{"id":246706,"date":"2022-12-20T10:46:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-20T15:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/milesopedia.com\/news\/one-month-in-south-east-asia-with-points\/"},"modified":"2024-09-18T15:01:31","modified_gmt":"2024-09-18T19:01:31","slug":"one-month-in-south-east-asia-with-points","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/milesopedia.com\/en\/guide\/destination\/one-month-in-south-east-asia-with-points\/","title":{"rendered":"Southeast Asia: A month’s travel with points"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Southeast Asia<\/strong> is a great region to get the most value out of your points and travel on a budget. The countries of this region are full of beautiful landscapes and activities for all tastes. Luxury is also much more affordable, especially with reward points. I’m sharing my month-long trip to Southeast Asia<\/strong> and how I used my points for a half-luxury, half-backpack stay.<\/p>\n

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The Southeast Asian<\/strong> traveler’s route is so popular and well established that it has a nickname: the Banana Pancake Trail<\/em>. The classic itinerary is a loop that starts in Bangkok, crosses northern Thailand<\/a>, passes through Laos, travels through Vietnam<\/a> from north to south, ends in Cambodia<\/a> and then returns to Bangkok. This trip can be done entirely by bus and train, without ever taking a plane.<\/p>\n

It is also popular to start in Singapore<\/a>, cross Malaysia, visit the southern islands of Thailand and then reach Bangkok. For itineraries of several months, some also add some islands in Indonesia (Java, Bali<\/a>, Borneo) or even the Philippines<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Since I only had a month, I couldn’t cover the whole region. I limited myself to three countries and elaborated an itinerary that offers a good combination of large urban centers, historical monuments, some rural landscapes and white sandy beaches. I also opted for regional flights over buses to reduce travel time and maximize the time allocated to activities.<\/p>\n

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I chose to visit Singapore<\/strong><\/a> for a week, a modern city that has long fascinated me. I then headed to Cambodia<\/strong><\/a> for two weeks for the Angkor temples in Siem Reap<\/a>, the tranquility in Kampot and the island life on Koh Rong Samloem. During my last week, I travelled through the south and center of Vietnam<\/strong><\/a>, where I visited my partner’s family. We visited the paradise island of Phu Quoc, Da Lat (a very popular city for local tourism), and Hoi An, a small city that has retained its traditional charm.<\/p>\n

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<\/div>\n <\/div>\n\n <\/div>\n<\/article>\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>[vc_column_text]Bonus: the city of Seoul<\/a>! Thanks to a long stopover on my return flight, I visited the South Korean capital for a day.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”243232″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_rounded”]
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From Montreal, there are many flight options to Southeast Asia<\/strong>. The largest airports in the region are Singapore (SIN) and Bangkok (BKK). Ho Chi Minh (SGN), Kuala Lumpur (KUL) and Jakarta (CGK) are also air transport hubs.<\/p>\n

All these airports are served by a multitude of airlines such as Air Canada, Singapore Airlines<\/a>, Thai Airways, Qatar Airways<\/a>, Turkish Airlines, Air France-KLM<\/a>, British Airways and more. As a result, it’s fairly easy to book flights with points in three popular programs: Aeroplan<\/a>, Avios<\/a> and Flying Blue<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Personally, I chose the Aeroplan program for my outbound ticket (YUL-CDG-SIN) and the Avios program for the return (SGN-DOH-YUL). I wanted to try out two airlines with an excellent reputation: Singapore Airlines (member of Star Alliance) and Qatar Airways (member of Oneworld).<\/p>\n

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Since my Aeroplan award ticket is half on Air Canada and half with a partner, the pricing is partially dynamic. I still got a great price: 48,300 Aeroplan points and $100<\/strong> in taxes. Please note that there is an additional fee of $39 for reservations with a partner airline.<\/p>\n

