I don't usually post items like this, so I don't know that this is the correct forum to post it in. The trip is tomorrow morning so it should be a short lived thread either way.

Here is my dilema.

I am Plat with NWA and have a large amount of banked miles.

My mentor invited me to a conference in GSO this weekend about a week ago (two weeks prior to the conference). I invited a friend to travel with me and told him that I had miles and would cover the trip. He could not afford to go on his own, so either route I will cover the expenses.

I will be using my last Marriott BB that expires on 10/10 since we will be checking out on 10/9 so the hotel will stay the same.

The only available flights with NW miles were 10/7 dfw-dtw-gso in standard W availability with the return after the conference on the 9th in Standard First Class on DL GS0-ATL-DFW. For a total of 70,000 miles and $20 in taxes.

My mentor and his wife got booked on Direct flights DFW-GSO and GSO-DFW with AA.

Last night site59.com put the same exact flights on AA with a rental car for I think $670 ish for the two of us. I can use a $25 off coupon on site 59 so cash out of pocket would be $645 if I go this route.

In addition to the cash out of pocket I could redeposit my 70 K nw miles, get a refund on the taxes of $20 and not have to rent my car $80. So I would already be spending $100 of the $645.

So the real question: Is it a better deal to spend 70 K miles and fly 3 of the 4 segment (possibly all 4) in F with connections and then spend $100 on taxes and a rental car OR spend the $645 on AA fly with my mentor and his wife (we are taking them to the airport anyway since both flights leave within an hour of each other) on the same flights (but probably not seated together at this point in time)?

I am looking for the answer both in what is the best financial decision as well as the easiest travel decision.


My math would equate 70K miles to only be worth .0077 cents per mile if they could be "replaced" for $545. So I would tend to think from a purely economic standpoint I would be stupid not to fly AA (where I can earn miles on the trip also) and save my NWA miles for another trip. I rarely ever earn the miles for less than .01 so spending them at less probably does not make good economic sense.

I have to decide very very soon so any feedback would be appreciated.

I will check here, my pm and e-mail frequently today. Thanks for the advice.