Originally Posted by JGR01

EARNING miles (for tier status or future travel) should be your mantra.

While you have already experienced the wonders of the P seat on 777 on a domestic portion (and liked J as well as I recall the posting) why waste the miles for an award seat on a flight where you SHOULD NOT be sleeping. The day-light flight ORD-LHR is not a sleeping flight. You will get a nice lunch (after a basic Danish and Champagne breakfast in the FL in ORD) and a nice snack . but then arrive London in the evening and go to the hotel and go to sleep. Or TRY to sleep! If you sleep all the way over, you will never sleep the first night!

Since you are finishing up your PLT-Lite challenge, I guess there is no way of suggesting you work really hard and make EXP this year.. we have too many EXPs anyhow!

I think you had better look into all the details (yet) you are proposing. You say 'friend buys 65K miles)... the limit on buying miles is 40K per calendar year. Your friend 'said you could have their remaining 60K miles' if but the limit of gifting miles is 15K per calendar year. Granted friend could order an award ticket in your name .. but what good is 60K anyhow? Business is 90K international.

Consider some other options!

B fare ORD-LHR is $1134 one way (plus taxes) and is a coach fare.

I fare (discount confirmed business class tho not upgrade-to-First-capable) is $3279 roud trip plus tax (dates may limit you here). For not much more you both can fly J confirmed and gain miles AND COS bonus.

You list your home as BOS. So you are travling BACK to ORD anyhow. Look at MSP-LHR I fare sale and you will find that to be $2187 round trip plus tax. So for $1000 less (than ORD) you could do one ticket BOS-ORD-MSP (stay overnight even arriving early to shop Mall of America - shipping purchases home) then MSP-ORD-LHR return and MSP-ORD-BOS after you get back .. granted the 334 ORD-MSP miles are not worth the hassle but it saves $1000 each and is pretty close to the B fare you are so excited about.

AND this option gets you miles! MILES .. MILES .. MILES and also upgrade sticker!

I would never blow all my miles on one trip! Look at travel as a net-out option. I earn NN miles and use XX miles. Here with the I fare sale it is earn earn!