help with flights to Thailand

[kayman]

Hello Everyone,

hope this is a question that someone can help me with, and sorry for the long post.

Basically I'm trying to book my honeymoon and wanted to figure out which is the best way to use my Amex points.

planning to go in mid march 5 nights to Koh Samui (Thailand) and then 3 nights in Bangkok.

So it will be SYD -> Koh Samui (5 nights)
Koh Samui -> BKK (3 nights)
BKK -> SYD.

I have about 90,000 amex points at the moment which can be transfered to Qantas or Thai Royal Orchid

I also have 28,000 miles and more points (Lufthansa) which I don't think are much use at all.

1 AMEX point = 1 QFF point
4 AMEX points = 3 Thai points

As my understanding goes SYD to BKK costs approximatly these many amex points
QFF - 70,000 points
Thai - 73,333 points

Im trying to figure out what is the best way to plan this holiday ...
Do I use points to get to and from BKK and then use a domestic airline inside Thailand or book with Thai as they have connecting flights to Koh Samui

Or I found the link to the BA cheap flights which might be a great option ... anyone know if I can use points to help with this even more?
(http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/community/cheap-international-airfares/ba-891-to-bkk-13892.html)

Can anyone help me out here ... going to be strapped for cash with the wedding etc but still want to try get a good honeymoon in if possible so any ideas are greatly appreciated.

K

 

[futaris]

If you go down the Star Alliance route, you can got through SPG and get a similar rate:

90,000 AMEX MR = 54,000 SPG
40,000 SPG = 50,000 Thai, Singapore or Miles and More
14,000 SPG = 14,000 Thai, Singapore or Miles and More

Alternatively you can buy another 6,000 SPG for 3.5c (USD) each (US$210) so that you get:

75,000 Miles for:

90,000 AMEX + US$210.

But before you convert points, make sure you use the ANA tool to check availability.

Not sure whether transferring into Thai is the best option, on Star Alliance. There are other options, e.g. ANA, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, United, US Airways, etc. I do know that on United, it is only 50k points to Thailand, but you don't get 1:1 through SPG.

NB, according to this link, it is 60k on Lufthansa Miles and More for Australia -> Thailand.

So adding the 28k you have on Lufthansa, that gives you a total of 103k. Now you just need to find someway to get 17k cheaply. Maybe buy through Lufthansa, or indirectly through SPG?

Also, don't redeem your points for QF, as generally the taxes are more if you use QF points...

 

[kayman]

Hi Futaris,

Thank you for the reply...

I'm not to sure if I follow you, is SPG another rewards program?
Can I transfer from SPG to Miles and more etc?
Do i get more points transfering AMEX > SPG > ORCHID rather then AMEX > ORCHID ?

I went to the ANA website but could only fly out form JP? or am I checking the wrong thing?

Sorry to ask for a spoon feed and thank you for your help.

 

[futaris]

All the Amex related threads are in this forum.

SPG = Starwood Preferred Guest. Another rewards program for staying in Sheraton, Four Points, etc. However they have a program where you can transfer 20k SPG points to 25K miles in most programs.

Note, that normally the rate is 1000 Amex MR = 330 SPG, but due a misprint it is 1000 Amex MR = 600 SPG [till 30 Sept]. See this thread and this thread.

Register for an account at this link. Alternatively click "Sign Up" from the other link that I had in my last post. Once you have a number and PIN you can log in and check availability for flights on Thai, Singapore, etc... Generally if there is availability using that tool, then you can book it using other Star Alliance members' points.

Not sure which transfer to which Star Alliance program is the best, since redemption rates vary between the programs.

If you went:
AMEX->Singapore (1:1)
90,000 = 90,000 Singapore

AMEX->Thai (4:3)
90,000 = 67,500 Thai

AMEX->SPG->Thai (as shown above)
90,000 = 54,000 SPG = 64,000 Thai

 

[futaris]

If you do want to fly QANTAS or British Airways (or can't find availability using Thai/Singapore/ANA/etc), you might want to consider going through SPG to redeem for AAdvantage points.

It is only 50k AA miles for Australia -> Thailand.

 

[Alanslegal]

Given the Original Poster has 90,000Amex points, it might be simplistic to just transfer these straight to the Qantas FFP @ 1:1, and redeem from here.

Example, redeem 1 x one way ticket SYD to HKT (coughet) = 30,000 points on Jetstar. Purchase 1 x one way ticket on the same flight for around $400.

Fly LCC such as Bangkok Airways - coughet to Koh Samui for around $80 per person.

Use Bangkok Airways again and fly Koh Samui to Bangkok for around $100 per person.

Redeem 2 x one way ticket Bangkok (BKK) to Sydney (SYD) = 60,000 points, plus taxes

So there is 3 x one way ticket used on points plus 1 x one way ticket purchased.

PLUS maybe a side trip in coughet as a bonus??

 

[kayman]

Thanks guys, the suggestions are fantastic and very helpfull.

Alanslegal your suggestion sounds great... I'll get almost all my flights on points.

Only the LCC flights internally and the one way SYD - HKT thats great!

and with QFF you can use it on any flight if my research is correct?

When it says 30,000 points etc do you still have to pay some extra taxes?

I'm going to sign up for the QFF program now and start using the card to get more points... and by the wedding time I'll prob have spent more on the AMEX anyhow so would have got some more points... any suggestions as to when I should start booking to that area? as in do Flights dissapear quickly or is 4 months away good enough?

Thanks again.
K