Long Haul Business Class for under $2K (Long Post)

[Luv2Phuket]

I have always used BA to search Cathay and nothing is showing.  It makes no sense to me.

BTW, @Little Evil, I owe you BIG TIME!

I decided to check BA for late February (still needed a return flight) to see if anything popped up for Cathay. Nothing on Cathay, but Qatar showed availability for 95,000 Avios.  Got my ass over to Qatar and jumped on an ideal itinerary coming back - leaves BKK at 7:30 p.m. (on a Saturday night), 2 1/2 hours layover in Doha, then on the DOH-LAX with a 6:45 a.m. arrival on Sunday morning (which leaves a multitude of connection options to get back to Las Vegas).

ONLY downside is no Q Suites on the BKK-DOH leg.  I think if I took the flight with an overnight connection in Doha, I may have gotten Q-Suites, but I can "rough it" and avoid the 8+ hour overnight layover (from around 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.).

Fees are pretty brutal - 8,340 Thai baht (so about $240) - but I was finally able to cash out half of my Avios stash!

Anybody else looking to cash out Avios or AA might want to jump online and check the mid-late February 2024 dates!

[Little Evil]

13 minutes ago, Luv2Phuket said:

BTW, @Little Evil, I owe you BIG TIME!

No problem!  (But for what? 555)

[Luv2Phuket]

1 hour ago, Little Evil said:

No problem!  (But for what? 555)

For the Qatar booking your post spurred me to check

[HimBadMan]

5 hours ago, Little Evil said:

Anyone having any luck with CX recently? They were my go-to out of Boston, but have been extremely difficult to book through any means, even Asia Miles/Cathay Pacific. Hoping things improve now that China opened up the mainland to foreigners again. 

Thought I found a loophole on CX's website. No matter what I searched for under business, no availability. But noticed if searched first class, it would then show me business options as a consolation for not finding first class seats. That's even if the exact same search in business didn't show availability. Tried to book J using this method, and when you get to the penutlimate booking screen, it throws an error message about not being able to locate the fare. This is after it clearly shows you the miles and surcharges.  Specifically:

"ERROR We are unble to confirm the fare for the flights you have selected. Please choose a different fare or flights and resubmit your request. (15012-104)"

Tried this a half dozen times now and get the same message. Anyone else see this before?

 

Cathay award space has been shit for 2023..   Even JAL is hard to find for rest of 2023.

I picked up a CX Business class award for my Sept trip via Alaska.   But I booked that In January.    Since then nada.

It is crazy how little award space there is this year on OW airlines.    Let's hope something changes soon!  And hopefully the change will not be increased award redemptions too soon.    Although that for sure is coming 

[travelling_man]

I have never looked at my Capital One Venture airline reward account because I have never used the rewards for travel.  But just for fun, I looked today at a trip from BKK-IAH and saw that the best rate was 579,455 miles round trip.  

Not much of a deal there!   

[bgtp]

5 hours ago, travelling_man said:

I have never looked at my Capital One Venture airline reward account because I have never used the rewards for travel.  But just for fun, I looked today at a trip from BKK-IAH and saw that the best rate was 579,455 miles round trip.  

Not much of a deal there!   

The points are just worth one cent each when redeemed with Capital One for travel. So that’s getting you a ticket that otherwise costs $5794.55. The better value comes from transferring the points to an airline partner then redeeming thru that partner’s program.

[Luv2Phuket]

....the hits keep coming!

Alaska has devalued awards on JAL (NOT that I'm finding availability any way! 555) - business class award flights from USA to SE Asia are going from 65K to 100k.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/alaska-devalues-japan-airlines-awards/

I'm guessing if Cathay EVER comes back online for award space, the 50k OW business class awards on Alaska will be devalued, as well.

[HimBadMan]

4 hours ago, Luv2Phuket said:

....the hits keep coming!

Alaska has devalued awards on JAL (NOT that I'm finding availability any way! 555) - business class award flights from USA to SE Asia are going from 65K to 100k.

https://onemileatatime.com/news/alaska-devalues-japan-airlines-awards/

I'm guessing if Cathay EVER comes back online for award space, the 50k OW business class awards on Alaska will be devalued, as well.

Another reason to never hoard miles.     54% inflation in one day.    Earn and burn 

[wdogg]

There was availability on CX's website from LAX but I was looking for around later this year September.  This was transferring miles from Amex to CX and then making a direct booking.  Not sure if you guys are not seeing anything since you're looking for a closer departure date. 

[HimBadMan]

2 hours ago, wdogg said:

There was availability on CX's website from LAX but I was looking for around later this year September.  This was transferring miles from Amex to CX and then making a direct booking.  Not sure if you guys are not seeing anything since you're looking for a closer departure date. 

