Green Light

In my excitement to secure my place on the Golden Eagle Festival ride next year, there were a few expenses I hadn’t considered. For example, I’ll need a lightweight sleeping bag rated for temps as low as 10 degrees (Fahrenheit). And then there’s the extra cost of travel insurance for a trip which will land me in the middle of nowhere and far from any medical facilities, halfway around the world.

So it was with equal measures of hope and anxiety that I awaited the results of an airfare search by a trip planner at 10x Travel, a resource for travel using credit card points and airline miles. My friend Elana had turned me onto them, and I’d worked my way through their free online course and frequently listened to their podcast, “The Takeoff.” Although I’d executed simple bookings like my flights for the Whistler trip on American Airlines using their AAdvantage miles, for this trip which could be made just as easily whether one flew east or west, I decided to let a professional sift through the myriad of airline transfer partners and award flight options for me and employed the 10x award booking service.

The initial options that Morgan, my award booker, found for flights to Asia were decent. As expected, the available award seats were in economy. Plain old basic economy, not premium economy. There was one possibility for flying business class, which on these international routes, especially on Middle Eastern or Asian airlines, is way better than our domestic first class. But it would cost me more than half my points, and the taxes and fees were twice as high as the cash price of a one-way ticket in economy. No thanks. Besides, since I’ll be hyped up on adrenalin on the way to Mongolia and probably quite tired and sore on the way back, if I could only afford to fly in a premium class one way I’d save it for the trip home.

The email response from Morgan later that afternoon began: “I think I found even better.” There were direct flights to and from Hong Kong (which is 4.5 hours and a couple hundred dollars away from Ulaanbaatar, the Mongolian capitol) on Cathay Pacific with seats available in business class. I could get these and still have points to spare, and the fees were less than $200. Amazing! This was so much better than I’d expected.

I immediately began navigating the hurdles between me and those seats. Thankfully, Morgan had sent me all the details and helpful instructions. The theme from Mission Impossible played in my head as I raced to secure the tickets before someone else snatched them up. First, I set up an account at Cathay Pacific. Then I verified that the fares were still available. Next, I had to transfer the necessary number of points from American Express to the airline. I’d never done this before, but to my delight the transaction was simple and easy using the Amex app on my phone. How long would it take to go through? The airline transfer partner cheat sheet on the 10x website said this transfer was typically instant. Sure enough, by the time I’d clicked on the fare, entered my personal information, and chose my seats, the points were waiting for me at checkout. I did it!

I’d booked premium seats to Asia and couldn’t wait to see what they looked like. According to the internet, on this flight the seats along the side of the plane (where I chose to sit) are single, lie-flat seats in cubicles angled toward the windows. Each has a monitor, storage space, and a side table. Incredible, and just what I’d wanted.

My approach to planning this trip has been, “Take a step forward, then wait and see.” I’ve been asking the Universe to throw up huge roadblocks if I’m not meant to go, and to make it easy and affordable if I am. This feels like a green light.

How do you approach daunting ventures?