autumnmist

I've never had enough miles to go anywhere before, but thanks to booking most of our wedding on our Chase Sapphire Preferred (~120k pts) and timing the payments to post w/First Friday Dining, plus 7 years of student purchasing via Citi Forward TYP (~100k pts each) + ~60k miles each on United, I think we have enough to go on a honeymoon!

We would like to go to Thailand, with a 3-4 day stopover in Seoul, if possible (open to an alternative 3-4 day stopover if helpful). We'd like to at least fly business if possible, especially for the long flights. Not clear if first class is worth the miles/points for us since we have always only flown economy because that's what we could afford.

I am new to the award redemption game but I've read a bunch of blogs and threads on FT. I did some searching on ANA and AwardNexus and I've come up with an tentative itinerary, but I'm not sure if it's possible to do better? I also can't pull this up on United's website because it keeps giving me errors, but the individual segments show availability according to ANA.



Plan:
Because of the academic schedule, we are aiming to travel in the vicinity of June 21/22 to July 10/11.

SEA-NRT(connection)-ICN(stopover)-BKK-NRT(connection)-SEA

SEA-NRT-ICN:
NH 177 on a 788
Depart:SEA @ 13:15 (Jun 21)
Arrive:NRT @ 15:40 (Jun 22)10.4 hour flight
2 x AC Business award
3.2 hours layover

OZ 105 on a A330-300
Depart:NRT @ 18:50 (Jun 22)
Arrive:ICN @ 21:30 (Jun 22)2.7 hour flight
2 x AC Business award


ICN-BKK:
TG 659 on a 777-300
Depart:ICN @ 09:35 (Jun 25)
Arrive:BKK @ 13:25 (Jun 25)5.8 hour flight
ANA says business available


BKK-SEA:
Trip: 17.7 hours
TG 676 on a A380
Depart:BKK @ 07:35 (Jul 10)board with coffee
Arrive:NRT @ 15:45 (Jul 10)6.2 hour flight
2 x AC Business award
2.2 hours layover

NH 178 on a 788
Depart:NRT @ 17:55 (Jul 10)
Arrive:SEA @ 11:15 (Jul 10)9.3 hour flight
2 x AC Business award

How am I doing? Can I do better? Will I be able to actually book this if I call in?

Kacee

It's a good itinerary. Go ahead and book it. I don't understand your references to "AC Business Award" - thought you are using UA miles.

autumnmist

Sorry, that's a copy and paste from Award Nexus. Hmm maybe this means I might not be able to book it with United if that particular seat is only available to Aeroplan members?? We were planning to use United since that's where we have miles but with the TYP and UR points we could probably make others work. Edit: or actually, I think Award Nexus uses AC for Star Alliance??? This is where I don't yet have enough knowledge to understand exactly what I'm doing.

rankourabu

Are you going to Bangkok, or are you going to an island?

You can also fly into one and out of another.

Just use United multicity search - and it will come up with options.

You can book right there

Your trip is a very long time away - availability should be plentiful

autumnmist

I tried United multicity search and it's just giving me errors as soon as I try to add the ICN stopover.

We haven't decided if we'll do an island yet (we're not really beach people, more nature/city/culture people) so if we do we'll probably book that on a low-cost carrier of some sort.

Kacee

If it shows available on AC it will be available on UA. You will probably have to call to book. I'd recommend locking in those NH TPAC flights.

You can add an OJ to Samui, Phuket, etc. on TG; e.g., fly into BKK and out of USM, closing the OJ with a separate ticket on PG (Bangkok Air).

autumnmist

Thanks for the clarification on AC. Yes good point about the OJ. I will look into Chiang Mai, I think, because we know we want to go there but aren't sure about Phukei/Samui.

Unfortunately neither of us have status so we'd have to pay a change fee if we book the TPAC flights separately/first and then figure out the OJ later.

Kacee

You should book everything now. The NH TPAC is not always available and your other options ex-SEA are not great.

exwannabe

Sounds like you might be going up to Chang Mai (more cultural) or Chang Rai (the typical outdoor adventure place). If you decide on either in advance you might as well try to get a free ticket for one leg. But I agree with you, these are dirt cheap and should not factor into the main decision.

One extra option on the return will be EVA via TPE. It will be on their new metal by then, so the Biz class is good (1-2-1 lie flats). Also will depart at a more rational time (mid afternoon).

Though in my universe (here in ATL) I will book the first cheap award I see.

autumnmist

Ah! Is that departing BKK or CNX in midafternoon or departing TPE for SEA midafternoon? I'm in the middle of scouting out CNX-SEA and it's pretty daunting (12 hour overnight layover at BKK)

Kacee

You will not find any BR J availability, it is blanked out for 2015.

There is no better option than the TG 380 to NRT. The only potential downside there is if TG changes equipment

autumnmist

Hm, it looks like if TG407 from BKK-SIN tends to be on time, we could have just enough time to try to register for the free City Lights tour, then sleep overnight before finishing up the next day with SIN-ICN-SEA. Lose one day in Chiang Mai but gain an overnight in Singapore instead?

CNX-SIN-ICN-SEA
Trip: 5.9 hours

TG 103 on a 777-300
Depart:CNX @ 10:10 (Jul 9)
Arrive:BKK @ 11:30 (Jul 9)1.3 hour flight
2 x AC Business award
2.3 hours layover

TG 407 on a A330
Depart:BKK @ 13:50 (Jul 9)
Arrive:SIN @ 17:05 (Jul 9)2.3 hour flight
2 x AC Business award


Trip: 20.2 hours
SQ 600 on a A330-300
Depart:SIN @ 08:00 (Jul 10)board with coffee
Arrive:ICN @ 15:35 (Jul 10)6.6 hour flight
2 x AC Business award
3.1 hours layover

OZ 272 on a A330-300
Depart:ICN @ 18:40 (Jul 10)
Arrive:SEA @ 13:10 (Jul 10)10.5 hour flight
2 x AC Business award

Kacee

OZ ICN -SEA is old equipment, no lie-flat.

You will not do better than the NRT connection 1st referenced. Period.

noah

You don't want to fly OZ ICN-SEA since it is on their regional product and not lie-flat.

I think your original return -- BKK-NRT-SEA -- looks about perfect

Also, since you said you are city people, I'd strongly encourage you to arrange a stopover (less than 24 hours) in Tokyo. It's an easy place to spend 24 hours, and not a bad place to deal with jet lag since to see the fish market you need to be up at 4am anyway. Unfortunately the timing of the A380 BKK-NRT and the nonstop NRT-SEA flight doesn't make that easy. So, you could still fly SEA-NRT on the 23rd, arriving afternoon of the 24th, have a night in Tokyo, get up early and see the fish market/sushi breakfast, then leave mid-day on the 25th HND-GMP (two airports that are closer to town than NRT and ICN) and continue on as planned.

autumnmist

If we do:
SEA-NRT
overnight in Tokyo
HND-GMP midday

Should I then scout out GMP-BKK options instead of the ICN-BKK flight?

Never mind, I see GMP-BKK looks like small regional flights with stopovers, ick.