MilesBuzz! - Flying BOS-LAS, best use of Chase UR points

Hey Y'all,

I am flying to Las Vegas from Boston in the 2nd week of August (7th-10th I believe). I have nearly 60,000 UR points with Chase which is enough to book right through Ultimate Rewards with the 20% points discount. I am wondering, however, if its more valuable to transfer the points to a partner and use them to book there. Anyone help/advice from someone with Ultimate Rewards booking experience would be great. As always, thanks so much!

Tim

Seems like I would use about 37k points for a round trip flight if I book through the Ultimate Rewards site.

Check BA's website for availability or AA's website for their milesAAver availability and call BA to book it. That would only cost you 25k UR.

awesome, I will check that out right now. thanks!

Check Southwest Airlines too. You should definitely be able to find a roundtrip fare from Logan or Manchester for way less than 37k UR points.

Couldn't find a flight for BA, but I might call them and see if they can look. AA looks like they only have the 25k award flights (each way) available that week. Southwest would cost about 27k, looking like my best option so far.

Couldn't find a flight for BA, but I might call them and see if they can look. AA looks like they only have the 25k award flights (each way) available that week. Southwest would cost about 27k, looking like my best option so far.

If you end up with Southwest, make sure to check back every few weeks on a possible price difference. You'll get any difference in points back into your account.

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Check BA's website for availability or AA's website for their milesAAver availability and call BA to book it. That would only cost you 25k UR.

The BOS-LAS-BOS roundtrip on AA would cost 25K Avios only if AA flew nonstop between BOS and LAS. Connections cost more when using Avios.

And, of course, Avios can only secure MileSAAver seats on AA, and Super Saver seats on AS.

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The BOS-LAS-BOS roundtrip on AA would cost 25K Avios only if AA flew nonstop between BOS and LAS. Connections cost more when using Avios.

And, of course, Avios can only secure MileSAAver seats on AA, and Super Saver seats on AS.

Didn't realize there wasn't a non stop between BOS and LAS, didn't even think about that. It would still be "cheaper" to use 9k Avios to get to JFK and then 25k R/T as opposed to 37k UR. Though it sounds like SWA is the lowest amount point wise.

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But spending 37K Avios for a miles-earning ticket might be smarter than spending 34K Avios for a non-mileage-earning award ticket. @:-)

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But spending 37K Avios for a miles-earning ticket might be smarter than spending 34K Avios for a non-mileage-earning award ticket. @:-)

Think you meant UR points :)

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But spending 37K Avios for a miles-earning ticket might be smarter than spending 34K Avios for a non-mileage-earning award ticket. @:-)

Possibly but I think OP would break about even. Unless OP is elite on a certain airline. I still think SWA at 27k is looking like the best option as long as you're not flying around the country all day to get there. :D

Don't you also need to factor in by using UR points you would also earn miles for the trip?

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But spending 37K Avios for a miles-earning ticket might be smarter than spending 34K Avios for a non-mileage-earning award ticket. @:-)

Think you meant UR points :)

Yes; U R correct. :)

Possibly but I think OP would break about even. Unless OP is elite on a certain airline. I still think SWA at 27k is looking like the best option as long as you're not flying around the country all day to get there. :D

Wouldn't United at 25K RT be cheaper? Availability might be tough, I guess.

Why would one spend miles on this easy route?

Just wait for a sale, which should happen between now and August and buy the ticket for $250.

Miles should be given a realistic cash value.

Availability on a *A award would be extremely easy, but I still don't see why cash isn't an option here. Just look daily for a price you like, and if it gets to mid July and nothing has appeared, redeem on UA.

I have to admit I am not that sophisticated on BA, but you could consider trying to trade (through Coupon Connection) Chase points for Amex points, as Amex has a transfer bonus to BA right now. I know there are requirements for using that forum, it might be 6 months on FT and 100 posts, and you have the former but not the latter.

Just throwing out an idea. Three weeks ago I've have been very happy to have someone offer me Chase points in return for Amex points; my situation changed, but there are always people wanting to do that for one reason or another.

I wonder why its showing on the BA website that you can redeem 12,500 avios each way from LAS to BOS when there are no flights on American, usually if there isn't I thought it just says that they or their partners do not fly that route.

I wonder why its showing on the BA website that you can redeem 12,500 avios each way from LAS to BOS when there are no flights on American, usually if there isn't I thought it just says that they or their partners do not fly that route.

Try to go all way down to the last screen and see if they actually let you book or return the error.

I think buying the ticket for 250 or even 300 is a better use of miles. You could go rt from the US to Europe for 60k United MP points that you transferred from your UR account as opposed to spending them on LAS

I think buying the ticket for 250 or even 300 is a better use of miles. You could go rt from the US to Europe for 60k United MP points that you transferred from your UR account as opposed to spending them on LAS

It's certainly a valid point, but right now the BOS-LAS RT is looking like around a $700 ticket. As a poster upthread noted, there may well be a sale between now and August that would cut that very significantly, but if it gets into July and that's the best price OP can find, buying that ticket with points would be a redemption worth around 2-3 cents per point, which isn't that bad.