What's a US-based member to do with 52,000 expiring miles???
 

As a US-based Skywards member, what am I to do with 52,000 expiring miles?

It looks like the only flight I can make is IAD/JFK-DKR, but I'm not DC or NYC based and West Africa just isn't calling my name right now. Skywards phone reps encouraged me to buy a bunch of raffle tickets or some chocolate from the EK High Street rip-off shop. BTW, a few years ago I bought an international power plug adapter from the High Street--again due to expiring miles. Shipping cost more than the purchase price and the thing broke after a few uses.

Is there any hope for Skywards to have ANY real value for this US-based flyer? If I book a partner award for the future, will I be able to change the dates? If so, I'd really appreciate a tip on decent value redemptions hiding in the award charts.

No ideas???

It would help if you stated where you lived, or which airports you routinely fly out of.

I am confused, however, by you statement:

"It looks like the only flight I can make is IAD/JFK-DKR"

The redemptions for JFK-DKR is 82,500 miles for a one-way award and 90,250 miles for a return saver award. How are you using 52,000 miles to book any JFK-DKR itinerary?

I'm willing to make a domestic staging flight in the US or Canada, but based on the EK award chart, it won't be possible to use these miles for any award (other than perhaps an upgrade) unless I cross an ocean first. The US-DKR award I mentioned is 40,000 round trip on partner South African. Perhaps that's my only option?

Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, you could always buy 25,000 EK miles via their website to top up as necessary for a redemption you can actually use, that is assuming it makes financial sense to do so.

Your most bang for your mile-buck is to use your miles for upgrades, and with purchasing miles you can upgrade a USA-DXB leg from Y to J or J to F.

When do your miles expire? With Alaska Airlines redemptions coming online by the end of the year, and perhaps Jet Blue as well, you could have more options there.