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

[navidnavid]

check out my new thread I posted over in the Barstool section of the boards. Readers of this topic should enjoy The Points Guy TV, and the follow on Vietnamese Airlines flight attendant discussion. 

 

Link:http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/295504-airline-miles/#entry3623573

Edited May 25, 2016 by navidnavid

[navidnavid]

700 posts in this topic already.....really good info, thanks to everyone for contributing.... its amazing this thread ceases to become a price , bareback, or sharky thread...

 

Anyways, has anyone used Alaska miles for Cathay Pacific award tickets? Is it 50K Alaska miles for a one way CX bix ticket from USA to Asia?

 

How is the award availability?

 

50K miles for a CX biz award is an amazing sweet spot if it is true. 

 

Alaska Miles Visa card gets you 30k miles after 1k spend.... also you can buy Alaska miles for up to 40% bonus now, and 50k miles only comes out to around ~$1100 dollars I believe...

 

I may have found a good alternate program...as pretty soon I'll have over 130K Amex points which is a RT Biz ticket on SG

 

Essentially within the next 2 months I could have 30k Alaska miles from the credit card, and then purchase 70K at their current promotion for around $1500... and that would result in a RT CX biz ticket, for around $1500...incredible value, some food for thought, just thinking out loud here.... 

[navidnavid]

So if it is in fact 70k Alaska miles for CX F class then at the current Alaska 40% promotion you can purchase 70k miles for under $1500....after taxes!...incredible value! https://storefront.points.com/mileage-plan/en-US/buy?language=en&product=BUY&referralCode=004_13_0013_ASBXX100BXF40XXXFEB16_170216B

 

And if you don't have an Alaska account, you may want to set up one....

 

edit:

 

 

Quote from Footy last month:

 

"........

 

Alaska is only 50k for business class (70k for first), while AA has bumped it to 70k for one way bus class on Cathay (same as first using Alaska....which is why I have been bulking up my Alaska account! 555)

 

......."

 

So it is in fact only 50K Biz and 70k First.....So currently, today, you can purchase 70k Alaskan miles, which is enough for a CX First class, one way, USA to Asia, for under $1500.... INCREDIBLE VALUE 

Edited June 2, 2016 by navidnavid

[Little Evil]

AA miles promotion again, but my PSA this time is to say that this one doesn't seem all that worth it.  10% discount is better than none, but the price per mile scale kind of sucks at over 2 cents-per across the board. Slightly better if you can pair the purchase with an AA credit card, but I''d probably hold off on this one unless topping off for a specific award. Wait for the sub 1.9 cent miles sales.

[Luv2Phuket]

AA miles promotion again, but my PSA this time is to say that this one doesn't seem all that worth it.  10% discount is better than none, but the price per mile scale kind of sucks at over 2 cents-per across the board. Slightly better if you can pair the purchase with an AA credit card, but I''d probably hold off on this one unless topping off for a specific award. Wait for the sub 1.9 cent miles sales.

 

I got the email, but, as I read it, there is no real "perk" to paying with an AA co-branded card -- just the standard 1 mile per dollar spent.  Maybe I misread it -- here's what I got:

 

And as always, use your eligible AAdvantage program co-branded credit card and earn additional AAdvantage miles per $1 spent buying, gifting or sharing AAdvantage miles.

 

In any event, the 100,000 bonus miles doesn't kick in unless you buy 150,000 miles.  While 250,000 AA miles is a HUGE war chest, the price tag to get there -- $3,982.50 -- is too steep for me. 

[Little Evil]

I got the email, but, as I read it, there is no real "perk" to paying with an AA co-branded card -- just the standard 1 mile per dollar spent.  Maybe I misread it -- here's what I got:

 

And as always, use your eligible AAdvantage program co-branded credit card and earn additional AAdvantage miles per $1 spent buying, gifting or sharing AAdvantage miles.

 

In any event, the 100,000 bonus miles doesn't kick in unless you buy 150,000 miles.  While 250,000 AA miles is a HUGE war chest, the price tag to get there -- $3,982.50 -- is too steep for me. 

 

I think they mean you earn additional miles (on top of base) for every dollar, but phrased it in an confusing way by using "$1".  I can attest to two promotions ago I bought and it showed up on my Aviator Silver card as an AA purchase, so 3X the miles on the purchase price.

 

Doing the math here on the top end, that would mean an additional 11,946 miles, so 261,946 total.  That brings the per mile price down to an incredible .0152 cents/mile.  That's insanely cheap, but as you mentioned, a lot to justify at one time.  Although, if you had to RT J tickets in mind, this would get you extremely close for less than $2k a ticket. Not bad by those standards.