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Other choices are available with stopovers in different European cities. Prices are all around 49,000 Aeroplan points + $150<\/strong> one-way economy class.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”243238″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow”][vc_column_text]Qatar Airways is also a good option to Singapore. A flat rate of 47,500 Avios points<\/strong> gives you an excellent value for your points, as Qatar Airways flights are expensive when paid in cash.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”243254″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow”][vc_column_text]Choices with Star Alliance are slightly more limited for flights to Bangkok. You may be able to take advantage of the new Vancouver-Bangkok route with Air Canada<\/a>, but you’ll need to get a head start because availabilities are going fast. Otherwise partner flights are offered with Thai Airways or EVA Air.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”243240″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow”][vc_single_image image=”243248″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow”][vc_column_text]Air France also serves Bangkok from Paris. You could book a one-way ticket Montreal-Paris-Bangkok for 53,000 Flying Blue miles<\/strong>. Since this program is a transfer partner<\/a> of an American Express Privilege Points<\/a>, it’s easy to earn points with your everyday purchases. Also keep an eye for FlyingBlue promotions<\/a> as destinations are offered at a discounted price each month![\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”243252″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow”]

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<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/article>\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>[vc_column_text]Qatar Airways<\/a> also serves most destinations inSoutheast Asia<\/strong> from Montreal. If you wish to travel in business class, flights are 95,000 or 100,000 Avios points<\/strong> depending on the destination. There is also the possibility of First Class on the Doha-Bangkok segment. Since there are limited availabilities for these premium cabin tickets<\/a> and they are very popular, you need to book almost a year in advance.[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”243246″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow”][vc_column_text]Here is a summary of Avios points for one-way fares from Montreal to Southeast Asia: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
Destination<\/td>\nEconomy<\/td>\nBusiness class<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Singapore (SIN)<\/td>\n47,500 points<\/td>\n95,000 points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bangkok (BKK)<\/td>\n47,500 points<\/td>\n95,000 points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ho Chi Minh City (SGN)<\/td>\n47,500 points<\/td>\n95,000 points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Kuala Lumpur (KUL)<\/td>\n47,500 points<\/td>\n95,000 points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Jakarta (CGK)<\/td>\n50,000 points<\/td>\n100,000 points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Bali (DPS)<\/td>\n50,000 points<\/td>\n100,000 points<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Initially, I had booked my return ticket from H\u00f4 Chi Minh to Montreal with Qatar Airways for 47,500 Avios points + $171<\/strong>. Since I changed my plans at the last minute and had to return on a specific date, there were no award tickets left with Qatar Airways. Fortunately, I was able to cancel my reservation without charge and get all my points back. I then bought a return ticket with Delta Air Lines in cash for $1,371.<\/p>\n

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Once there, it is easy to take regional flights to move from one country to another or within the same country. Several ultra-low-cost<\/em> airlines are present in Southeast Asia<\/strong>, offering tickets at extremely low prices (I’m talking $15 for a one-way ticket!). Air Asia<\/a> and Scoot<\/a> are particularly popular because of their vast choice of destinations.<\/p>\n

On my end, I saved a lot of money on my regional flights thanks to points. Singapore Airlines operates the Singapore-Siem Reap route daily. I bought this ticket from Air Canada for 8,000 Aeroplan points and $100<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”243260″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center” style=”vc_box_shadow”][vc_column_text]The distance between Phnom Penh in Cambodia and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam is only 250 km. On the other hand, the trip by bus is long (more than 7 hours) due to the state of the roads and the wait at the land border. I opted for more comfort with the short one-hour Vietnam Airlines flight between these two cities. I booked through the American Express Travel website and used my annual travel credit and privilege points.[\/vc_column_text][vc_message message_box_color=”warning” icon_fontawesome=”fas fa-exclamation-circle”]<\/p>\n

Please note: it is not possible to get a visa on arrival when crossing the Cambodia-Vietnam land border. You must apply for an electronic visa<\/a> beforehand.<\/p>\n

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My domestic flights in Vietnam were almost all with Vietnam Airlines. Although low cost<\/em> airlines offer much lower fares, I decided to pay a little more for an established airline and get a better customer service in case of problems or delays. I paid for these flights with my HSBC World EliteMD<\/sup> MastercardMD<\/sup>, then applied my HSBC Rewards points in statement credit<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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The HSBC World EliteMD<\/sup> Mastercard®<\/sup> is now discontinued. For an alternative card with no conversion fees and easy-to-use points, consider the Scotiabank Passport\u2122 Visa Infinite* Card<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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In addition, Vietnam Airlines is a member of SkyTeam<\/a>: flights can be booked with Flying Blue miles or Delta SkyMiles<\/a>. In practice, I found very little availability with Flying Blue and a little more with Delta. Domestic flights are available for 12,500 SkyMiles and $5<\/strong> in taxes.<\/p>\n

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In total, I used:<\/p>\n