Promotion: Buy miles for as low as 1.5 cents/mile.
Dec 12, 2018, 7:56 am
#31
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE100K, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 2,132
I have zero interest in this but from the comments I see from other SEs I am obviously doing it wrong.
Dec 12, 2018, 7:57 am
#32
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: YOW
Programs: AC-SE100K, AC-3MM, Marriott- LT Titanium, SPG RIP
Posts: 2,958
You can see if you're eligible by going here: https://buymiles.aeroplan.com.
"Sorry, you’re not eligible for this offer. This is the first time Aeroplan has sold miles directly to members, so we are starting small. We are testing this offer with a select number of members. If we see that the offer is popular, we will consider making more offers like this one available to more of our members in the future.You can visit our website to find other offers you can participate in now."
"Sorry, you’re not eligible for this offer. This is the first time Aeroplan has sold miles directly to members, so we are starting small. We are testing this offer with a select number of members. If we see that the offer is popular, we will consider making more offers like this one available to more of our members in the future.You can visit our website to find other offers you can participate in now."
Dec 12, 2018, 9:22 am
#33
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 1,504
I don't know about that. It depends what you're redeeming it on. If you're going to do some long-haul business class flights with a stopover, you can easily get 4 or 5 cents per mile in value. So if you're buying at 1.5 and redeeming at 4, it's a good way of getting discounted travel (though obviously not as good as earning those miles organically). That said, it's probably better on indulgent travel than discretionary or business travel. It's still probably better to get a couple of good Amex cards for at least your first 150,000 points.
Dec 12, 2018, 9:26 am
#34
Join Date: Mar 2016
Programs: AC SE
Posts: 1,504
I am SE and eligible for 1.5 cent offer but not taking them up on it. It seems like a good deal for SE but with reduction in IKK benefit, it is of more limited utility for me. Almost all my own flying is paid and unless I am travelling with the other family member/friend on the same reward itinerary, it makes it much harder to get J intercontinental award flights than it used to be when I could IKK into J a travelling companion(s) while I was travelling on paid tickets.
Dec 12, 2018, 9:50 am
#35
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: YVR
Programs: AC SE100K, Bonvoy Platinum Elite, IHG Gold, Hertz 5*
Posts: 2,132
I don't know about that. It depends what you're redeeming it on. If you're going to do some long-haul business class flights with a stopover, you can easily get 4 or 5 cents per mile in value. So if you're buying at 1.5 and redeeming at 4, it's a good way of getting discounted travel (though obviously not as good as earning those miles organically). That said, it's probably better on indulgent travel than discretionary or business travel. It's still probably better to get a couple of good Amex cards for at least your first 150,000 points.
Alternatively, it's enough miles to send each of my children on a 1-way ticket to their grandparents and have plenty to spare.
Dec 12, 2018, 3:34 pm
#36
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: トロント
Programs: IHG Gold
Posts: 4,819
I don't know about that. It depends what you're redeeming it on. If you're going to do some long-haul business class flights with a stopover, you can easily get 4 or 5 cents per mile in value. So if you're buying at 1.5 and redeeming at 4, it's a good way of getting discounted travel (though obviously not as good as earning those miles organically). That said, it's probably better on indulgent travel than discretionary or business travel. It's still probably better to get a couple of good Amex cards for at least your first 150,000 points.
If I buy the miles for 1.5 cents per mile plus HST with the fees et al I am getting the flight for $1302 for that segment. That's 17.5 hours in business class on EVA, so a decent product.
Total flights I booked were YYZ-LAX-NRT on AC J/ NH 1st and then NGO-TPE-YYZ on BR J. It's the only way I could swing it for the dates I wanted in August . I had the miles to book without buying any but I may replenish the kitty to some degree.
Dec 12, 2018, 10:38 pm
#37
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: YYC
Programs: AC SE, Hilton Gold, Golf Canada Top 3%
Posts: 187
Just ran some numbers and I think its a good deal for business class.
YYC - HKG
Jul 2 - 23
150,000 points to buy which would cost $2250 plus get
taxes on the flight would be $572
Grand total $2822 CAD
Cost on aircanada.com for the same dates in business class would be $5506.
I also received an offer to buy points for 1.5cpm and I am only E50k plus Diamond status for aeroplan. Thinking I may buy some points now to bank for my summer trip as I don't know if I will received anymore offers down the road. Although I did receive another offer in September for points but that one was "the more you buy, the cheaper it gets" or something like that.