 

I'm only eligible for 80k miles left this year to buy, so I don't get anything close to those rates. In fact, they changed the buy miles screen so I can't even see promotions above what I'm allowed to buy.   

 

Edited to say that the per-mile price above is pre-taxes and fees.  The post taxes and fees is .01702/per. 

Edited June 13, 2016 by Little Evil

[Luv2Phuket]

I think they mean you earn additional miles (on top of base) for every dollar, but phrased it in an confusing way by using "$1".  I can attest to two promotions ago I bought and it showed up on my Aviator Silver card as an AA purchase, so 3X the miles on the purchase price.

 

Doing the math here on the top end, that would mean an additional 11,946 miles, so 261,946 total.  That brings the per mile price down to an incredible .0152 cents/mile.  That's insanely cheap, but as you mentioned, a lot to justify at one time.  Although, if you had to RT J tickets in mind, this would get you extremely close for less than $2k a ticket. Not bad by those standards.

 

I'm only eligible for 80k miles left this year to buy, so I don't get anything close to those rates. In fact, they changed the buy miles screen so I can't even see promotions above what I'm allowed to buy.   

 

Edited to say that the per-mile price above is pre-taxes and fees.  The post taxes and fees is .01702/per. 

 

Thanks, LE!  Their wording was kinda vague to me, but I guess they HAVE to be, since certain cards have higher perks than others.

 

On that front, if I hadn't already burned the $250 annual credit on my Citi Prestige card (by buying a ticket for my Mom) or the $200 AMEX Platinum credit (I opted for United to cash out as Amazon GCs), they could've cut a little more off the top.

 

You got me thinking about it....but I'm still coming back to "$4,000?!?"  LOL

 

Given that I am currently sitting on over 800,000 "miles" (spread across AA (92k), United (43k), Alaska (140k), Citi TY (55k), AMEX MR (103k) and Chase UR (380k)), I don't think that I can justify that big of an outlay right now.

 

Because they have so few transfer options (pretty much just the Citi AA cards), building AA miles is a pain in the ass, but I have Alaska to also use on Cathay.

 

JFC - I ALSO have 60k+ on both BA and Virgin Atlantic....I NEED TO TAKE SOME F*CKING TRIPS!!!  555

[Little Evil]

Don't get me wrong, I still don't think this is a great buy unless maxing out on two planned trips, and even then.....$4k? Crazy money up front. There have been far better hacks such as the Alaskan one you guys mentioned. This is only viable for a couple who want RT J or someone who can book two trips in advance. Also, the post-tax rate isn't as "spectacular" as I originally wrote. That was the pre tax rate. It is good, just not earth shattering good

 

The wealth of knowledge is great on this thread! I love it.

[Luv2Phuket]

Thought this "news" today merited mention in this thread -- 

 

I had missed the prior announcement of renewed LAX-Singapore non-stops starting in 2018, but Singapore also just announced it will start non-stop service between SIN and SFO as early as this week:

 

http://viewfromthewing.boardingarea.com/2016/06/15/singapore-airlines-will-fly-san-francisco-singapore-non-stop/

 

That would make them an even more viable option to BKK from SFO and, once those non-stops start, from LAX (according to link, LAX will be serviced with new planes....sweet!)

 

The photo of the business class seat looks amazing.  Time to start building Krisflyer miles!

[bgtp]

If someone has a two-leg flight from USA to BKK, is connecting in SIN any better than connecting in say HKG, for example? From the west cost, it'd be over 1200 miles further point to point via SIN. Same is true for the east coast, although flying NYC to SIN going east you'd presumably have the winds at your back which would help time-wise on the trip over. 

 

Guess it all depends on lay-overs, airline cabin preferences (yes, the SQ seat looks sweet), not to mention award availability. 

Edited June 15, 2016 by bgtp

[Luv2Phuket]

If someone has a two-leg flight from USA to BKK, is connecting in SIN any better than connecting in say HKG, for example? From the west cost, it'd be over 1200 miles further point to point via SIN. Same is true for the east coast, although flying NYC to SIN going east you'd presumably have the winds at your back which would help time-wise on the trip over. 

 

Guess it all depends on lay-overs, airline cabin preferences (yes, the SQ seat looks sweet), not to mention award availability. 

 

Yeah - I think the news is really only that great for someone who flies in/out of SFO or LAX.  

 

Even coming from LAX, LAX-HKG-BKK is likely a more tolerable flight (i.e., shorter) than LAX-SIN-BKK.  

