Our Sidestep Hustle Gets You Around High Fares to Asia

July 2024
Read Offline

How to save big with alternate strategies

Last month we looked at the Sidestep Hustle to avoid high fares to Europe. This month we look at Asia where this fancy dance step continues to deliver.

The Sidestep Hustle came about when we saw much lower fares from departure and arrival cities that were very close to other cities. For example, Miami is only 192 miles from Orlando, and yet, AND YET, an Orlando-Tokyo R/T Business Class fare costs $5,256 less than Miami-Tokyo. That’s a Boogie Wonderland of savings! Another sidestep is the airline you choose. In our examples further below, you’ll see just how much you can save by simply considering another airline.

American Airlines Miami-Tokyo in Business Class for $10,318

American Airlines Orlando-Tokyo in Business Class for $5,062

Sidestep Hustle #1 Alternate U.S. Departure City

The tables below show how much you can save by departing from a U.S. city that’s close to another on a flight to an Asian destination when fares are high. We’ve grouped them by airline alliance. For example, Oneworld fares for travel from Philadelphia to Bangkok cost $9,985, while from New York they’re $4,959. Those cities are only 97 miles apart, but departing from New York costs $5,026 less than from Philadelphia. In other words, for each and every mile that it takes to get from Philly to New York, you save $52. That’s a sparkling disco ball of value per mile.

You can pay $9,813 for travel from Dallas to Osaka or $4,587 from Austin. Since those cities are only 190 miles apart, it might be worth considering a “positioning flight.”

Oneworld

[table_opt id="6998" style="gray-header" header_rows="1" width="default" alignment="thcenter" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter" responsive="no" /]

SKYTEAM

[table_opt id="6999" style="gray-header" header_rows="1" width="default" alignment="thcenter" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter" responsive="no" /]

STAR ALLIANCE

[table_opt id="7000" style="gray-header" header_rows="1" width="default" alignment="thcenter" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter" responsive="no" /]

Sidestep Hustle #2 Alternate Airline

Here’s another way to do The Hustle. Sometimes you have to look beyond your airline or alliance to get the best fare. Many travelers, especially “elite” travelers, go to their favorite airline websites and end up missing great flight opportunities as a result. Look at the Miami-Tokyo example below. It’s the same route and yet a Sidestep Hustle from American or United to Delta saves you more than $5,060.

[table_opt id="7001" style="gray-header" header_rows="1" width="default" alignment="thcenter" heading="thcenter" rows="tdcenter" responsive="no" /]

The Sidestep Hustle is a game-changer for savvy travelers who want to avoid high fares to Asia. The examples we’ve shared here will get you to Asia at a fraction of the normal cost. So next time you’re heading to the East, dance a little Sidestep Hustle to net big savings.

