Yikes - blowing 720,000 miles!
Oct 6, 2012, 4:43 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Maryland
Programs: Marriott Platinum, SPG Gold, DL Silver
Posts: 514
Yikes - blowing 720,000 miles!
Want to do 4 first/business BWI/HNL via ATL. Still 180,000 miles each! Last time I paid 85,000 miles - got lucky one Saturday at 5am while checking.
I do have the miles to blow (after transferring some more from Amex Membership Rewards). But still - that is a ton!
Should I wait a while longer? Travel is next June. Now that it's the only one with almost lie flat seats, I don't think it will come down.
We considered putting the kids in coach, but it's a special (20th anniversary) trip. And they've done first a few times and truly appreciate it (and behave well, daughter sleeps most of the flight! son plays on his computer). And coach is still 90,000 miles anyway.
I do have the miles to blow (after transferring some more from Amex Membership Rewards). But still - that is a ton!
Should I wait a while longer? Travel is next June. Now that it's the only one with almost lie flat seats, I don't think it will come down.
We considered putting the kids in coach, but it's a special (20th anniversary) trip. And they've done first a few times and truly appreciate it (and behave well, daughter sleeps most of the flight! son plays on his computer). And coach is still 90,000 miles anyway.
Oct 6, 2012, 5:20 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bye Delta
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Posts: 16,264
Best in class indeed.
If it were me, I would wait. That's high levels in both directions. It can't get higher than that, and I'm sure those planes are far from full. You've got time and it has nowhere to go but down.
If it were me, I would wait. That's high levels in both directions. It can't get higher than that, and I'm sure those planes are far from full. You've got time and it has nowhere to go but down.
Oct 6, 2012, 7:08 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: JFK/LGA
Posts: 1,423
I would wait as the mileage level is unlikely to go up and since Delta has/had used international aircraft on LAX-HNL; SLC-HNL; SFO-HNL I would wait and see if that returns for this summer. That being said, at the rates you are seeing you might as well plan a trip to Europe or Asia as it would likely come out cheaper
Oct 6, 2012, 7:19 am
#6
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Oklahoma
Programs: MR LT Platinum, HH Diamond, WN A-List,
Posts: 478
If you could come up with 80k more miles you could probably manage 2 trips to europe and a trip to Hawaii
USA-Europe1-USA (Stopover)-Hawaii
Hawaii-USA (Stopover)-Europe2-USA
Each trip should cost 100k miles but that would require flying partner airlines and not on the A330 out of ATL
USA-Europe1-USA (Stopover)-Hawaii
Hawaii-USA (Stopover)-Europe2-USA
Each trip should cost 100k miles but that would require flying partner airlines and not on the A330 out of ATL
Oct 6, 2012, 8:03 am
#7
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, NZ/New York, NY/ATL
Programs: DL DM MM, BIS 2.4MM, EK Gold, SQ Gold, Marriott Gold, HH Gold,
Posts: 5,213
DO NOT pay a premium just to fly on a sub-par BE service equipped A330 from ATL-HNL when you could just go via LAX even via JFK to get equal if not better service for fewer miles. The A330 ATL-HNL is very overrated besides being nonestop.
Oct 6, 2012, 8:13 am
#9
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Location: MN
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If you could come up with 80k more miles you could probably manage 2 trips to europe and a trip to Hawaii
USA-Europe1-USA (Stopover)-Hawaii
Hawaii-USA (Stopover)-Europe2-USA
Each trip should cost 100k miles but that would require flying partner airlines and not on the A330 out of ATL
USA-Europe1-USA (Stopover)-Hawaii
Hawaii-USA (Stopover)-Europe2-USA
Each trip should cost 100k miles but that would require flying partner airlines and not on the A330 out of ATL
Oct 6, 2012, 8:21 am
#11
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: MSP
Programs: DL GM, AMEX Business Platinum, AMEX Delta Reserve, DL SkyClub Member, Choice PM
Posts: 2,218
IMO: it would be better to purchase those tickets at any price less than that as one will earn miles on the travel!!!
Only when domestic coach fares are > $750 rt will I consider using miles to book the low 25k sm level!
Most of my skymiles are used to book BE/ J seats to Asia, India or Europe.
Oct 6, 2012, 8:26 am
#12
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: MSP/DEN/GVA
Programs: DL PM, FB PM, Gamer/Trickster.
Posts: 189
For the love of god, don't do it! That's nearly 3 RTW J flights, or a bunch of low-tiers to asia. Right now there are a ton of 120k J flights on CZ (going to vietnam in january on the a380). Take them to asia, and not hawaii!
Oct 6, 2012, 8:47 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2008
Location: CHA, MAN;
Programs: Delta DM 1 MM; Hz PC
Posts: 11,169
Agreed - I would do 150K but it can be argued that even 150 is way high. 150 sticks in my mind because I used that many miles to bring my daughter over MAN-ATL-MCI over the thanksgiving period - First/BE all the way as my treat to her.
Oct 6, 2012, 8:50 am
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Maryland
Programs: Marriott Platinum, SPG Gold, DL Silver
Posts: 514
Thanks for all the advice. We're definitely going to Hawaii and have our dates set (using two weeks of our Marriott timeshare and meeting with friends there).
No interest in going to Europe at all - I've been all over Europe and honestly don't want to go back anytime soon. Someday maybe.
Would love to go to Asia - I'm of German/Irish descent but my husband was born in Korea, so our kids are half Asian and would love to take them to where my husband was a little boy. But..... I've done it once, and the thought of that long flight is enough to compel me to wait! It is so freaking long!
The First/Business tickets are well over $3,000 each on Delta (and American which we've got miles with too not so many but 500,000 or so). Coach is $1,200 plus I think. So not paying for them for sure.
I agree with waiting - it's hard to do but it can't go up! All they can do is not have any award seats at all once the flight fills more. Right now it looks like for our dates 4 seats in the business are taken.
I really want to go through ATL since coming home there is no way I'll sleep at all unless I can put my feet up in the semi lie flat seats. Wish there were more flights like that to Hawaii - it's ten hours for heaven's sake! I'd even go through LAX there if I could just get the return through ATL but it still bumps me to high level award.
They really need to do one way awards like American does!
No interest in going to Europe at all - I've been all over Europe and honestly don't want to go back anytime soon. Someday maybe.
Would love to go to Asia - I'm of German/Irish descent but my husband was born in Korea, so our kids are half Asian and would love to take them to where my husband was a little boy. But..... I've done it once, and the thought of that long flight is enough to compel me to wait! It is so freaking long!
The First/Business tickets are well over $3,000 each on Delta (and American which we've got miles with too not so many but 500,000 or so). Coach is $1,200 plus I think. So not paying for them for sure.
I agree with waiting - it's hard to do but it can't go up! All they can do is not have any award seats at all once the flight fills more. Right now it looks like for our dates 4 seats in the business are taken.
I really want to go through ATL since coming home there is no way I'll sleep at all unless I can put my feet up in the semi lie flat seats. Wish there were more flights like that to Hawaii - it's ten hours for heaven's sake! I'd even go through LAX there if I could just get the return through ATL but it still bumps me to high level award.
They really need to do one way awards like American does!
