Does CO Mike still have the Island Hopper? I can't seem to find the schedule.

Thanks, all.

Patty it cost 160,000 miles--I know you are all going to laugh and tell me that it is way too many miles. Right???

Yes, the return is HKG-ICN-JFK. I was so surprised that I could l book the return that I just grabbed it without considering other options. It did not even register with me when the agent told me that it was a red-eye to Seoul! I was so excited I could hardly write down the details when he read them off to me.

But if I can get the details together in time, maybe I should try to switch to the Continental flight to EWR.

Patty, I don't believe that CO still has the island hopper. I used DL miles for a trip on CO last December, when I visited Guam, Saipan, Yap, Palau and Manila, and it required a few tickets. Now that I know I can use DL miles for a CO trip so long as its completed by October 2010, I may try to visit the Marshall Islands and one or two other destinations in the Federated States of Micronesia (maybe Pohnpei and Chuuk). I also have a lot of miles on UA, so I may wait and use those to get a ticket on CO after they join *A.

The Island Hopper is definitely there. There's the only air service many of the islands get.

It's twice a week. CO956/957 GUM-TKK-PNI-KSA-KWA-MAJ-HNL and reverse.

right, but it cannot be booked (I don't believe) as a one-ticket multi-stop for 80,000 miles -- they do, as I noted, still service all the spots, but I don't think they permit you to book one ticket using frequent flyer miles from HNL to Marshall Islands Kosrae, Pohnpei, Truuk and Guam. I tried to book that last year and it was a lot more than 80,000 miles (I had thought the island hopper referred to the multi-stop ticket for the basic mileage level).

I see. And no, I have never heard of using miles to book a ticket that allows you multiple stops on that route.

Thanks, I was able to find it after I downloaded the desktop timetable. For some reason, I was only seeing CO1/2 when checking schedules online. It also does show up when I search for an award.

Just looking at HNL-GUM roundtrip on CO956/957, it's 70,000 DL miles for coach and 140,000 for business. Still working on getting LAX-HNL in combination with CO956/957 to price but it <i>should</> be less since Micronesia is considered Asia. They're actually adding a premium for originating in HNL. It looks like the same award is only 40,000 or 80,000 CO miles originating from HNL. I think in both cases, I'm allowed an openjaw plus stopover. I need to play around with this some more.

Sorry for the hijack, ekscrunchy! I think you did fine. Not much you could've done about the mileage increase without changing your dates. Enjoy and good luck with the return!

That's what I get for not previewing!

Just want to add that the Island Hopper is on a 738 with domestic FC seats. LAX-HNL is BusinessFirst on 752, at least for now.

<i>Just want to add that the Island Hopper is on a 738 with domestic FC seats.</i>

Now <i>that</i> is what I'd call brutal! I think that's what dissuaded me the last time I looked into it :p

So do you think that 160,000 miles is "normal" for JFK-BKK HKG-JFK?

Yes, that's what it was raised to on April 1st (from 120,000). Like I said, not much you could've done unless you redeemed in March for earlier travel dates. If you'd qualified to transfer your Flying Blue account to Worldperks, you could've redeemed for 120,000 (plus saved fuel surcharges?) but the process takes time and you have to meet certain criteria to be eligible. If you're interested you can read more details here http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=920556