I need some help here guys! This is my first trip that I've booked to Asia. I'm using UA miles. I found availibility on LAX-ICN on Asiania and have built my itinerary from that. What I have on hold is the following:

LAX-ICN on OZ F
ICN-BKK on TG C
BKK-HKG on TG F
HKG-SFO on UA C
SFO-LAX on UA E


What I am wanting to book is the following

MEM-LAX UA/US/CO as able
LAX-ICN on OZ F
ICN-BKK on TG C Destination
BKK-HKG on TG F Stop over
HKG-YYZ on AC J
YYZ-MEM UA/US/CO as able

When I was on the phone, the agent was telling me that I was not allowed to fly LAX-ICN-BKK that it wasn't permitted and that I would have to fly LAX-NRT-BKK on UA. I pressed her to book LAX-ICN-BKK and eventually she "gave in" and told me it would allow her to do as such.

Then when booking HKG- LAX (I did LAX as I did not want to push my luck with YYZ and was quickly getting irritated) I was told that I was not permitted to go to LAX via HKG that I would have to fly BKK-NRT-LAX. Eventually the agent gave in and booked me HKG-SFO-LAX.

I am wanting to do HKG-YYZ on AC J unless if anybody has any better ideas. I am trying to stay off of United metal as much as possible and experience other products. If anybody has any ideas to make my routing or destinations better I would be more than appreciative!

Should I spend the 145K for F (Only F I have is LAX-ICN and BKK-HKG) Is it worth one TPAC and then the TG flight or should I just save the 20K miles and book into C? I'm not really hell bent on F or J but I would be interested in experiencing TG F ground service in BKK.

Any ideas you guys have will be great!

Have a great Sunday!
Halothane

1) I'd go for F unless the 20k miles means A LOT to you and you have other clear uses for it. Trying OZ F seems worth 20k to me, plus you get to experience a TG F departure ex-BKK. Now, IIRC the BKK-HKG flight in F is an 8am departure, but I still decided to show up VERY VERY early at the airport when I took the flight a few months ago so I would have time for a massage

2. United agents are known for making up their own routing rules. As long as you successfully ticket you're fine. I've been told that I couldn't do a stopover in PEK on the way to BKK "because you have to follow the overwater carrier (in this case, OZ)'s routing rules" even though OZ explcitly files their fares with PEK stopover provisions. They wanted to restrict me to an open jaw, and have me swim to Thailand. Hah! Just called back and got what I wanted.

3. Since i don't know your dates it's hard to suggest flights, but is ICN-LAX or ICN-ORD available on your return in OZ F? You could fly HKG-ICN to connect. Or if travel is before the end of March you could search for NRT-ORD on NH. (F availability pretty much disappears once we leave winter.)

Gleff,
Thanks a bunch for the ideas! I checked my dates and unfortunately there is no availability the entire month, the month before, or the month after.

You have PM

Halothane

congrats on your first trip to asia!!

gleff is absolutely right (per usual) about using the extra 20k miles if you've got them...and i have a hunch you do. well worth it, imho.

i'm not an expert in finding specific routings as i tend to go with whoever's got availability. re: the agent telling you a valid routing isn't--you know the drill. hang up and call again.