Honeymoon back from JRO (Kilimanjaro)

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superdrew

Level 2 Member
I'm trying to get some business class tickets for a friend for their honeymoon (2 seats).

I've got the routing there good for going(United business, 80k each DTW-IAD-ADD-ZNB)

They need to get from ZNB-JRO on August 13th, and fly home on August 21st (after 5pm or) the 22nd.

Any recommendations for the coolest way to get at least Business on the return? I read something about Japan Airlines awards on Emirates, but don't quite understand it...

I have 160,000 United miles (39k in my wifes account as well)
150k ultimate rewards
200k American miles
95k avios
100k Ethiad (thanks to an Amex Financial Review I transferred them out just in case)
100k starwood points

Any recommendations for the trip home?
 
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dukerau

Level 2 Member
Yes, JAL miles can be used on Emirates. But the route you need would most likely be in the 8,000-10,000 flown miles tier, which costs 65k for business class. So even if you send all your SPG points to JAL, you'd be 5k short. I don't think JAL allows purchasing miles, even for topping up. Even so, Emirates/Etihad have their reputation based on first class. From my understanding their business class isn't worth seeking it (though it's by no means bad). Here's JAL's partner award chart for reference: http://www.ar.jal.com/ar/en/jalmile/use/partner_air/p_jmb/jmb_mile_ar.html.

I will note that you may need to book their flights back from either NBO or JNB as JRO isn't served by many airlines that are part of an alliance.

Here are some ideas for which you either have the miles for or are close:
80k UA for:
  • JNB-GRU-EWR-DTW (SAA to GRU then United)
  • JNB-JFK-xxx-DTW (SAA to JFK then United. Unfortunately United doesn't fly JFK-DTW and no one in their right mind wants to do a JFK-EWR connection, so you'd need to add a leg via ORD, YYZ, etc to make this happen)
  • JNB-FRA-DTW (Lufthansa) - this is available on 8/22 but has an extra stop on LAD (JNB-LAD-FRA-DTW)
  • JRO-ADD-EWR-DTW (Ethiopian) - this is available on 8/22
  • JRO-ADD-FRA-ORD-DTW (Ethiopian to FRA, then United) - this is available on 8/22. Also could do 85k UA to get F on the UA flights (still J on the ET flights)
  • JRO-ADD-IST-ORD-DTW (Ethiopian to ADD, then TK to ORD, then UA domestic)
62.5k AS (transfer 100k SPG to 125k AS to cover 2 pax) for:
  • JNB-HKG-ORD-DTW (CX to ORD, last leg on AA; could route through LAX or NYC instead of ORD, or several other options if willing to use a positioning flight to get back to DTW; AS permits a stopover on one-way awards, so they could stay in HKG for a few days, well as long as they want really; JNB-HKG has availability in J on 8/22 but the only thing I see for HKG to the US is 1 seat in F to JFK on both 8/23 and 8/25. F is only 7.5k more AS miles, so definitely worth paying for those miles to get it, but you'd need two seats obviously. Oh, and CX doesn't have F on JNB-HKG so J is best case scenario on that flight)
75k AA for:
  • JNB-MAD-ORD-DTW (Iberia to ORD then AA domestic) - JNB-MAD is only flown 3x weekly, so would have to depart 8/23
  • JRO-DOH-ORD-DTW (Qatar to ORD then AA domestic)
 
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