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265,000 award miles for $4,786.88; worth it? (to merge)

265,000 award miles for $4,786.88; worth it? (to merge)

Old Apr 3, 2017, 11:39 am
  #31  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,761
Originally Posted by pbd456
i redeemed around 350k aa miles last year to fly J. asia to doh rouns trip for 60k miles each and more. i just earn them faster than i spend and i dont get to spend much because i have too many paid J ticket.
That doesn't sound like the description of a "loser" to me.
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Old Apr 6, 2017, 8:48 am
  #32  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: A3 *G, AA exePlat, AS MVP 75k Gold, JL sapphire, UA silver
Posts: 4,026
Originally Posted by arlflyer
That doesn't sound like the description of a "loser" to me.
FT logic is that earn and burn is the only smart way to do it.. i fail obviously.
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Old Apr 6, 2017, 10:11 am
  #33  
 
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,761
Originally Posted by pbd456
FT logic is that earn and burn is the only smart way to do it.. i fail obviously.
I think that that logic breaks down when you find yourself in the enviable position of having more of a currency than you know what to do with!
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Old Apr 6, 2017, 10:26 am
  #34  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: A3 *G, AA exePlat, AS MVP 75k Gold, JL sapphire, UA silver
Posts: 4,026
i was actually making a decision of i should use either 280k (or 320k) delta skymiles or 220k aa miles (pre devaluation) to book hkg to lhr round trip for 2 in J for my parents. i ended up just sticking with delta miles on Virgin even it costed more but i value delta miles less. and my dad enjoyed the haircut ag Virgin lounge at LHR.

i still keep a stash of currencies in delta, american and united, and chase. over 2M of airmiles and will use when it makes sense. i have no problem paying with cash when.cash makes sense too. i did pay for 5 paid J oneworld explorer ticket since august 2015. the total cost for 5 tickets is a bit over 20k usd. which gives over 300k flown miles in J and earning a lot of miles in JL, AA and As by crediting segments to whichever program that make sense to achieve the best return on my money.
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Old Apr 6, 2017, 12:17 pm
  #35  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: SFO/STS
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond
Posts: 393
I would argue that AA has set the value of miles at 1.2 per the FF program 100,000 EQM and $12,000 EQD so 1.8 is WAY too high.
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Old Apr 6, 2017, 2:03 pm
  #36  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Executive Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,660
Originally Posted by Rebob
I would argue that AA has set the value of miles at 1.2 per the FF program 100,000 EQM and $12,000 EQD so 1.8 is WAY too high.
Check your math.
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Old Apr 6, 2017, 2:32 pm
  #37  
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,422
Originally Posted by Rebob
I would argue that AA has set the value of miles at 1.2 per the FF program 100,000 EQM and $12,000 EQD so 1.8 is WAY too high.
Not sure how the 2 requirements for EP status relate to value of miles

AA awards EQM based on distance travelled , which doesn't correlate to fare paid
Award miles do correlate ( for AA travel ) to amount spent

$12,000 (plus taxes ) spend would yield between 60,000 and 132,000 award miles depending on status - which rates at a price between 9.1c and 20c

Also, 100,000 miles for $12,000 - if using that - would equate to 12c per mile which is much higher than the 1.8c purchase price

This is also flawed, imo, since these miles are just a rebate in relation to the actual purchase, which is a flight

I have found mileage purchases to be great deals where I have been able to purchase business / 1st class flights at a discount to what I would have spent if had not purchased miles. I just would only buy them if there is a specific journey wanting to be purchased and there is availability to book.

There is too much risk otherwise of having miles and then not being able to redeem when needed
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Old Apr 6, 2017, 5:09 pm
  #38  
 
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: SFO/STS
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond
Posts: 393
Originally Posted by apeortdz
Check your math.
Yep, screwed the pooch on that one.
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Old Apr 6, 2017, 5:16 pm
  #39  
 
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: A3 *G, AA exePlat, AS MVP 75k Gold, JL sapphire, UA silver
Posts: 4,026
If one flies mostly on paid premium fares on partner,
it is not hard to get 100K eqm for less than 5000USD,
and earn maybe 140K miles.
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Old Apr 6, 2017, 10:31 pm
  #40  
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Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: Victoria, B.C.
Programs: Hyatt Globalist, AA Gold LT
Posts: 1,934
Short answer OP Nope!

Originally Posted by badkneeski
For $3000 you can get a paid business ticket from ORD to LHR (mid-week in October as an example). That business ticket would cost you more than 200,000 miles for an anytime award. Or 115,000 if you manage to scrap together a saver award (good luck with that).

If you pay for the ticket you will get EQDs, EQMs with a class of service multiplier and anywhere from 15,000 to 30,000 RDMs.

I would echo what others say, if you find a saver award you are close to and need the miles maybe not a bad idea - but compare it to the cash price of the ticket plus the other potential benefits like qualifying for status and redeemable miles.
Agree

Originally Posted by ijgordon
Well 220k gets you a CX F ticket to Southeast Asia and those aren't all that difficult to find. Great deal compared to the $15-25k+ it probably costs in cash, but do you really want/need to spend $4500+ on that ticket? That's harder to answer.
Really - searched the entire year from a couple of cities, and I could not find a single flight that had two CX F award space.
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