50000 Points First Class to Austin
 

Would you guys consider 50000 miles from New York to Austin in April of 2008. First class cost about $1250 plus, what would you do?

unless I ate a lot more donuts beforehand, I don't think its worth either the cash or the miles to fly F to AUS.

It's just against my FF religion to spend 50k on anything domestic. Others may feel differently.

I disagree, but limit my disagreement to flights to Seattle.

Considering that's the longest flight I can take (assuming my itin begins and ends at home, which is a good bet if I'm spending miles) and stay lower 48, I mostly agree.

With a cousin at UT, I have flown EWR-AUS a bunch of times. They fly 733s and 735s, so if you you are gold or plat just get a flight where you can get seat 14a or 14f, which are in the exit row and have no seat directly in front of them (i.e., infinite leg room). But even if you cant get the exit row, 50K in miles or $1250 for what amounts to just over a 3 hour flight seems like a waste.

Spouse and I are doing just that in early Jan, so obviously I think the answer is yes in the right circumstances. Special getaway trip, fairly high fares in Y, and I have lots of NW miles to burn.

But F on that route is not a great value. The three EWR-AUS nonstops are over 4 hours and you won't even get a meal on two of them (only breakfast on the morning flight). And two of the flights are 737-500's -- not exactly the most luxurious F experience. If you're going to go for it, you might try for one of the 767 or 757-200 flights from EWR-IAH, and connect. You'll at least get something more substantial for the extra mileage.

Nope. Not worth it. I didn't even bother to spend 15K to upgrade my bad self this Sunday (AUS-LGA). Good thing I didn't as the upgrade just came through. ^

The question is too simple.

If all I had in my account was 50k miles and I wasn't looking at any future mileage earning or spending possibilties, then maybe I'd do it.

But if I wanted to travel somewhere else someday where comfort was a primary factor (such as an international trip) I probabaly wouldn't spend 50k on NYC-AUS. As was pointed out, there isn't a lot of comfort to be gained on this route with the little 735's CO uses.

Hell no. I'd bite the bullet and fly coach.
EWR-IAH =3.5 hr flt
IAH-AUS = 35 min flt

50k? No way. Save it for the islands.

Are you booking standard first reward because only EasyPass rewards are available? If so, I would book standard first reward. I would otherwise pay for first only on the westbound leg because it's a longer flight and more likely to be delayed by ATC departing EWR/LGA/JFK. Economy is more bearable on the eastbound leg.

Save it for double the milies you can go BF to europe...

one problem is I am not an elite so i was thinking that since we have 10 mil Amex Points we could transfer 50000 to onepass and buy the ticket through award

If you have miles to burn, which it sounds like is the case, then why not? Like ryerflyer says, it's a small fraction of your (potentially) available balance.

My personal philosophy is that miles were meant to be used! :D

Not to mention that 2/3 of the EWR-AUS flights only have the snack service... Definitely much better ways to spend 50k miles.

If you got points to burn, why not take the train into manhattan and take the helicopter connection. It'll be the cheapest helicopter sight seeing tour of manhattan. That connection is about 15k points.