Originally Posted by
farwest101
Frankly, with the ease of earning miles, I don't understand why people settle for back of the bus.
Because on many airlines, the front of the bus isn't worth it.
I use a lot of my Avios on U.S./Canada transborder flights. Front of the bus would be an utter waste of points on the RJ's that usually fly these routes.
To date, I've used the rest of my Avios on EI trips through DUB. Those are nice in J (they have no F), but tolerable in Y, and frankly I'd rather be able to bring more people with me than fewer in a so-so J cabin. (Admittedly, award inventory plays into this: my experience getting multiple blocks of 5 Y awards together has been quite good on EI, whereas J awards appear to be quiet scarce in that kind of quantity.)
With my United miles (and my US before than switched alliances), where I can redeem *most* of the Star Alliance without YQ, yes, I shoot for J or F long-haul awards. On those trips, I'm usually only looking for 2 seats together so it's a bit easier.