Originally Posted by Counsellor

Here's my situation: I would like to redeem a Travel Package for 7 nights and 120K United Mileage Plus miles. I have a hotel in mind, currently a Cat 8, which will become a (new) Cat 5 on 1 August. I would like to stay there in late July of next year (2019) but realize I can't confirm a redemption reservation in July before the change on 1 August. I also note that the "cost" of airline miles as a part of the Travel Package will go up from 1 MR point to 1.5 MR points per mile on 1 August.

Essentially, I have two choices: Redeem a Cat 8 package before 1 August for 360K points, and attach the certificate to a reservation in June 2019. This gets me the 120K United miles, and with luck (since I will have spent 240K points on the hotel portion, a reservation that would cost only 210K points after 1 August) they'll let me move my reservation one month to the right next year without charge.

Or: Wait until late August and -- using the new redemption chart -- redeem 7 nights at the new Cat 5 rate and 120K United points (if the 10% bonus is still in effect next month, something I've been unable to confirm) for 390K points and attach the certificate to a reservation in late July 2019.

It seems to me the first option (redeem before 1 August and hope) is the better one. I'll have the miles in my account, and I hope I can move the reservation at no additional cost (or if really lucky get a voucher for the 240K points from the Cat 8 reservation that I can use against the 210K cost of the Cat 5 reservation).

As a back-up, I'd plan to find out what the new rules will be, and if they result in a substantial penalty to move the reservation (at the same property), try to rearrange my plans for next summer to stay at that hotel in June as reserved. That may be possible, but the property is in Europe, and I'm not sure how flexible I can be on the June versus July stay.

Any thoughts? Am I missing something?