The Real Deal: Round-trip economy airfare to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, plus stopovers in two other destinations within 21 days, and fuel surcharges. Choose from 42 cities in the "basic destinations" category, such as Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Phuket, and Singapore, from $1,599 per person—plus about $180 in taxes and fees.
When: Weekdays Feb. 2–May 17, Aug. 17–Dec. 7, 2010; add $500 for May 18–Aug. 16. Add $100 for Thursday–Sunday departures or returns.
Gateways: L.A., New York City, San Francisco; add $150 for Las Vegas, San Diego; $200 for Denver; $360 for Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, D.C., Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Orlando, St. Louis.
The fine print: Does not include taxes and fees of $180 per person. The pass can only be booked through a travel agent; see more info here. There is a rush fee of $100 for departures within seven to 30 days of booking. Travel must be completed within 21 days of departure. Read these guidelines before you book any Real Deal.
Book by: No deadline; based on availability.
Contact: Cathay Pacific, cathaypacific.com.
Why it's a deal: How much money the All Asia Pass will save you depends on your choice of destinations. For instance, we recently priced out a multicity itinerary on Kayak (L.A.–Taipei–Phuket–Hong Kong–L.A.) for travel in mid-March, and got a $1,999 fare (Cathay Pacific). The Asia Air Pass would cost $1,779 with all taxes for this same itinerary—a savings of $220. Sometimes the savings will be more modest, like this itinerary: NYC–Beijing–Kuala Lumpur–Hong Kong–NYC. For travel in mid-March, we found a $1,809 fare (Cathay Pacific). That's a savings of just $30. So it's a good idea to price out your itinerary and travel dates before deciding to go with the air pass.
More: Add up to two additional "basic" destinations at $300 each. Add destinations in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia, for $300 each. Add $300 to extend the pass to 30 days and $500 to extend the pass to 90 days.