Originally Posted by
pkr529
I have bought up to Chairman's the last few years in early October. This gave me upgrade certificates immediately which I then used to book flights to Europe for me and my wife in envoy class. Come March 1 of the following year, I would receive another certificate and would book another Europe vacation for us. I thought this was a great deal but alas it is going away as I assumed it would. I still will receive my last certificates in a few weeks. I do have a chance this year to get to 75,000 miles but even if I do $2499 seems too steep a payment to buy up. Any ideas or strategies? The use of miles plus cash to upgrade on AA seems a little high although I will have over 1.5 million miles after the accounts merge.
In spite of my sarcastic comment above, which was motivated by my annoyance at where a tolerance for oligopoly pricing is taking us, you may be among the few for whom the buy up still makes sense. That is, if you have the flexibility in planning your European vacation with spouse, then
Y airfare + $2500 buy-up < available J/F fares for 2 RT tickets
In addition, you will get better upgrade prospects on domestic flights, and if you are doing 75,000 miles annually, this will give you a lot of benefit. I value our annual over-the-top European vacation a fare (pun!) amount, too, so I have been thinking along similar lines since this year I can't see my way to CP again BIS.
If, on the other hand, you are someone with a tight schedule for whom finding +1 Envoy upgrades at the right dates is an unlikely prospect, then I think you have to prepare to burn miles churn credit cards or start paying (a lot) more cash.