Originally Posted by
TXbizman
Ok, let me put it another way. I have a need for a new Bose headset that costs $299. UA shop has it at 39,000 miles. Which would be a better purchase?
As Robert Dole famously said, it depends.
25k miles should get you a domestic saver ticket worth $500. But, what are your planned uses for your miles? And there is always the risk of devaluation (or never being able to find a saver award).
Even if you value the miles at 1 cent, the miles are more valuable than the cash.
OTOH, if you are short of cash, long on miles you don't see how you'll ever use, then buying the headset with miles might be a decent proposition.