Hi all,

I have just over 30,000 UA miles that I would like to use up. I'm swapping to an alternative FF programme because it really doesn't make sense for me to earn UA miles any more. So, I'm looking for the best way to 'spend' my miles.

I will be going on holiday to the US at the end of September, so it seems sensible to use miles on hotels or car rental. However, I have a couple of questions that I am struggling to find the answers to.

1. If I book a car through unitedairlines.co.uk, does it include insurance? Pretty much all car rentals for the USA booked through the UK version of a rental company's site include the basic insurance, but I can't work out whether the bookings through United do. All it says is unlimited mileage and:

"Mileage price includes room nights and/or rental days plus applicable taxes, fees, and surcharges. Additional taxes, fees, and surcharges may apply."

2. If you were looking for the most 'bang for your buck' what would you do? We're visiting Texas, so my other theory was to splash out on a night in a really nice hotel - the St Regis Houston is just over 29,000 points for a night, for example.

Any suggestions for what else to do with my miles would be appreciated.