Help finding XN availability on (SFO/LAX)-PVG

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Sep 9, 2021, 11:07 pm

#16

uanj

Join Date: Jan 2005

Programs: SQ, QF, UA, CO, DL

Posts: 2,894

Quote:

Originally Posted by CIT85

Those are 2 stops, SFO-SEA-TPE-PVG. When compared to over $4K for US based airlines, I'd take 2 connections to save $3K.

Be very careful. Airlines and online ticket agents will gladly sell you an international flight with an overseas connection that is simply not allowed for 99% of travelers. And then it will be your problem. It is the passenger's responsibility to check whether they are allowed to transit or not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by m.y

You are not allowed to transit in TPE to mainland China.

A perfect example. Another one is AA selling connections through TYO where one flight goes into HND and another departs from NRT.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pushmyredbutton

I believe if you connect in a 3rd country you run afoul of the China entry restrictions - hence the nonstop or “direct” premium.

And another very good example, specific to China.

TerryK and SPN Lifer like this.

Sep 10, 2021, 3:18 am

#17

travelinmanS

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Feb 2003

Posts: 10,233

Quote:

Originally Posted by getagb

Looking for roundtrip saver awards from San Francisco to Shanghai, flexible on dates and routing. Prefer October 25-Nov 05ish but open to any time before December. I see lots of XN availability on the return, especially connecting through LAX (PVG-LAX-SFO) which are about 35k miles per person. However almost all the outbound flights only have YN for 200k miles (a few for 150k).

Is my best approach to book the return flight while it's open (as a one-way) and keep an eye out for XN on the outbound later? If it's relevant, the two travelers (mom and young kid) have Chinese passports, not sure if anyone will care if it's two one-ways vs. roundtrip tickets on same reservation.

Any particular time I should look for XN to open up? Or other strategies I'm not thinking of besides "keep checking"? Also in case it matters: I'm 1k, and don't hold any United credit cards.

Are those the roundtrip dates? You realize that you'll be in central quarantine for 14 days plus 7 days of home quarantine before you'd even be allowed on the plane back to the USA?

I was able to book XN just yesterday for PVG-SFO later this month at the 36K miles level. SFO-PVG was always above 200K miles for any date I looked for on the return so I put some DL miles to use and will be flying SEA-PVG back in D1 for 200K miles. Not great but it's better than the $5 grand I expected to have to pay for this trip.

Basically you'll get a good chance of XN on PVG-SFO but zero chance of it at the moment on the SFO-PVG part.

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