DC-> Colombia, can I do better for my points?
Oct 28, 2014, 11:12 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2011
Posts: 8
DC-> Colombia, can I do better for my points?
Hi all,
I've racked up quite a few miles over the years (25k united, 175k chase UR), but have never redeemed them.
I'd like to head to Colombia in December, but from what I'm seeing the points don't seem that efficient, but I might be wrong (I'm brand new at redeeming).
Typical Flight Cost
From what I'm seeing for a typical open jaw flight (Dc to Bogota, Cartagena back to DC):
Copa is around $760, but there are some cheaper kayak/priceline options in the $620-$650 range.
Award Cost
Right now with United MileagePlus, it seems that my cost would be 40,000 points + $135 in fees/taxes for this flight for economy saver.
That's 1.28c per mile assuming a $650 flight (assuming no points if I went through priceline).
From what I read most people seem to value Chase UR points at 2c per mile and United at around 1.8c per mile.
Is there a better way to do this?
(Even though first class gives you more $/point, I don't really care about that and would prefer to save my points for future travel unless it would only be a small difference).
I'm also told that I might be able to use United's 2 open-jaw/1 stopover rule to add a free domestic flight, but when I've tried to book a few it simply told me no routes.
Any tips for optimizing points to Colombia?
I've racked up quite a few miles over the years (25k united, 175k chase UR), but have never redeemed them.
I'd like to head to Colombia in December, but from what I'm seeing the points don't seem that efficient, but I might be wrong (I'm brand new at redeeming).
Typical Flight Cost
From what I'm seeing for a typical open jaw flight (Dc to Bogota, Cartagena back to DC):
Copa is around $760, but there are some cheaper kayak/priceline options in the $620-$650 range.
Award Cost
Right now with United MileagePlus, it seems that my cost would be 40,000 points + $135 in fees/taxes for this flight for economy saver.
That's 1.28c per mile assuming a $650 flight (assuming no points if I went through priceline).
From what I read most people seem to value Chase UR points at 2c per mile and United at around 1.8c per mile.
Is there a better way to do this?
(Even though first class gives you more $/point, I don't really care about that and would prefer to save my points for future travel unless it would only be a small difference).
I'm also told that I might be able to use United's 2 open-jaw/1 stopover rule to add a free domestic flight, but when I've tried to book a few it simply told me no routes.
Any tips for optimizing points to Colombia?
Nov 11, 2014, 11:49 am
#2
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: Iowa City, IA
Posts: 337
The value of a point is actually whatever you value it as. There will be situations in life where you may get a poor value on paper, but in reality, it would be a great value to you due to the situation (no money, last minute ticket, etc). I try to get at least 1.5 cents a mile, and no less than 1 cent value when using miles.
That said, if you can get a ticket between $600-$650, I don't know that I would use the miles. If it was over $700 though, definitely. 1.28 per mile isn't that bad, but you can get better values. Another thing to consider is your travel behavior. Do you travel internationally a lot or moderately? If no do you want to start? If you are leaving the country on a semi-regular basis then you can probably find a better value. If not though, might as well use the miles as redeeming them for domestic travel is usually the worst.
That said, if you can get a ticket between $600-$650, I don't know that I would use the miles. If it was over $700 though, definitely. 1.28 per mile isn't that bad, but you can get better values. Another thing to consider is your travel behavior. Do you travel internationally a lot or moderately? If no do you want to start? If you are leaving the country on a semi-regular basis then you can probably find a better value. If not though, might as well use the miles as redeeming them for domestic travel is usually the worst.
Nov 11, 2014, 12:33 pm
#3
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: RNO
Posts: 362
Through British Airways (a UR transfer partner), it's 15K one way to CTG and 17.5K one way to BOG. So a slight discount of 7.5K off your proposed r/t itinerary, assuming you can find the AA award space through Miami. You could also take a paid flight to Miami and use BA Avios from there, where it's 7.5K to CTG or 10K to BOG. Cali and MDE are the same price as BOG, and BAQ is an alternative to CTG. The taxes and fees might be a smidge higher than what UA charges, but it's worth pricing out.