Having trouble booking a round-trip mileage award? Consider a one-way ticket instead.
If you find you’re having a hard time booking round-trip award travel to Asia (and who isn’t?), don’t despair. Let one-way award tickets come to the rescue.
First, let’s just recap when one-way tickets are the way to go:
- When a round-trip saver award is not available.
- When you want the best routing and best premium seats.
- When a partner saver round-trip award is not available on your preferred carrier but is available with the partner’s own mileage program.
- When the Stopover Loophole Strategy (SLS) to Asia saves you so much money all you need is a one-way ticket to kick it off.
The idea is simple and it works wherever you’re going: just divide your itinerary in two and search for the best deal on each leg.
I almost never book round-trip mileage awards because I’m usually going to multiple destinations, and/or I’m not planning to return to where I started. So there’s rarely an ideal departure-return pairing on the same airline because with each different route I’ll likely find better seats and/or schedules via different programs.
That’s the key: getting the best option on each independent leg rather than on the round-trip as a whole.
Best One-Way Deals to Asia
Air Canada: With dynamic award pricing, Air Canada flights range from 52,000 to 150,000 and their partners start at 55,000 miles one-way in Business Class and 90,000 to 200,000 miles in First Class while partners are 90,000 one-way. This includes airline partners such as Singapore and United. If you don’t have these miles, you can get them through Amex Rewards point transfers. (Go here and here for some of the recent Business Class award availability alerts).
Air France: Air France and partner flights start at 85,000 miles one-way in Business Class. It includes airline partners such as Delta, Japan Airlines, Korean, and Singapore. If you don’t have miles, you can get them through Amex Rewards point transfers.
Alaska: The cost varies by route. The cheapest partner flights in Business Class to Asia are on Cathay Pacific for 50,000 miles while American’s range from 60,000 to 70,000 miles. In First Class, American flights range from 80,000 to 110,000 miles while Cathay is just 70,000 miles. Japan Airlines ranges from 60,000 to 65,000 miles in Business Class and from 70,000 to 75,000 miles in First Class. Korean Air ranges from 105,000 to 120,000 miles in Business Class and Singapore Airlines from 80,000 to 100,000 miles in Business Class and from 110,000 to130,000 miles in First Class.
American: With dynamic award pricing, its flights and those with partners start at 60,000 miles one-way in Business Class. Partners include Cathay Pacific and Japan Airlines. First Class starts at 80,000 miles one-way.
Cathay Pacific: The cost varies by route, starting at 70,000 miles one-way (Los Angeles-Hong Kong) in Business Class and 110,000 miles in First Class. On American, it’s 75,000 miles in Business Class and 120,000 miles in First. FYI, Amex points transfer to Cathay. (Go here, for a recent Business Class alert and here, and here for some of the recent First Class award availability alerts).
Japan Airlines: The least expensive flights are to/from Japan: 50,000 miles in Business Class and 70,000 in First. Oneworld partner awards vary and are higher than JAL’s own. (Go here and here for some recent Business Class and here, and here of the recent First Class award availability alerts).
United (does not offer a chart) has dynamic award pricing, with flights and those of their partners starting at 88,000 miles in Business Class and 121,000 miles in First Class, valid on United and Asiana, among other airlines. United is a Chase transfer partner.
Singapore Airlines: Cost varies by route. The least expensive flight is Los Angeles-Tokyo for 92,000 miles in Business Class and 107,000 miles in First. Award cost on Star Alliance partners is higher. Amex Rewards members can transfer points to Singapore miles. (Go here and here for recent Business Class award availability alerts).
Virgin Atlantic: Partner-flight cost varies, starting at 60,000 miles on Delta in Business Class. (Go here and here for some of the recent Business Class award availability alerts).
[aside headline="Multiply Your Chances at the “Card Table”" alignment="aligncenter" width="big" headline_size="default"]One of the best things you can do is to be in a credit card program that links to many different airline programs. (Read about it in 80/20 in 2020—Putting the Pareto Principle to Work for a Better Travel Credit Card Life). It means you can get around the availability barriers that airlines put up –– sneaky critters that they are.
Like I always say, options matter.[/aside]