Originally Posted by
HSaxa
I have some points expiring this year. I don't have any specific travel needs at the moment. What do people consider to be the best value in terms of using points? I know need is a big part of this, but curious how people view this. Thanks.
I personally like the domestic upgrades for 650 points each (BXP1). Yes, you have to upfare a bit, but it's nice to be able to confirm friends and family in C on the JFK-SFO/LAX routes even when I'm not flying without wasting a systemwide upgrade.
The latest batch I got expired 12/31/2015, but it's possible that they are up to 6/30/2016 by now. Wait until late December maybe, and get them then.
I supposed Admirals Club membership or Gold for a friend/family member might be nice too, but Gold isn't all that much better than a credit card at this point, and Admirals Club is only ~$400/year whereas an upgrade on a premium route has a high value to me (and requires only a fraction of the points).