On the surface it might seem like what I do to earn elite status is simple. I book a ticket, board a flight, pretend I’m not going to sleep the whole flight, and repeat. However, what you don’t see is the incredible messes I get myself into or the hours upon hours I spend trying to sort everything out.
Let’s take for example my upcoming trip to Vietnam. No, not upcoming as in a few months, upcoming as in less than a week now. I still don’t exactly know how I’m going to get there… and that’s an issue.
See, I have to make it to Vietnam by February 19th at 6:50PM local time. I have to make it there by then because that’s when boarding begins for my Cathay Pacific First Class trip from Vietnam back to the United States. It’s the first leg of two legs for which I will earn about 25% of my entire year’s AAdvantage Elite Qualifying Dollars. Right, as you can see, I can’t miss it.
My Original Plan To Get To Vietnam
When I originally booked the first leg of this trip I had a seemingly brilliant idea. I was already going to be in London so I might as well just hop from London to Vietnam to begin the trip. Next it’s Vietnam to Hong Kong and then back to New York. This was a fantastic plan, especially because it gave me a chance to fly Qatar Airways Q-Suites from London to Doha and then the Qatar Airways 787 from Doha to Hanoi!
However, the closer I get to my departure date I’m starting to notice that things aren’t as fantastic as I originally thought. For starters, my flight to London doesn’t begin in New York (where I am now). Instead, my flight to London originates in Chicago. So, to even get to London to begin my trip I first have to make it to Chicago and then on to London.
The trouble doesn’t stop there. Once I’m in London I end up with a few more issues that I simply can’t ignore if I plan to go through with my original itinerary.
The Bad: Timing, Layovers, and Cost
If I stick to my original plan I depart London on Sunday evening and arrive in Hanoi on Tuesday morning. This isn’t inherently an issue, but it quickly becomes an issue because I then depart from Hanoi later that same day. In fact, I arrive in Hanoi approximately 12 hours prior to my Cathay Pacific fight departure. So, on one hand I only have 12 hours as a margin of error while on the other hand, I now have to kill 12 hours in Hanoi; without a hotel. The good news is that I’ll have access to a lounge in Hanoi with a shower. The bad news is that I might not be able to go through security until just 3 or 4 hours prior to my departure.
Beyond the tight connection I run into a second issue with timing. That issue is that I currently have a 36 hour layover in London and an 18 hour layover in Doha. Both layovers are long enough to warrant me getting a hotel room which again means added expenses. Also, it means that this fairly easy trip around the world suddenly turns into a 5 day affair. As much as I love circling the globe, being on the move for 5 straight days is exhausting and there’s something to be said for doing it quicker.
In addition to the hotel rooms I also have to consider the cost of the tickets. First theres the cost of getting to Chicago and then there’s the cost of getting from London to Hanoi. I paid 75,000 miles and $200 for my Q-Suites ticket which is quite a lot. It’s especially a lot when you consider that I’ll only be in the Q-Suites cabin for maybe 8 hours.
The Good: Q-Suites, London, Doha, and Hanoi
There is no denying that if I stick to my original I will have an absolutely fantastic trip. I’ll have 36 hours to explore London. More importantly I’ll have a chance to try out one of the dozens of Marriott properties located in the city. I’ll also get to check out the Qatar Airways lounge in London and Doha. Hopefully I can buy access to the First Class Lounge in Doha. Finally, I’ll also get the opportunity to fly Q-Suites and Qatar Airways’ 787 in Business Class.
If all goes well I should be able to enter Doha and explore for a bit during my layover. Likewise, I should have a few hours to walk around Hanoi before heading back to the airport. All in all, I’m very tempted to stick to my original plan.
My Potential New Plan To Get To Vietnam
Now I must warn you, this plan is much more boring and economical. My alternative plan is to leave New York on Saturday morning on a flight bound for Chicago. I’ll spend a few hours in Chicago before then boarding a flight to Tokyo on American’s 787-8. If all goes to plan my Systemwide upgrade may clear on that flight.
Next, I’ll shoot down from Toyko to Hanoi and arrive in Hanoi on Tuesday night. That gives me a night to sleep in a hotel, explore a bit in the morning, and head to the airport a few hours before the flight.
This option is also currently only $730 and allows me to reclaim the $200 and 75,000 miles I paid for the Qatar Airways option.
While this plan makes the most sense economically, it also means I can spend Friday night at home before heading out Saturday morning. Additionally, I’ll get to fly JAL for the first time and visit Tokyo for the first time. The only real downside to this plan is that it costs a few extra hard dollars and there is a chance I’ll be stuck in economy until I get to Hanoi.
The Other Option
The final option is to continue searching relentlessly for other options. Perhaps I could book a Star Alliance award ticket to get there. Maybe some business class seats with open up from New York to Hong Kong or Tokyo. Could I get lucky and book a Q-Suites flight from New York to Doha? All are valid options that I’m still considering. One thing is for sure, I will continue searching up until the moment I board my first flight.
Final Thoughts
I hope this post gives you an insight into what’s happening behind the scenes as I plan one of these massive around the world trips. While everything looks nice when it’s all over it’s usually fairly difficult to get there. In the end I doubt I stick to the Q-Suites option. I hate burning miles and I hate the idea of paying for hotel rooms on Mileage Runs. Instead, I’ll continue searching repeatedly for award space that may open up closer to my departure date. In the end, it’s anyones guess as to how I’ll get to Hanoi. One thing is for sure though, I’ll be getting back to New York in Cathay Pacific First Class!
