Email offer to buy AAdvantage Miles from points.com
Aug 12, 2013, 7:12 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2013
Location: South Texas
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Email offer to buy AAdvantage Miles from points.com
I received this email offer to purchase AAdvantage miles:
1.Get up to a 25% discount off the purchase price, through August 30
2.In addition, earn 2,000 bonus miles when you buy 20,000 or more miles, through August 15
The cost for 62,000 miles is $1354, or 2.2 cpm. Slightly lower cpm if I use AA Amex because I will earn double miles on the $1354 purchase price. This seems like a good deal but I am fairly new at this. My understanding is a good mileage run benchmark is less than 5 cpm. Your opinions please...
Link to purchase page https://buy.points.com/PointsPartner...NCODE=SoloINTL
1.Get up to a 25% discount off the purchase price, through August 30
2.In addition, earn 2,000 bonus miles when you buy 20,000 or more miles, through August 15
The cost for 62,000 miles is $1354, or 2.2 cpm. Slightly lower cpm if I use AA Amex because I will earn double miles on the $1354 purchase price. This seems like a good deal but I am fairly new at this. My understanding is a good mileage run benchmark is less than 5 cpm. Your opinions please...
Link to purchase page https://buy.points.com/PointsPartner...NCODE=SoloINTL
Aug 12, 2013, 7:49 pm
#2
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Austin, TX
Programs: AA ExPlat, UA Silver, Marriott Lifetime Gold
Posts: 715
I got the email too. I'm debating if it'd be a good deal or not
Aug 12, 2013, 8:21 pm
#3
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: MKE
Posts: 56
Unfortunately because the purchase is through points.com, you won't get double miles for the purchase. There are only a few exceptions to getting category type bonuses when it comes to buying points, i.e. I believe LifeMiles purchases are not run through points.com and are classified as a travel purchase.
The other problem is that mileage runs are usually done for status, and purchased miles aren't EQM (elite qualifying miles). That is, they don't count for status! Redeemable for awards only.
This is why buying miles generally isn't a good deal unless you have near-term plans to redeem them for a higher value than you spend on them.
The other problem is that mileage runs are usually done for status, and purchased miles aren't EQM (elite qualifying miles). That is, they don't count for status! Redeemable for awards only.
This is why buying miles generally isn't a good deal unless you have near-term plans to redeem them for a higher value than you spend on them.
Aug 12, 2013, 8:26 pm
#4
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2013
Location: South Texas
Programs: Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Glob, AA EXP, Marriott Tit
Posts: 277
Unfortunately because the purchase is through points.com, you won't get double miles for the purchase. There are only a few exceptions to getting category type bonuses when it comes to buying points, i.e. I believe LifeMiles purchases are not run through points.com and are classified as a travel purchase.
The other problem is that mileage runs are usually done for status, and purchased miles aren't EQM (elite qualifying miles). That is, they don't count for status! Redeemable for awards only.
This is why buying miles generally isn't a good deal unless you have near-term plans to redeem them for a higher value than you spend on them.
The other problem is that mileage runs are usually done for status, and purchased miles aren't EQM (elite qualifying miles). That is, they don't count for status! Redeemable for awards only.
This is why buying miles generally isn't a good deal unless you have near-term plans to redeem them for a higher value than you spend on them.
Last edited by houstr8male; Aug 12, 2013 at 8:29 pm Reason: Omission
Aug 12, 2013, 8:36 pm
#5
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Aug 12, 2013, 9:00 pm
#6
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: MKE
Posts: 56
Thanks for the reply and clarification regarding purchasing miles through points.com. Yes I do plan to redeem them near term. I don't need them for status. My thinking is 62k is enough for one way to IAH-FCO, for example, in F. $1400 seems like a good price to me since a cash ticket would be much more.
Aug 12, 2013, 9:28 pm
#8
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
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Of course, the best deals are the ones that CCs give you - such as Citi offering 50K AA miles (with a spend) and other such offers. Those are essentially free miles as your spend is only for things you would pay for anyway.
Aug 12, 2013, 9:31 pm
#9
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,550
I think it is relevant in terms of "value" received for price paid - i.e. an F ticket IAH to FCO for $1400 is a good "value". If OP "must" travel to FCO (say for a cruise), the great majority of Y tickets are over $2000 (one way); and of course, there is no comparison between Y and F (especially when it is for less money)
Of course, the best deals are the ones that CCs give you - such as Citi offering 50K AA miles (with a spend) and other such offers. Those are essentially free miles as your spend is only for things you would pay for in anyway.
Of course, the best deals are the ones that CCs give you - such as Citi offering 50K AA miles (with a spend) and other such offers. Those are essentially free miles as your spend is only for things you would pay for in anyway.
Once starting to compare the cost of the award ticket against the price of a ticket that would never have been purchased, then this is a flawed comparison on "saving"
It may be a nicer way to travel, but it isn't a cost saving if there would not have been a higher price paid otherwise, but then needs to be a consideration of whether the extra cost paid is worth it for the improved comfort in travel
Aug 12, 2013, 10:00 pm
#10
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SF Bay Area
Programs: AA LT PLT 3 MM+, BA (very) Blue, CO nobody
Posts: 2,640
If the redemption ticket is available and that is cheaper than a purchased ticket, then there is a saving of the difference that would have been paid.
Once starting to compare the cost of the award ticket against the price of a ticket that would never have been purchased, then this is a flawed comparison on "saving"
It may be a nicer way to travel, but it isn't a cost saving if there would not have been a higher price paid otherwise, but then needs to be a consideration of whether the extra cost paid is worth it for the improved comfort in travel
Once starting to compare the cost of the award ticket against the price of a ticket that would never have been purchased, then this is a flawed comparison on "saving"
It may be a nicer way to travel, but it isn't a cost saving if there would not have been a higher price paid otherwise, but then needs to be a consideration of whether the extra cost paid is worth it for the improved comfort in travel
I said nothing about "savings"; I said that it was a good value for price paid.
Of course, if OP has no intention of flying to FCO in the first place, why indeed would he pay $1400 for 62K Miles? Certainly not to fly from IAH to DFW.
Aug 12, 2013, 10:04 pm
#11
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Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,550
I understand what you are saying, but..
I said nothing about "savings"; I said that it was a good value for price paid.
Of course, if OP has no intention of flying to FCO in the first place, why indeed would he pay $1400 for 62K Miles? Certainly not to fly from IAH to DFW.
I said nothing about "savings"; I said that it was a good value for price paid.
Of course, if OP has no intention of flying to FCO in the first place, why indeed would he pay $1400 for 62K Miles? Certainly not to fly from IAH to DFW.
If the person means that the lowest cash fare that could be purchased is more, then indeed it is a saving
If it meant ( as I suspected ) over the price of a 1st class purchased ticket, then it isn't imo valid to use that as a saving level unless would otherwise have purchased it