ASIA

Sep 27 2016

Not all Asian carriers have the top business class products, but all of the truly best business class products are offered by Asian or Middle Eastern carriers. Take Singapore Airlines. With a four-across configuration like in first class, Singapore Airlines seats are incredible wide and they are also relatively private.

Increasingly US airlines are eliminating first class, with American slated to be the last carrier offering it and then only on their small fleet of Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. And US airlines don’t offer service or food that’s as good in first class as some of the better carriers offer in business. But I’ll still always take first class over business class.

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Sep 15 2016

I wrote last month about amazing business class award availability on Austrian across all of their US routes. Some of that space is still out there, and you can use miles with United, Aeroplan, LifeMiles, or other Star Alliance carriers to book it.

A couple of days ago I wrote about phenomenal award availability on United’s Brussels and Amsterdam flights. More opportunities to book not just one or two seats in business class across the Pond.

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Sep 14 2016

A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.

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Sep 05 2016

SAS has renamed fuel surcharges “Domestic/International fees”.

A dozen years ago airlines introduced fuel surcharges but with fuel half off its high, and with governments regularly taking the position that a fuel surcharge must approximate the actual cost of fuel, airlines have simply renamed the fee.

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Aug 23 2016

Southeast Asia is on deep discount sale from the US, using China Eastern and for a little more Air China.

The cheapest fare is to Manila in the Philippines. You can fly New York to Phuket, Thailand for ~ $561. And you can fly to Bali for $601. Most fares are available right away through November, and again in February and March.

And when they’re available, it’s plenty of flights and dates.

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Aug 19 2016

Expedia.com is selling Delta fares between Los Angeles-area airports (excluding LAX) and Singapore for $1600 round trip in business class.

And you can book American Airlines to China from $1719 roundtrip.

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Aug 12 2016

Japanese Star Alliance airline ANA has Phnom Penh, Cambodia starting at $426 from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

This is a $145 fare each way plus tax, available August 15 through December 9, or January 1 through May 23 for outbound travel. Your transpacific flight needs to be Monday through Thursday in each direction. There’s a $300 change fee.

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Aug 09 2016

United appears to be discounting domestic economy awards by 20%. This looks like an unannounced sale, with short haul flights under 700 miles in distance pricing at 8000 MileagePlus miles each way (instead of 10,000) and other domestic flights pricing at 10,000 miles (instead of 12,500).

In addition, United just posted a redemption discount to Asia which is 25% off North Asia awards and 22% off South Asia awards.

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Jul 23 2016

You can travel from New York (both Newark and New York JFK), Chicago, Los Angeles, or San Francisco to any number of cities in Southeast Asia from $504 roundtrip on Cathay Pacific.

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Jul 21 2016

Three years ago Starwood began launching partnerships with airlines to share customers and increase bookings — by giving benefits or points to incentivize likely high value travelers.

First they launched with Delta, then they added Emirates. And now they’re adding a third airline in a new region: China Eastern.

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