Cash or miles?
May 9, 2010 | 1:47 pm
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 19
Cash or miles?
Dear All,
I have been lurking a while but now need your advice, please help!!!
I am in a dilemma and have 2 options. For a (fairly) skint guy who flys on EK twice a month (either sub-continent or North/East Africa) and doesn't earn a massive Dubai tax free salary, i need to know the following:
I need to fly LHR-DXB leaving London 24/7 and returning 24/12/10, current Y class prices are 655 GBP, as per the website and i need 2 tickets.
Do I:
1) Pay it?
2) Use miles for the free tickets (139 ish 000' miles)?
My dilemma occurs as i would love to use the miles I have (currently 137k but sat waiting for my Volvo to Islamabad) to go on holiday next year, either NZ (Rugby world cup) or CPT (safari).
Will i get a saver return to either of the above countries? Will I only be able to find a flex? Will I even get a mix of the 2? Which combination would offer the best deal? Should I use my miles to get the 2 free tickets from LHR or use them to NZ/SA, as in what will save me the most money?
I hope I am not to vague, i am not trying to be I just want to use my free 'work perk' in the best possible manner!
Apologies for the long post, and if anyone is on EK612 tonight and wants to lounge it let me know and it's not a problem (apologies for the short notice but have only logged in tonight for the first time in 4 months)
Rgds
B'mth Boy
I have been lurking a while but now need your advice, please help!!!
I am in a dilemma and have 2 options. For a (fairly) skint guy who flys on EK twice a month (either sub-continent or North/East Africa) and doesn't earn a massive Dubai tax free salary, i need to know the following:
I need to fly LHR-DXB leaving London 24/7 and returning 24/12/10, current Y class prices are 655 GBP, as per the website and i need 2 tickets.
Do I:
1) Pay it?
2) Use miles for the free tickets (139 ish 000' miles)?
My dilemma occurs as i would love to use the miles I have (currently 137k but sat waiting for my Volvo to Islamabad) to go on holiday next year, either NZ (Rugby world cup) or CPT (safari).
Will i get a saver return to either of the above countries? Will I only be able to find a flex? Will I even get a mix of the 2? Which combination would offer the best deal? Should I use my miles to get the 2 free tickets from LHR or use them to NZ/SA, as in what will save me the most money?
I hope I am not to vague, i am not trying to be I just want to use my free 'work perk' in the best possible manner!
Apologies for the long post, and if anyone is on EK612 tonight and wants to lounge it let me know and it's not a problem (apologies for the short notice but have only logged in tonight for the first time in 4 months)
Rgds
B'mth Boy
May 9, 2010 | 8:37 pm
#2
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: OSL
Programs: QR Plat | SK Diamond | A3 Gold
Posts: 4,612
I'd definitely not waste the miles on this. By the sound of it, you're looking at Flex rewards, which are a big waste of miles. For 80,000 miles each, you could be redeeming a J saver.
For a lower fare on LHR-DXB, book onwards to the Sub Continent or somewhere else. Fares to DXB are always higher, and you should get a better deal that way.
Saver seats are available if you are flexible with travel dates. Sometimes they only open up close to the date of departure, and on some routes they are really hard to get (like LHR or JFK), but they do exist. If you can make plans well in advance, this should be a lot easier.
Hope that helps, and welcome to FT.
For a lower fare on LHR-DXB, book onwards to the Sub Continent or somewhere else. Fares to DXB are always higher, and you should get a better deal that way.
Saver seats are available if you are flexible with travel dates. Sometimes they only open up close to the date of departure, and on some routes they are really hard to get (like LHR or JFK), but they do exist. If you can make plans well in advance, this should be a lot easier.
Hope that helps, and welcome to FT.
May 10, 2010 | 8:21 pm
#3
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Dubai, UAE
Programs: Skywards Plat, Etihad Gold, Aerosvit Gold, Virgin Silver, AA lifetime Gold, Sirius Gold
Posts: 1,229
[QUOTE=ung1;13928616]
For a lower fare on LHR-DXB, book onwards to the Sub Continent or somewhere else. Fares to DXB are always higher, and you should get a better deal that way.
Hello ung1 - are you suggesting that the flights to and from Dubai after traveling from LHR should be booked but not taken to secure a lower fare cost for a RT to Dubai? If so it was my belief (perhaps now outdated) that if you fail to show up for a flight that the rest of the itinerary is automatically cancelled by the airline and thus the return leg from DXB to LHR would be lost.
For a lower fare on LHR-DXB, book onwards to the Sub Continent or somewhere else. Fares to DXB are always higher, and you should get a better deal that way.
