Need YOUR help w planning a Middle East/South Asia trip
Feb 15, 2013, 7:59 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Washington DC
Programs: United, AA, Avianca
Posts: 249
Need YOUR help w planning a Middle East/South Asia trip
Hello esteemed ladies and gents of the flyertalk club:
Not much of a poster, but strong lurker over the last couple years.
We are trying to go from US to Pakistan (karachi). Ideally, we'd like to take emirates since their business product is impecable. Want to take a 4-5 day off shoot to JED (Saudi Arabia) on the way there. The return will be a straight shot back to the US from KHI or LHE.
I have 90K SPG, 250K UR, 160K MR.
The options as I see are these:
1. IAD or JFK (we can do either)-DXB-KHI. Stopover in DXB and purchase a RT DXB-JED ($250 economoy). This on business will be 100K via JAL (80K SPG transfer). The other thing I was thinking was to do JFK-DXB which is 85K JAL. Then use Korean Air (via UR) to use Saudia metal to do DXB-stopover JED-KHI. Return KHI-JED (on Saudi) for 25K miles (economy, which we're ok w since short segment). Is this a valid RT with Korean?
The latter would be net 140K SPG and 50K UR. The former would be 160K SPG plus $500 for two RTs from DXB-JED.
2. Other alternative to use Korean miles and fly Saudia metal. USA-JED (stopover)-KHI. Easiest, but business product is not great. Net UR 240K
3. Third alternative is to use UR and fly Lufthansa metal or Turkish metal to JED, but then that leaves us w the same dilemma w getting to KHI as no *A goes out to Pakistan (other than Thai, which is a very long routing through BKK).
Best use of miles and best quality seems like option 1. Only issue is that I only have 90K SPG. My brother is a member of coupon connection so we may be able to trade UR for SPG w another member for a slightly higher differential. Infact if anyone here is interested in a trade, let me know.
4. As a side question: Is it possible to do JAL (emirates metal) JFK-DXB (stopover)-London as a one way and then return from DXB-USA? Since JAL uses distance charting, this RT would be within the 14K-20K distance (including the DXB-LON segment) which is 100K JAL RT. The idea would be to use the DXB-LONDON segment at a later time. Would such a booking be allowed?
Any other ideas/thoughts/options? Thoughts re: adding on extra one way through open jaw JAL, etc?
Many thanks.
Not much of a poster, but strong lurker over the last couple years.
We are trying to go from US to Pakistan (karachi). Ideally, we'd like to take emirates since their business product is impecable. Want to take a 4-5 day off shoot to JED (Saudi Arabia) on the way there. The return will be a straight shot back to the US from KHI or LHE.
I have 90K SPG, 250K UR, 160K MR.
The options as I see are these:
1. IAD or JFK (we can do either)-DXB-KHI. Stopover in DXB and purchase a RT DXB-JED ($250 economoy). This on business will be 100K via JAL (80K SPG transfer). The other thing I was thinking was to do JFK-DXB which is 85K JAL. Then use Korean Air (via UR) to use Saudia metal to do DXB-stopover JED-KHI. Return KHI-JED (on Saudi) for 25K miles (economy, which we're ok w since short segment). Is this a valid RT with Korean?
The latter would be net 140K SPG and 50K UR. The former would be 160K SPG plus $500 for two RTs from DXB-JED.
2. Other alternative to use Korean miles and fly Saudia metal. USA-JED (stopover)-KHI. Easiest, but business product is not great. Net UR 240K
3. Third alternative is to use UR and fly Lufthansa metal or Turkish metal to JED, but then that leaves us w the same dilemma w getting to KHI as no *A goes out to Pakistan (other than Thai, which is a very long routing through BKK).
Best use of miles and best quality seems like option 1. Only issue is that I only have 90K SPG. My brother is a member of coupon connection so we may be able to trade UR for SPG w another member for a slightly higher differential. Infact if anyone here is interested in a trade, let me know.
