reward travel - OW usage
 

I'm traveling MSY to EWR OW and wanted to use miles for the trip. Only EasyPass is available for the date that I want at 25k miles for the segment. OP CS says that OW rewards are 50,000 regardless, though I realized if I book a RT through CO.com with a return on a date that has availability at the 12.5k (standardpass) level, I'm only spending 37500 miles. I can re-deposit miles for a small fee.

OW cost for the ticket is $365. (no lower fares for RT purchase as this date is desireable)

Better to spend the $ or use miles?

I don't think you can redeposit miles after you've used the outbound ticket, so you're talking at least 37,500 miles for a $365 ticket. Unless you're hard up for cash or really looking to burn your miles, I'd pay cash.

Did you ask CO if there is anything available for 25,000 on NWA or DL?

Did you price out a tkt even r/t on DL where you would still earn 100% of the miles and EQMs, even NWA would earn you EQMs maybe they have cheaper fares. Or try any other carrier, if you are Only going 1 way you wont be missing out on that much mileage any way

didn't ask them but I want to go nonstop and there are no codeshare or other flights aside from ones that have a connection.

You can't redeposit half of an award. If you can get it for 37500 miles, just don't use the return. As for whether that's better than $365, that's up to you. For me at that price, I'd say it's a toss up. I'd probably spend the $.

I'm not sure about CO, but on UA (who allows one-way reward travel, but at the same mileage level as a r/t), they told me to book the return reward for a date as far out as the system would allow, and that I would have a year from that date to use it, for a $15 change fee.

Have you tried JetBlue? They fly MSY-JFK nonstop and have walk-up OW fares of about $210 all-in.

Why don't you just book a bogus return and not fly that segment? The standard reward travel is only 25K for a R/T tix. No sense in burning your mileage unless you have to.