Hello ung1 - are you suggesting that the flights to and from Dubai after traveling from LHR should be booked but not taken to secure a lower fare cost for a RT to Dubai? If so it was my belief (perhaps now outdated) that if you fail to show up for a flight that the rest of the itinerary is automatically cancelled by the airline and thus the return leg from DXB to LHR would be lost.
May 10, 2010 | 10:55 pm
#4
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: OSL
Programs: QR Plat | SK Diamond | A3 Gold
Posts: 4,612
[QUOTE=mrtdxb;13935184]
For a lower fare on LHR-DXB, book onwards to the Sub Continent or somewhere else. Fares to DXB are always higher, and you should get a better deal that way.
Hello ung1 - are you suggesting that the flights to and from Dubai after traveling from LHR should be booked but not taken to secure a lower fare cost for a RT to Dubai? If so it was my belief (perhaps now outdated) that if you fail to show up for a flight that the rest of the itinerary is automatically cancelled by the airline and thus the return leg from DXB to LHR would be lost.
Yes, what you say is correct. They would either cancel it, or re-price the ticket.
What I was actually suggesting is that the OP do a quick trip to the sub-continent (like a mileage run). He could even do a turn around if he is short on time, or just stay for a day and head back.
EDITED TO ADD: Looking at flights, this would not really work, as the flights to sub continent cost the same as flights to DXB (unless you are doing it for extra miles). Your travel dates are peak period, and that's why the tickets are pricing up so high (The fare is half if you travel this week, for example). So, first see if it would be possible to change dates.
The other option is, if you can decide when you want to go on vacation next year, book a ticket to CPT for example. That would cost you around GBP 900. Use the LHR-DXB leg in July, and leave the rest for next year. Try finding a cheap sub continent - LHR return to go back in December, and use it to come to DXB to catch your flight to CPT. You could even waste the last DXB-subcontinent leg of the flight. This is, of course, a lot more complicated, and would require that you are pretty sure of travel dates and they are within 12 months. I'm not sure how much cheaper it would work out at the end of it - that's something you'll have to see after pricing up the various options.
For a lower fare on LHR-DXB, book onwards to the Sub Continent or somewhere else. Fares to DXB are always higher, and you should get a better deal that way.
Hello ung1 - are you suggesting that the flights to and from Dubai after traveling from LHR should be booked but not taken to secure a lower fare cost for a RT to Dubai? If so it was my belief (perhaps now outdated) that if you fail to show up for a flight that the rest of the itinerary is automatically cancelled by the airline and thus the return leg from DXB to LHR would be lost.
What I was actually suggesting is that the OP do a quick trip to the sub-continent (like a mileage run). He could even do a turn around if he is short on time, or just stay for a day and head back.
EDITED TO ADD: Looking at flights, this would not really work, as the flights to sub continent cost the same as flights to DXB (unless you are doing it for extra miles). Your travel dates are peak period, and that's why the tickets are pricing up so high (The fare is half if you travel this week, for example). So, first see if it would be possible to change dates.
The other option is, if you can decide when you want to go on vacation next year, book a ticket to CPT for example. That would cost you around GBP 900. Use the LHR-DXB leg in July, and leave the rest for next year. Try finding a cheap sub continent - LHR return to go back in December, and use it to come to DXB to catch your flight to CPT. You could even waste the last DXB-subcontinent leg of the flight. This is, of course, a lot more complicated, and would require that you are pretty sure of travel dates and they are within 12 months. I'm not sure how much cheaper it would work out at the end of it - that's something you'll have to see after pricing up the various options.
Last edited by ung1; May 10, 2010 at 11:12 pm
May 14, 2010 | 9:43 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Dec 2009
Programs: Skywards Gold
Posts: 19
Hi Ung 1 & mrtdxb, your advice is appreciated. At the moment I am still unsure but I will wait and see what happens to the prices. If worst comes to worst I can either pay myself and probably use BA or Virgin who are around 250 cheaper, or use my work allowance and fly EK.
On a seperate note, I am going to Thailand tomorrow. Although we are spending 2 weeks in Koh Samui we are obviously transitting through BKK. What with all the recent troubles has anyone been through recently? Was it all OK? Has anyone been to Koh Samui, was that OK there?
Rgds
On a seperate note, I am going to Thailand tomorrow. Although we are spending 2 weeks in Koh Samui we are obviously transitting through BKK. What with all the recent troubles has anyone been through recently? Was it all OK? Has anyone been to Koh Samui, was that OK there?
Rgds
May 14, 2010 | 4:43 pm
#6
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Manchester, UK
Programs: Skywards, Miles & More, BA Exec Club
Posts: 218
reading through many trip advisor threads, if you are merely using BKK as a transit point on the way to Koh Samui then you should be fine. There's been no troubles reported down that way.