2020 trip canned, 2021 trip/FF bottleneck help!

[drcam]

Hi there! I'm Cameron, I'm 39 yrs, most grateful to still have my job and not be at risk of losing it and assiduous frequent leisure flyer. I have spent my entire life manipulating the system!
I've spent the last five months planning for my 40th birthday mini-extravaganza. My actual birthday is at the end of April, but because of work requirements and timing of destinations I am visiting, realistically I wasn't able to take annual leave (for which I have five weeks) until mid-June.
I currently have 125k SQ Krisflyer points expiring in September this year, they have already been extended and can be extended no further. I also have a further 100k SQ points not expiring any time soon. My other FF balances are zero (I hardly ever fly with Qantas, and I judiciously transferred my VA points to SQ last month).

Initially, my plan was to fly to Shanghai in mid-June, spend 4-5 days with my extended family there, and then spend 4-5 weeks in the USA, visiting mostly Western mountain national parks but also a week in Vegas. I therefore booked a return First/Suites redemption to PVG and planned to fly a cheap Premium Economy return flight with DL from there ($650 each way) to Los Angeles. I was going to fly locally mostly with DL within the US in an effort to achieve VA status.
When the coronavirus crisis hit China, this option was no longer viable, so I cancelled my redemption, and instead, booked a VA return ticket in Premium Economy to Los Angeles direct, now planning on a 5-week US-only vacation. Of course, this is also no longer viable and it had to be canned.

So now I am in a situation where I can only go next year. Unless SQ have a further goodwill gesture I must use up my SQ points by the end of September this year.
Moreover, due to seasonal demand at work, I can only take annual leave at work during the months of May to July and October to January.
By May or June of next week I will have accumulated 9 weeks of annual leave, and therefore I plan on taking a longer vacation. I will also be even more jaded and wrinkled at the advanced age of forty-one!

My plan is to still book a return First Class/Suites redemption from Australasia to China (eg Beijing). I will plan on spending 2 weeks in China and 6 weeks in the US. I will then fly to the US and back with a paid PE airfare return from China. I could consider starting my journey in a different part of Australasia, eg Auckland.

The other option is to consider a RTW Business Class redemption with SQ, as I could possibly reach 240k points balance before September. I would need to completely replan my vacation and retime it. The destinations would be radically different. I would effectively have 1 week at about 7 different destinations.

Of course, all this is contingent on the coronavirus pandemic being at least functionally resolved in 13-14 months' time. Do you think that might happen?

If you have any thoughts about what I should do and what's the best option for me here for my 2021, your views would be most greatly appreciated.

Happy Easter and keep safe!
Cam

 

[luxury-lizard]

HI Cam - your requirements are quite complicated - which is why you have not been swamped with advice. You did not say if you were travelling solo or with friend/partner - let's assume solo. I would firstly focus on using those KF points - come September you can book 355 days out or until early September 2021 - being an optimist let's assume most international travel will be flowing.

Personally I've always considered RTW redemptions to be in the "too hard" basket - ie getting availability on all the flights you want. So I would go with one-ways - so come September you can book Australia - Beijing any time in your May-July window - in fact there's no reason not to book it as soon as the booking window opens. If you have sufficient KF points you could then use them to book Beijing to your first port of call in the US - this could be either an SQ flight (via SIN) or a direct fight on a *A airline (e.g. UA) - or as you originally planned just buy a return Beijing - USA ticket at the best price/class of service. (Maybe worrying about VIrgin status is a non-issue given their current position - a revamped airline may not even be "Virgin" anymore with all points/status level gone).

Your return to Australia from the US is more problematic as one-way tickets are often quite expensive - but you could use points if you have sufficient - but historically this route is very hard to find awards ticket on.

Anyway - that's my 2 cents worth - I'm sure others will have different approaches.

 

[albatross710]

SQ do operate a tag flight SIN-NRT-LAS. The OP could do a one way redemption NRT-LAS with a commercial tix to join PEK-NRT.

Return could be SQ miles again LAS-NRT-SIN-AUS.

I did do this journey before The Albatross goes BNE-LAX via NRT in F

 

[drron]

SQ F awards to the USA are much more difficult than other options.The tag flights can be SIN-NRT-LAX or SIN-ICN-LAX.
Both these flights are operated usually by 777 300-ER 4 class planes.These only have 4 F seats.So unless you book early then very little chance.The service via NRT we have used and so I have watched keenly on the day of release.Sometimes 1 seat available.Occasionally 2 seats which I then snaffle but more frequently waitlist.I guess they know which days are more likely to have paid pax.