[["To","Flying From","High Fare","Instead Fly From","Lower Fare","Savings","#colspan#"],["\n\nTokyo","Atlanta","$8,090","Chatanooga, TN","$4,726","$3,364","42%"],["#rowspan#","\n\nDallas","$9,804","Waco","$4,586","$5,218","53%"],["\n\nOsaka","#rowspan#","$9,813","Austin","$4,587","$5,226","53%"],["#rowspan#","\n\nMiami","$9,819","\n\nOrlando","$5,063","$4,756","48%"],["Tokyo","#rowspan#","$9,820","#rowspan#","$5,062","$4,758","48%"],["Hong Kong","\n\n\n\n\nPhiladelphia","$7,578","\n\n\n\n\nNew York","$5,542","$2,036","27%"],["Bangkok","#rowspan#","$9,985","#rowspan#","$4,959","$5,026","50%"],["Osaka","#rowspan#","$10,693","#rowspan#","$6,706","$3,987","37%"],["Tokyo","#rowspan#","$10,818","#rowspan#","$6,642","$4,176","39%"],["Taipei","\n\n\n\n\nSeattle","$5,424","\n\n\n\n\nVancouver","$3,996","$1,428","26%"],["Osaka","#rowspan#","$7,814","#rowspan#","$3,931","$3,883","50%"],["Denpasar","#rowspan#","$8,380","#rowspan#","$5,436","$2,944","35%"],["Beijing","#rowspan#","$12,156","#rowspan#","$5,596","$6,560","54%"]]
[["To","Flying From","High Fare","Instead Fly From","Lower Fare","Savings","#colspan#"],["Taipei","\n\n\nAtlanta","$9,410","\nNashville","$5,930","$3,480","37%"],["\nTokyo","#rowspan#","$8,090","#rowspan#","$4,726","$3,364","42%"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$8,090","Chattanooga","$5,770","$2,320","29%"],["Seoul","\nBoston","$7,253","New York","$5,318","$1,935","27%"],["\n\n\nTokyo","#rowspan#","$7,163","Pittsburgh","$5,355","$1,808","25%"],["#rowspan#","\nChicago","$7,818","Milwaukee","$4,754","$3,064","\n\n39%"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$7,818","Green Bay, WI","$4,754","$3,064","#rowspan#"],["\nSeoul","\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDetroit","$8,363","Toronto","$4,189","$4,174","50%"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$8,363","Chicago","$6,459","$1,904","23%"],["\n\n\n\nTokyo","#rowspan#","$6,666","St. Louis","$4,651","$2,015","30%"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$6,666","Lansing, MI","$4,754","$1,912","\n\n29%"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$6,666","Milwaukee","$4,754","$1,912","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","Philadelphia","$9,819","New York","$6,353","$3,466","35%"],["Hong Kong","Seattle","$8,764","Vancouver","$5,824","$2,940","34%"]]
[["To","Flying From","High Fare","Instead Fly From","Lower Fare","Savings","#colspan#"],["\n\n\n\n\nTokyo","Atlanta","$8,090","Nashville","$4,726","$3,364","42%"],["#rowspan#","Baltimore","$7,908","Harrisburg, PA","$5,738","$2,170","27%"],["#rowspan#","Denver","$6,930","Aspen","$5,098","$1,832","26%"],["#rowspan#","Detroit","$6,680","Dayton, OH","$4,782","$1,898","28%"],["Hong Kong","Newark","$9,142","Philadelphia","$5,288","$3,854","\n\n42%"],["\n\n\nTokyo","Philadelphia","$9,820","Harrisburg, PA","$5,738","$4,082","#rowspan#"],["#rowspan#","Phoenix","$6,820","Tucson","$5,098","$1,722","25%"],["#rowspan#","Portland","$6,655","Seattle","$4,488","$2,167","33%"],["Bangkok","\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nWashington, DC","$7,136","\n\nNewark","$5,297","$1,839","26%"],["Hanoi","#rowspan#","$10,197","#rowspan#","$5,332","$4,865","48%"],["\nHong Kong","#rowspan#","\n\n$9,598","Philadelphia","$5,288","$4,310","\n\n45%"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","Harrisburg, PA","$5,288","$4,310","#rowspan#"],["Seoul","#rowspan#","$8,972","Newark","$5,819","$3,153","35%"],["\nTaipei","#rowspan#","\n\n$9,612","\n\nPhiladelphia","$5,841","$3,771","39%"],["#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","#rowspan#","$5,693","$3,919","41%"]]
[["Route","Flying On","High Fare","Instead Fly On","Lower Fare","Savings","#colspan#"],["Dallas-Singapore","Korean, Delta","$6,880","American, JAL","$4,913","$1,967","29%"],["Houston-Seoul","ANA","$8,799","Delta","$4,675","$4,124","47%"],["Los Angeles-Jakarta","Delta","$6,657","Singapore","$4,770","$1,887","28%"],["Los Angeles-Manila","\n\nKorean","$6,918","United","$4,616","$2,302","33%"],["Los Angeles-Singapore","#rowspan#","$6,410","Cathay","$4,950","$1,460","23%"],["Miami-Seoul","United","$8,800","American, Delta","$5,320","$3,480","40%"],["Miami-Tokyo","American, United","$9,820","Delta","$4,760","$5,060","52%"],["New York-Bangkok","Korean","$7,089","Singapore","$5,300","$1,789","25%"],["San Francisco-Tokyo","\n\nDelta","$6,820","American, Asiana, JAL","$4,750","$2,070","30%"],["Washington, DC-Tokyo","#rowspan#","$8,150","American, ANA, JAL, United","$5,430","$2,720","33%"]]