Good day.
It has been a long time posting here on FT. I miss the commentary and sharing opinions with other fans of HP. However, I have come back to ask for a few final pieces of advise as I wind down my "travel career." Due to a recent cross-country move on my part, start at a new position, and other factors I will not be able to continue maintain my former amount of flying (and hence, elite status). Prior to this, I flew HP for about 60,000 miles per year (not much I know by many FTers standards', but what I consider a "fair" amount - definetly above that of the general public) and United for the balance of my buisness.
Although I've tried to spend down my account by upgrading friends, getting comp tickets, etc, due to a near-orgy of travel this summer, and lack of friends to buy tickets for, I still maintain a balance of about 100k. I continue to use HP's BofA credit card and I add about 3k miles a month to my account this way. My goal has always been to save them up to reach a first class trip to Asia on one of HP's partners (such as to Austrialia, which would rack up 400k for two). However, due to the merger I'm not sure this is in the cards.
I've easily made elite for the next year, but my EQMs will be frozen in place -- I won't be flying anymore (which is a real shame as the HP's elite status deal with SPG really got me hooked on Starwood properties)
. I'll only be earning HP miles through my credit card & partners associated with HP.
Basically, my question is, what would you do with the miles if you were me? Would you both to keep trying to accrue them without flying for that possible dream vacation in the future (need not be now - I can wait 3-5 years), or toss in the cards and cash 'em in for whatever I can get now before the kind folks @ US Air get their hooks into the Flight Fund program? Should I even bother to maintain the HP credit card?
Thanks again! It's been a pleasure.
By the way: Thanks to all of the HP employees over the years (ground [especially those at PHX & SLC], phone & in-flight) who made my travel much more enjoyable. Of course, I'll never know if I actually met any of you on my travels, but I wanted to say thanks anyway.