Help needed planning trip from US to PEK
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 50
Help needed planning trip from US to PEK
We are trying to plan a trip from US (TPA/ORL/MIA) to PEK in June/July 2015. At this point there isn't much availability, but we could book the trip. What are the chances more availability will open up as we move closer to that date. We have miles on BA, AA and UA, but would prefer to avoid BA due to the fuel surcharges. We know we can use BA miles to book on AA.
Thanks
Thanks
#2
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 31,203
Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)
How have you checked availability using your AA miles? And, of course, both AA and UA offer one-way awards, so you do not need to find roundtrip award availability from a single program.
How have you checked availability using your AA miles? And, of course, both AA and UA offer one-way awards, so you do not need to find roundtrip award availability from a single program.
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 50
We have checked availability on United, AA, and through BA (looking at DragonAir, Cathay, and JAL).
There is availability outbound, but not PEK - USA
We also have Southwest points/companion passes we could use to get to a hub in the US.
There is availability outbound, but not PEK - USA
We also have Southwest points/companion passes we could use to get to a hub in the US.
#4
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Not here; there!
Programs: AA Lifetime Gold
Posts: 31,203
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When you searched availability on ba.com for CX/JL/KA, did you search segment by segment, or did you only do an origin-(final) destination search?
Originally Posted by MajorFearOfFlying
We have checked availability on United, AA, and through BA (looking at DragonAir, Cathay, and JAL).
There is availability outbound, but not PEK - USA
We also have Southwest points/companion passes we could use to get to a hub in the US.
There is availability outbound, but not PEK - USA
We also have Southwest points/companion passes we could use to get to a hub in the US.
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2001
Programs: DL 1 million, AA 1 mil, HH lapsed Diamond, Marriott Plat
Posts: 28,190
IMHO you would do well to focus on the TPAC segment, from Asia origin to North American gateways; HKG-DFW, NRT-ORD, etc. MCO, MIA, ATL, and TPA are near-valueless as search origin/destination to oneworld/AAdvantage partner TPACs. After you find an available TPAC return segment then seek to construct the domestic segments to your destination.
Elements of effective award searches have been discussed here in detail.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...dated-349.html
#8
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: Shanghai
Posts: 43,481
Odds are you'll be able to get something on CA to IAH (easy redemption) or CX to LAX or NYC (ton of capacity), but you never know.