4. As a side question: Is it possible to do JAL (emirates metal) JFK-DXB (stopover)-London as a one way and then return from DXB-USA? Since JAL uses distance charting, this RT would be within the 14K-20K distance (including the DXB-LON segment) which is 100K JAL RT. The idea would be to use the DXB-LONDON segment at a later time. Would such a booking be allowed?
Any other ideas/thoughts/options? Thoughts re: adding on extra one way through open jaw JAL, etc?
Many thanks.
Last edited by fulthrust7; Feb 15, 2013 at 8:04 am Reason: .
Feb 15, 2013, 9:32 am
#2
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: BOS
Posts: 588
Last year we flew on TK (a star alliance member) to ISB. Last time I checked there was almost zero availability for IST-ISB or IST-KHI throughout the entire calendar, but as far as I know they do still fly to ISB and KHI.
Also, I don't see many people discussing redeeming JAL or Korean miles in this forum, so you could try their dedicated forums for questions specific to those ff programs.
Otherwise, good luck with your trip. (sorry I can't be more help).
Also, I don't see many people discussing redeeming JAL or Korean miles in this forum, so you could try their dedicated forums for questions specific to those ff programs.
Otherwise, good luck with your trip. (sorry I can't be more help).
Feb 15, 2013, 10:19 am
#3
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Bay Area, CA
Programs: AA Plat, UA Gold, AS MVP Gold, HH Diamond, SPG Gold, Club Carlson Gold, US
Posts: 956
I made 1 reservation ( 3 people) this year. Use united miles to fly to Frankfurt. Take Turkish from their to JED and onwards to KHI.
The great thing about United is you can fly out of any of their hub and add segment to your home airport.
for example: if you find a flight like this. IAH -> FRA (United), FRA -> IST (TK) -> JED -> IST (TK) -> KHI.
you can add a connection from JFK to IAH for free to your flight.
You do have couple of options. Take United or Lufthansa to FRA and take Turkish from there.
United to DXB, take Turkish from their to IST to JED to KHI.
Hope this helps.
But it all depends on your flexibility, time and the number of folks traveling.
The great thing about United is you can fly out of any of their hub and add segment to your home airport.
for example: if you find a flight like this. IAH -> FRA (United), FRA -> IST (TK) -> JED -> IST (TK) -> KHI.
you can add a connection from JFK to IAH for free to your flight.
You do have couple of options. Take United or Lufthansa to FRA and take Turkish from there.
United to DXB, take Turkish from their to IST to JED to KHI.
Hope this helps.
But it all depends on your flexibility, time and the number of folks traveling.
Feb 18, 2013, 9:02 pm
#4
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Florida:)
Programs: AA, HH, SPG, UA
Posts: 269
If you book on United RT you can have a free stopover, so it would be
JFK-JED(stopover)-KHI-JFK for 80k but the problem would be JED-KHI as it wont be a direct flight.
Lufthansa will take you all the way to JED (via FRA) and then take Turkish to KHI (via IST) Problem with this is availabilty for JED-KHI on Turkish and it adds alot to the travel time.
AA is much better as it has Etihad as a partner and things are so much simpler!
I have booked a similar trip,
On the way to JED, booked UA award one way (Lufthansa)
And for the return booked AA one way award on Etihad
Depending on how many travellers, you have the possibility to transfer your SPG points to AA. I think its 20k SPG to 25K AA. Also depending on your travel dates, applying for the Citi AA cards may be an option.
Hope this helps and good luck!
JFK-JED(stopover)-KHI-JFK for 80k but the problem would be JED-KHI as it wont be a direct flight.
Lufthansa will take you all the way to JED (via FRA) and then take Turkish to KHI (via IST) Problem with this is availabilty for JED-KHI on Turkish and it adds alot to the travel time.
AA is much better as it has Etihad as a partner and things are so much simpler!
I have booked a similar trip,
On the way to JED, booked UA award one way (Lufthansa)
And for the return booked AA one way award on Etihad
Depending on how many travellers, you have the possibility to transfer your SPG points to AA. I think its 20k SPG to 25K AA. Also depending on your travel dates, applying for the Citi AA cards may be an option.
Hope this helps and good luck!