YYC - HKG
Jul 2 - 23
150,000 points to buy which would cost $2250 plus get
taxes on the flight would be $572
Grand total $2822 CAD
Cost on aircanada.com for the same dates in business class would be $5506.
I also received an offer to buy points for 1.5cpm and I am only E50k plus Diamond status for aeroplan. Thinking I may buy some points now to bank for my summer trip as I don't know if I will received anymore offers down the road. Although I did receive another offer in September for points but that one was "the more you buy, the cheaper it gets" or something like that.
Dec 13, 2018, 12:16 am
#38
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
So I got the email, but mine didn't seem to indicate that it was targeted. I'm debating doing it. I've thought about buying AS miles and AV miles in the past, but never pulled the trigger because they'd be fairly speculative. But I know the value I can get out of AP miles, I'm already planning a RTW, but I'm thinking about buying 60k of miles to make that a J-RTW. But what worries me is AP playing games in their dying moments, lower availability, and already staggering YQ which can be tough to avoid living in Canada and not an SE.
Anyone have any recent searching issues? Is availability still what it was? I know that some of the "IT issues" from before have been resolved. But I think CM is still missing?
Edit: Just checked the last little while on the "AP award partner problems" thread. Looks pretty bleak. So I think buying the miles for a J mega redemption would be a fools errand. I certainly don't wanna buy them speculatively either, I can't see things going well during the transition for the value of points. That would be an incredibly easy time for a deval.
Anyone have any recent searching issues? Is availability still what it was? I know that some of the "IT issues" from before have been resolved. But I think CM is still missing?
Edit: Just checked the last little while on the "AP award partner problems" thread. Looks pretty bleak. So I think buying the miles for a J mega redemption would be a fools errand. I certainly don't wanna buy them speculatively either, I can't see things going well during the transition for the value of points. That would be an incredibly easy time for a deval.
Last edited by drvannostren; Dec 13, 2018 at 12:29 am
Dec 13, 2018, 7:22 am
#39
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Canada
Programs: UA*1K MM
Posts: 23,293
As demonstrated above - this is a steal if you are able to use these immediately.
Staggering YQ is very easy to avoid, even living in Canada. Its an annoyance, but luckily redeeming miles on AC metal is right up there on my wishlist with redeeming miles on AI or MS.
Dec 13, 2018, 9:29 am
#40
Formerly known as newbie elite
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: YUL
Programs: IHG Diamond Ambassador, Accor Platinum, AC50K
Posts: 2,923
Agreed, the only way I would pull the trigger on this (and it IS a good deal for J seats) is if I had checked availability and was ready to book as soon as the points hit my account. Too much uncertainty otherwise.
Dec 15, 2018, 3:00 am
#44
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
There is no way you should buy any miles unless its for immediate use.
As demonstrated above - this is a steal if you are able to use these immediately.
Staggering YQ is very easy to avoid, even living in Canada. Its an annoyance, but luckily redeeming miles on AC metal is right up there on my wishlist with redeeming miles on AI or MS.
As demonstrated above - this is a steal if you are able to use these immediately.
Staggering YQ is very easy to avoid, even living in Canada. Its an annoyance, but luckily redeeming miles on AC metal is right up there on my wishlist with redeeming miles on AI or MS.
Finding YQ-less RTW trips used to be a bit trying as is, but based on what I'm reading, people saying they can't find BR/AV/CM flights take out a lot of options. I'm pretty sure you're a big UA guy iirc, but finding UA space to me as a non-UA elite is like pulling teeth. It's such a crap shoot. Travelling Y at one point I was trying to find availability from EZE-MSY, most days I couldn't get out of EZE, but on the days that I could there was NOTHING at all from IAH-MSY. That's the frustration for me, it seems like one day UA has long haul space, but no domestic space, then a week later I check again and the long haul space is gone, but some sparse domestic space is open.
I'm trying to fly YVR-JNB-CAI-UIO-YVR, I wanna cross SA/MS/ZH off my list (trying to fly all the star alliance partners) I'd love to add SN/TP in there, but from the routings I've tried putting together it seems kinda out of the cards, maybe TP but SN very unlikely. Getting all this done is gonna be pretty hard, especially if AV flights aren't bookable because then I'd need to rely on UA from UIO-IAH which will be hit or miss. Especially if BR is out of the question these days.
I find it FAIRLY easy to avoid Air Canada as long as I'm not flying NA-Europe. Being based in YVR, I generally try to route my trips towards Asia first as I haven't had much issue finding LX or TK to like SFO then paying the YQ from SFO-YVR (cuz i can never get a UA seat) isn't as bad as paying it from YYZ.