using SQ miles to get the (almost) full RTW experience.

SilverKris

Thanks! I just feel like the SQ KF redemption rates are, typically, much higher than what we're seeing on other airlines.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

mikelat

Not the easiest recommendation, but I'd say to read up on different transfer partner rules. That link you had was US specific. You'll want to see who you can transfer your points to and then see which of those have the most bang for the buck. The forum won't do all the work for you, you'll need to put in some time, reading, and legwork to figure out how to maximize points.

Or you could pay a reward booking service and maybe they'd do it all for you.

elleana

I would also highlight SQ charges YQ, which can also be a bummer if you want to travel for little or no cash outlay..

tcook052

Actually as this isn't a mileage run discussion but rather a multiple program award query I'll move it over to the relatively new forum for that purpose which is the Information Desk.

tcook052
Mileage Run Forum Moderator

skywalkerLAX

KrisFlyer will give you a 15% online discount so keep that in mind.

IMHO the YQ charges are well worth it if you consider the premium experience.

Another plus: SQ allows a stopover for 100$ in the cities where the flight stops at. So that would be NRT & FRA if you go for the LAX-NRT-SIN-FRA-JFK.

Another option would be to start the ticket in GRU because ex Brazil there are no YQ: GRU-BCN-SIN-NRT-LAX

Thunderroad

Seems to me you're in pretty good shape. Arguably the best F experience you can have on any airlines is SQ F on the A380, LAX-NRT-SIN (or vice versa) for about 96.5K miles (that is, 107.5K less 15 percent discount if you book online) each way. Between your Amex MR and Chase UR, you have more than enough. Not as good a deal, mileage-wise, as what you linked to, but the chance to do that kind of trip using US miles is gone and in any event SQ is clearly even better in F than Thai or Air China.

Now, if you want to spend fewer miles on SQ, you can get away with only 70K SQ miles (82.5K less 15 percent online booking discount) for SFO/LAX-HKG one way on SQ. It's on a 777, in which the seats aren't quite as great or as private as those on the A380. But it's still a superb experience.

Of course, don't convert your MR or UR points into SQ miles until after determining that the SQ F seat is available.

Another option if you want to spend fewer miles for arguably the second-best but still fantastic F experience as you can have, start accumulating AA miles through the best credit card bonus deals that are available now or that come and go from time to time, and cash them in on AA One World partner CX for SFO/LAX-HKG. 67.5K miles each way. (Between SQ 777 F and CX F for LAX/SFO-HKG, I'd give a slight edge to CX. But both are excellent.)

SilverKris

Thanks, everyone. Some really excellent points from all involved!!

farbster

I'd focus more on a vacation you wanted to go on and not worry about the caviar or whatever. Just my two cents.

howtofreetravel

All I can say is book ahead because inventory is hard to get on A380 routes with the exception of JFK-FRA

Thunderroad

Just to correct/add to my own points above. I don't have time to check the SQ site, but...

1. I don't think there's an LAX-HKG flight, contrary to my previous post.
2. I believe that if your goal is simply to fly the A380 long haul, you can save some miles by just flying it LAX-NRT rather than connecting on to Singapore, AND it will cost you fewer miles.

Happy trails!

MSPeconomist

IMO part of the best IFC experience is amazing lounges, especially SQ's TPR at SIN or the CX IFC lounges at HKG. So I'd to this for flights to the USA rather than the reverse. You might be able to save miles or get better availability if you're willing to take business class or a different carrier exUSA.