jonisflying

I just did this back in early December.

TPA-IAD-HND (UA Metal, award ticket. 70k miles + $11:20USD)
HND-BKK (TG/Thai Airways, cash ticket, $1,270USD, booked directly with TG)
BKK-FRA-IAD-TPP (UA Award ticket, TG on the BKK-FRA leg, UA metal FRA-TPA, 99k miles + $95.45USD).

I booked two one way awards (TPA to HND and then BKK to TPA) and did the cash ticket in between to get from Tokyo to Bangkok. I tried for days to get that booked as one award ticket and do the BKK leg as an excursionist perk, with no luck.

The other thing this enabled me to do was stay in Tokyo for a couple of nights. I arrived in Tokyo on Monday and flew to Bangkok on Wednesday (nice buffer and got to explore Tokyo a little).

Side note, I really enjoyed my TG flights. The service on those flights were amazing. The food was really good as well, and they serve it in courses (Amuse Bouche, Appetizer, Main, Desert... not all at once like we get on UA now). One of the surprising things was that the purser did a turn down service for me (they made up the bed for me).

I was also able to do an overnight at FRA and just stayed at the Marriott there. It broke up the trip home a little.

lotemblizej

For those who have extra time, * A carriers often have very reasonable RT business class fares from Europe to BKK. I am currently seeing OSL-BKK RT for dates in March 2024 at $2100 on SK and $2500 on LH and LX. With more advance planning, it is often possible to find $1500-1800 RT Europe to BKK on *A. Even with the positioning flights to Europe, this can be much cheaper than trying to fly directly from the US. PQP earnings are not bad given the distance of the flights and a bonus stopover in Europe can be fun.

sapguy

Thank you for this suggestion, and I am particularly interested! If anyone has any sample fare & routing, that would be great! Thanks

PVDtoDEL

Have you considered ... flying Ethiopian?

They have one of my favorite J products in *A - best Ethiopian food you can find in the sky

lotemblizej

I am seeing many dates in March 2024 where Google Flights says you can book the following routings with LH or LX for $2500-2700 RT in business: AMS-ZRH/MUC/FRA-BKK, MXP-ZRH/MUC/FRA-BKK, OSL-ZRH/MUC/FRA-BKK. I am also seeing OSL-HEL-BKK for about $1900 RT on AY (Finnair, not *A), but those fares may require extra $$$ to reserve seats, use a lounge, etc. As I mentioned above, BKK business class fares are frequently on sale below $2000 RT (e.g., in Aug 2023 LX AMS-ZRH-BKK for $1700 RT), so good to watch out for those offers.

jsloan

Tokyo to Bangkok is not eligible for the Excursionist Perk. The ExPerk must be within a single travel region, and Japan is its own region, so the only way to use the ExPerk from Tokyo is for a domestic Japanese flight. Thailand is in the South Asia region, which contains Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brunei, Cambodia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

drewguy

Yes - I did this earlier this year - DCA-EWR-NRT-BKK. Pretty sure IAD-EWR also substitutes.

Unfortunately for IAD travelers, UA's shift to HND means that Tokyo is not a good transfer point - UA determined that most travelers were O/D in Tokyo so flies to the much more convenient airport for actually staying in Tokyo.

narvik

This. Using/booking through UA one needs to get quite creative to make travel via HND work.


Have a trip to BKK planned for 2 passengers in February 2024 which consists of:

1) Going, booked in April 2023
99k miles each, AVP - EWR (UA First) - VIE (OS Business) - ZRH (LX Business) - BKK (TG Business).
This was changed by United a few times, but seems to have now settled to:
AVP - EWR (UA First) - ZRH (UA Business) - BKK (TG Business).

2) Coming back, booked recently
Economy fare for U$884 + MUA 30k miles + $500 each, waitlisted for UA segment: BKK - HND (NH economy V) - EWR (UA waitlisted for J, now in PE)


Not a bad deal overall. Tried to get something other than an HND connection coming back, but it's about the best option available.

goodeats21

I have looked at this several times, but always seems to involve a very lengthy layover in Ethiopia, which I wouldn't necessarily mind, except I am usually time limited and need to get to BKK quickly.

On a general note, I have had good luck with using one way award to get to BKK, and then purchase a One Way business class fare to return. Have done Qatar, Ethiad, and EVA so far, all at very reasonable prices.
And each of them a far better experience than United metal.

bwiadca

Lots of good suggestions. I was playing with the west coast departures and there seems to be tons of Singapore, Asiana, Eva Air and ANA reward space available.
When I try to force DC to west coast flights I get hit with extra 70k miles (for myself and my wife). That kills the deal.

I've looked at the other airlines, but I'd rather stay with *A. Did it last year and it was no fun with lengthy layovers without a lounge. This time around as a last resort I would probably book cash fare with Turkish for $900. It wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to spend 10 hours in the lounge at IST. (That's the biggest thing right now, 10 hours connection if I take Turkish).

That was the original plan, but the stay for few days in Tokyo on the way back. For some reason even regular tickets are so expensive ex BKK to Japan. It probably has something to do with the sakura season.

I found J seats BKK-India (forgot Dheli or Mumbai)-Cairo -- 2 days at Cairo (my wife would love it) - Cairo - Ethiopia - Togo - IAD all in J.
Again, the Ethiopian legs are strange. CAI-ADD shows 788 and connection to Lome, but it shows 0 ground time in Addis but the times show 2 hours between arrival and departure and next leg on 789, then 0 ground time in Lome but the departure is 1 hour later.

Also I found CAI to Athens on Aegean in J and then UA in Polaris to IAD but it's not lining up with the Cairo arrival from Thailand Always something

Back to the drawing board. Again, you guys gave me lots of good suggestions and ideas. Thanks

narvik

CAI-ADD is non-stop AFAIK; the stop at Lomé is a tech stop (refuel) when flying to/from USA from/to ADD.

bwiadca

Booked my flights Did a lot of searching. Found Mumbai - CAI - FRA - IAD in J for 120k then paid ticket on Thai in J from BKK to Mumbai for $400. That was another option.
Few minutes ago I found all J from BKK to FRA with Thai FRA - ZRH - IAD on Swiss in J for 110k. Never flown Swiss in J so that's going to be first for me.
I had to be flexible with the dates. Moved the trip by 1 week later and found it. On the way to Thailand I took TK in economy with 10 hours in IST for $800pp. Very happy with the outcome.
Thanks again for very helpful tips!

zapple

I just tried to book award travel in business to BKK for Nov 2024. I booked the same flight in Feb 2023 ten months in advance and paid 378,000 miles for 2 seats. United is now asking 1,200,000 miles for 2 seats for the same flight. What in the world is going on??!! Is this the new United dynamic award pricing?? Should I ditch United for another airline for my loyalty? I use the United Explorer card personally and the United Club card for my business and my singular goal is to snag business seats to Asia. If I can’t get that, I may cancel both cards and look for another airline for my loyalty. Ideas? Thoughts?

narvik

You can still get good deals. I just canceled two one-way Business class tickets to BKK (via ZRH) for 99'000 miles each.

MatthewLAX

Lots of last-minute tickets for 99K in business - TG releases a lot of space.