 

The difference is that the second option is on Singapore, which has is legendary reputation for its premium level service (first and biz).  

 

When I researched it, the only option I found for getting to BKK from LAX on Singapore involved two stops, not one, so it added a great deal of time.  I think SFO has a BKK-HKG-SFO option on Singapore now (discussed above by navidnavid), so this would add another flight option to the existing option. 

[Little Evil]

If someone has a two-leg flight from USA to BKK, is connecting in SIN any better than connecting in say HKG, for example? From the west cost, it'd be over 1200 miles further point to point via SIN. Same is true for the east coast, although flying NYC to SIN going east you'd presumably have the winds at your back which would help time-wise on the trip over. 

 

Guess it all depends on lay-overs, airline cabin preferences (yes, the SQ seat looks sweet), not to mention award availability. 

 

Kind of hard to compare east coast/west coast departures. SG21  used to depart New York and head north towards Greenland, cross the ocean, and continue a path from about Finland. It is clearly the shortest "as the crow flies" line on a Cassini map, but looks like a giant arch on a mercator map. Not sure how much east winds would have helped.  

 

Not sure about the West Coast, but it used to be around 19 hours for EWR to SIN. It was the world's longest non-stop passenger flight. I think it still holds the record. EWR to HGK is about 15 hours, but you then are 3.5 hours away from BKK instead of SIN's 2.5 hours.  All in all, EWR/HGK/BKK is the shorter of options. 

[bgtp]

Found this map on the SQ21/22 flights when they were in service. It's interesting how it's kind of a loop and each direction has its own path. When TG was flying non-stop JFK-BKK, they did the same thing. Article on polar routes here which explains the different paths as follows:

 

"As a general rule, cross-polar routes provide time and distance savings only on flights from North America to Asia. On the return flight, the polar tracks are less advantageous than conventional, more southerly routes, which typically benefit from strong tailwinds."

 

No matter how you slice it, it's a long trip. Nice to have a bed

Edited June 15, 2016 by bgtp

[Luv2Phuket]

BTW, I'm spent a good chunk of today trying to make use of my various credit card miles and hotel points....

 

First, I changed my return flight from BKK in late November (delaying it a day), when I saw that a seat on first class opened up on Cathay.  Dropped 70,000 Alaska miles, which I was happy to do, since I expect a devaluation any day now.  

 

The only thing that bugs me -- and this is a little stupid -- is that I feel like I am "wasting" 15,000 AA miles, because I will cancel my biz class return that I booked for 55,000 miles.  To get it again will set me back 70,000 now.  BUT my plan is to hold off on refunding the miles to my account, and seeing if I can find an opportunity to just change the date of the flight before the trip gets here.  Not only would that save me the 15,000 miles, but also it would save me the $150 charge to have the miles returned to my AA account.

 

The HUGE downside is that I have an absurd 7 1/2 hour layover in HKG on my way home....but I think I may just grab a taxi and head to a 141 location for some ST fun! 555

 

Next step was to go to Hiton's website and figure out which room to book for 5 nights using HHonors points.  

 

Maybe I missed it in the past, but they have a ton of options available with points now, including one of the larger rooms with the tub on the balcony and a guaranteed executive level room.  Since I get free breakfast for being Gold and typically get bumped up to an exec level room, that didn't seem worth the extra 30,000 points.  The room with the outdoor tub piqued by curiosity, but it would've set me back over 300,000 HHonors points instead of the 200,000 for a standard room (which I have always enjoyed in the past).

 

Since I added the extra night to my trip to get that Cathay first class seat, I also should be in Pattaya for both nights of the fireworks festival (Nov. 27 and 28th) -- the Hilton is a FANTASTIC place to be for it, as you have a great view of the fireworks and are right there for the food stalls, etc.

 

Third step was to take my Citi Prestige "4th Night Free" offer for a spin.  They don't refund one night's worth of the average room rate; they actually refund the cost of the 4th night.  Again, this worked out great for me, because the Marriott bumps the rate on Nov. 23rd (the 4th and final night of my stay at that hotel).  By taking advantage of this perk, I have reduced the effective rate for my stay at the Marriott to $120 a night on a fully refundable basis.  Not a great price for Pattaya by no stretch, BUT an excellent fully refundable rate for Marriott and I get full Marriott points, which will top me off and get me to 5 free nights there for a future trip.  

 

As the trip draws closer and I am certain that I can go -- which I am NOT right now -- I may check back and look into doing an "advance purchase" rate to see if I can either get a better room (i.e., sea view room) OR an even lower rate.

