MilesBuzz! - Should I redeem miles for Eastern Europe trip

I am thinking about going from DEN to BUD and from PRG to DEN. It will be 50,000 miles if I use my mileage plus from UA. Or I can pay $803.76 (checked with Expedia).

Which option would be the best value?

I'd appreciate any advice!

It depends on what value you place on your miles. Based on the expedia price, you are getting 1.6cpm value, which is the minimum rate at which I would purchase an award ticket. If you value at a higher rate (2cpm is a common threshold), then it would hold that you should only use miles if the ticket is $1000 or more.

That said, you should also consider your ability/ willingness to pay $804 today and what the next best use of your miles is -- specifically, if you are planning to use the miles for a ticket in the future, are you confident that you can get an exchange rate greater than 1.6cpm.

Also, you might consider what the EQMs earned on the flights do for you from a status persepctive. Assuming that you are on direct flights to/ from Europe, you're looking at ~11K status miles -- nearly halfway to Premier status on UA. With very little planning, you could easily have status this year (assuming that you don't already).

Also, consider the flexibility -- ticketing changes to award reservations are generally cheaper than those made to revenue tickets, I think (but could be wrong, I actually only have experience changing both on NW, not UA).

But long story short, I personally would not use miles on this ticket.

you could also use UA miles to travel on LH

and if you have 80K miles, business class gets you a lot more value for your miles. id strongly recommend LH if you go business. also make sure the flight isn't operated by UA :D

I agree that business class is a lot more bang for the miles.

Also, with an award ticket you can make at least one stopover (should you be so inclined) which can be worth a lot.

On the other hand, the EQM is very tempting. Perhaps you can get a routing that gets you even more miles and segments? for example, could you go to SF or LA and then to Europe (or New York or DFW) and then to your destination?

It will be 50,000 miles if I use my mileage plus from UA. Or I can pay $803.76



Seems ok to me. This works out to $400 for a 25,000 mile award.
Now if you were saving a 25,000 mile award for last minute emergency travel, I wouldn't cash in. But if you have the miles, then I think it's ok.

I agree with the above poster who suggested you fly another carrier trans-atlantic. I would suggest SQ (Singapore) JFK/FRA. Hopefully you have enough to fly in C (business/Raffles class).

well, LH flies the exact itin he wanted with 1 stop each way, same as UA

I know I shouldn't ask this kind of question. But I wonder if this is just a discount after holidays and the price will go up. Right now going from DEN to BUD on May 5 and from PRG to DEN on May 20 is about $803 - 805 on Expedia. I'd checked other sites and they are all more than this.

Thanks

for me, basing it on the OPs post, I would spend the 50k miles on this flight. I figure if a 25k flight is under $300 I will generally pay for it instead of cashing in, with rare execption. If a 50k flight is like under $550, I will pay instead of cashing in. Basing it on that, I'd cash in. It does depend on what other miles you have or intend to try to use in the future, but hey, $800 is $800. Use it for the livestock you must buy in order to get your own good food! hehehehe

:)MM

I know I shouldn't ask this kind of question. But I wonder if this is just a discount after holidays and the price will go up. Right now going from DEN to BUD on May 5 and from PRG to DEN on May 20 is about $803 - 805 on Expedia. I'd checked other sites and they are all more than this.

Thanks

How are you getting from BUD to PRG? I know that Zwickau, DE to PRG is a short and cheap train trip, so I would check if FRA to PRG is the same. If that works you can include FRA/DRS as possible RT routing with train connections to PRG and BUD.

May flights are shoulder season (and your late May is likely high season) and don't get down to the same discount rates you can find for Jan/Feb/Mar. That price probably isn't going to drop much more, though if you watch you might find a good sale to FRA (though very unlikely for May) that would be worth the hassle. I just checked r/t to LGW and then using EasyJet for BUD/PRG to see what the price would be and didn't get below what you already had.

FRA is on the wrong side of Germany to get to PRG via train -- you're looking at 7-8 hours to do that trip.

