Questions and Answers

I feel my questions will be a little confusing. I happened to have a very flexible month in November and will do a trip to TPE. I have United points for Star award redemption, but now I am so bombed by choices and not sure what to choose.

My ultimate purpose of the trip is to visit family in Taiwan, hence:
NYC -(late October)- TPE -(late November/early December)- NYC

But I realize I can do a stopover, and I kind of want to squeeze in TYO hopefully on my return, so that my family can join me to observe the maple leaves in Japan.

But now I realize for my outbound, there are both EVA direct flight and ANA flight to Tokyo available. But neither is shown on the return leg. Only Asiana is listed online so far.

I really want to try both EVA and ANA Business Class, so ideally I can fly each one-way, but now I don’t know which one has a higher chance of popping up maybe later along the course when time draws near. Or is it simply that late November/early December is the beginning of peak so neither would release seats?

If I really need to choose either one, which one do people prefer? EVA or ANA Business?

Also since there is a one stopover only policy for United return-trip award. I wonder if I can book an itinerary without stopover, and revise my trip to include a stopover on return flight AFTER I finish my outbound flight? I am not sure if my family would end up wanting to visit Japan. If they don’t I will just fly back. But if they do, I really wish to take advantage of this stopover policy. Can I just book BR outbound, and an OZ inbound without Stopover. And if we decide to go make the trip to Japan in the end, include that on my itinerary later on? Is it possible? Just need to pay the $100 change fee?

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on a side note, I realized there is another LH/NH choice available on the outbound for me to transit in Europe. Flying so in Business would actually be awesome to extend my time of enjoyment. But UA seems to have the fly over one ocean policy so that I will have to go transatlantic for return, and they only have Turkish or EVA A332 via VIE available. But I don’t want to do EVA A332 since it’s an older/non-flat bed products, and I have heard people got into TSA trouble after visiting Turkey this year. Is there a way I can do transatlantic for outbound and transpacific inbound? Or rule is a rule, nothing I can do about it?

Sorry for such lengthy questions. Maybe being too greedy all at once but points are also money. Don’t want to waste them.

Many thanks!
tya