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Both Flyertalk user Freed0m and Sam Chui have posted about a fantastic fare today. Round trip flights from Singapore (SIN) to Los Angeles (LAX), with a stop in Fiji (NAN) from $722. These flights provide the chance to build an epic trip without breaking the bank.

Step One to Build an Epic Trip

The deal:

  • SINNAN (10 hours) in Fiji Airlines business class each way. Long layover in Fiji. This is 2-2-2 nearly lie-flat seating with generally good reviews.
  • NANLAX (11 hours) in Fiji economy class each way. Keep in mind that any flights between Singapore and L.A. are 17 hours.  So 21 hours total, including huge rest stops in the South Pacific, isn’t bad.
  • This trip nets you 28,000 Alaska  Air miles, quite a lucrative haul for one trip.

a close-up of a plane

But if you’re based in the U.S. why would this interest you? Because it’s possible to book a once-in-a-lifetime trip for a reasonable price, if you have travel flexibility or some standard time off. Even if this is just a thought experiment for you, hopefully it sparks some ideas on future travel.

Long Layovers as Opportunities Instead of Headaches

The stop in Fiji on these fares is often 24+ hours. That means a long time hanging around…one of the most beautiful areas in the world. I mean, you could stay at the airport or sit in a stuffy hotel room, waiting miserably for your next flight. Or you could explore Fiji’s main island.

a beach with palm trees and a hill

Fiji Beach by PixaBay user KuyaAndy

It might even be possible to match the SIN – NAN segment with a NAN – LAX segment several days later (I didn’t try that yet); that means a true “2 for 1 trip” for Singapore and Fiji is possible. But even at 30 hours, that’s still plenty of time to actually relax at the beach or go sightseeing. Long layovers can be a chance to add memories instead of merely an obstacle to reaching your final destination.

Los Angeles to Singapore, Home from…Tokyo?

Let’s say you can book 2 weeks vacation this year, and 2 weeks next year; not atypical opportunities. I found the following dates for the SIN-LAX round trip.

build an epic trip SIN - LAX

Singapore to Fiji in business class; 30 hour layover in Fiji when returning to Singapore

But maybe you don’t want to visit Singapore twice (or maybe you do). While most vacations are “round trips”, you don’t have to limit yourself. What if you want to visit Tokyo too? Booking “open jaw” trips is easy; just choose “Multi City” as a booking option with Google Flights or any OTA.

Build an epic trip Open Jaw

2 weeks before Singapore – LAX trip, and 2 weeks after the return

But how are you getting from Singapore to Tokyo? What if you want to visit Hong Kong too? How does this build an epic trip? That’s where this deal gets even better.

Singapore to Tokyo Using Alaska Miles

As I mentioned, the Singapore to Los Angeles flights earn 28,000 Alaska miles. Which is just enough to book a 1-way trip in the “Asia” region on Alaska Airlines’ award chart. In business class!

a screenshot of a computer

Alaska Air Intra-Asia award chart

I was immediately able to find business class space for Japan Airlines on Alaska’s site from Singapore to Tokyo for 25K miles and $50.

a screenshot of a flight schedule

Cathay Pacific business class space may also be available: it’s not visible on Alaska’s website. You must search Oneworld partners British Airways or Qantas, or try JuicyMiles, to find availability to book. I can almost guarantee economy space is available for any day, though.

Cathay Pacific business class cabin

Cathay Pacific A330-300 business class cabin

If you find business class space (or maybe even just economy), I’d book with Cathay Pacific over Japan Airlines. That’s because Alaska allows a free stopover on any international award ticket; for Cathay Pacific, that means you are free to spend as long as you want in Hong Kong before continuing on to Tokyo! Thus, you can add another fantastic city to your trip without spending more money on flights!

Victoria Peakscape at night with water in the background

Hong Kong skyline at night by Pixabay user skeeze

For this to work, you’d either need 25K Alaska miles already (in which case the new miles are a 100% rebate), or to stay in Singapore long enough that the Alaska miles are credited to your account from the return leg (probably a few days), and then book a last minute flight to Tokyo. I searched for “close-in” flights on Alaska’s site and found plenty of JAL seats available right now. So it’s probably possible to wait, and I happen to like visiting Singapore a lot. But obviously it’s better to lock in seats early.

Build an Epic Trip Itinerary

So what do we have as our vacation, or really two vacations?

Trip one, in the fall:

  • First we visit Singapore for one or two weeks. From personal experience I recommend hopping over to Malaysia for part of the time, especially Tioman Island.
  • Then we fly business class to Fiji and explore a bit before heading home to/through LAX.

Then, trip two in the spring:

a city skyline with a ferris wheel and a body of water

Total airfare cost: $1,319. Not a “budget deal”, but definitely not high cost for 26 hours in business class, 3 major cities, and two trips to the beach!

Conclusion

It’s not impossible to build an epic trip full of unforgettable memories. It does take some flexibility and imagination, but a dream vacation is possible. Even with just a couple of weeks vacation and a limited airfare budget you can take a trip to savor forever. And it’s certainly possible with this deal from Fiji Airways.


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