using a frequent flyer ticket -to where?
 

Here's my dilemma..<BR>I have enought miles to go just about anywhere in the world on US air (and their partners). I'd like to use some up and am thinking about taking a ten day vaca to Europe or Asia. <BR>Having all these miles is a rare chance for me and I am not wealthy so I'm trying to get the most bang for my buck.<BR>I'm thinking that there is somplace that the flights are expensive but the destination is not. Someplace that would be relatively safe for a young woman traveling on her own.<BR>I enjoy exploring, beautiful scenery and a welcoming vibe. Big cities are ok for a day or 2 but I really enjoy the off the beaten track kind of stuff. <BR>Researching my trips are some of my favorite things but I was hoping for a little direction.<BR>: )

If it were I, I'd head for the islands of Japan (I have no interest in Tokyo)or Nepal or Tibet - but I'd have to have 10 days THERE, not 10 days including travel.<BR><BR>

Dear Ihopeidon'tgetflamed<BR><BR>I hope you don't get flamed too, as I think that this is an excellent question. I once had a vaguely similar situation - - though there was one slightly different angle: I kinda "needed" to go to Australia - - but only for a few days. And by a stroke of good luck, Continental had a promotion offering two tickets on Malaysia Airlines for only 70,000 miles - - and this included travel on contiental to the Malaysia departure gateway (Los Angeles). Moreover we were able to get a stopover BOTH coming and going. So we ended up with an itinerary that went to Japan, then to Sydney (via Kota Kinabalu); the return also had a stopover in Kuala Lumpur before returning home (via Taipei). It was a trip of endless flying, but it was an excellent sampler trip.<BR><BR>Like any other open-ended question on destinations it really does come down to your naming the handful of "visions" of wanna-go place ou keep secretly in your heart. Tell us those, even if you're not sure they fit your criteria. It will allow something to react to - - and tell us (even though we could all look it up independently) who ARE these USAir partners?<BR><BR>Having said that - - if I was exactly in your shoes, I would strongly consider going to South America or Africa (I have never been to either). So, maybe add those to your lists. I realize that times are tough in Argentina these days, but Buenos Aires is on my own "wanna-go" list of places, even though I don't know a whole lot about it.<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

I'd pick a couple destinations that you have always wanted to visit and do some research and pick between the two. I wouldn't get too hung up on the "most bang for your buck" as visiting somewhere you have always wanted to go. Also depends if you're into more adventurous travel (Egypt, Turkey etc.) or more common (Europe). One country that is beautiful and relatively inexpensive for Europe is Spain (loved Seville and Granada, unfortunately didn't make it into Barcelona which is supposed to be amazing). I'm not sure about a woman traveling alone in Spain. Italy is always a great choice as there is so much to see and hundreds of small towns and different regions (Cinque Terre, Lake District, Tuscany, Umbria, Amalfi Coast).

Good comment Rex, an African safari has always been on my list as I think it would be amazing.

What about Thailand? The tix to get there can be very pricey, but the country itself is supposed to be rather inexpensive. <BR>I personally love Japan, so I would consider going there. The city accomodations are expensive, like visiting London or NYC, but I think it is easier to find great food cheap and most of the sites are free.

Rebecca, you've pretty well described New Zealand. Expensive to get to, cheap to visit. Drop-dead gorgeous scenery, all the adventure you could ask for, very, very friendly people (and sheep), plenty of diversity - semi tropical at the north end of North Island, mountainous and bracing at the south end of South Island. Right now the NZ$ is very weak compared to the US, so hotels, food, car rental, are all very affordable. Check it out, but remember the seasons are reversed, so it's getting on toward winter there now.

You'd better pick your place and then be very flexible about when you travel. FF seats are not too plentiful--they'd rather fill the seats with paying customers. So be prepared and have fun.

Rebecca,<BR><BR>I know this doesn't really answer your destination question, but upgrades for miles have the greatest dollar value by far. A coach class transatlantic ticket will cost 500-1000 USD, but a business class ticket costs at least 3000 USD often more - do the math.<BR><BR>If you're flying long haul, the difference in comfort is day and night. Just a thought.<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR>Andre

Rebecca,<BR><BR>When choosing your destination, don't forget to consider any "stopover" options. Most (if not all?) frequent flyer programs allow you one stopover in your itinerary. For example, let's say you decide to go to Europe. You could first fly to London or Paris; stay there for several days and then continue onward to Italy or Germany or Czech Republic. In order to do this, you'll have to research which airlines are partners with US Air.<BR><BR>Personally, my suggestion would be to use your miles to go to New Zealand or Australia (stopover in Bali, perhaps?). Or China has become a very popular destination.

Rebecca,<BR>You may want to hold off on making a decision for now. I am Chairmans Preferred with US Airways and found out on a flight this week that US Airways is going to announce a new very extensive partnership with another global carrier. Should offer more locations for award travel.

Rebecca,<BR>You have a wonderful dilemna. Like a previously poster said, remember the stopover option. Last year I went to LA/Bali/Hong Kong all on the same ticket. Bali is relatively inexpensive and HK is not too bad either (considering food costs). <BR><BR>If I were in your shoes though, I would take a Hong Kong to New Zealand trip. New Zealand place to visit. It is fairly inexpensive, safe, and the people are marvelous. We stayed in a 4 Star hotel for only $125. Bottles of wine were frequently $5. As soon as I get enough time, I will definately return!

