Flights from East Coast to Asia

[sandbug2]

Hello -

I have posted this on our roll call, but it is pretty quiet and I am wondering if anyone can help. Four of us are travelling to Asia (Princess cruise from Shanghai to Singapore April 13) and I am looking at using points (Air Canada) for two of us and purchasing the other two flights. Anyone have any inside scoop on good airlines/routes/times to purchase etc? Our plan is to fly from Halifax to Beijing for two days, on to Shanghai for 2 days, get on cruise, fly back from Singapore (or Bali). Asiana is part of Star Alliance and has some pretty good rates from LAX. We could use points to get the "purchasers" that far. Any advice? (and thanks!):)

 

Sandy

[YXU AC*SE]

Avoid Air Canada as much as possible to eliminate their usurious taxes, fees and surcharge co-pays on Aéroplan® tickets. Your routing will qualify as a mini-RTW trip, meaning your could fly west into PVG, and then west onward from SIN (or E/E, E/W, W/E). You are permitted two stopovers in addition to point of turnaround.

 

AP's web tool is very very poor in showing Star routing options. I would research potential routings via segment on ANA's website, which gives a great view to Star Alliance routings (with the notable exception of LX) then call AP with your routing. It will cost you 30$ per ticket in call centre fee, but in the end I think you will find it to be worth it. ANA's look-up tool is found here https://www.ana.co.jp/asw/AMCTopServlet?type=ae. You will need to join their FF programme (free to do) to access however.

 

Scott.

[scottbee]

Avoid Air Canada as much as possible to eliminate their usurious taxes, fees and surcharge co-pays on Aéroplan® tickets. Your routing will qualify as a mini-RTW trip, meaning your could fly west into PVG, and then west onward from SIN (or E/E, E/W, W/E). You are permitted two stopovers in addition to point of turnaround.

 

agreed; book aeroplan rewards on anyone but Air Canada.

 

We all know that their fuel surcharge isn't a fuel surcharge, as a recent poster on another board pointed out. That on some flights like Halifax-London, AC's 'fuel-surcharge' actually exceeds the total fuel cost.

[sandbug2]

Thanks for your help! Have been looking at other airlines but seems it is still too early to book for next April. For booking non-points flights- any recommendations re: airline or route for least expensive?

[YXU AC*SE]

I assume it isn't important that your purchased ticket routing be the same as your award routing? Scott.

[sandbug2]

Yes- would be nice to have the same routing as my sister and her husband are not experienced in getting through airports-in English, never mind other countries. Thought about splitting up the couples to address this but I need to lay my head on my dh's shoulder in our tiny little economy seats.

Sandy

[YXU AC*SE]

Yes- would be nice to have the same routing as my sister and her husband are not experienced in getting through airports-in English, never mind other countries.

 

I'd look at Continental on your outbound YHZ EWR PVG, and for the return Singapore / AC SIN LHR YHZ or, cheaper but more circuitous - SIN HKG SFO EWR YHZ on Singapore / Continental.

 

The window for booking your award routing is open ... I'd start looking at options for that, and then using a pricing / availability tool like ITA http://matrix.itasoftware.com/cvg/dispatch to see if you can match for your revenue tickets -- and if you can find a price you can live with. I assume you don't hold either Élite or SuperÉlite ff status w/ AC?

 

As I previously mentioned, one of the plusses to Aéroplan® is their flexibility with RTW-ish routings on Asian itineraries - so per my last option, you can fly eastbound or westbound out of Singapore for the same redeemed point value.

 

Scott.