FCF's Survey of Caviar Class Seats *Now Bookable* to Asia for Tuna Fish Prices

April 2021
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FCF finds 15 hidden routes to Asia with up to 12 cents of value per mile/point – or buy for cash at 87% / $19,627 off

I’ve heard about that movie Crazy Rich Asians, about the only ones that can afford off-the-shelf fares to Asia in First Class. I’m talking tickets in the range of $17,400 to $22,500. Crazy, indeed.

Here are some more crazy First Class fare examples:

  • New York to Hong Kong nonstop on Cathay runs $19,706; from Los Angeles $16,430.
  • New York to Tokyo nonstop on All Nippon goes for $21,736; from Los Angeles $17,406.
  • New York to Tokyo nonstop on Japan Airlines runs $22,507; from Los Angeles $17,778.

What It Costs With Miles

While we have a strategy whereby you don’t need miles, and we’ll get to that in a moment, here’s what you can look to pay with miles or points:

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No Miles? No Points? No Problem.

Might it be better to save up to 87% by using your cash (to buy miles or points) instead? The chart farther below shows just how much you can save by buying miles when they’re on sale (which is often) and using them rather than paying the crazy rich First Class fare.

Quick highlight: Why pay $22,507 for New York-Tokyo in First Class on Japan Airlines when you can buy the 160,000 required miles on sale at ~1.8 cents each for a total cost of $2,880? That’s a $19,627 difference.

Crazy EXPENSIVE Asian First Class Fares Tamed by FCF’s Award Dragon

Can you spot the deal that’s $19,627 off when you buy miles to do the deal?

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Book value-conscious First Class seats lightning fast with FCF’s EXCLUSIVE research

We’ve found 15 routes with First Class availability as shown in the chart below.

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Limited Seats?

So, what if despite FCF’s team working night and day to find the above availability-packed routes, you can’t find seat options for the route you’re considering? Like maybe you want to take your husband on an anniversary trip to Asia but there’s only one seat available.

Here’s an idea-storm for snaring more than one seat:

  • Rather than starting your search for two seats, start with a search for one. Then go wider. For example, Cathay Pacific typically only releases one First Class award seat at a time, but… they sometimes drip-feed availability up until departure. Other airlines do the same thing. Sometimes you just have to play the patience game a bit. With All Nippon, Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines you can redeposit the miles if you don’t get exactly what you want.
  • Consider getting one seat in First and the other in Business. Granted, that’s not ideal for our anniversary example, but in some cases, it might be a good play.
  • Play the brinkmanship game. Award space tends to open up much more as departure approaches. Get the seat in Business then rebook when and if an opportunity arises. I do this often.
  • Waitlist if other ways aren’t working. Cathay Pacific and All Nippon offer waitlist in Business and First Class, Japan Airlines allows waitlisting in First Class only.
  • If all else fails, buy one ticket with cash and the other with miles. At least you’re 50% in front.

a play for when round-trip awards aren’t available

When you can’t nab that round-trip award, consider one-way tickets instead. Divide your itinerary in two and search for the best deal for each leg. I rarely book round-trip mileage awards because often I’m going to multiple destinations. But it’s the same idea. I’ll divide and conquer to get better seats or schedules from different airline programs with the exceptions of All Nippon as it offers round-trip awards only.

Consider the Leg Stretch Strategy to Asia

You can use all of the above to kickstart FCF’s amazing Leg Stretch Strategy to Asia and another continent. Read all about it here.

Don’t Waste Your Time WITH…

American Airlines as, at the time of our research, there’s no current availability on their existing three routes to Asia that offer First Class cabins (Los Angeles-Tokyo and Los Angeles and Dallas to Hong Kong)

Singapore Airlines as they’re not showing any routes with First Class availability at the moment.

Delta Airlines or United Airlines: Neither have a First Class cabin. And on top of that, Delta doesn’t even have access to a partner that offers First Class. High and dry.

