I love getting custom-made suits done in Southeast Asia. I’ve done it multiple times in Thailand. Labor is cheap, skill level is high, and competition is intense. That translates into a great opportunity for consumers. But it isn’t the same opportunity that many think it is. Tailor shops will make clothes for you in whatever time you have. But if you don’t have 4-5 days you probably aren’t really getting custom-made. Suits aren’t being properly made for you in a day. Suits are cheap but they aren’t dirt cheap if you want quality. Don’t buy a suit with shirt and tie thrown in for $99. It’s going to be a $99 suit, and more or less wastes your time getting it and the opportunity foregone for something better. Expect to pay for quality — while…
ASIA
Search Results for "ASIA".
Free Hotel Nights in Asia, Hijacking a Plane With Chocolate, and the Most Disappointing Destinations (Bits ‘n Pieces for April 20, 2014)
News and notes from around the interweb: More bad news for US Airways on Twitter. Getting the most value for your money at Chipotle despite rising prices there. Get a $56 hotel credit, enough for a free room in Asia. The IHG Rewards Club 50% off award sale for certain hotels in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean is now live. A Cathay Pacific passenger tried to hijack a plane with a toblerone bar. It didn’t work, because that’s just chocolate. The passenger then returned to his seat when asked to do so. (HT: Loyalty Lobby) The passenger’s head was wrapped in two economy class blankets, leaving only his eyes visible, and he wore another blanket on his back like a cape. In one hand was a large Toblerone chocolate bar that Manselius was “grasping…
US Airways Eliminates the 90,000 Business Class Asia Award
One of the very best awards in the frequent flyer universe is gone without any notice. But it’s still priced pretty reasonably. The US Airways award chart (.pdf) has been tweaked with one significant change. Business class travel between the US and “North Asia” which extends as far south as Hong Kong has gone from 90,000 miles to 110,000 miles. Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific’s business class It’s worth noting that some other minor adjustments have been made. Caribbean – North Asia business class has also gone up to 110,000 miles for instance. But most of the rest of the great values of the chart have been left in place. North Asia – North Asia and South Asia – South Asia business class awards remain 30,000 miles roundtrip each, for instance. I’ve long suggested that: The…
Get 100,000 Miles a Second Time, Eating in Asia, Bonus Points in Europe, and Revenue-Based Programs Spreading (Bits ‘n Pieces for January 17, 2014)
News and notes from around the interweb: Check out my Fly and Dine interview (and a giveaway!) You can get a free $35 credit plus 10% off using discount code PONYPOINTS10 through the end of March with hotel discount site TravelPony. $45 free for first-time Uber users is still available. People are successfully getting more than one Citi Executive / AAdvantage World Elite MasterCard with 100,000 mile signup bonus. Club Carlson is offering up to 25,000 bonus points for stays through May 31 at 45 participating Radisson Blu hotels in Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Norway, Sweden, Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. New Skyteam member Garuda Indonesia is relaunching their ‘Garuda Frequent Flyer’ program as ‘Garuda Miles’ with a new top tier Diamond level, online redemption, and possibly for future consideration consideration… revenue-based points-earning. Currently you…
How to Book Deeply Discounted Awards Flying Around Asia
Back in March I wrote about one of the best award values for flying around Asia: Japan Airlines discounted award for travel on Bangkok Airways. You may not have Japan Airlines miles, but they are a transfer partner of Starwood Preferred Guest. (JAL is also the best way to many book roundtrip first class Emirates awards.) The Bangkok Airways discounted awards were set to expire December 31. But it has been extended through December 31, 2014. (HT: @fotograaf) The promotion applies to economy redemptions only: These mileage bands are total trip miles (roundtrip, not one way, and including stopovers where relevant). Any trip up to 1000 miles total flown normally runs 15,000 miles. But with this promotion it’s just 5000 miles. That’s 2/3rds off. Travel between 1001 and 2000 miles are normally 20,000 miles. Through…
How to Book a Business Class Award to Bangkok in North Asia Using US Airways Miles (in Front of Hundreds of People)
After my fateful phone call to Delta to book a two passenger business class award to India, it was Lucky of the One Mile at a Time blog’s turn at the microphone. This was all part of a presentation in a ballroom at Frequent Traveler University — after giving a talk on the basics of award booking, making the most of your miles, the idea was to bring the lessons together and watch them in practice. I had managed to get a telephone agent to construct an award on Saudia and on Aeroflot between New York JFK and Delhi — after running through all of the standard traps of a Delta agent not knowing who their partners are, not seeing award availability, and not thinking it was a permissable routing. Now it was Lucky’s turn…
American’s Fantastic First Class Availability to Asia for the Whole Family
As a followup to my posts on how to find award availability for the whole family — I’ve written about the routes with four or more business class award seats on Star Alliance airlines (so using United, US Airways, Air Canada points etc) between the US and and Europe and between the US and Asia — I’ve put together an illustration of routes with best first class availability on oneworld between the US and Asia. To begin, recall basic principles. More seats are harder than fewer seats. If you can split up (a family of four might fly 2+2) that makes things much easier. Roughly six months out is a good sweet spot for searching award space. Shorter flights are in less demand. East Coast – Europe is far easier than West Coast – Europe.…
How to Find Business Class Awards to Asia for the Whole Family
Yesterday I wrote about how to find business class award seats for a family — not just one or two seats, but four seats on a single flight. Basic principles, More seats are harder than fewer seats. If you can split up (a family of four might fly 2+2) that makes things much easier. Roughly six months out is a good sweet spot for searching award space. Shorter flights are in less demand. East Coast – Europe is far easier than West Coast – Europe. West Coast – Asia is far easier than East Coast – Asia. If you’re on the opposite coast, be willing to connect domestically or even buy domestic connecting flights if needed. Multiple flights a day mean more award space. More total seats between a city will usually make it easier…
US Airlines Didn’t Always Charge for Lounge Access. Why the US Approach Has Diverged from Europe and Asia
US Airlines Offer Paid Lounge Access, Most of the World Does Not I’ve always found it interesting that US airlines charge for lounge access, while European and Asian airlines provide access primarily based on class of service flown (lounges for business and first class passengers) and for elites (for whom access is complimentary). US airlines do offer premium cabin international travelers complimentary lounge access. And do they provide lounge access to elite members who are traveling internationally. But for the most part, passengers flying domestically have to pay to access an airport lounge. Exceptions to this are Alaska Airlines offering (non-upgraded) first class passengers lounge access, and ‘premium transcon’ routes like New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco where lounge access for premium passengers is more common. But US airlines offer paid memberships, while…
The Singapore Airlines San Francisco Lounge is More US Than Asia
The Singapore Airlines check-in procedure provides a better experience than their San Francisco lounge does. Walking up to the first class check-in counter, a Singapore Airlines agent approached me to walk me the rest of the way to the counter. Unnecessary, but certainly first class service. It’s the only touch of first class on the ground that’s offered, as you’re sent off on your way to the lounge which is upstairs and down a long barren corridor. It’s not a tiny lounge but it really isn’t big enough to host Star Alliance elites and premium cabin passengers headed to Singapore, there are just too many eligible passengers for the size of the lounge and the place gets busy. There’s seating, but it’s not spacious or peaceful. I imagine it’s really packed when San Francisco –…
