rty

I plan a trip to Seattle in September. I can use 90000 American miles for a first class ticket or buy a ticket for $ 2,500. Which is the better deal?

LondonElite

It really depends on how much YOU value each currency. If you are cash-poor but miles rich the answer is different than if you have a lot of disposable income but no inclination to faff with miles.

nux

$2,500 / 90,000 = $0.028.

Do you value 1 AAdvantage mile under 2.8c each? If so the miles are better value.

rty

I don't understand value of mile under 2.8cents?

Gardyloo

Many frequent flyers treat miles as a form of currency, and we set personal "rules of thumb" in deciding what they're "worth." For many people, a figure of around 2 - 2.5c in equivalent value is a benchmark. In other words, if a ticket requiring, say, 100,000 miles as an award would cost more than $2000 - $2500 to purchase, we'll say it's a good use of miles. So many of us would say that 90,000 miles for a $2500 ticket is a decent deal, with the miles having a value of almost 3c each.

HOWEVER, I don't know where the $2500 figure for a purchased ticket is coming from. Throughout September round-trips in first class between NYC and Seattle can be purchased for $990 - $1300, using American, Alaska, Delta or United, leaving from JFK or Newark. So I would be very reluctant to spend 90,000 miles on a ticket where the "value" might end up being 1-1.5c rather than 2.5c or more. And remember, you'll earn miles by buying the ticket.

rty

Gardyloo : I was looking at non stop flights between jfk and Seattle. I now am looking at one stop flights and we like to travel mid day. Found a few flights for our travel days at prices $1200 to $1300. Based on your standards I better off buying the tickets. Thank you

Gardyloo

The problem is that due to the 3-hour time difference most nonstops depart early in the day from the west coast and late in the day from the east; it makes for better utilization of the planes.