Massive mileage balances
Nov 21, 2014, 8:34 am
#16
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: Delta skymiles DM + 1MM
Posts: 8,144
I am over a million but I have not immediate intention to burn them yet.
Having a large bank of balance helped giving me the flexibility. Dec 2013 my uncle was on his last hours and I was able to get BE to HKG for DW and I next flight out at 240k SM each vs $12k+. If I did not have the SM balance that trip might not have been possible.
This massive balance also enable me to help getting people to work for worth while, life and community transformation causes overseas.
Having a large bank of balance helped giving me the flexibility. Dec 2013 my uncle was on his last hours and I was able to get BE to HKG for DW and I next flight out at 240k SM each vs $12k+. If I did not have the SM balance that trip might not have been possible.
This massive balance also enable me to help getting people to work for worth while, life and community transformation causes overseas.
Nov 21, 2014, 9:22 am
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: DUS
Programs: DL, HHonors, Bonvoy, Hyatt
Posts: 2,072
Nov 21, 2014, 10:56 am
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: DUS
Programs: DL, HHonors, Bonvoy, Hyatt
Posts: 2,072
I never think about using miles to upgrade, but it may still be a good value after this round of changes. Unlikely that I'll ever be willing to pay for an M fare though.
Nov 21, 2014, 1:09 pm
#20
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Earth. Residency:HKG formerly:YYZ
Programs: CX, DL, Nexus/GE, APEC
Posts: 10,684
One of the reason for my account's growth since the merger was not being able to use them to upgrade to WBC(NW) on TPAC flights.
Nov 21, 2014, 2:22 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: US-Europe
Programs: DL DM Charter/2.5MM, AA EXP, Marriott AMB, LT Titanium, HH Diamond, Avis PP, National Exec-E
Posts: 529
It seems to ebb and flow every few years, it grows to over a million and then falls to 700-800K and then builds again. With family issues this year, we burned about 500K, so time to build again.
Nov 21, 2014, 6:05 pm
#22
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: Marriott Titanium, , Delta 2MM & DM UA Gold
Posts: 299
With a family of five and trips take 200000 each, having the million plus miles right now is a nice cusion. If I stopped flying. With my 2 family trips a year, I have 3 years when I stop massive flying
Nov 23, 2014, 7:35 am
#23
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: AADULtArer
Posts: 5,659
I agree. I never did understand the logic of burning miles just because one is afraid they might be less valuable in the future. Holding my miles and using them when I really need them, like for BE international flights to board cruises, has worked well for DW and me. We've always been able to find fairly reasonable award tickets with a little work.
1M miles at 1cpm is 10,000 USD. Investing this in the market over 3 years will return more in cash than the devalued miles 3 years down the road, and cash will buy you a lot more travel than miles, anytime.
In the last three, buying the SP500 would have made your 10000 about 18000 USD.
Nov 23, 2014, 10:10 pm
#24
Join Date: Mar 2010
Programs: DL PM, Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 8,414
If you are accumulating them on OPM, fine. If you are MR or, even worse, paying cash for them, its incredibly stupid.
1M miles at 1cpm is 10,000 USD. Investing this in the market over 3 years will return more in cash than the devalued miles 3 years down the road, and cash will buy you a lot more travel than miles, anytime.
In the last three, buying the SP500 would have made your 10000 about 18000 USD.
1M miles at 1cpm is 10,000 USD. Investing this in the market over 3 years will return more in cash than the devalued miles 3 years down the road, and cash will buy you a lot more travel than miles, anytime.
In the last three, buying the SP500 would have made your 10000 about 18000 USD.
Nov 24, 2014, 12:50 am
#26
Suspended
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: HKG
Programs: DL FO, UA, AA, AsiaMiles, SPG, HHonors
Posts: 7,982
I don't know if 1.1 million is a massive balance but that's what I had before I started burning due to the devaluations and my suspicion of more to come. I'm down to about 450k and want to try to burn a them all within 2015.
Nov 24, 2014, 10:36 am
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: DUS
Programs: DL, HHonors, Bonvoy, Hyatt
Posts: 2,072
Nov 24, 2014, 11:17 am
#30
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Miramar, FL
Programs: DL Charter DM/3.4 MM, DLAmex Plat, PC Plat, MR Gold, HH Diamond, National Exec Elite, Hertz Gold 5*
Posts: 263
I am back over 1,000,000 after blowing a bunch a few years ago when the Amex $100 gift cards were only 11K pesos and Ruth Chris $250 gift cards were 25K pesos.
Most of what I have blown in the last couple years were on the Sky Marketplace.
Most of what I have blown in the last couple years were on the Sky Marketplace.