mrwunrfl

It's a little tricky and may no longer be valid, but one way of finding Star Alliance availability was to use the ANA Mileage Club award search to find *A availability that didn't show up on the United search. This was before Continental took over United.

The idea was (is?) that United did award blocking, not showing some availability online. You had the option of calling and having an agent do a search and, hopefully, find something that was not on the UA search. Instead of calling to have an agent search, you would do an award search on ANA to see what was available there. If they showed something you wanted in an ANA search then you would call UA.

It never really worked for me. Once, I did find availability on fly-ana.com that was not in a UA search, but when I called UA the agent still said it was not available. IIRC an SQ flight was involved with an itin that had 23 hrs 59 min connection in Tokyo.

The tricky part was that you had to have an ANA AMC account. It changed so that you had to have mileage in the account to do a search, but there was a workaround to that. I elected to use my AMC account on a car rental to earn 100 ANA miles just so that I would be able to do the regular search.

star-net blocking was what the flyertalkers called the award blocking. I don't if it still happens.

mrwunrfl

I mention that only in case you are obsessive about squeezing all the juice out of MP miles.

cmstraf

mr w: oh, yes, I'm interested! I did in fact join ANA but didn't know what to do next.
I realize that I may also be willing to pay the talk to a real person fee (I'm more of a 20th century than 21st century person--actually have never gotten an FF award online) if it might provide me with more options.

Figuring out that it costs me no more miles to go on to KTM was very exciting, but the availability game looks hit and miss from how I've been tracking it. I'm leaning towards holding out for a no mixed cabin, no 67 travel hour trip, and checking several times a day till one opens, but I have seen several viable possibilities, including on days color coded for no business....?

A friend suggested using miles to travel to Shanghai, then paying the $700 round trip from there to KTM and back, but I'm quite keen on stopping over in BKK on our way home if it doesn't overly jostle the experience of Bhutan. Craig and Jean--do you have thoughts?

cmstraf

IT"S DONE!! We have one way business saver reward tickets SFO-KTM, leaving October 31 and arriving in Kathmandu via Seoul and BKK for only 80,000 miles apiece!! We will spend 6 nights in Kathmandu (one of them in Dwarika's sister hotel resort in D________) before flying on to Bhutan to meet up with our tour (of 2) operator.

Thanks everyone...I'm very tired but relieved (there was no nonstop available to Chengdun), and will be happy to have 3 weeks off from viewing United's websites.

Suggestions for hotel airport in Bangkok? We get in at 1 am, flight is at 9:45 isn, so will only have about 5 hours to rest, but we will want them.

Again, mille grazie for everyone's help!

yestravel

Congrats! Yes, i bet it will be very nice to stay away from the UA website.

we stayed at the Novotel which was fine. It was not inexpensive, but they do occassionally run specials.

cmstraf

I'll watch--thanks for the idea. Novotel is actually our airport hotel of choice--we have been able to find specials in Munich and Paris for 99euro a night.

Kathie

Congrats!! The Novotel is the most convenient go the airport hotels at BKK. Check agoda for special rates and check the Novotel website as well.

mrwunrfl

Wonderful.

So, you are in the middle of the 24-hour change without fee period.

cmstraf

Yes. We had planned on two nights in BKK to decompress and stare at hotel walls, but when we found out we could do this "free", we jumped on it. We are now planning 3 nights in BKK at the end of our trip (we've never been) if we can do it without ruining the meditative experience of Bhutan. Craig, Jean and others?

yestravel

I've not been to Bhutan, and I live in a big city and I found BKK like NYC on steroids. It's really intense.

Craig

Hi I'm here

Bangkok won't ruin your Bhutan experience. Stay on the river and enjoy the sights. We have been to Bangkok several times, including a night after our Bhutan trip, as you know. We love the city. It won't be anything like Bhutan, of course but you will enjoy it just the same. Just do the main sights like the Grand Palace and Wat Arun. Do a klong tour. If you enjoy shopping, check out some of Bangkok's shopping malls for bargains. Enjoy the heat and just hang by your hotel pool. Savor some Thai cuisine or many other international options at one of the many fabulous restaurants. Use the skytrain to get around. I don't particularly like NYC, but it is much more intense (and expensive!!!) than Bangkok - I know because I grew up 45 minutes away in New Jersey.

cmstraf

Thanks Craig. I do like NYC a lot--but carefully stay on the Upper West Side two blocks from Central Park and do serious crowd management, usually with good success (read my trip report from Christmas two years ago). I also usually like contrasts, but I think I'll take your suggestion and do BKK lite and toned down, saving full intensity for another trip. We have already planned to stay by the river--leaning towards the Shangi-La, but open to suggestions.

