Please help plan my itinerary with miles
Mar 1, 2015, 10:10 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: UA, SW, US, DL
Posts: 109
Please help plan my itinerary with miles
I am looking to plan a trip for two this summer/fall visiting China, India from Houston. I have sign up bonuses (50k) from United, Southwest, US Airways, and some accumulated ones from Delta. My trip will be as follows:
Houston (IAH/HOU) to Beijing (PEK): I could use UA 70k miles
PEK to HKG: Not sure
HKG to DEL: Not sure
(Kolkata, India) CCU to IAH: I would prefer Qatar (QR) but their website is somewhat opaque if I wanted to see/buy tickets using partner miles.
I appreciate any help to point me in the right direction. This is my first post here but I've been reading on and off regarding credit card bonuses.
Houston (IAH/HOU) to Beijing (PEK): I could use UA 70k miles
PEK to HKG: Not sure
HKG to DEL: Not sure
(Kolkata, India) CCU to IAH: I would prefer Qatar (QR) but their website is somewhat opaque if I wanted to see/buy tickets using partner miles.
I appreciate any help to point me in the right direction. This is my first post here but I've been reading on and off regarding credit card bonuses.
Mar 1, 2015, 10:32 am
#2
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SEA
Programs: AA EXP (2.5MM), Hilton Gold, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 4,859
If you have miles across multiple programs and don't want to do too much work yourself to find all program & alliance details, then I'd highly recommend an award booking service.
Be aware that availability may be hard to find since you're not starting to look at 330 days out.
Be aware that availability may be hard to find since you're not starting to look at 330 days out.
Mar 1, 2015, 8:57 pm
#3
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 39
I've found that the meager usefulness of Delta miles is often in xPacific travel. Especially using Korean, for which fees are lower than other partners. I'd consider Korean (one-stop in ICN) for the first segment, and use those UA miles for a different piece of the trip.
Mar 1, 2015, 10:56 pm
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,369
I'd think more about using some smallish number of DL miles for the PEK-HKG travel, connecting in ICN.
Mar 2, 2015, 3:00 am
#5
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,991
Mar 2, 2015, 3:11 pm
#6
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,369
I was responding to the post immediately above mine that suggested using the DL miles for KE through ICN. I doubt that the OP has enough DL miles for a TPAC award ticket, on KE or otherwise. If the OP wants to use DL miles, then IMO the obvious portion of the trip would be PEK-HKG and KE travel is possible on this route with the ICN connection if the OP wants to experience KE and possible the KE lounges at ICN.
You're right that a CZ nonstop would be more efficient.
You're right that a CZ nonstop would be more efficient.
Mar 8, 2015, 2:10 pm
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: UA, SW, US, DL
Posts: 109
Thanks for your responses.
One question. I was looking at using AA miles for QR flights. I don't see anything on QR's website to allow me to make such a booking. Do I need to call AA's Reservation line to book QR flight with AA miles? I have the US sign up bonus I could use when they get transferred to AA.
One question. I was looking at using AA miles for QR flights. I don't see anything on QR's website to allow me to make such a booking. Do I need to call AA's Reservation line to book QR flight with AA miles? I have the US sign up bonus I could use when they get transferred to AA.
Last edited by slbnoob; Mar 8, 2015 at 4:10 pm
Mar 8, 2015, 6:28 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: UA, SW, US, DL
Posts: 109
One basic thing I haven't been able to figure out is: Can I do IAH-PEK-DEL as a single one-way award ticket? I ran through a few scenarios on ua.com but they aren't giving me 42.5k miles but instead 72.5k. Seems stopping at PEK is becoming 2 OW.
Can I even do a trip from IAH, stopping in China and returning from India using UA miles as one round-trip?
Can I even do a trip from IAH, stopping in China and returning from India using UA miles as one round-trip?
