New Years Trip booked!!!

In early December, I got the itch to travel again. Checking my schedule, I could only get off work 12/29-1/3This of course is the busiest travel period of the year and I had little hope of getting anywhere.

I would check KVS tool every now and then for award availability and low and behold availability was there for NZ C class for LAX-LHR. And, what do we have here?? Availability on wet leased TG 777 from FRA-SIN? And wow, return availability on UA C from PVG-LAX. So I pieced together my itinerary. The timing worked out perfect and I called up Continental to book the following C class itinerary for 120k miles and about $110 in taxes.

NZ 2 LAX-LHR Business

LH 907 LHR-FRA Business

TG923 FRA-BKK Business

SQ977 BKK-SIN Business

SQ828 SIN-PVG Economy

UA878 PVG-LAX Business

Couple days go by and what do we have here, LH F space opened up from LAX-FRA. Although Air New Zealand tops the list of airlines I wanna try, I have been dying to visit the Frankfurt First Class Terminal so without hesitation, I called up Continental(Continental allows you to change award levels without re-doing the whole itinerary) and booked the available F space and was able to find availability in LH F from FRA-KIX and C availability on SQ for KIX to SIN. Best of all, I would arrive in Singapore a couple hours earlier. So here's what my final itinerary looks like. 130k miles plus ~$85 in taxes.

LH457 LAX-FRA First

LH 740 FRA-KIX First

SQ619 KIX-SIN Business

SQ828 SIN-PVG Economy

UA878 PVG-LAX Business

There might be a bit more tinkering as I am crossing my fingers that C space would open up for SIN-PVG. Also, since I only get about 3hrs in LH FTC, I might route through HKG instead of KIX, this would allow me to have close to 7hrs. But, as of now, only Y space is available on HKG-SIN. But, overall, I am pretty proud of this itinerary considering the last minute nature of the booking. Trip reports will definitely follow...

Highlights from my First Class Experience to Asia

This past Holiday season, I embarked on a trip of a lifetime, sampling First/Business products from the likes of United, Turkish, Singapore and Air China. This was all done using 120,000 Aeroplan miles transferred from SPG account. Here is the summary of the whole trip...

My routing-SNA-SFO-ICN-PEK-HKG-SIN-HKG-IST-JFK-LAX

The final destination being SIN with a stopover in Seoul. I just love the flexibility of Aeroplan Awards.

Some photos from the SFO-ICN Leg...

United First Class Lounge at SFO

The Seat

Had Sea Bass for Dinner

Westin Chosun and scenes from around Seoul...

My Welcome Message at the Westin Chosun

Toiletries at the Westin

Giant Dumplings...

Giant Dumplings

Gyeonbok Palace

$65 piece of meat

Myeongdong

Air China PEK-HKG and around Hong Kong & Singapore...

Air China Business Class Product on A-330

Mhhhh, was able to stop for some BBQ Pork thanks to United's 3hr delay

Chicken Rice vs BBQ Pork? Close call...but I would still take BBQ Pork

Singapore Sling on SQ

Another glass of bubbly

Fried Noodles on SQ

The experience of the lifetime! Turkish First Class Suites!!!

The Suites

The Caviar Tower

PJs

Seat fit for a King

The PJs

Seat Controls

Dinner on TK

Seats on United PS First

Finalized Trip to Asia

I waited and waited but it like Asiana will not be releasing any F availability on LAX-ICN...So here is my final itinerary... Not perfect but perfectly acceptable.

• SNA-SFO in United First (320)
• SFO-ICN in United First (744)
• ICN-PEK in Air China Business (738)
• PEK-HKG in Air China Business (333)
• HKG-SIN in United First (744)

• SIN-HKG in Singapore Business(772)
• HKG-IST in Turkish First(77W)
• IST-JFK in Turkish First(77W)
• JFK-LAX in United PS First(757)

Not bad for 120,000 Aeroplan miles plus $110 in taxes. I will get the opportunity to sample Turkish's wet leased 77W from Jet Airways, with its First Class Suite before they are returned to Jet. Also United PS, and United 747 First.