Craig

We like the Penn, but enjoyed the Krumthep wing in the Shang also. The Shang is very convenient to the skytrain, while getting to it from the Penn is more of a process since you must cross the river. I lean toward the Penn primarily for the views from the rooms on the upper floors and for its buffet breakfast outside by the river - one of the best ways on our planet to start your day IMHO...

yestravel

Also loved the Penn -- lovely rooms and views to die for. After reading so many posts about being on the "wrong" side of the river I was a bit concerned. However being on the other side of the river wasn't a problem at all.

AskOksena

>>>On a side note: WELCOME BACK, mr. macintosh!! Alas--and not to hijack the OP's thread--I'll finally be traversing the great Pacific on your most beloved SQ! A380 Business Class for us this time, and what a time to have it! Over 24hours+ of flying (plus a stopover baked in) to India. Talk about an embarrassment of riches!<<<


And warmest and early Tuesday morning wishes from on the road to you Billy (filmwill!) -- and, well, Well Done on your rather fine (SQ) way of flying; warms my heart. Savour what should be a most memorable holiday. Just catching up with this ongoing, insightful, thread; so, if already in transit Billy, enjoy your SQ J rides all the way to our fine home of Singapore (and beyond). And well done, again, on your SIN lodging of the MO. Of late, work has occasionally entailed various properties under the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group umbrella; good odds you will be in good hands at her SIN property. She's particularly festive this holiday season; enjoy.

And, keeping thread somewhat on track, congrats to the resourceful OP, cmstraf, on your various bookings. Should your time in Kathmandu permit, try for afternoon tea at the Yak and Yeti's 'back lawn'. Mind you, it's been at least ~ 20 years since last savoured various Himalayan post-mountaineering expedition teas with some cherished climbing buddies at that special property. Have no idea what she's like at present; 'back in the day', the Yak and Yeti was such an oasis, pre and post mountaineering.

Good travel and holiday to the OP, Billy, and all. Our holiday travel, nothing quite so exotic as India; rather the S. Island of New Zealand. So treasured the N. Island of NZ last year, going south this round (via a certain airline),

robert


... Singapore Girl, You're a Great Way to Fly ...

cmstraf

All set! (except 1 final question in new thread)

SFO-KTM business 80,000 miles on Oct 31. BKK-SFO business 80,000 miles on Friday, Nov 27. Details on two other threads I just posted thank you and question.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH--I promise to do my best efforts with trip report to follow.

cmstraf

A final note.

My strategy worked! Rewards do open up at 12:01 am Central Time. Not only are the flights I have (adequate times, though not good), what is now posted is very BAD--worse times, flying to SFO with more stops, going through Seattle or LA etc. The excellent times possible in economy (not available to me) are now gone.

So the early bird did get pretty good worms. I will check intermittently to see if something better opens up that justifies changes, but I'm content with what we have. Getting airport hotel rooms for long layovers helped (Novotel in BKK on the way to KTM, Hilton in Narita on way home).

Thanks again to all and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

yestravel

My experience is that additional flight do open up and I changed to a better flight on one trip. Good luck & Happy 2015!

mrwunrfl

I liked the Narita Hilton. The Narita loop bus stops there. I definitely recommend visiting Yamato-no-yu which is on the loop. It is a public bath house, the real thing, and has food, massages, indoor/outdoor baths. Apparently, a private bath can be reserved.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6409.html
http://www.yamatonoyu.com/eng/

psych4travel

A few notes re United:

Without status, you will pay $100 for every change. I just added a leg to a booking and got hit with the fee (I needed to get my over the water portion booked first and then added my intra-usa, but those weren't available at first and I didn't want to lose the transatlantic part)

One strategy for complicated trips is to look for one segment at a time and piece it together yourself. Then call in and ask them to waive the fee (they will do it). I did this for a recent booking that was trying to coordinate two people from different countries meeting up in one city before flying out.

at 330 days you will find some availability, but it is constantly shifting and changing. Best to keep checking daily. Most bloggers report best availability 2 weeks out (on some carriers)...but that is a risk.