Confession: I regularly book Standard-level awards
I like saving miles as much as the next guy, but every once in a while, I look at ticket prices for certain dates, and end up booking at the Standard level.
Case in point- SFO-NYC on Thanksgiving Sunday.
Cash tickets are $500+.
UA is 25k miles.
Last year, AUA-NYC, NYE Sunday.
Cash tickets $800.
DL was 32.5K.
Other times, traveling on major holiday weekends - standard levels on UA and DL are often very good values. AA, since the deval, is insane. That SFO-NYC on Thanksgiving Sunday is 75K for Y.
Who else often books standard awards?