Originally Posted by
crhptic
I won't judge. In fact, I appreciate your post. It makes me feel a lot better about having burned 25K AA miles for a one-way first-class domestic ticket. (Admittely, this ticket would have cost $1263 if I bought it, but I never would have...I would have spent $125 and gone in coach!)
This is key to best/worst use of miles. Basing the use on $.01 +/- per mile doesn't make sense. I used miles to travel to Argentina in J a couple years ago, I think it worked out to $0.025 per mile. Would I ever pay cash for a J or F ticket, never. How much extra is the premium service, well I guess it depends on who I am with, how long the flight ect.
The last minute 50k domestic coach award to see a dieing family member is a far better value then the 120k J ticket to China. I am planning a cross country Amtrak trip in a deluxe private room for next summer (don't laugh) It will work about to about $.125 per mile. But would I ever shell out the cash for such a trip, no.
You can only make the case that your miles are worth $X if you would have paid $$$ to book the ticket if you wouldn't have used miles.