Miles vs. $$$: I'd redeem if you don't want the status miles for anything, aren't saving for a business class ticket or other destination, or don't have the $800 to spend. The value isn't bad, versus using those same number of miles right now to do a trip that would cost $350. Ultimately, you have to decide what you want. (I usually end up redeeming miles for companions and pay for my ticket to earn more EQM and RDM.)

FRA is on the wrong side of Germany to get to PRG via train -- you're looking at 7-8 hours to do that trip.


You're right - I meant to write MUC!

You're right - I meant to write MUC!
That's a little better, but there just aren't fast trains to PRG. If you ever want to see what train options are available anywhere in Europe, you can look here (http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/d). Sometimes it can give you a price, but usually just schedules if either city is outside Germany. Berlin is actually a much better option for train (4-5 hours instead of 6-8).

That's a little better, but there just aren't fast trains to PRG. If you ever want to see what train options are available anywhere in Europe, you can look here (http://reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query.exe/d). Sometimes it can give you a price, but usually just schedules if either city is outside Germany. Berlin is actually a much better option for train (4-5 hours instead of 6-8).

I was told by people in our Zwickau office that a direct train to PRG is a 2-3 ride. I'm surprised that MUC is that much longer. If it weren't for the insurance headaches, renting a car and driving would be so much easier, especially on the German side.

well, the real evaluation is:

Pay $804 and earn about 5500 miles each way (roughly 11,000 altogether--assuming no elite miles, etc.)

or

Use 50,000 miles, and still pay about $200+ in taxes and fees (not sure of exact amount).

Therefore, for about $600.00 more, you earn/save 60,000 miles. Put differently, you "use" 60,000 miles (50,000 you burn, and 11, 000 you don't earn) to save the $600. About $.01 a mile.

Not a very good use of miles for me, but YMMV. I don't know your financial situation.

I was told by people in our Zwickau office that a direct train to PRG is a 2-3 ride.

This past summer I took the train from Nuremberg to Prague. The first portion of the trip was on a german train, nice and fast and comfortable. When I had to change near the border, I got on a Czech train and the trip slowed down big time. Its nearly 1.5hrs from Pilzen to Prague, and that is all within the Czech Republic.. No way its 2-3 hrs from anywhere in Germany to Prague.. More like the 5 to 6 hrs from Berlin, 6-7 Hrs from Munich.. its a long trip.. a nice trip for sure, but not 2 - 3 hrs..

Still better than my Bulgarian/Serbian train nightmare!!

This past summer I took the train from Nuremberg to Prague. The first portion of the trip was on a german train, nice and fast and comfortable. When I had to change near the border, I got on a Czech train and the trip slowed down big time. Its nearly 1.5hrs from Pilzen to Prague, and that is all within the Czech Republic.. No way its 2-3 hrs from anywhere in Germany to Prague.. More like the 5 to 6 hrs from Berlin, 6-7 Hrs from Munich.. its a long trip.. a nice trip for sure, but not 2 - 3 hrs..

Still better than my Bulgarian/Serbian train nightmare!!

It's been 3 years since I did it, but I took an overnight train from Frankfurt to Prague. I was in a couchette (by myself). It was just the one train with a stop at the border for the Czech Customs to inspect my visa (I'm Canadian) and stamp my passport. I think it was about 6 hours or so.

This past summer I took the train from Nuremberg to Prague. The first portion of the trip was on a german train, nice and fast and comfortable. When I had to change near the border, I got on a Czech train and the trip slowed down big time. Its nearly 1.5hrs from Pilzen to Prague, and that is all within the Czech Republic.. No way its 2-3 hrs from anywhere in Germany to Prague.. More like the 5 to 6 hrs from Berlin, 6-7 Hrs from Munich.. its a long trip.. a nice trip for sure, but not 2 - 3 hrs..

Still better than my Bulgarian/Serbian train nightmare!!

Take a look at a map and you'll see that Zwickau and Dresden are close to the Czech border. Dresden is between Berlin and Prague and much closer to Prague than it is to Berlin. Also, no need to change trains.