About 4 years? That's how long I've been booking it... Been forcing my flights through BKK each year for the quintessential full body massage complimentary to TG F pax. Started the hobby in 2012 trying to get back to SIN from ORD for cheap at the conclusion of my Masters degree. Flew ORD-DUS-FRA-ICN-TPE-SIN, ORD-ICN was on LH F just to check out the Lufthansa FCT... Spent US$152 on it.
Then I got accepted for a PhD programme in Australia, so flew SIN-BNE-MEL in 2013 on EY/QF just for the chauffeur service. Parents were suitably amused that I had a chauffeur to send me to the airport, I am a poor student after all.
In 2013 I went SYD-BKK-HND/NRT-GUM-cough-TPE-SIN-MEL just to 1) get a massage, 2) visit a friend in TPE, 3) go home to SIN for a holiday. Free hotel nights at the Conrad Bangkok, Strings by Intercontinental Tokyo and Grand Hyatt Taipei.
2014 was MEL-BKK-HKG-BKK-SIN/openjaw SIN-KUL-MNL on MH using BA Avios/MNL-BKK-MEL to meet friends in HKG and MNL. Free nights at the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui and the Fairmont Manila.
2015 went on a first/business class round-the-world trip westwards MEL-SYD-DXB/AUH-DUS-JFK-ORD-CMI-ORD-SFO-JFK-MIA-UIO-GYE-PTY-AUA-JFK-LAX-SAN-PHX-LAX-HKG-SGN-KUL-MEL, got a haircut in the EY lounge at AUH, free nights at the Fairmont on the Palm Island Dubai, Fairmont San Francisco, met friends in CMI, SFO and UIO, a free night at the Holiday Inn Aruba, met friends in SAN, a free night at the Intercontinental Times Square New York, and another free night at the Park Hyatt Saigon. Flew F on QF SYD-DXB, EY AUH-DUS, AA SFO-JFK/JFK-LAX and CX LAX-HKG. 8 separate tickets and 2 Amtrak tickets.
2016 was a 787 trip. Went back to SIN for Chinese New Year via AMS, essentially routing MEL-SYD-BKK-KIX-PVG-AMS-AUH-SIN-KUL-NRT/HND-CGK-SIN-BKK-BNE-MEL. Free nights at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai, Hilton Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, Strings by Intercontinental Tokyo and some random AMS Holiday Inn Express near the airport while checking out the red light district. Got SYD-BKK-KIX in TG F (would have preferred BKK-NRT on the A380, but they didn't have space), PVG-AMS-AUH on KLM (just to get the Delft houses and fly the KL 787-9 AMS-AUH), AUH-SIN on the EY 787-9 F, HND-CGK on the ANA 787-9 (missed the Star Wars 787 by a day, it regularly flies HND-CGK on Sundays but I was flying on Saturday to get home the day before Chinese New Year Eve!), and BKK-BNE for the TG 787-8. Flew all 3 F segments solo. 4 separate tickets.
Still have enough for one last hurrah, thinking of going MEL-SYD-BKK-NRT-TPE-HKG-CAN-DOH-AUH-CAI-AUH-NRT/HND-SIN-MEL to get the SQ A380, TG A380 and QR A380...
Then I got accepted for a PhD programme in Australia, so flew SIN-BNE-MEL in 2013 on EY/QF just for the chauffeur service. Parents were suitably amused that I had a chauffeur to send me to the airport, I am a poor student after all.
In 2013 I went SYD-BKK-HND/NRT-GUM-cough-TPE-SIN-MEL just to 1) get a massage, 2) visit a friend in TPE, 3) go home to SIN for a holiday. Free hotel nights at the Conrad Bangkok, Strings by Intercontinental Tokyo and Grand Hyatt Taipei.
2014 was MEL-BKK-HKG-BKK-SIN/openjaw SIN-KUL-MNL on MH using BA Avios/MNL-BKK-MEL to meet friends in HKG and MNL. Free nights at the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui and the Fairmont Manila.
2015 went on a first/business class round-the-world trip westwards MEL-SYD-DXB/AUH-DUS-JFK-ORD-CMI-ORD-SFO-JFK-MIA-UIO-GYE-PTY-AUA-JFK-LAX-SAN-PHX-LAX-HKG-SGN-KUL-MEL, got a haircut in the EY lounge at AUH, free nights at the Fairmont on the Palm Island Dubai, Fairmont San Francisco, met friends in CMI, SFO and UIO, a free night at the Holiday Inn Aruba, met friends in SAN, a free night at the Intercontinental Times Square New York, and another free night at the Park Hyatt Saigon. Flew F on QF SYD-DXB, EY AUH-DUS, AA SFO-JFK/JFK-LAX and CX LAX-HKG. 8 separate tickets and 2 Amtrak tickets.
2016 was a 787 trip. Went back to SIN for Chinese New Year via AMS, essentially routing MEL-SYD-BKK-KIX-PVG-AMS-AUH-SIN-KUL-NRT/HND-CGK-SIN-BKK-BNE-MEL. Free nights at the Waldorf Astoria Shanghai, Hilton Capital Gate Abu Dhabi, Strings by Intercontinental Tokyo and some random AMS Holiday Inn Express near the airport while checking out the red light district. Got SYD-BKK-KIX in TG F (would have preferred BKK-NRT on the A380, but they didn't have space), PVG-AMS-AUH on KLM (just to get the Delft houses and fly the KL 787-9 AMS-AUH), AUH-SIN on the EY 787-9 F, HND-CGK on the ANA 787-9 (missed the Star Wars 787 by a day, it regularly flies HND-CGK on Sundays but I was flying on Saturday to get home the day before Chinese New Year Eve!), and BKK-BNE for the TG 787-8. Flew all 3 F segments solo. 4 separate tickets.
Still have enough for one last hurrah, thinking of going MEL-SYD-BKK-NRT-TPE-HKG-CAN-DOH-AUH-CAI-AUH-NRT/HND-SIN-MEL to get the SQ A380, TG A380 and QR A380...
How many years are we talking?? It reads like you're pulling this stuff out in your sleep!!! <insert jealousy here> by the way Mainly because I would be at the beginning and just trying to even figure out which programs I should buy from and hoard to let alone checking award stuff and learning the ins and outs, although I think my award booking routings won't be complicated ie 2 stops max