Not in Asia or Europe but Costa Rica is very nice and pretty cheap. My daughter went there as an exchange student and it is far safer than other Latin alternatives. Absolutly fantastic scenery. I think you can use Latinpass with USAir.

I would go to Greece myself. Those tickets are fairly expensive usually, but it is very cheap there and has so much (food, history, scenery, nice people, etc.). Some of these other ideas might be okay, but I'm not sure I'd travel those distances during a 10 day vacation. Truthfully, I'm not personally that interested in Asia or Australia,or some of these other destinations, so I just wouldn't want to spend my time and miles going there, but I do think your limited time frame is an issue. Bali Hai sounds interesting, though. I think Central/Eastern Europe was a good idea, also, as it is more expensive to get there, but it's pretty cheap (ie, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland).

Rebecca, I'm have the same problem. I've managed to earn enough miles on USAir over the last two years to go just about anywhere now - the problem is I don't have any vacation available to go! And USAir is looking as if it might go belly-up any day now! <BR><BR>Arghhh! I was hoping to use my miles for a trip to Australia next year - I hope they stay in business.

I'll second the recommendation for Thailand. Normally it would be very expensive to fly to Thailand, making it a good choice for using a free ticket. Also, prices are low by U.S. standards. I traveled all over Bangkok on my own and never felt threatened. It is a very safe country for solo travel. It also is a relatively easy place for travel - good system of transportation, used to tourists, friendly people, etc.

Rebecca-hands down....New Zealand! I went there by myself(when I was younger) and had a wonderful time.The country is amazing with each island offering something totally different. Traveling by yourself and safety,speaking the same language,dollar vs dollar good and because the seasons are flipflopped from ours-you might have a better chance using your miles.The key to using the miles is to go somewhere where the airfare would be very expensive(Costa Rica,Greece,Italy,etc. are all places that you could get a deal on airfares).Places like the South Pacific,Asia,Africa are always expensive and as Rex suggested-you might be able to get a couple stopovers that would intrigue you? Lucky you!

topping this excellent thread

Rebecca, I have never been to New Zealand, but everyone who has been there loves it. <BR><BR>If not New Zealand, I would wholeheartedly promote Australia. Sydney is beautiful, but my favorite was Port Douglas, "gateway" to the Great Barrier reef. I traveled there alone and had a blast. It's a good deal vs. the US dollar. Port Douglas feels like an island, without the island prices.

My pick would be Greece, lots of places off the beaten path, inexpensive and I have always felt very safe (mid 20's female). It is my favorite destination!

Here's a different approach. Go to London, Paris, Munich or Rome for long weekends (4-5 days) during the fall and winter. With the off season/weekend combo You can get great deals on hotels. 40,000 miles/ trip. My wife and I go someplace almost every year. Of course the revenue tickets are often only $400 so it's not the best use of miles.

I was in the same situation years ago. I wanted to go someone I'd not been, somewhere the dollar was strong, and safe for a woman traveling alone. My answer was Greece. After that trip in 1989 I returned to Greece three more times.<BR><BR>Will be going to Thailand later this year. The dollar has been strong, and since my covering air and some hotel nights on points, the two-week trip should cost well under $1,000. From all the trip reports I've read on this board, people are getting massages there for $10 -- that's right up my alley!<BR><BR>It will also depend on where you're traveling from. Ten days is not a lot since you'll be giving up at least two of them for travel. Would it be worth traveling from the East Coast to Australia for just a week? To a Greek island from the West Coast for just a week? That would play heavily on my choice.<BR><BR>Also take into consideration what you like to do. Are museums and history important, or do you prefer spending your time on the beach, etc.

Rebecca: I'm in a similar situation myself in terms of having miles on USAirways. The downside to having miles on USAirways is that since their partnership with American ended and since their partnership with Swiss is ending, you can't use USAirways miles to get to as many places as you used to -- e.g. you can't get to Alaska, Hawaii, or much of Europe using USAirways miles (I'm not sure if they still have a partner that goes to Africa or not). Upside to having miles on USAirways: you can use them to get to Asia on Northwest, or to Australia & New Zealand on Qantas. I would focus on one of those if I were you. <BR><BR>Having just travelled to Thailand myself in January, I highly recommend it! It is incredibly inexpensive once you're there, the culture is amazing, and people are very nice. You can stay in really nice hotels for under $50 U.S.; eat a great dinner for under $10; a two-hour traditional massage was the equivalent of $11 U.S. I was in Bangkok myself for 6 days and loved it and felt very safe. I loved the temples, getting to ride an elephant, and the incredible bargains to be found in the markets. The people were very friendly and welcoming.<BR><BR>However, if you have the miles to go to Australia or New Zealand, one of those would be fantastic as well. I'm heading to both myself for the first time in November. The dollar is strong there too (although I'm sure your dollar still stretches further in Thailand). <BR><BR>If you have the miles, personally, based on what you said about wanting to be "off the beaten track," I think I'd choose the south island of New Zealand, although I know 10 days there won't be enough.

I agree with the votes for Thailand, but with one additional comment--go business class if there is any possible way! We have made 2 trips to Malaysia using Delta miles on Singapore Airlines. It was hands down the best flying experience I have ever had. We took side trips to Thailand, once to Phuket, and once to Bangkok. We loved both, very exotic!

Any plans to tell us what you think you will do, rebecca?<BR>