Getting to Southeast Asia on the fewest miles possible.
Jul 21, 2010, 1:21 pm
#46
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He has to originate from OZ in order to only use OZ-USA award.
Jul 21, 2010, 1:55 pm
#47
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So, for SIN-SYD-LAX, it would be 25k + 40k = 65k.
Probably best to use an LCC to get down to OZ in that case.
Jul 21, 2010, 3:51 pm
#48
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If indeed SIN-SYD is 25K coach, it is a reasonable price. I doubt he can get anything below $400.
Jul 22, 2010, 2:01 am
#49
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Jul 22, 2010, 5:25 am
#50
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Good point. While SIN and SYD may be far apart, all the OP would need to do save those 25k would be to get to get himself to a QF city in the "West Pacific" zone.
Jul 22, 2010, 12:21 pm
#51
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Chart
I have not read this thread in detail, but figured from some of the posts I'd read the BA One-Partner Award chart in my signature link could be useful. Its designed to mimic the AA chart for apples-to-apples comparisons.
I also just got back from a month in Australia and SE Asia, so have some experience weighing these options.
Some notes:
Good luck. AWP
I also just got back from a month in Australia and SE Asia, so have some experience weighing these options.
Some notes:
- AA lets you mix airlines (i.e. any combination of AS/AA/JL/CX/LA for US-Asia) to get to your destination, but allows no stopovers except at the North American gateway.
- BA allows "infinite" stopovers along the path of travel, but must all be on one carrier (i.e. JL or CX or AA only. No AA+JL or AA+CX). You could presumably fly from a CX gateway in the US to SIN with stopovers in HKG and BKK all on one ticket (25k for Y, 50K for J, 75K for F). And even YVR if you start at JFK.
- AA's redemption from Asia Zone 2 to Australia is an excellent value IME, especially in J, which is only 10K more than Y. Having just booked HAN-HKG-CNS and MEL-HKG-HAN, I found CX availability to be much better than QF. Availability on any of the QF flights to HKG was rare. 35K AA miles for an 8 hour flight in CX J is a steal!
- BA miles are fantastic for flying around Australia because its all "one-partner," QF. In one 15K redemption, I flew CNS-BNE / stop / BNE-SYD / stop / SYD-MEL. Probably could've squeezed ADL and/or PER on the end too. Adding my AA PLT number to the PNR got exit rows throughout. If I did this again, I might have splurged for all QF J for only 30K BA miles.
- OTOH, if your travel in Australia will be indirect, and therefore require multiple awards, AA miles are a great value. 10K for QF Y or 17.5K QF J anywhere in Australia/New Zealand. (17.5K AA for ZQN-BNE-PER-PBO in QF J!) For example, from Sydney I wanted to go to ASP and AYQ (both in the middle of the country) before heading up to CNS. 27.5K AA miles got me SYD-BNE-ASP in QF J (direct unavailable) and AYQ-CNS in QF Y.
- A domestic QF J ticket also gets you access to the top level QantasClub, normally reserved for OW Emeralds, and the extra 7.5K AA miles for J was worth it when I did nearly 6 hours of flying.
Good luck. AWP
Last edited by Surgee; Feb 14, 2011 at 11:19 pm
Jul 22, 2010, 12:41 pm
#52
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Also, AA's redemption from Asia to Australia is excellent value IME, especially in J, which is only 10K more than Y. Having just booked HAN-HKG-CNS and MEL-HKG-HAN, I found CX availability to be much better than QF. Availability on any of the QF flights to HKG was rare.
BA miles are fantastic for flying around Australia because its all QF. One 15K redemption got CNS-BNE / stop / BNE-SYD / stop / SYD-MEL. Probably could've squeezed ADL and/or PER on the end too.
Good luck. AWP
BA miles are fantastic for flying around Australia because its all QF. One 15K redemption got CNS-BNE / stop / BNE-SYD / stop / SYD-MEL. Probably could've squeezed ADL and/or PER on the end too.
Good luck. AWP
Sep 7, 2010, 1:03 pm
#53
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Old post but FYI. If you end up flying into HKG, check out Cebu Pacific flights to the Philippines. From Manila or Clark you can get to the rest of Asia on a variety of LCC. I would also see if I could get all the way to the Philippines on the award ticket.
PS Manila and Clark airports are NOT that close. Research before booking.
PS Manila and Clark airports are NOT that close. Research before booking.