Last edited by slbnoob; Mar 8, 2015 at 7:06 pm
Mar 8, 2015, 6:35 pm
#9
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,991
Mar 9, 2015, 4:24 am
#10
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,310
Thanks for your responses.
One question. I was looking at using AA miles for QR flights. I don't see anything on QR's website to allow me to make such a booking. Do I need to call AA's Reservation line to book QR flight with AA miles? I have the US sign up bonus I could use when they get transferred to AA.
One question. I was looking at using AA miles for QR flights. I don't see anything on QR's website to allow me to make such a booking. Do I need to call AA's Reservation line to book QR flight with AA miles? I have the US sign up bonus I could use when they get transferred to AA.
For your questions regarding UA pricing, check out the United forum.
Mar 12, 2015, 7:38 pm
#11
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: UA, SW, US, DL
Posts: 109
So with the advice here on FT and a bunch of my research, I figured out that I cannot book my originally planned itinerary as a single round trip. Long story short, now I am considering buying one way for IAH-PEK and CCU-IAH, which will cost 35k and 40k miles separately or 80k as round trip on United Airlines. However I only have 50k United miles and 50k miles from US Air.
So, I wanted to affirm the following plan. Book IAH-PEK on UA using 35k miles. Wait for the US Air miles to be transferred to American (Q2), then call AA reservations and have them book me a one way from Delhi to Houston on Qatar Airways (partner of AA) using 40k US Air miles. Do you think this is doable or is there any obvious flaw? Thanks again.
So, I wanted to affirm the following plan. Book IAH-PEK on UA using 35k miles. Wait for the US Air miles to be transferred to American (Q2), then call AA reservations and have them book me a one way from Delhi to Houston on Qatar Airways (partner of AA) using 40k US Air miles. Do you think this is doable or is there any obvious flaw? Thanks again.
Mar 12, 2015, 8:36 pm
#12
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Washington, DC
Programs: DL PM; IHG PlatAmb; Hilton Dia; Marriott Plat; Hyatt Discoverist
Posts: 7,310
So with the advice here on FT and a bunch of my research, I figured out that I cannot book my originally planned itinerary as a single round trip. Long story short, now I am considering buying one way for IAH-PEK and CCU-IAH, which will cost 35k and 40k miles separately or 80k as round trip on United Airlines. However I only have 50k United miles and 50k miles from US Air.
So, I wanted to affirm the following plan. Book IAH-PEK on UA using 35k miles. Wait for the US Air miles to be transferred to American (Q2), then call AA reservations and have them book me a one way from Delhi to Houston on Qatar Airways (partner of AA) using 40k US Air miles. Do you think this is doable or is there any obvious flaw? Thanks again.
So, I wanted to affirm the following plan. Book IAH-PEK on UA using 35k miles. Wait for the US Air miles to be transferred to American (Q2), then call AA reservations and have them book me a one way from Delhi to Houston on Qatar Airways (partner of AA) using 40k US Air miles. Do you think this is doable or is there any obvious flaw? Thanks again.
The good news is AA has indicated the mileage programs will merge next month.
Mar 13, 2015, 3:58 am
#13
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 41,991
Why (in this case)? The op seems pretty adept at searching for flights. His only issue is his current lack of points to complete the journey. I expect that he will be able to pull this off on his own or with our free advice here.
Mar 13, 2015, 9:38 am
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: UA, SW, US, DL
Posts: 109
My travel dates are very flexible. I guess my gamble is to the extent that US Air miles get transferred 1:1 to AA and I can use to book QR award travel without any problems. What makes me nervous is that there is no way for me to test out that DEL-DOH-IAH on QR is indeed 45k miles. I can't do it online and I can't call since I do not yet have an AA account. But from the advice here, it seems this 'should' be doable.
IAH-PEK availability on UA seems OK even for next week (as a test). I hope this trend continues out to my travel dates.
IAH-PEK availability on UA seems OK even for next week (as a test). I hope this trend continues out to my travel dates.