One Way with Stopover?

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Jun 1, 2016 | 7:53 pm
  #1  
Hello all! After dipping my toes in the credit card point accumulation game, I have accomplished a major victory (to me at least): suite class from LAX to NRT on Singapore Airlines for my husband and I on the double bed seats. It cost 148,000 miles and $40. We are VERY excited as this is our first time ever flying anything but Economy!

For the way back from Tokyo to LAX (and ultimately Denver), I would like to make a stopover in Hawaii. However, I had to book the first class Singapore flight as a one way because they said the round trip has to be in the same fare class and we don't have enough miles for that.

So can anyone offer any advice on booking a stopover on a one way flight?
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Jun 1, 2016 | 7:54 pm
  #2  
Where are these points? Different programs have different rules.

Quote: Hello all! After dipping my toes in the credit card point accumulation game, I have accomplished a major victory (to me at least): suite class from LAX to NRT on Singapore Airlines for my husband and I on the double bed seats. It cost 148,000 miles and $40. We are VERY excited as this is our first time ever flying anything but Economy!

For the way back from Tokyo to LAX (and ultimately Denver), I would like to make a stopover in Hawaii. However, I had to book the first class Singapore flight as a one way because they said the round trip has to be in the same fare class and we don't have enough miles for that.

So can anyone offer any advice on booking a stopover on a one way flight?
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Jun 1, 2016 | 8:56 pm
  #3  
Me: 28k AA / 63k Delta / 3k United / 36k Starwood
Husband: 22k AA / 62k Delta / 2.2k United / 70k Chase UR
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Jun 1, 2016 | 9:21 pm
  #4  
So you haven't you not searched for what programs have availability for redemption on the dates you want?
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Jun 1, 2016 | 9:27 pm
  #5  
Quote: Me: 28k AA / 63k Delta / 3k United / 36k Starwood
Husband: 22k AA / 62k Delta / 2.2k United / 70k Chase UR
Have you looked at how many ff miles are needed to get back home?
Have you looked at the award rules of these ffp's? Some do not allow stopover on one way awards. Will be priced as 2 awards.
And then there is the big problem of availability (as post above). Availability can disappear in minutes as others are also looking for awards.
You should also find out the cash price for a ticket home from NRT or from an intermediate point. (this $$ may scare you !!)

From http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/infor...help-here.html
Awards assistance tools (use at your own risk. May not be up to date. These are not recommendations)
- AwardAce: Compare Award Redemptions Across Airlines In Seconds -->http://www.awardace.com/
- Economical Excursionist's Tools to compare Frequent Flyer Mile Redemptions --> http://www.flyermiler.com/
- http://www.expertflyer.com/ is a common tool used on FT. There is a $99.99 annual fee.
- http://www.travelcodex.com/how-many-...chart-search/? (commercial blogger)
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Jun 2, 2016 | 12:37 pm
  #6  
Quote: Me: 28k AA / 63k Delta / 3k United / 36k Starwood
Husband: 22k AA / 62k Delta / 2.2k United / 70k Chase UR
AA, UA, DL do not allow for stopovers on one-way redemptions.

I'm not familiar with all of SPG's many airline transfer partners, there may be one out there that permits it but I'd suspect with what you have in SPG points you wouldn't have enough even if you found one that did allow it.

I'd try looking at a separate redemption TYO-Hawaii and then Hawaii-DEN. Yes this will likely be more miles at the end of the day than if you could theoretically stopover, but it may not be that much more. You don't even have to use the same programs for each of the two portions which may make it more feasible. For example, Flying Blue, now an Ultimate Rewards transfer partner, charges only 15,000 between the mainland and Hawaii.

Of course finding availability is always the bulk of the battle, no matter what program you use...some being better than others.

