Would you rather... (2 Routes to Phuket)
 

I am going from BWI - HKT and have 2 options I am trying to pick between.

Setup: I am an American Exec Plat who stopped traveling for business at midyear, and only have 49k miles flown this year.


Option 1: Fly AA all the way to NRT, then japan airlines to bkk, then dragon to HKT.

Pros: I get to cross pacific in business rather than coach.

Cons: $2400




Option 2: Fly AA from BWI to LAX, then Cathay on a 777 in coach to HKG and another cathay in coach to HKT.

Pros: More qualifying miles than option 1, being $800-900 less than the other option leaves me money for another trip this year (I have $2500 in vouchers to use...).

Cons: Very long flight in coach.




Option 3 - some amazing idea you have that I have not even considered yet...



What would you do? How are the Cathay 777's that do LAX-HKG in coach? Will my status get me into premium economy or am I out of luck?

I can't imagine flying TRANSPAC in coach. But I am a wimp.

Well I would forget about coach on CX or any airline going that distance. I figure you have upgrades since you mention flying J to NRT. Your problem is the fare. I would try pricing to ICN or to BKK. If you decide on BKK you can always fly Air Asia to Phuket.

I would not fly transpac in Eco, even on a relatively good airline like CX.
Here are some of the fares (without knowing your travel dates this might be off, but it gives you some idea) without taxes and other fines, first to HKT and then to BKK (often cheaper to buy a separate ticket from there)

[KVS Availability Tool 7.2.3/Diamond - Fares/PSH/RU]


[KVS Availability Tool 7.2.3/Diamond - Fares/PSH/RU]

Given the choices presented, I would not be opting for one involving a coach flight across the Pacific. I've done it many times but now have no desire experience it again.

Trouble is the OP's credit on AA may not be usable with the listed fares.

OP, are you sure the CX fare would give you qualifying miles? CX has an AWFUL long list on class buckets that yield .... nada.

I'd personally take the hit in Y and use the saved money on another trip/at the destination. 12 hours isn't that bad ;)

I am with you.....take the $800 and buy yourself the latest Ipad to entertain yourself on the journey....then you get the keep the Ipad... :)

As you have AA Exec plat you can choose the best seats and might be able to get exit / bulk head which is really not that bad in Y. Middle seat in Y, sure...but as exec plat you should be able to get a good seat.

What aircraft is the NRT-BKK leg? The NRT-BKK leg is 7 hours, and if it's the JL 763, those things are MISERABLE... make the AA 767s look nice, the seats have super-wide armrests so unless you have a narrow tush, they are very tight, and the pitch is tight as well (SeatGuru lists 34" pitch, which isn't awful, but does not match my experience.)

(I'd also consider using AirAsia or Tiger for Bangkok (DMK, the old airport, probably) to HKT, and only ticketing as far as BKK on the major.)

What about saving money and doing AA coach? 31ABHJ are really, really good seats if you can snag one on one of the days you're going.

What about paid Premium Economy on CX? Likely cheaper than 1, pricier than 2, and intermediate in comfort, but fewer connections than 1 and miuch nicer on the short-haul leg. If the fares are good, of course -- if not it might be pricier than 1, and not worth considering.

All on the new seats, AFAICT, and a fairly comfortable 3-3-3. Status WILL get you into the extended legroom (bulkhead/exit) seats for free, although as of my last CX flight you will need to phone to get those seats.

Only if regular coach fills up; I've gotten more op-ups on CX than I have on AA, and I'm a mere PLT, but it's pretty rare.

Wimps. :) I've done it at least once and usually 2-4x a year most years for the past ten years, and it's not that bad. Honestly, the awfulness of the long-arse 767 leg from NRT kills a lot of the goodness of business class on the leg to Tokyo.

Ditto.

Transpacs from the East coast are considerably longer than from sittin on the dock of the Bay !

...and routing through the mid-West or the East coast are good ways to maximize your miles when coming from the West coast. BTDT many times through ORD/DFW, a few through JFK.

There isn't a good connection from BKK-NRT-LAX*, so since they ended SJC<->NRT... I've done the NRT-(ORD/DFW) leg more often to LAX coming back.**

Honestly, once I'm in on 10 hours+ plus flight, extra time doesn't seem to matter to me; I just up my medication dosage and sleep.

(* AA170 is too early for the morning flights BKK-NRT, and is one wicked long wait at the airport if you're leaving BKK the night before.)
(** before I got Global Entry, it also didn't hurt that the Immigrations and Customs guys in LAX tend to be particularly nasty to deal with.)