Which ST partner will offer the best KE Biz class deal SYD to Mongolia (China)
Apr 29, 2004, 12:00 pm
#1
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Which ST partner will offer the best KE Biz class deal SYD to Mongolia (China)
Am not up to speed on ST awards and hope one of the resident experts can assist. 
Joh and I want to visit Ulan Bator Mongolia (ULN) in early June for the Nadaam Festival.
Sounds like there are only 3 It'l carriers service it:
Air China from Beijing
Korean Airlines from Seoul
JAL from Japan
We want to fly from SYD to ULN.
Air China regard ULN as "China" for award purposes and that is 75,000 United miles each from SYD round trip, but they had no availability on the PEK-ULN legs.
As a revenue ticket for that last hop is about $US425 in coach we'd rather avoid paying that if we can.
Is there some kind of Korean Air (KE) award on ST partner that might allow SYD-ULN for around 75K in Biz RT? Or even First Class if they offer it.
We have not many ST miles and will need to swap long dated United SWU upgrades or a KLM award or whatever with someone when we do figger if there is a decent priced award with some ST partner.
I am just HOPING we do not need to call this two awards - a SYD-SEL and a SEL-ULN. Does anyone know?
Thanks in advance for any input you might share! ^
Joh and I want to visit Ulan Bator Mongolia (ULN) in early June for the Nadaam Festival.
Sounds like there are only 3 It'l carriers service it:
Air China from Beijing
Korean Airlines from Seoul
JAL from Japan
We want to fly from SYD to ULN.
Air China regard ULN as "China" for award purposes and that is 75,000 United miles each from SYD round trip, but they had no availability on the PEK-ULN legs.
As a revenue ticket for that last hop is about $US425 in coach we'd rather avoid paying that if we can.
Is there some kind of Korean Air (KE) award on ST partner that might allow SYD-ULN for around 75K in Biz RT? Or even First Class if they offer it.
We have not many ST miles and will need to swap long dated United SWU upgrades or a KLM award or whatever with someone when we do figger if there is a decent priced award with some ST partner.
I am just HOPING we do not need to call this two awards - a SYD-SEL and a SEL-ULN. Does anyone know?
Thanks in advance for any input you might share! ^
Last edited by ozstamps; Apr 29, 2004 at 12:13 pm
Apr 30, 2004, 4:31 am
#2
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Posts: 4,092
Your best option would be via the Korean Air Skypass program, which offers a round-trip business class award for only 70K in business and 90K in first (the first option appears to be irrelevant, since KE no longer allows award travel in first from Sydney).
Redeeming a KE award via Delta SkyMiles will cost 75K round-trip in coach, 110K rt in business, and 140rt in first.
Another option is an award in American Airline's AAdvantage program. You could go roundtrip from Australia to ULN for 90K in business or 120K in first. You would be constrained on flying to ULN from NRT on Japan Airlines, but you could use any combination of Qantas, Japan Airlines, Air Pacific, British Airways or Cathay Pacific to get from SYD to NRT, which gives you a lot of potential routings.
Another air carrier you didn't mention (but not a participant in any FF program) is MIAT, the Mongolian airline. It flies to ULN from Beijing, Osaka, Seoul, and Tokyo and might be cheaper than better known alternatives you mentioned for that last leg. See their schedule here:
MIAT summer schedule
Redeeming a KE award via Delta SkyMiles will cost 75K round-trip in coach, 110K rt in business, and 140rt in first.
Another option is an award in American Airline's AAdvantage program. You could go roundtrip from Australia to ULN for 90K in business or 120K in first. You would be constrained on flying to ULN from NRT on Japan Airlines, but you could use any combination of Qantas, Japan Airlines, Air Pacific, British Airways or Cathay Pacific to get from SYD to NRT, which gives you a lot of potential routings.
Another air carrier you didn't mention (but not a participant in any FF program) is MIAT, the Mongolian airline. It flies to ULN from Beijing, Osaka, Seoul, and Tokyo and might be cheaper than better known alternatives you mentioned for that last leg. See their schedule here:
MIAT summer schedule