 

Final step (which I just completed) was to call Hyatt and book the first night of my at the Grand Hyatt Erawan on an annual free night certificate that I get with my Chase Hyatt card.  Love the location of the hotel, and, although it adds an extra taxi fare (as opposed to going straight to Pattaya), I want to see more of Bangkok each trip (especially after some threads and photos recently posted! 555).  I had enough points for a 2nd free night there, but the timing wouldn't work, as I need 9 full nights in Pattaya to maximize the rewards discussed above.  

 

It was a lot of "work" and distracted me for most of the day, but I think that I have a very sweet trip booked now...if only I didn't have to wait 5 f*cking months for it! 555

[bgtp]

Sounds like you had a busy day. So, what has you all excited about BKK?

[Luv2Phuket]

Sounds like you had a busy day. So, what has you all excited about BKK?

 

I had a nice time the last time I was in BKK, but still trying to learn my way around (1 or 2 nights a trip!  555)

 

The place linked in this thread has some gorgeous gals that I'd love to check out -- http://www.pattaya-addicts.com/forum/topic/296648-addict-massage-website-now-has-natural-pictures/

 

I also saw a thread about some "fun" at SOL, so want to check it out.  

 

I ALSO have an over-priced Thai place in Central World where I love to eat Massaman curry.  Seems like I end up going there every time that I am in Bangkok, going back to when I had a convention right around the corner.

 

Last trip, I went to Soi Cowboy (had done Nana on multiple prior trips) and liked it....until I ended up one of the Arab's bars, and spent too much money on drinks for a girl who was never going back to my room (or even to a ST room!) with me.  555  

 

This trip, I am still debating where I will head to for "evening fun" on my "One Night in Bangkok" (I HATE that fucking song!)

[bgtp]

Ah yes, Addict massage. I like that place as far as the oil massage places go. I used to enjoy the PSE places like Tulip, Snow White, Mango, etc., but they just don't have attractive ladies anymore. SOL is worth a look if you've never been. I still visit BKK every time I'm in Thailand even though the P4P opportunities that interest me are fewer and fewer each trip. It kind of forces me to look for new places which is OK as long as I've got the time and plenty of fun non-P4P things to do there as well.

[Little Evil]

Smart idea about trying to shift dates on that CX J ticket, FJPM. Save you not only the point differential, but the re-posting fee if you were just to refund the points.  I wonder if they'll let you extend that to wait lists as well without incurring penalty. 

 

I think I might try the Hilton this time around for a splurge.  I might be able to swing half my stay via Chase UR's.  I'm coming this summer (low season, right?), so I hope that helps.  I typically stay at a local joint like Page 10.  Nothing special, but clean and decent service, and most importantly, a good value. Makes it hard to swallow Hilton prices again at over 3x, but if I can leverage points, I'm definitely going to do it. 

[Luv2Phuket]

I don't know about killing Chase URs on a hotel stay -- I try to keep them in my pocket for airfare, although I occasionally use them to top off an account (Marriott, IHG, Hyatt) to get an award.  I think I DID burn a couple of thousand Chase URs to facilitate a transfer from Virgin Atlantic to Hilton (IIRC, Virgin transfers in increments of 10,000, so I need to top off my Virgin account to move some miles for HHonors points)

 

How would you use them?

 

After taking the Citi Prestige Concierge for a spin, I can confirm that it was incredibly easy.  Card has a whopper of an annual fee, but they kick it back in a variety of ways, including their "4th night free" perk.  

 

As I understand it, it works with virtually ALL hotels, so you should be able to book Page 10 for 4 nights and get whatever the charges were for the 4th night refunded.  I opted for Marriott because I wanted to bump my Marriott points for a future trip.

 

Also, it you stay MORE than 4 nights, you only get the perk once, and you can't get around by checking out, then right back in.  You could, however, stay 4 nights at Page 10, then move to SeaMe Springs (or anywhere else) for 4 nights, get the 4th night free, then rinse and repeat throughout your trip.  I am stuck with short trips and generally do not like changing hotels, so that's not a great plan for me.  I'm studying other ways around the limitations (like doing a separate reservation on my own and paying with a different card)

[Little Evil]

I don't know about killing Chase URs on a hotel stay -- I try to keep them in my pocket for airfare, although I occasionally use them to top off an account (Marriott, IHG, Hyatt) to get an award.  I think I DID burn a couple of thousand Chase URs to facilitate a transfer from Virgin Atlantic to Hilton (IIRC, Virgin transfers in increments of 10,000, so I need to top off my Virgin account to move some miles for HHonors points)

 

How would you use them?

