As soon as we left the Maldives in February 2022, we knew that wouldn't be our last trip there. The Ritz-Carlton we stayed at was a brand new and stunning resort, but there are other amazing resorts in the Maldives to try, and the beauty of the ocean views everywhere was just unforgettable. So, we're going back! This time, we'll be staying at a different resort, staying an extra day or two, and combining it (hopefully) with some other amazing experiences.
Image: hilton
I have 4 main goals; try a different resort, try at least one different business or first class product, combine it with a trip to some new place, and improve the Singapore Airlines business class experience. With these goals in mind, I'm starting to form a trip plan for 2024.
For the first goal, we'll be visiting one of the Hilton resorts - either the Hilton Amangiri or the Conrad Rangali. With a trip last year getting cancelled, and a few short work trips or paid stays at Hiltons, I have enough points for 4 nights (5th free) at either. These will run you 110,000 or 120,000 points per night, respectively.
Next, I'm planning on booking Qatar Qsuites or Etihad business (or first) class to get there. We flew Emirates last time, and I'm curious to try another Middle Eastern airline, and experience the business class lounge in another airport, since the one in Dubai was amazing. There are a few ways to book Etihad, one being United. Air Canada Aeroplan is another that is pretty promising right now. Qatar can be booked through AAdvantage or British Avios.
The third and fourth goals go hand-in-hand; we're trying to go to Australia after the Maldives, and then have to use a different air carrier to return to the States. Qantas is on my bucket list, so that my be what we end up choosing. American and Delta are also options, though, depending on award availability. Booking on Qantas can be tricky for a reasonable number of miles - I will probably end up using JAL if there is availability. I'll share more about this in another post, but it's part of one of my ten commandments of points and miles - use partner award bookings for better value!
While in Australia, another bucket list event is to watch all four grand slam events (tennis), so we would have to go in January while it's going on in Melbourne. Australia is a big country, so I'm not really sure we'll have the time to explore much beyond maybe the city centers of Melbourne and Sydney. We might not even have time for Sydney.
To get to Melbourne, we'd use Singapore Airlines. We flew them back from the Maldives in 2022, and were underwhelmed after reading numerous outstanding reviews. The main points were the seat and it's conversion to a bed, and the food. Since the food was mostly my fault for not ordering a special meal ahead, I want to try the airline again and be smarter about the food. As a bonus, Singapore now flies their widebody A350 between MLE and SIN, whereas they used to used a 737. We might even change this up at the last minute and just visit Singapore instead of Australia...
To do all of this, I'm anticipating it will take 495,000-555,000 flexible points total, without accounting for any transfer bonuses. That's 140,000 per person for the Etihad first class, or 110,000 for business class, plus 92,500 per person to get to Melbourne on Singapore Airlines, and another 45,000 per person to get home, booking Qantas through JAL.