Most of us use AA, Alaska or Avios for CX since it was a better deal (miles wise). But sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do 

[Luv2Phuket]

Okay.....it's tax time again here in the USA.  While I HATE paying taxes, it always turns into "credit card strategy" time for me! 555

Shaking things up, I am NOT getting new cards this year....at least not yet!  I have to make huge estimated tax payments this year, so I can use them to snag bonus miles/points later in the year when I see a good offer.

My strategy this month:
 - pay a portion of estimated taxes on my AMEX Hilton Bix card, which will net me a free night at just about any Hilton
 - pay a portion of my taxes and the rest of my estimated taxes on my Chase Hyatt card, earning me an additional free night on it. Not a very great "return," as it is limited to Category 1-4 hotels. Great options in Bangkok and Thailand, but it kinda sucks elsewhere
 - pay the balance with my AA Aviator card to hopefully keep Platinum Pro status next year

The additional Hilton and Hyatt nights will give me 2 free nights at each.  Other cards seem to require like $60,000 in charges to net an additional room, so focusing on these instead.

FWIW, I did an absolutely SHITTY job maximizing my free room certificates last year!  I basically wasted a Hilton certificate (expires in late June and no plans to use it for now) and $200 of my $250 Aspire credit (planned to use in Pattaya, but didn't charge anything to my room!).  I gotta focus a little better this coming year.

Anybody have any credit card strategies built around tax payments?  Any new applications you care to share?

[bgtp]

1 hour ago, Luv2Phuket said:

Okay.....it's tax time again here in the USA.  While I HATE paying taxes, it always turns into "credit card strategy" time for me! 555

…

Anybody have any credit card strategies built around tax payments?  Any new applications you care to share?

Don’t look at me. I haven’t had to pay a cent in income tax for the past five years, although interest rates have now gotten to the point where I’ll probably have some small tax liability next April for 2023.

After I get back from my May/June trip, I plan on getting the Citi Advantage Platinum. Not sure how many times I’ve had this one, all I know is you now have to wait four years between churns.

[Luv2Phuket]

2 hours ago, bgtp said:

Don’t look at me. I haven’t had to pay a cent in income tax for the past five years, although interest rates have now gotten to the point where I’ll probably have some small tax liability next April for 2023.

After I get back from my May/June trip, I plan on getting the Citi Advantage Platinum. Not sure how many times I’ve had this one, all I know is you now have to wait four years between churns.

I was eyeing that offer today, but have so damn many AA miles already.

VentureX keeps popping up on my radar, especially since I plan to dump my Venture card before it renews.  VentureX gets excellent reviews, but many of the perks seem duplicative of what I get from other cards.

I'm also not a fan of a travel credit when booked via their portal, but perhaps I am missing something.

Lucky man on the taxes!  As noted earlier in this thread, I paid a boatload of estimated taxes last year, but still didn't come close to my tax burden.  That said, I almost blew a load in my pants when I checked what my California state tax burden would have been in 2022 and 2023 had I not gotten my ass outta there in 2021!  555  

[Luv2Phuket]

For those Miles Whores who have a Priority Pass membership that allows credits at restaurants (my Citi Prestige does, but it is closed to new applicants years ago; I think Chase does; AMEX does not), here is a helpful blog that runs through them -- there are more Internationally than I expected.

https://onemileatatime.com/guides/priority-pass-restaurants/

I LOVE this perk and try to use it whenever I can.  Mustard's Grill at SFO is a favorite; Corona Beach House at MIA was a bit of a disappointment.  Sadly nothing at LAS, LAX, or AUS.

I have to fly through Syracuse in June, so I'm hoping to use it at Johnny Rockets.

[jmukh]

On 22/04/2023 at 13:29, Luv2Phuket said:

For those Miles Whores who have a Priority Pass membership that allows credits at restaurants (my Citi Prestige does, but it is closed to new applicants years ago; I think Chase does; AMEX does not), here is a helpful blog that runs through them -- there are more Internationally than I expected.

https://onemileatatime.com/guides/priority-pass-restaurants/

I LOVE this perk and try to use it whenever I can.  Mustard's Grill at SFO is a favorite; Corona Beach House at MIA was a bit of a disappointment.  Sadly nothing at LAS, LAX, or AUS.

I have to fly through Syracuse in June, so I'm hoping to use it at Johnny Rockets.

One of my reasons for getting Capital One was a priority pass that included restaurants (DCA has, surprisingly, zero lounge options otherwise, and the free meal ended up being much more useful before Colombia trips), but they discontinued the benefit last year. I'm sitting on four redundant priority passes at this point, none of which include restaurants (argh).

I may finally need to bite the bullet and get the Sapphire Reserve, but I'm really not convinced of the utility yet. I barely use my Preferred as it is. Maybe if I procrastinate long enough, Amex / Capital One lounges will open?

