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Hong Kong Airlines Will Honor ~$600 Business Flights to Asia

Aug. 17, 2018
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3 min read
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Hong Kong Airlines Will Honor ~$600 Business Flights to Asia
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US newcomer Hong Kong Airlines took our community by storm yesterday with its outrageously cheap business-class tickets to Asia. For much of the day, you could book a round-trip flight in a lie-flat seat between the West Coast and Asia for less than $600. And many of us did.

While we of course hoped that the airline would honor the super-cheap tickets, there's never a guarantee — years ago, "mistake fares" had a much better chance of being honored, but recently that's been less often the case, with numerous carriers canceling tickets priced in error.

Fortunately, Hong Kong Airlines has made the right call here, and will honor any bookings that have been issued a ticket number — if your ticket was held but not issued, you'll need to contact the carrier at 855-393-3880 to see if your hold will be honored. (Be warned — I waited 45 minutes just to get an agent on the line.)

Hong Kong Airlines flies brand-new Airbus A350-900s on its routes to the US, including staggered lie-flat seats in business class:

Photo courtesy of Hong Kong Airlines.

While yesterday's flights were priced starting at $561, you'll normally need to pay $3,000 and up for business travel on the same routes, which included Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) to Shanghai (PVG), Bangkok (BKK), Ho Chi Minh City (SGN) and Bali (DPS).

I may be completely off-base here, but given how long the flights were available to book, and how quickly the airline confirmed that they'll be honored, I suspect that this may have been an "unadvertised sale" instead of a mistake fare. In other words, with a need to sell seats and market its new flight, the airline let business-class tickets go for a fraction of the price, knowing that it would drum up quite a bit of buzz. If that is indeed the case, clearly the stunt was a success.

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Of course the airline representative I spoke to wasn't willing to provide any hints — he more or less stuck to a script, saying “As long as the ticket has been issued it will be honored. That is all that I can say.” The agent did confirm that he received a memo concerning the discounted fare, though, which reinforced that issued tickets would be honored.

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Why We Chose It

There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)

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  • 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
  • Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
  • Solid welcome bonus

Cons

  • Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
  • Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
  • You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
  • Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
  • Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
  • $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
  • $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
  • $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
  • $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
  • Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
  • No Foreign Transaction Fees.
  • Annual Fee is $325.
  • Terms Apply.