Award redemptions for EY & AS questions

[NZflygirl]

Just a few questions:
1. Aussie-HKG is 30k with AS on CX. If you want to land elsewhere in Asia and don't care if the 2nd leg is Y, is it still 30k or do you need to add the intra-asia award chart mileage? Or is that not allowed?

2. Does AS have any transfer bonuses from SPG like AA does from SPG? The 20-30% ones?

3. AS partners with Finnair and SQ but I couldn't see anything on the website. Didn't even show on the award charts yet CX does. What's going on there?

4. I searched 10 months worth of AS and basically ONE business class from Fiji airways Nadi to SFO. Didn't check out of all the Aussie ports as paying to fly backwards to Oz becomes more expensive than other routes. ONE decent QF award with AKL-MEL J and MEL-LAX F for 70k. That's a bit of a write off unless the awards were all hiding in the last 2 months of Aug and Sep. QF has better FJ availability through to the US than AS, and obviously QF availability is better for QF points to the US (Saw the article on taxes).

5. If EY J or F booking on 2 separate award tickets from different airlines, will EY check the bags through? Anyway of finding this out prior to check-in or is it safest to schedule in a stopover / time and organise any transit requirements?

No bookings just playing around with the system. Any insights would be appreciated.

 

[Mattg]

I'll try to answer your questions in order as best I can...

1. I believe you can only fly to HKG. Any onward flights would be charged as another award.

2. Not that I'm aware of.

3. These have been "coming soon" for some time. It's still not yet possible to redeem AS miles on either AY or SQ, but hopefully this is in the pipeline. I expect that the range of routes available for redemption will be limited though.

4. Yes, availability to the USA is very limited. If you're doing a return booking and don't mind positioning to SYD or BNE, Korean Air has excellent J availability and awards aren't too expensive. Obviously you have to fly via ICN though.

Not sure about the last question.

 

[NZflygirl]

Thank you so much!

I did see the Korean availability and figured those prices 125k? must be return. I read something somewhere about Skyteam pricing being for returns but have also seen what looks to be one way pricing on flying blue & delta but I don't have my head around those programs.

I think SPG --> AA with transfer bonus --> HA to at least get to HNL is pretty good value with good availability.

 

[Mattg]

Korean award pricing is always as a return trip for some reason. So it's 125k miles for a return trip - you can book one-way but the price is also 125k miles.