Suggestions on getting to Asia
Jan 15, 2016 | 9:09 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2016
Posts: 1
Suggestions on getting to Asia
Hello, first post so please forgive the omission of any necessary information.
Trying to get to Asia, end of this year or early next year. The trip will include a week in Bali but would like to travel somewhere else first. Having never been, I'm open to starting in a multitude of places, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore.
Trying to determine what the best product for most reasonable amount of miles would be to go business class or better. Struggling because it seems I need to make accounts for so many airlines to determine this. Have about 300K AAdvantage miles and 250K Amex Membership points. Seems like American to Tokyo is least miles but arguably not the best product.
Coming from DC. Open to any connection overseas or in the states.
Thanks
Trying to get to Asia, end of this year or early next year. The trip will include a week in Bali but would like to travel somewhere else first. Having never been, I'm open to starting in a multitude of places, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore.
Trying to determine what the best product for most reasonable amount of miles would be to go business class or better. Struggling because it seems I need to make accounts for so many airlines to determine this. Have about 300K AAdvantage miles and 250K Amex Membership points. Seems like American to Tokyo is least miles but arguably not the best product.
Coming from DC. Open to any connection overseas or in the states.
Thanks
Jan 15, 2016 | 11:02 am
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 35,028
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
AA miles are not just good on AA: CX and JL are AAdvantage partners, but you cannot check CX/JL award-seat availability on aa.com; call AA.
Note that the AAdvantage award chart is changing -- and not in a good way -- in March. If you can book your trip with AA miles before the change, you can benefit from the current rates -- even though you won't be traveling for months. And if you cannot find AAdvantage award seats on all of the portions of your trip, you can transfer some Amex MR points to another FFP that -- like AA -- offers one-way awards.
Welcome to FT!
AA miles are not just good on AA: CX and JL are AAdvantage partners, but you cannot check CX/JL award-seat availability on aa.com; call AA.
Note that the AAdvantage award chart is changing -- and not in a good way -- in March. If you can book your trip with AA miles before the change, you can benefit from the current rates -- even though you won't be traveling for months. And if you cannot find AAdvantage award seats on all of the portions of your trip, you can transfer some Amex MR points to another FFP that -- like AA -- offers one-way awards.
Welcome to FT!
Jan 15, 2016 | 1:45 pm
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Programs: DL PM, MR Titanium/LTP, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,318
Find and book with AA before March 22nd. Right now you can go F on CX/JL to SE Asia for 67.5k per person one way which is probably the best value currently on the award chart. After March 22 I think it's going up to 110k so burn those babies to SE Asia while you can.
Use QF or BA to search for CX (both) or JL (BA only) award space and then piece it together with AA flights for US domestic travel if you need to connect to the trunk leg. Then call in and phone fee will be waived since CX and JL aren't bookable online.
If you can lock in 11 months from now and are fine with that timeframe I would do it. You can get F RT for 125k AA per person and can mix and match JL and CX (e.g., JFK - NRT - HKG - DPS is valid) with AA for US domestic as noted above.
AA doesn't allow stopovers so I would book as two OW if you need an open jaw.
Then either pay cash or transfer to BA for intra-Asia travel as needed.
Use QF or BA to search for CX (both) or JL (BA only) award space and then piece it together with AA flights for US domestic travel if you need to connect to the trunk leg. Then call in and phone fee will be waived since CX and JL aren't bookable online.
If you can lock in 11 months from now and are fine with that timeframe I would do it. You can get F RT for 125k AA per person and can mix and match JL and CX (e.g., JFK - NRT - HKG - DPS is valid) with AA for US domestic as noted above.
AA doesn't allow stopovers so I would book as two OW if you need an open jaw.
Then either pay cash or transfer to BA for intra-Asia travel as needed.
