Going the long way?

[mister_handy 124]

Just curious - have any of the US-based board members tried doing a US-Europe-Thailand routing? Or have any of the European ones here tried going via the US?

 

Right now, I found a fare is basically the same either way, but tons of extra miles (22,000 vs. 16,000) going via Europe. It would also give me a stopover in one of a couple of European cities, which is potentially interesting :)

 

Whether I want to subject my rear to an extra 6 hours of flying each way is another question...

Edited January 18, 2008 by mister_handy

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Just curious - have any of the US-based board members tried doing a US-Europe-Thailand routing? Or have any of the European ones here tried going via the US?

 

Right now, I found a fare is basically the same either way, but tons of extra miles (22,000 vs. 16,000) going via Europe. It would also give me a stopover in one of a couple of European cities, which is potentially interesting :)

 

Whether I want to subject my rear to an extra 6 hours of flying each way is another question...

 

Don't you also have the option to fly eastabout on Qatar, Emirates and Etihad (?) nowadays? It may be worth considering a round the world ticket and fly eastabout in both directions. If nothing else, it cuts down on the effects of jet lag.

[BigDUSA 71]

I've flown with Thai JFK-BKK non stop that flies over Europe. I liked shaving hours off my journey. Only hassle is taking a ground shuttle from PHL to JFK. Adds two hours to the trip.

[mister_handy 124]

Don't you also have the option to fly eastabout on Qatar, Emirates and Etihad (?) nowadays? It may be worth considering a round the world ticket and fly eastabout in both directions. If nothing else, it cuts down on the effects of jet lag.

 

Possibly, although they mostly only fly from the US East Coast (possibly LA also?) They're not part of the airline alliance I've got my miles with (although Royal Jordanian is) so I don't follow those options. The fare I saw would have been good either changing over in LHR (to Qantas) or LHR (to Malev, also stopping in Budapest.)

 

I've flown with Thai JFK-BKK non stop that flies over Europe. I liked shaving hours off my journey. Only hassle is taking a ground shuttle from PHL to JFK. Adds two hours to the trip.

 

Interesting, didn't know it went in that direction! Coming from the West Coast, that's definitely the longer way.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Possibly, although they mostly only fly from the US East Coast (possibly LA also?) They're not part of the airline alliance I've got my miles with (although Royal Jordanian is) so I don't follow those options. The fare I saw would have been good either changing over in LHR (to Qantas) or LHR (to Malev, also stopping in Budapest.)

Interesting, didn't know it went in that direction! Coming from the West Coast, that's definitely the longer way.

 

What airline's scheme are you with?

[mister_handy 124]

What airline's scheme are you with?

 

American, which is part of OneWorld, so I can use:

- AA

- British (with the exception of US-UK flights)

- Qantas

- Malev

- JAL

- Cathay

- Finnair

- Iberia

- Royal Jordanian

 

From http://www.aa.com/apps/AAdvantage/ViewMile...partnerType=Air ; I'd forgotten FinnAir and Iberia.

 

Was seeing some fares on SFO-(some US connection)-LHR-BKK (AA connecting to Qantas) or SFO-(some US connection)-LHR-BUD-BKK (AA connecting to British connecting to Malev) which were close enough the usual AA/JAL (via NRT) or Cathay (via HKG) fares to be worth it given the extra 6000 miles each way.

 

Right now I can't seem to replicate them, although the separate US-BUD/BUD-BKK fares are low enough that it might be tempting just to stop over for a few days and see a little of Eastern Europe.

[ozijeff 9]

i have used 5 around the world fares in the past and if you have the time and do the planning, they are a sensational way to travel.

 

i dont know if i'd bother to just do a point to point trip using one of these fares though..

 

but if you have the time, its a good way of seeing the planet.

 

one killer these days are all the various taxes (airport improvement taxes etc) that get tacked on to the ticket prices.

 

using either oneworld .. AA, British Qantas etc

or star alliance .. United, Singapore, Lufthansa etc you should chock up plenty of flyer miles.

i am a member of both.

 

pick the destinations you want then work out which program suits the best.

star alliance has a program for calculating destinations and miles.

 

for some reason, the existance of round the world deals isnt really promoted much in the USA.

i suspect it may be because Americans are time poor and havent got the vacation time to do a lap of the planet.

 

As an example from Australia i can fly from here to Singapore or Bkk then to Frankfurt, to London, to New York, to Dallas, to LA, to Hawaii then back to Oz.

 

this would only cost little more than flying just to New York and back. do some research.

 

in 1994 i did a 17 week trip that involved 17 flights. sensational!

next year i am going to vancouver but will get there via Bkk, Eastern Europe, London and New York.

coming home, i'll break the trip with a few days in Hawaii.

 

yep around the world trips are great if you have time!

Edited January 22, 2008 by ozijeff