 

After taking the Citi Prestige Concierge for a spin, I can confirm that it was incredibly easy.  Card has a whopper of an annual fee, but they kick it back in a variety of ways, including their "4th night free" perk.  

 

As I understand it, it works with virtually ALL hotels, so you should be able to book Page 10 for 4 nights and get whatever the charges were for the 4th night refunded.  I opted for Marriott because I wanted to bump my Marriott points for a future trip.

 

Also, it you stay MORE than 4 nights, you only get the perk once, and you can't get around by checking out, then right back in.  You could, however, stay 4 nights at Page 10, then move to SeaMe Springs (or anywhere else) for 4 nights, get the 4th night free, then rinse and repeat throughout your trip.  I am stuck with short trips and generally do not like changing hotels, so that's not a great plan for me.  I'm studying other ways around the limitations (like doing a separate reservation on my own and paying with a different card)

 

I'd typically transfer UR's to United or Singapore, but airfare tends to be less of a concern these days than lodging.  I've been finding myself booked in one trip and stacked for another award in a constant cycle with AA. You're right though that if given a choice, transfer to airlines it the maximum value return for UR's. I've just been lucky enough to not require it recently. That credit card with the 4th night sounds intriguing though. Never heard of that perk. I originally though you meant just with one hotel chain. 

 

I may actually look into other places outside of Patts too.  I went to Phuket last time I was in LoS.  While it was fun and relaxing, I think I've seen my fill of that area. Any good spots between BKK and Patts, or is it just highway in between?

[Luv2Phuket]

I may actually look into other places outside of Patts too.  I went to Phuket last time I was in LoS.  While it was fun and relaxing, I think I've seen my fill of that area. Any good spots between BKK and Patts, or is it just highway in between?

 

I spent a night in Chonburi once -- was there on business, of all things -- and it was nothing to write home about.  Others would know far more than me.

 

Other than that, I've never stopped (except for the inevitable taxi driver needing gas!  555)

 

I think we're in the same boat -- I have so many damn airline miles that I occasionally burn AMEX MR or Chase UR for a hotel to save me a few hundred $$$ in room charges.  I try to keep that burn to a minimum, though.

[bgtp]

I may actually look into other places outside of Patts too.  I went to Phuket last time I was in LoS.  While it was fun and relaxing, I think I've seen my fill of that area. Any good spots between BKK and Patts, or is it just highway in between?

 

Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket are the best foreigner oriented P4P scenes in the country. Smaller scenes in Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, Krabi (Ao Nang), Hua Hin, even Koh Chang. Thai places throughout the country, of course. I find ISG to be a good resource. I'm going back to Phnom Penh on my next trip. I haven't been there for a while. I'll be in the region for most of the summer going to various places, but a lot of the time in Pattaya. If you want to try to meet up for a drink or night out during your summer trip, shoot me a message.

Edited June 16, 2016 by bgtp

[navidnavid]

I prefer SFO to HKG, one way on SG..... it is their cheapest AWARD redemption, SFO-HKG is a sweet spot in SG's Krisflyer award program. 

 

 A layover in Hong Kong is a wonderful city to have a layover in...

[Little Evil]

Pattaya, Bangkok and Phuket are the best foreigner oriented P4P scenes in the country. Smaller scenes in Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, Krabi (Ao Nang), Hua Hin, even Koh Chang. Thai places throughout the country, of course. I find ISG to be a good resource. I'm going back to Phnom Penh on my next trip. I haven't been there for a while. I'll be in the region for most of the summer going to various places, but a lot of the time in Pattaya. If you want to try to meet up for a drink or night out during your summer trip, shoot me a message.

 

Thanks for the tips.  I'm actually meeting with a GF in or around BKK or Patts, so the P4P isn't a high priority this time around. Been to a couple of the Kohs on the East side of the bay.  Also been to Phu Quoc off of Vietnam. The whole beach/island thing is fun for a few days, but I've never been the type to just lie out in the sun all day.  I think that's why I was curious about in-land exploration between BKK and Patts.  

 

I'm landing in Swampy on Aug 20th.  I still haven't figured where I'm going or how long I'll stay in LoS, but I'm assuming I'll be in LoS for at least a week. That will most likely be either BKK, Patts, or both, so I'll definitely shoot you a msg to see if you're around for a pint.

[Luv2Phuket]

I would think Hua Hin may fit the bill

 

Never been, but it sounds more like a non-P4P beach destination remotely close to Bangkok