Bali
 

I am planning on going to Bali next year using oneworld carriers. What's the best and most economical route?

Well, only CX and QF out of the oneworld airlines fly to Indonesia. DPS is Bali's airport. Best routing is NYC/HKG/DPS/LAX/NYC (or SFO) all CX apart from the LAX-NYC, with a 2-3 hour connection in HK. If you want CX metal on the return leg back to NYC, need to overnight in HKG.

Don't know about cheapest though. The alternative is going the other way round to SIN or HKG via Europe, then a CX flight to DPS from HK, or buy a SIN-DPS ticket.

Can recommend the Meridian Nirwana Bali. Plus the nasi goreng at Made's.

The best and most economical way to go will be on Cathay Pacific from the USA. Check with them directly or a travel agent who will be able to offer stopover hoildays or STAY-A-WHILE programme which includes transfers, accomodation, and breakfast. Great deals can be had in Bali.

The other alternate 'cheapie' airfare would be on Singapore Airlines. But then you'd get Star alliance points and not oneworld. No point taking Qantas as you have to route through Australia.

Unless you take it as a RTW fare , then you can fly through Europe and Singapore. From Singapore, you'd transfer to Qantas. But then you'd still have to route through Australia on your return to NY.

[This message has been edited by Guy Betsy (edited 09-30-2000).]

If you mainly want to earn miles for later OW award travel, then another alternative is to fly JAL to Bali and earn AA miles. However, discount fares may only earn 70-75% mileage. Y fares are 100% and biz gets you 125%.

Btw,a couple of years ago I used an AA award on JAL to fly to Bali and my girlfriend went on a paid JAL ticket and got AA miles. Bali was great! Take an extra large suitcase (or two) for souvenirs! I kid you not. We shipped a large crate home! Don't do that, it was not cheap by the time we paid all the agent and port fees here on the east coast U.S.

Unusual route. Why not try Guam - Bali by CO?

Try Malaysian via KL. They are offering all sorts of upgrade and buy one, get one deals.

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speedbird001

I went to Singapore this past July and, like you, strongly prefer OW carriers - but I got a fare of $1246 on NW (could have been $1046, but that's another tale) while OW's best was $3000+. Much as I hate to put miles in the "wrong" place, with that price difference I can do mileage runs to make up the loss and still come out ahead.

The moral: unless this trip is your last shot at making EXP or whatever, or you want to use an upgrade coupon that you'd have to discard otherwise, don't restrict yourself ahead of time. This may be heresy to some dedicated mileage hounds, but there is such as thing as spending more for miles than they could ever be worth. It may make sense to compromise your airline principles for the savings.