Colombo is a great starting point if you want to visit Sri Lanka. And with the recent introduction of Sri Lankan Airlines into the Oneworld Alliance, you can use Avios to get to the Maldives on the cheap (it’s only 4,500 Avios each way from Colombo to Male, Maldives)

Sample Travel Date:

• November 4th – 12th

Fare Availability:

• Valid for travel on the outbound from October 26th – November 30th. Must purchase by September 2nd

How to Search for Availability:

• Use ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search and use the following search criteria:
  • Departing from: IAD
  • Outbound Advanced Routing Code: ua dxb fz
  • Destination: CMB
  • Return Advanced Routing Code: fz dxb ua
  • (Click on Advanced Routing Codes link to enable advanced routing code input)
  • Select “See calendar of lowest fares”
  • Length of stay “0-7” (This is just a sample, you can use any 7 day date range like 3-10, 7-14 etc)
  • You cannot buy tickets using ITA. To buy, follow our instructions below
• Beginner’s Guide on How to Use Matrix by ITA Software
• How to Read Airfare Rules and Use It to Your Advantage

Fare Class:

• United: K
• FlyDubai: V

Elite Qualifying Dollars:

• $750

Routing:

• IAD  – DXB (Dubai) – CMB (Colombo) – DXB – IAD. The segment between Dubai and Colombo will be operated by FlyDubai

Stopover:

• Not permitted
• How to Take Advantage of a Stopover

Global Premier Upgrade Fare (for United 1K and GS members):

• W Class
• $1,758

Mileage:

United will be revenue based mileage earning starting March 1st, 2015. Miles will be earn base on elite qualifying dollars multiple by 5 as base level earning and up to 11 for 1K level members. We will be showing the 2015 base mileage earning for all United fares going forward to show how negative the changes are for a majority of United flyers.

• 2014: 18,222 miles or 4.6 cents per mile. The segments between Washington D.C. and Dubai will earn 14,138 miles or 5.9 cents per mile with United. The segments operated by FlyDubai will be non-mileage earning.
• March 1st, 2015: 3,750 miles or a difference of 10,388 miles.

How to Book:

• Book via Hipmunk link to book with dates found on ITA Software Matrix Airfare Search.
  • On the From field, enter IAD::UA DXB FZ
  • On the To field, enter CMB::FZ DXB UA
  • It will link you to United.com to book.

Accommodations

• TripAdvisor - One of the leading hotel meta-search engines. Find the lowest hotel prices from 200+ sites.

Car Rentals

• Rental Cars - One of the world’s leading car rental agencies. Includes all the major brands like Hertz, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise etc.

Activities and Tours

• Viator – The world's largest marketplace for destination activities and tours

Background Information:

• Visa: US Citizens – Visa or Electronic Travel Authorization required prior to arrival. Other nationals, check the TIMATIC Visa Database
• Currency: Sri Lankan Rupee (LKR). $1USD = 130 LKR

Tips for saving when using credit cards at international destinations:

• No Foreign Transaction Fee Credit Cards to save on international purchases
• Don’t get hit with Dynamic Currency Conversion
• Get your taxes refunded when shopping
• How to Avoid International Data Roaming Charges

For more of the latest cheap Washington D.C. / Baltimore Flight Deals:

• Go to the The Washington D.C. / Baltimore Flight Deals page

* The Flight Deal will receive a commission if you use the accommodation, car rental, activities, or travel insurance affiliate links to make a booking or apply and is approved for a credit card using our link above. Thank you for your continuing support.

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The Flight Deal does not sell travel products or services. We provide you with information about third-party travel suppliers’ offers, and link you to their sites. The information posted by The Flight Deal is valid at the time of publication. However, we have no control over the suppliers, and we therefore do not warrant or guarantee that their offers will not change or become unavailable. Nor are we responsible for their products, services or site content. Please see their sites for their most up-to-date offer information and all applicable terms and conditions.