2x1 is back!, But now with more miles!
#226
Join Date: Oct 2011
Posts: 3,839
#229
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ, UA, Delta, BMI(RIP), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond (Thanks Amex) Hyatt Discov
Posts: 1,942
You can buy miles cheaper - at 1.5 cents a mile plus booking/cancellation fee - when you buy and cancel a ticket, albeit there is the hassle of booking and cancelling the ticket. I would rather not buy and hold the miles, but buy via the cancellation route when I really need to book something. But to each his own.
#231
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ, UA, Delta, BMI(RIP), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond (Thanks Amex) Hyatt Discov
Posts: 1,942
When you buy the ticket, you choose more money, less miles up to "the sweet spot" where the miles you are effectively buying cost 1.5 cents per mile exactly. You book you ticket, pay for the miles plus taxes plus $25 booking fee. Later on when you cancel, you get back the taxes, get charged $50 for cancellation, but keep the miles you had bought during the earlier redemption process ( at 1.5 cents per mile). Your total cost is therefore 1.5 cent per mile plus the fixed fee of $75.
#233
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: DUB-BOS
Programs: various
Posts: 3,693
Despite what the ad says, the cost to transfer is 1.5c pm at the transaction screen, so cost is the same as using the buy/cancel sweet spot.....but without the trauma of the whole LM cancellation experience
#234
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: SIN
Programs: SQ, UA, Delta, BMI(RIP), Marriott Lifetime Titanium, Hilton Diamond (Thanks Amex) Hyatt Discov
Posts: 1,942
But you are stuck with the miles for future use. With the buy/mile option, you do it only when you want to book something in the very near future, so you don't end up holding miles which may be devalued once again or which you might not use for years to come!
#236
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: ZRH/SFO
Programs: A3*G - AZ CFP- HH DIA
Posts: 3,666
#237
Join Date: Sep 2005
Programs: Lifetime *G (MP), Lifetime PE (Bonvoy)
Posts: 1,465
However, back to the topic, I always find the sweet spot and top up with miles when I'm booking a redemption ticket because my credit card "free" travel insurance kicks in only when I've spent $250 for travel