Originally Posted by raven
Gary, I tried to work out the example I posted (two posts above) using the calculations on your website. I think (know) that I am making this too complicated - am I supposed to use the cost that a business class ticket would cost me or just the coach ticket for the upgrade (I think coach). More importantly, how do the 30K miles I would have to spend to upgrade work into the equation? In any case, I think that it works out that it would be a wash or that it may be worth to purchase the ticket, save the miles and earn miles but PLEASE HELP! Need to make a decision soon. Thanks.
I understand you to say that your tickets will cost $3200 plus 60K miles, or $0 and 180K miles. I am going to guestimate that you would get about about 11,000 miles round trip each ticket if you purchase the tickets with dollars, which seems in the ballpark for the 10hr 40min flight from San Francisco. So your choice is
1. Spend $3200 + (60K - 22K = 38K miles), or
2. Spend 180K miles.
180K miles less 38K miles = 148K miles net difference in your accounts after the flights. So the question is, are the 148,000 miles worth $3200? That's 2.16 cents a mile. Would you pay that amount, given how you use your miles? (I wouldn't.)
Some things I don't know about this:
1. Would the taxes and fees be higher if you spend the 180K miles?
2. Do you have to pay extra taxes and fees on an upgrade?
3. Are you guaranteed the upgrade with miles when you buy the cattle class ticket? (I would really like an lesson from experts on this one. I have never done an upgrade with miles, mainly because I have always had more miles than I need, and so refuse to pay for a business class ticket.)
4. When you upgrade with miles, do you get the miles for the flight? If so, do you get miles for cattle class or business class (1.5x)?
Also, did you price a business class ticket through a consolidator? Maybe their prices are so low, you might not want to use miles at all to get the ticket.