I'm trying to figure out the best way to go from HNL to LIM on business/first next year, around May 26th (+/- 2 days). I have 30k UA miles, 80k UR points, and 20k SPG points. Through the UA site, I found a flight on May 26th economy to LAX, and then business on Avianca to Bogota and Lima - 45k miles.

Is there a better way to do this, to get a premium seat the whole way, with fewer stops, or for fewer points?

For example, I've heard converting UR to Krisflyer is a popular strategy - but I'm not sure how to even check, as I can't get the Sing Air website to recognize HNL.

hawaii to South America is 80k roundtrip using Singapore miles (40K one way). However, you should assess what the fuel surcharge would be using Singapore Miles. I don't believe United will charge you fuel surcharges, just a tax of $5.60 per trip or per leg. so 45K United MP miles may be a better deal than 40K Singapore KF miles, depending on the fees attached.

To go off of Ncabanil's response, you will have to make at minimum 2 stops given that you are limited to Star Alliance. As mentioned, Avianca via Bogota, Copa via Pty, or even AC via Yyz. The exception being if you can get on Hnl-Iah-Lim or Ewr, but the timings are bad and require an all-day layover in Houston/Newark.

Do not fly Avianca. You will be on domestic first class seats without beds -- think old-school US Airways regular recliner seats.

Best bet is HNL-SFO-IAH-LIM. HNL-SFO is a regular recliner seat, but the rest of the way is 787 and 767, which is full lie-flat seats. You can also do HNL-IAH-LIM, but HNL-IAH is a longer distance in just a recliner seat, but interestingly the total duration is longer due to a layover in IAH.

You can transfer 5K miles from SPG to United to get 45K miles for this trip one-way.

https://www.google.com/flights/#sear...ANCE;so=d;eo=e

you can click on the options which will tell you what the seats are like, etc. Keep checking the United site or use Expertflyer, and you will eventually get the desired routing.

You can save 5K miles by using Krisflyer. The process is really easy - once you find inventory on the United site, you transfer the miles to Krisflyer, call them up, and they issue the ticket.

http://www.awardace.com/redemptions/...p_type=one_way

If I were you, I would save the SPG and UR miles as much as possible, as they can be transferred to more airlines - United miles are the least versatile for me... but, really depends on how you are planning to use the miles in the future.

DO NOT transfer SPG to United, the transfer ratio is 2:1, not 1:1. If you need UA MP miles transfer for UR.

Also I do agree that you should spend your United Miles first as the cost of this itinerary is relatively close to what it would be using Singapore miles. The further from the US you get, the more you need to use *A partners, and United grossly inflates the miles required for their partners

Thanks everyone. And thanks for the warning on Avianca. Hawaiian Airlines has some planes like that - first class seats that barely recline.