Crazy vs. Normal – Crazy Routings
I realize that I am not like a “normal” person. If I were, then I wouldn’t be a blogger, wouldn’t travel so much and wouldn’t have gotten into the points/miles game. It just isn’t important to the normies.
One of the things I have noticed among us “crazies” is the willingness to go out of our way to fly new/different products or to “maximize” awards.
My Trip Home from Hong Kong
For example, I just booked my flight home from Hong Kong. Instead of flying directly to LAX and then taking a short flight to LAS, I am flying HKG-JFK-LAX-LAS. Why, you ask?
Although this routing adds about twelve hours to my journey, it is very exciting for me. I will be flying from HKG-JFK in Cathay Pacific First Class. The flight from HKG-LAX is just over 12 hours, while the flying time to JFK is about 17 hours including a quick stop in Vancouver.
Fly for the Experience
Yes, I did schedule myself to fly across the United States just to give myself another five hours in Cathay Pacific First Class. It is that good in my opinion.
Of course there is no point in flying to New York if I have to suffer on my way back to Las Vegas. Fortunately I was able to book myself into first class on one of the new American Airlines A321T aircraft for the transcon flight back west. So I get an extra five hours in Cathay first and I get to try the best premium domestic product available. That is a win for me.
Great Deal & Saving Money
To make it clear, whether I flew directly to LAS via LAX or added on the JFK segment, my cost was going to be 67,500 miles. Normally that JFK-LAX segment is 50,000 points in first class, so getting the entire itinerary for 67,500 is a good deal in my opinion.
I also want to point out one thing that some might overlook. The specific flight I booked leaves Hong Kong at 1am, meaning I don’t need to get a hotel. Had I flown to LAX, then I would have flown out the next day at 10am, meaning it would have cost me a night in an expensive Hong Kong hotel and I would have only arrived at home about 3 hours earlier.
Conclusion
The way everything is booked now, I have a three hour layover when I land in JFK and then a one hour layover in LAX, meaning I get home the same day that I left. However it goes, it will be just another crazy experience, to cap off a trip full of them.
When you book your award flights, do you go for the most direct routing or try to add crazy stopovers or segments to try new products? If you fly with your children or spouse, do they allow you to get away with this? What is the craziest award you have ever booked? Let me know!
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