opentag

Hoping to confirm my calculations that paying extra for Flex tix vs Basic *just* to get the AP miles is a poor choice.

My example: Flight worth ~2500 miles, increase in price (after factoring bag fee) $49, Cost per mile = 2.2 cents <- quite high, not good value.

Does that make sense or am I missing something? I understand miles could help toward status, etc - I'm focused on accrual value here.

YEG USER

It'd totally depend on the situation. Are you meaning Standard vs. Flex, or Basic vs. Flex. Basic fares have a bunch of restrictions which make me want to steer clear regardless of mileage accumulation.

There are several factors that could come into play. In your situation at 2.2 cpm it likely isn't a good value, however there could be other routes where the cpm cost is lower and there is more value.

Another factor would be the status of the person flying the ticket. If the person is an SE and has 100% bonus, then the cpm would be 1/2 of a non-status person. There can also be bonus mile promotions on certain routes that require a minimum Flex purchase; this would also lower the cpm.

Paying extra for Flex *can" be worthwhile sometimes if looking strictly on a mileage basis, however when I look at purchasing Flex for non-status family members mileage rarely is a consideration. Typically I look at the other costs such as change fees (if likely), seat selection, baggage allowance, etc.

canadiancow

I'd be tempted to factor seat selection costs in too, which may actually bring the delta down to quite a reasonable level.

RatherBeInYOW

I am going to LHR on a Standard fare later this month because AC wanted $1000 more RT for Flex. So sometimes not.

eigenvector

It really depends on the situation and price differential. I try to look at it as "would I be willing to pay that much as a stand-alone mileage run for those miles?" If yes, then it's worth it to buy a higher fare, because then I get the miles and don't have to spend a minute of additional time on it. But within NA, no, the amount of miles accrued based on distance is generally so small that it is almost never worth it. And with the uncertainty facing Aeroplan right now post-2020, I am not going out of my way to accrue miles I'm not sure I can burn before then.

worldtraveller73

If you can purchase well enough in advance, the difference in fares cover most ancillary fees (seat selection / bags if you check one) if you're dealing with a domestic situation. Internationally, the gap is usually much higher and not as worthwhile return on investment.

Stranger

If getting status does not come into play it is indeed not a good value for people with no status. But for status miles that's a very good value.

jc94