As mentioned in another blog, we had been getting our feet wet in travel hacking and reward points for years. However, traveling to Asia on points – and business class at that – was our “aha” moment!
We were able to use United’s “excursionist” perk to fly from Detroit to Bangkok, Bangkok to Chiang Mai, then Bangkok back to Detroit on a round-trip multi-city ticket. The free flight was business class from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on Thai Airways, which is a member of the Star Alliance and can be booked through United.
The United excursionist perk allows members to get one free one way ticket when purchasing a multi city trip with points. You can read more about this perk here on Forbes.com.
We started the trip flying from Detroit to Chicago and having a layover at O’hare – which was perfect because that gave us access to the United Polaris Lounge! The Polaris lounges are some of the nicest airport lounges in the world. You can only access these lounges if flying international long-haul business or first class on United or a Star Alliance partner. You cannot buy a day pass or get in with a credit card.
There are currently 6 Polaris lounges at the following US airports:
- Chicago-O’Hare.
- Houston Intercontinental.
- Los Angeles.
- New York-Newark.
- San Francisco.
- Washington-Dulles.
The Polaris lounges offer dining through a hot and cold buffet, and some even have an onsite sit-down restaurant included. They offer drinks like wine, spirits, craft beer and cocktails, and there is ample seating and areas to relax. There are also showers and quiet suites with daybeds.
Our flight from Chicago to Frankfurt was on United in the Polaris class, which features pods and lay-flat seats. From Frankfurt to Bangkok we were on Thai Airways Royal Silk which also had the pods with lay-flat seats.
The United Polaris product was great. Each seat featured Saks Fifth Avenue bedding, and a food menu with multiple options. The amenity kit featured Cowshed products, which I love, but has since moved over to Sunday Riley products instead – which are also amazing. We opted for the beef and shrimp. The wine and drink service was lovely.
On Thai Airways Royal Silk business class we received the same type of seats and service. My only complaint is that the cabin was awfully hot, which made sleeping more difficult overnight.
Flying business class on a long haul flight is a true luxury and leaves you spoiled for future air travel. We’ve still flown long haul economy since then and survived though! The best way to fly business is to use credit card points, or find a last minute deal. I highly recommend earning Chase Ultimate Rewards, via the Chase Sapphire or Ink cards, and American Express Membership Rewards. Both of these types of credit card points are considered flexible currencies – meaning, you aren’t tied to any one hotel or airline. You can transfer points to airline partners that fit the needs of your trip. There is a wealth of points and miles blogs and podcasts out there with endless amounts of information on how to “travel hack” your way to luxury travel. My favorite site is 10x travel, I highly recommend checking them out to learn all the tips and tricks! If flying in business class is on your “bucket list”, anyone can make it happen!
