How To Travel Around Asia Cheaply?
 

Hi,

I'm after some advice, which I believe the regulars of this forum are well qualified to help with! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

In March of next year I'm making a trip around Asia, part of which I'm using my BA Miles. So far, I've bought the LHR -> HKG (return) and SGP ->SYD (return) legs. However, I still need to get the following legs of my trip:

HKG -> ICN (return)
HKG -> SGP (return)
SYD -> AKL (return)

Are there any Oneworld offers that would allow me to cover this more cheaply (as they're short legs I'm not particularly interested in travelling business class) than buying individual tickets? I'm more interested in saving money than gaining miles (my business travel covers that nicely) so any tips would be appreciated.

I have the feeling that I will have to purchase these return trips individually, rather than as part of a packaged deal? If so, where can I buy these tickets cheapest, bearing in mind that I only have a residence in the UK. Would I be more advantaged to wait until closer until March 2003 before purchasing?

Many thanks for all your help and advice.

1. visit asia pass, check fewmiles' site
2. cx aisa pass, check cx-usa.com

Thank you. I'll check those options out.

Asumming that SGP is Singapore? (The correct code is SIN)...

You might be better off doing this differently if you can back off on the sectors you have already booked. For example...

You could book LHR-SIN or LHR-ICN as an award on CX with one or two stopovers in HKG. I suspect this requires fewer miles that the two bought separately. Assuming you are doing the long haul in J then in this way you could add the short haul in J too, and CX J is widely (though not universally) regarded as superior to BA.

Also check out some of the offers from CX for money. For example, from Paris you can get their "Pass Asie" at:

http://www.cathaypacific.com/fr/offe...-44129,00.html

(in French but fairly obvious).

Alternatively, for HKG-SIN-SYD and back you can get some pretty good deals on Qantas for money, or, presumably, for miles.

I can't see how pegasus8228's suggestion of the US-based Asia Pass helps unless you really want to go the long way round via the USA (in which case a OneWorld Epxplorer ticket might be your best bet).

a great deal is the asean airpass which includes almost all asean carriers. you can find more info here:
http://www.thaiair.com/asia/asean.htm
The fare depneds on the country where it is bought. It does not include cathay so you would have to buy a one way into asean. - tho afetr re-reading your post this is probably not for you.

[This message has been edited by erik123 (edited 11-06-2002).]

CX aLL Asia Pass is limited, at least in N America, to residents of each country, who must originate from their home country, i.e. Americans can't start in YVR and Canadians can't start from SFO/LAX/JFK.

This looks like a good deal, but checking thaiair website it looks that you can buy this only as an extension to their international ticket. I mean if you fly thaiair to bangkok, then you can add asean airpass for intraaseian flights. I doubt you can buy if for other airlines, eg UA CHI-BKK, you may not be able add this airpass.

Someone corrent me if I am wrong.

I bought this airpass once at the ticket office in Bangkok without showing them any other type of ticket. I did pay for another ticket on Thai starting in BKK in C class at this time. I never used the airpass and got a refund. Don't know if they are still this flexible but it may be worth a try.

I think you can buy ASEAN circle trip tickets without any intercontinentals. Just go to a legit BKK agent and ask for one.

Check www.aseanta.org. It may/may not be up to date.

The other drawback to the OneWorld Visit Asia Pass is that it is booked into M class, which does not earn miles in AAdvantage on CX. The only flights that will earn AAdvantage miles in M are HKG-BKK on AY and SIN-HKG on QF

and SIN-DPS on QF from 01 Feb 2003 http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I would rethink my itinerary
why would you like to go to ICN? have you been there?? you'll be scared and leave, it's awfull!!!!

Thanks for all the comments! I forgot about this thread, and see that it's grown slightly!

Hey - what's wrong with ICN?! I love Seoul... I was expatted out there, and the airport security girls are amongst the most beautiful I've ever seen. I'm tempted to insinuate that I'm carrying something I shouldn't be when I go through security, so that they can give me a seeing too! hehe http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif

With regards to my trip, I think that I am going for 6 oneworld passes to cover all the legs. It works out at roughly £700, with the SYD->AKL legs upgraded to business using my QF miles. I've already taken care of my LHR->HKG and SIN->SYD flights through mileage.

In hindsight, I probably could have made more efficient usage of my mileage, but I really wanted to fly LHR->HKG in BA Club World as this is a class and route that I've got v. familiar with on my expat trips but could not afford to pay with my own £££!

Thanks again all.

Not CX new-J?

Curious. Mais chacun à son goût, as they say.