[["Airline","First Class Route","Award Cost R\/T","Transfer Partner","Lowest Amex Partner","Amex Points R\/T","Lowest Cost Non-Amex Partner","Cost R\/T"],["All Nippon Airways","Chicago - Tokyo","150,000","Amex, Marriott","Virgin Atlantic","120,000","LifeMiles","180,000"],["#rowspan#","Houston - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","120,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","110,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","New York - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","120,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","San Francisco - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","110,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","Washington, DC - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","120,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["Cathay Pacific","Boston - Hong Kong","250,000","Amex, Citi, Marriott","Cathay Pacific","250,000","Alaska","140,000"],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Hong Kong","220,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","220,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","New York - Hong Kong","250,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","250,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","San Francisco - Hong Kong","220,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","220,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["Japan","Chicago - Tokyo","190,000","Marriott","#rowspan#","240,000","#rowspan#","120,000"],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","New York - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","San Francisco - Tokyo","165,000","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#"]]
[["Airline","To \/ From:","Buy Miles Partner","Award Cost","Cost Per Mile When On Sale","Cost","Regular Published Fare","Difference","#colspan#"],["All Nippon Airways","Chicago - Tokyo","United","220,000","~1.8 cents","$3,960","$21,136","$17,176","81%"],["#rowspan#","Houston - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$22,800","$18,840","83%"],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$17,406","$13,446","77%"],["#rowspan#","New York - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$21,736","$17,776","82%"],["#rowspan#","San Francisco - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$19,742","$15,782","80%"],["#rowspan#","Washington, DC - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$21,200","$17,240","81%"],["Cathay Pacific","Boston - Hong Kong","American","220,000","#rowspan#","$3,960","$19,706","$15,746","80%"],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Hong Kong","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$16,430","$12,470","76%"],["#rowspan#","New York - Hong Kong","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$19,706","$15,746","80%"],["#rowspan#","San Francisco - Hong Kong","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$16,430","$12,470","76%"],["Japan","Chicago - Tokyo","#rowspan#","160,000","#rowspan#","$2,880","$21,932","$19,052","87%"],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$17,778","$14,898","84%"],["#rowspan#","New York - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$22,507","$19,627","87%"],["#rowspan#","San Francisco - Tokyo","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$19,963","$17,083","86%"]]
[["Airline","First Class Route","Depart","#colspan#","#colspan#","Return","#colspan#","#colspan#"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","4 to 8 Days Per Month","9 to 12 Days Per Month","13+ Days Per Month","4 to 8 Days Per Month","9 to 12 Days Per Month","13+ Days Per Month"],["All Nippon Airways","Chicago - Tokyo","March","","Oct. to Feb.","May, June, Aug., Nov., March","","July, Oct. Dec. to Feb."],["#rowspan#","Houston - Tokyo","June, July, <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Aug.,<\/span> Oct.","Sept.","Aug.","May, June, <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">July, Aug.,<\/span> Sept., Aug.","","July, Aug."],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Tokyo","May, June, Sept.","July, <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb.<\/span>","Aug., Nov. to Feb.","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Jan.<\/span>","May, June, Oct., Nov.","July, Dec., Jan., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb.<\/span>"],["#rowspan#","New York - Tokyo","Feb.","","","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb.<\/span>","","Feb."],["#rowspan#","San Francisco - Tokyo","July, Oct., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Jan.,<\/span> March","Aug., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb.<\/span>","Nov. to Feb.","July, Sept. to Dec., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">March<\/span>","Aug., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Jan.<\/span>","Jan., <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb.<\/span>"],["#rowspan#","Washington, DC - Tokyo","July, Sept., Oct.","","","June","Sept.","Aug."],["Cathay Pacific","Boston - Hong Kong","Oct.","","Nov. to Feb.","Oct.","","Nov. to Feb."],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Hong Kong","Oct.","","Nov. to Feb.","Oct.","","Nov. to Feb."],["#rowspan#","New York - Hong Kong","","","Nov. to Feb.","","","Nov. to Feb."],["#rowspan#","San Francisco - Hong Kong","Dec.","","Jan., Feb.","","","Dec. to Feb."],["Japan","Chicago - Tokyo","July, <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb., March<\/span>","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">May<\/span>","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">April,<\/span> May","July, <span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb., March<\/span>","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">May<\/span>","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">April, <\/span>May"],["#rowspan#","Los Angeles - Tokyo","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb., March<\/span>","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">May<\/span>","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">April,<\/span> May","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb., March<\/span>","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">May<\/span>","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">April,<\/span> May"],["#rowspan#","New York - Tokyo","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">May, Feb., March<\/span>","","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">April<\/span>","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">May, Feb., March<\/span>","May","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">April<\/span>"],["#rowspan#","San Francisco - Tokyo","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb., March<\/span>","","","<span style=\"color: #6699cc;\">Feb., March<\/span>","",""]]
<small>*Months in <u>black</u> at least one seat available; in <span style="color: #6699cc;"><u>blue</u></span> at least two seats.</small>