Or if you can't find award space or want to save miles for something else, you could consider paying cash for some portion - the Hawaii-DEN (or even to LAX) would be the more likely candidate. Sometimes there can be some decent prices between the west coast area and Hawaii.
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Jun 20, 2016 | 11:02 pm
  #7  
Buy enough SPG miles to get you to 40k, then convert them to 50k Alaska miles. Depend on season, coach tickets on AA from Japan to US would go for 25k miles off peak (and 32.5k peak). Alaska allows stop overs, so you should be able to add a tag flight from Hawaii to US Mainland on either American or Alaska for no additional points (only taxes).

If you are flying during peak season, buY 10k miles from Alaska to get you to 60k and that should be enough to get two economy tickets on Japan airlines from Tokyo to the Hawaii, have a stopover, and continue to DEN (via either PDX or SEA) on Alaska
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Jun 20, 2016 | 11:09 pm
  #8  
Quote: Hello all! After dipping my toes in the credit card point accumulation game, I have accomplished a major victory (to me at least): suite class from LAX to NRT on Singapore Airlines for my husband and I on the double bed seats. It cost 148,000 miles and $40. We are VERY excited as this is our first time ever flying anything but Economy!

For the way back from Tokyo to LAX (and ultimately Denver), I would like to make a stopover in Hawaii. However, I had to book the first class Singapore flight as a one way because they said the round trip has to be in the same fare class and we don't have enough miles for that.

So can anyone offer any advice on booking a stopover on a one way flight?
FYI if your flight is Nov 2016 or later, it will no longer have suites class, as Singapore air is removing the a380 off the LAX-NRT-SIN flight. The route will have standard first class seats from that point forward
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Jun 21, 2016 | 5:54 pm
  #9  
Quote: Buy enough SPG miles to get you to 40k, then convert them to 50k Alaska miles. Depend on season, coach tickets on AA from Japan to US would go for 25k miles off peak (and 32.5k peak). Alaska allows stop overs, so you should be able to add a tag flight from Hawaii to US Mainland on either American or Alaska for no additional points (only taxes).

If you are flying during peak season, buY 10k miles from Alaska to get you to 60k and that should be enough to get two economy tickets on Japan airlines from Tokyo to the Hawaii, have a stopover, and continue to DEN (via either PDX or SEA) on Alaska
This guy has got it. Alaska allows for one way stop overs on award flights and you're just shy of the SPG flight transfer bonus
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Jun 21, 2016 | 7:09 pm
  #10  
Quote: Buy enough SPG miles to get you to 40k, then convert them to 50k Alaska miles. Depend on season, coach tickets on AA from Japan to US would go for 25k miles off peak (and 32.5k peak). Alaska allows stop overs, so you should be able to add a tag flight from Hawaii to US Mainland on either American or Alaska for no additional points (only taxes).

If you are flying during peak season, buY 10k miles from Alaska to get you to 60k and that should be enough to get two economy tickets on Japan airlines from Tokyo to the Hawaii, have a stopover, and continue to DEN (via either PDX or SEA) on Alaska
With current partners you can't get a stopover in Hawaii using Alaska miles, or fly directly to Hawaii from Asia. When the Japan Airlines partnership starts it may be allowed, but they haven't announced mileage redemption amounts yet so it's premature to say you'd only need 60k miles. Also can't mix partners on a one-way award.
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Jun 21, 2016 | 7:14 pm
  #11  
Be careful too about the AS rule that only one partner (other than AS itself) can be used on a single award ticket. So you cannot take JAL from NRT to HNL and then AA from HNL to the USA or Canada.
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Jun 22, 2016 | 3:02 am
  #12  
Quote: With current partners you can't get a stopover in Hawaii using Alaska miles, or fly directly to Hawaii from Asia. When the Japan Airlines partnership starts it may be allowed, but they haven't announced mileage redemption amounts yet so it's premature to say you'd only need 60k miles. Also can't mix partners on a one-way award.
The JAL redemption amounts will mimic Cathay pacific, I hear.
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