Assistance with Pacific Islands & Florida Holiday

[Beta4Me]

This is a follow-on from http://www.australianfrequentflyer....sistance-chinese-work-trip-oceania-57626.html as my plans have totally changed...

I'm wanting to go on a holiday from Melbourne to Guam, Saipan, Palau and Orlando, FL. I intend to use the UDSM Guam loophole to get there for 30K miles in J as well as the LifeMiles loophole whereby Guam is part of North America to fly to the continental USA for 50K miles in J too. I was thinking that DisneyWorld in Orlando would be pretty nice and I could wrangle a <24hr "stopover" in HNL along the way by doing something like GUM-HNL-???-MCO.

In terms of routing, I'd definitely like to go via Singapore on the way to/from Guam in SQ J (outside 14 day SQ J window for return flights so another airline required and therefore maybe a different stopover?).

With dates, I would like to leave any time from the night of the 14/02 onwards and get back no later than the night of the 27/02. 2-3 days(ish) in each place would be good with 5-6 days(ish) in Orlando (DisneyWorld needs 4 so I'm told). Maybe something like MEL -> SIN (1 day) -> GUM -> SPN (2 days) -> GUM -> ROR (2 days) -> MCO (5 days) -> GUM (1 day) -> ??? (1 day) -> MEL?

Points balances:
AA: 78K (+12K)
LM: 150K
QFF: 254K (+50K)
SQ: 60K
USDM: 60K
Westpac Altitude: 256K
Amex MR: 32K

This is a major change from my previous request so I've started this new thread (sorry to those who helped with initial advice before).To recap: Guam, Saipan & Palau are now the desired destinations using USDM for MEL/SYD/BNE-Guam (and back) and LifeMiles for Guam-Orlando-Guam.

Looking forward to your assistance (acknowledging the appropriate gratuity being required--negotiable by PM). Thanks in advance!

 

[smit0847]

Hi mate
Can help out with the GUM/ROR trip but I would forget about the MCO side trip. You don't have enough time and availability is very difficult (and would be very long trips in Y only).
Let me know if you would like advice on just the GUM trip (availability is okay) and please re-jig dates (assume you don't want a week on GUM!).
Thanks

 

[Beta4Me]

Thanks for your advice. I'm thinking I'd like to fly out late on Friday and come back 10 days later on the Monday or Tuesday. I'd like the max possible stopover in Singapore both ways on the way to/from Guam flying SQ J. Not quite sure how long I want to spend on the other islands (Saipan and Palau) but I can look after that I think. Any advice on that would be appreciated though. Look forward to hearing from you

 

[smit0847]

Ok I would book a USDM SWP-SWP 30k pp J redemption from MEL-ROR with a stopover in GUM. You will need to buy a side trip to SPN from GUM (but it's a 50 min cheap flight each way). USDM charge an express ticketing fee of I think USD75 pp for ticketing within 14 days of departure.

I would suggest the following flights:

SQ208 MEL-SIN SQ J 14/02 (leaves 19:30)
24.5 hour stop in SIN (technically transit has to be less than 24 hours but I've gotten away with booking a 25 hour stop before).

SQ656 SIN-cough SQ J 16/02
UA166 cough-GUM UA J 16/02
Stopover in GUM 6 nights - book your side trip to SPN during this time. If you want to have less time in GUM and more time in ROR you will need to take a Y leg GUM-ROR instead of a the J leg below.

UA157 GUM-ROR UA J 23/02 (Destination)
2 Nights in Palau

Then coming home, SQ flights not available yet as we're not inside the 14 day window for a few more days but I'd try some different carrier for something different, such as:

UA193 ROR-MNL UA J 25/02
overnight in MNL

BR272 MNL-TPE BR J 26/02
TG635 TPE-BKK TG J 26/02
overnight in BKK

TG461 BKK-MEL TG J 27/02


What do you think?

 

[Beta4Me]

Ok I would book a USDM SWP-SWP 30k pp J redemption from MEL-ROR with a stopover in GUM. You will need to buy a side trip to SPN from GUM (but it's a 50 min cheap flight each way). USDM charge an express ticketing fee of I think USD75 pp for ticketing within 14 days of departure.

I would suggest the following flights:

SQ208 MEL-SIN SQ J 14/02 (leaves 19:30)
24.5 hour stop in SIN (technically transit has to be less than 24 hours but I've gotten away with booking a 25 hour stop before).

SQ656 SIN-cough SQ J 16/02
UA166 cough-GUM UA J 16/02
Stopover in GUM 6 nights - book your side trip to SPN during this time. If you want to have less time in GUM and more time in ROR you will need to take a Y leg GUM-ROR instead of a the J leg below.

UA157 GUM-ROR UA J 23/02 (Destination)
2 Nights in Palau

Then coming home, SQ flights not available yet as we're not inside the 14 day window for a few more days but I'd try some different carrier for something different, such as:

UA193 ROR-MNL UA J 25/02
overnight in MNL

BR272 MNL-TPE BR J 26/02
TG635 TPE-BKK TG J 26/02
overnight in BKK

TG461 BKK-MEL TG J 27/02


What do you think?

Mostly looking great couple of things...I'd like to avoid Thailand with the election turmoil at the moment. Additionally, I need to get back earlier: 24 or 25/02 would be good.

That would mean if I book tomorrow I should get within T-14 days and get SQ J back?

Thank you!

 

[smit0847]

If you're moving your GUM-ROR flights up you will have to fly UA Y as there's no J for that week. Either UA157 or UA193 is available each day so you can go whenever you want (in Y).

Coming back from ROR as your destination you will also have to do a leg in Y.
I would recommend:
24/02 OZ610 ROR-ICN OZ Y
24/02 OZ751 ICN-SIN OZ J
overnight in SIN
25/02 SQ207 SIN-MEL SQ J (arrives same day).

If you really love flying there are options to add an additional flight in J to go ICN-xx_-SIN but most people would prefer a direct route.

There's not a lot of J options as you are booking so close to the departure date. I have booked my GUM redemptions 11 months out to have more choice with flights and carriers.

 

[Beta4Me]

If you're moving your GUM-ROR flights up you will have to fly UA Y as there's no J for that week. Either UA157 or UA193 is available each day so you can go whenever you want (in Y).

Coming back from ROR as your destination you will also have to do a leg in Y.
I would recommend:
24/02 OZ610 ROR-ICN OZ Y
24/02 OZ751 ICN-SIN OZ J
overnight in SIN
25/02 SQ207 SIN-MEL SQ J (arrives same day).

If you really love flying there are options to add an additional flight in J to go ICN-xx_-SIN but most people would prefer a direct route.

There's not a lot of J options as you are booking so close to the departure date. I have booked my GUM redemptions 11 months out to have more choice with flights and carriers.

Looks awesome. What's the longer J option re: ICN->SIN? Knowing that I'll go off and book!

 

[smit0847]

Looks awesome. What's the longer J option re: ICN->SIN? Knowing that I'll go off and book!

Can go ICN-PEK-SIN or OZ and CA, or ICN-BKK-SIN on ET and TG. I would go the direct on OZ - they are better than CA and ET.

 

[Beta4Me]

Can go ICN-PEK-SIN or OZ and CA, or ICN-BKK-SIN on ET and TG. I would go the direct on OZ - they are better than CA and ET.

Agreed. Off I go to book.

 

[Beta4Me]

Agreed. Off I go to book.

And FML I can't actually get through to the Reservations line because of "travel conditions" causing lots of people to ring and overload the system. Arghhh...

 

[support]

As per the rules for threads in this forum, this thread is now closed.