No, and dammit, I missed the $249 r/t to Singapore (yes, you read that correctly). Only 2,000 seats, though, and a 30 day maximum stay. But on Singapore Airlines, which is a good carrier.
In reality, though, that 30 day limit is a show-stopper for me.
They do have some $499 ($556 after taxes) seats left, but that's a less attractive offer. Again, 30 day limit. Northwest is doing something for $25 more, so the SG fare is no big deal.
To Bangkok, NW wants $645 after taxes, so I'm thinking flying to Singapore and then taking the train north to Bangkok is the way to go; about the same amount of money but an excuse to visit bits of Malaysia I like on the way up. And, well, overnight sleepers. :)
>i keep drooling over 30 day asiapasses for $600 at cathay.
Yah, I looked at those and tried to make them work for me but I can't see how.
What I'm trying to do is meet friends in Bangkok second week of August, and then go on to Australia. So I need more than 30 days. Preferably 90 to 120, I think, for both Australia and NZ. Which is why the airpass idea doesn't work for me: $699 (I think) base, plus $350 to extend to 90 days, plus $500 for an Australia add-on. Now you're talking $1549 before tax, and without frequent-flyer miles.
Not so good, when I can do NYC-SIN-PER for $1468 *after* taxes, and with frequent-flyer miles. And more flexibility.
Ideally I can snag student tickets for similar prices on both legs as I need a lot of flexibility; I may not decide to stay in Australia that long, or I may decide I want to go to NZ for longer, or I may decide I want to make side trips, etc. With luck I can bring the SIN-PER leg down from $887. It was $785 for a while but I think I missed that, or maybe that was a shorter validity fare, or something. I'm hoping STA can do something for less than that. It feels wrong to spend more for a six hour flight than for crossing the Pacific, but there you go.
(Just thinking aloud; jump in if you have any ideas.)
On the other hand, the pass may be ideal for you.
>It's so wrong of me to think , o O (Man, i hope I can take advantage of SARs next year.)
*smirk* Well, it's why I'm able to fly to Europe in high season (tomorrow, in fact) for $260 r/t. Wrong or not, I've taken advantage of it. SG again, trying desperately to fill seats on the JFK-FRA and EWR-AMS runs. Actually, it must suck to be them (or Cathay Pacific) right now; I'd been looking at seat maps on some of those flights...man, there were entire *rows* empty on some of those big jumbos.
Oh, also China Airlines (i.e., the Taiwanese) have some deals on their website, but I a) don't love Taipei that much as a stopover and b) am a little nervous about both the airline's and the airport's safety records.
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Long reply to a short question.
Date: 2003-06-14 10:42 am (UTC)No, and dammit, I missed the $249 r/t to Singapore (yes, you read that correctly). Only 2,000 seats, though, and a 30 day maximum stay. But on Singapore Airlines, which is a good carrier.
In reality, though, that 30 day limit is a show-stopper for me.
They do have some $499 ($556 after taxes) seats left, but that's a less attractive offer. Again, 30 day limit. Northwest is doing something for $25 more, so the SG fare is no big deal.
To Bangkok, NW wants $645 after taxes, so I'm thinking flying to Singapore and then taking the train north to Bangkok is the way to go; about the same amount of money but an excuse to visit bits of Malaysia I like on the way up. And, well, overnight sleepers. :)
>i keep drooling over 30 day asiapasses for $600 at cathay.
Yah, I looked at those and tried to make them work for me but I can't see how.
What I'm trying to do is meet friends in Bangkok second week of August, and then go on to Australia. So I need more than 30 days. Preferably 90 to 120, I think, for both Australia and NZ. Which is why the airpass idea doesn't work for me: $699 (I think) base, plus $350 to extend to 90 days, plus $500 for an Australia add-on. Now you're talking $1549 before tax, and without frequent-flyer miles.
Not so good, when I can do NYC-SIN-PER for $1468 *after* taxes, and with frequent-flyer miles. And more flexibility.
Ideally I can snag student tickets for similar prices on both legs as I need a lot of flexibility; I may not decide to stay in Australia that long, or I may decide I want to go to NZ for longer, or I may decide I want to make side trips, etc. With luck I can bring the SIN-PER leg down from $887. It was $785 for a while but I think I missed that, or maybe that was a shorter validity fare, or something. I'm hoping STA can do something for less than that. It feels wrong to spend more for a six hour flight than for crossing the Pacific, but there you go.
(Just thinking aloud; jump in if you have any ideas.)
On the other hand, the pass may be ideal for you.
>It's so wrong of me to think , o O (Man, i hope I can take advantage of SARs next year.)
*smirk* Well, it's why I'm able to fly to Europe in high season (tomorrow, in fact) for $260 r/t. Wrong or not, I've taken advantage of it. SG again, trying desperately to fill seats on the JFK-FRA and EWR-AMS runs. Actually, it must suck to be them (or Cathay Pacific) right now; I'd been looking at seat maps on some of those flights...man, there were entire *rows* empty on some of those big jumbos.
Oh, also China Airlines (i.e., the Taiwanese) have some deals on their website, but I a) don't love Taipei that much as a stopover and b) am a little nervous about both the airline's and the airport's safety records.