Let's say you have an upcoming long haul trip (as we do to Bali) to an exotic location. Let's say it's for a special occasion: a birthday, anniversary, honeymoon, etc...You have saved your hard earned points/miles, maybe signed up for a credit card bonus or two, and successfully redeemed your miles/points for some great flights. Here are a few tips to maximize your journey:
- Get partner airline record locator numbers
When booking an award with multiple alliance partners, you'll typically receive a confirmation number for the airline with whom you booked the ticket. So for our upcoming flight to Bali, we booked through United yet out flying on United, Asiana, and Thai. The United confirmation number is key to selecting seats/meals/making adjustments to the United portion but I don't really care about that since it's a simple three hour flight to NYC.
What I do care about (at least for purposes of this post) is the next 23 hours of flying in Asiana and Thai premium cabins. To get the confirmation numbers, simply call up United and ask for them. Write them down as you will need them later! You can also email customer service of the airline you are flying on (i.e. Asiana, Thai) and provide your name, flight number, and date and they should be able to respond back with their confirmation number. I have done this successfully with Thai many times. They have a reservations office in LA and usually respond back within 12 hours.
- Select seats
Making sure you have the "right" seat can make a big difference when sitting on a plane for 15 hours. The first step is to check out Seatguru to ensure you have an idea on the configuration of the plane you'll be flying.
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| Asiana 777 Configuration with First Class |
Once you know where you want to sit, you can email/call the airline you'll be flying on to request seats. I like to email because it's faster for me and also because I get written record of where I've been seated which I can print and bring with me to the airport. If you have multiple flights you can inquire about seats for all the flights in one message/phone call.
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| My voice has been prioritized!!!! |
- Select meals
The same process (selecting seats) can be leveraged for special meals. Simply call/email the airline you'll be flying on and let them know you need a special (Gluten Free, Vegetarian, etc...) meal. There are a number of airlines that let you pre-order your meals prior to flying which is pretty fun. Singapore Airlines offers a "Book the cook" menu which I have taken advantage of in the past and all of my meals where great. For context, here's the menu for flights departing Singapore. As you can see, there really is something for everyone. Thai Airways offers a similar product although the menu is far more limited. If you have the confirmation number, it is really simple to book online and select your meal.
- Understand your lounge options
Knowing which lounges you can gain access to prior to arriving at an airport can be a huge time saver. I always add the lounge name, directions, and how to access (either with status card or boarding pass) to my printed itinerary so I know where I am going. This can make the difference between grabbing a quick (free) bite to eat between flights are showering after a long haul. Plus there are some pretty awesome lounges around the world that are worth visiting at least once! You can find out how to gain access to lounges by doing some online searching or checking out an alliance lounge finder.
- Make the most out of ground services
Beyond the standard (food, drink, showers, internet) amenities provided in premium lounges, there are "extras" to be aware of prior to flying. Emirates and Eithad offer complimentary car service for their premium cabin customers even flying on award tickets. Lufthansa offers a "ride to the plane" in addition to their dedicated First Class Terminal in Frankfurt.
Thai Airways offers a complete spa in their lounge in Bangkok. International business class passengers receive a 30 minute treatment and first class passengers receive an hour complementary treatment! Massages in Thailand are cheap but being able to get a massage before getting on a flight is unbelievably relaxing. If I hadn't done my research prior to my trip to Bangkok, I wouldn't have known about this service and I would have missed out!!
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| Thai Airways Royal Orchid Spa in Bangkok |
These tips can also be applied to economy travel for certain airlines. In some ways, it's more important to understand your seat, meal, lounge, and ground service options when traveling in economy. Hope you are able to leverage these tips prior to your next big trip and let me know if you have any questions.
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