I was able to use the benefit in Peru, but didn't realize how many other international locations were listed (Heathrow, especially, looks interesting for layovers).

Putien is an absolutely phenomenal restaurant in case anyone's got a short stopover in HK on the way to BKK, incidentally. For longer layovers I'd head into the city, but that restaurant is good enough that I'd eat there on a short stop even with the otherwise excellent lounge options.

[HimBadMan]

31 minutes ago, jmukh said:

One of my reasons for getting Capital One was a priority pass that included restaurants (DCA has, surprisingly, zero lounge options otherwise, and the free meal ended up being much more useful before Colombia trips), but they discontinued the benefit last year. I'm sitting on four redundant priority passes at this point, none of which include restaurants (argh).

I may finally need to bite the bullet and get the Sapphire Reserve, but I'm really not convinced of the utility yet. I barely use my Preferred as it is. Maybe if I procrastinate long enough, Amex / Capital One lounges will open?

I was able to use the benefit in Peru, but didn't realize how many other international locations were listed (Heathrow, especially, looks interesting for layovers).

Putien is an absolutely phenomenal restaurant in case anyone's got a short stopover in HK on the way to BKK, incidentally. For longer layovers I'd head into the city, but that restaurant is good enough that I'd eat there on a short stop even with the otherwise excellent lounge options.

Yeah I made the decision to keep my VentureX instead of getting the CSR.  I got the CSR when it first came out with the 100k bonus.   But after they increased their Annual Fee a few years ago, I couldn't justify it.    Even with the 1.5pts when booking on the Chase Portal.

Cap1 Venture X also has plaza premium lounges and not just Priority Pass and this has been very helpful overseas for me.

Plus the Capone VX still pays for itself with the $400 a year Travel Credit.   So easy decision for me. 

[Luv2Phuket]

1 hour ago, jmukh said:

One of my reasons for getting Capital One was a priority pass that included restaurants (DCA has, surprisingly, zero lounge options otherwise, and the free meal ended up being much more useful before Colombia trips), but they discontinued the benefit last year. I'm sitting on four redundant priority passes at this point, none of which include restaurants (argh).

I may finally need to bite the bullet and get the Sapphire Reserve, but I'm really not convinced of the utility yet. I barely use my Preferred as it is. Maybe if I procrastinate long enough, Amex / Capital One lounges will open?
 

The Sapphire Preferred Priority Pass membership doesn't include restaurant reimbursement?

[HimBadMan]

28 minutes ago, Luv2Phuket said:

The Sapphire Preferred Priority Pass membership doesn't include restaurant reimbursement?

No lounge access for CSP just the CSR

[Jake.houston]

On 06/04/2023 at 13:30, Luv2Phuket said:

While I HATE paying taxes, it always turns into "credit card strategy" time for me! 555

I just added about 35K AMEX points paying off my left overs to Uncle Sam. Between that and my estimated payments each quarter, I get one to two business class trips per year just in points from paying my taxes like a good little sheep.

[jsmithj88]

4 hours ago, HimBadMan said:

Yeah I made the decision to keep my VentureX instead of getting the CSR.  I got the CSR when it first came out with the 100k bonus.   But after they increased their Annual Fee a few years ago, I couldn't justify it.    Even with the 1.5pts when booking on the Chase Portal.

Cap1 Venture X also has plaza premium lounges and not just Priority Pass and this has been very helpful overseas for me.

Plus the Capone VX still pays for itself with the $400 a year Travel Credit.   So easy decision for me. 

agreed 10000%   
prolly the only card where i will pay the yearly fee

[Luv2Phuket]

1 hour ago, Jake.houston said:

I just added about 35K AMEX points paying off my left overs to Uncle Sam. Between that and my estimated payments each quarter, I get one to two business class trips per year just in points from paying my taxes like a good little sheep.

...given your profile photo, I couldn't resist:

 

 

[Jake.houston]

11 hours ago, Luv2Phuket said:

...given your profile photo, I couldn't resist:

 

 

100% valid.

[IeatCrayons]

Is Zipair worth it? 1200 USD LAX to Japan business class seems like a steal. Last time I did Asiana economy cross pacific and I hated every minute of it. 

[Luv2Phuket]

Sorry, never heard of Zipair.  Sounds like a consolidator, and I try to avoid them.

[Luv2Phuket]

A potential new miles option from LAX (although not yet showing for bookings): Alaska has entered into a partnership with Taiwanese-based Starlux.

Starlux also just started its LAX-TPE route yesterday, and they already have TPE-BKK. 

Award chart is supposed to start at 60,000 Alaska miles each way.

I ran a search on Alaska's website for next February and March, but no Starlux options coming up as of yet.

Given Cathay's apparent disappearance from award tickets and crap availability on JAL, this could be a welcome addition.