Which to use first? SkyMiles or AAdvantage miles?
Oct 29, 2015, 10:16 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: SEA
Posts: 311
Which to use first? SkyMiles or AAdvantage miles?
I need to fly to SE Asia w/ my wife.
I have options to fly us both ow, from West Coast to SIN. We have enough SkyMiles and AAdvantage to fly on at least J cabin. We found some available options as well with both program.
Which one should we use first? SkyMiles will cost us 70K per pax on J. AA will cost us 55K per pax on J, or 67K5 per pax on F
I see decent availability on near term with SkyMiles. Most of their flights have true lie flats on J (DL, KE, CI). And I am not sure if SkyMiles points are worth keeping, might as well burn them now with the devaluation and everything. We can generate them through Amex biz cards, or Amex MR transfer.
AA requires less miles, but near term availability, whether through AA, CX, JAL is scarce. I don't see a lot btw now to April in Saver level through Asia, at least on routes with true lie flats. There looks to be decent options through JAL routes with angle-flat seats (YVR-NRT, LAX to KIX) but that's about it. DFW has a new JAL route w SkySuite, with good availability, but timing wise, the route is a bit painful (arrive NRT in late afternoon, connect to SIN flight, arriving post midnight).
I can build up stash of AA miles, through personal or business cards.
Thoughts?
I have options to fly us both ow, from West Coast to SIN. We have enough SkyMiles and AAdvantage to fly on at least J cabin. We found some available options as well with both program.
Which one should we use first? SkyMiles will cost us 70K per pax on J. AA will cost us 55K per pax on J, or 67K5 per pax on F
I see decent availability on near term with SkyMiles. Most of their flights have true lie flats on J (DL, KE, CI). And I am not sure if SkyMiles points are worth keeping, might as well burn them now with the devaluation and everything. We can generate them through Amex biz cards, or Amex MR transfer.
AA requires less miles, but near term availability, whether through AA, CX, JAL is scarce. I don't see a lot btw now to April in Saver level through Asia, at least on routes with true lie flats. There looks to be decent options through JAL routes with angle-flat seats (YVR-NRT, LAX to KIX) but that's about it. DFW has a new JAL route w SkySuite, with good availability, but timing wise, the route is a bit painful (arrive NRT in late afternoon, connect to SIN flight, arriving post midnight).
I can build up stash of AA miles, through personal or business cards.
Thoughts?
Oct 29, 2015, 10:52 am
#2
Suspended
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,677
That is a question with too many variables. It is a personal choice that depends on many things, including your frequency of travel, future travel, etc., etc. Look long range and keep the miles that will help you most in the future.
Oct 29, 2015, 11:01 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Chicago
Programs: Delta SkyMiles, IHG (Platinum Elite), Amtrak Guest Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, Hilton Honors
Posts: 636
My first thought is that AA miles expire while Skymiles don't, so depending on a number of factors you may want to use the AA miles first (though if you have AA credit cards that likely counts as "activity." If you're using AA as a transfer partner for a credit card, I'm not sure if that counts as "activity.") Of course, if you fly often enough on AA that your AA miles aren't in danger of expiring, you're back to square one.
Oct 29, 2015, 11:18 am
#5
Moderator, OneWorld
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: SEA
Programs: RAA RIP; AA ExEXP
Posts: 11,795
I need to fly to SE Asia w/ my wife.
I have options to fly us both ow, from West Coast to SIN. We have enough SkyMiles and AAdvantage to fly on at least J cabin. We found some available options as well with both program.
Which one should we use first? SkyMiles will cost us 70K per pax on J. AA will cost us 55K per pax on J, or 67K5 per pax on F
I see decent availability on near term with SkyMiles. Most of their flights have true lie flats on J (DL, KE, CI). And I am not sure if SkyMiles points are worth keeping, might as well burn them now with the devaluation and everything. We can generate them through Amex biz cards, or Amex MR transfer.
AA requires less miles, but near term availability, whether through AA, CX, JAL is scarce. I don't see a lot btw now to April in Saver level through Asia, at least on routes with true lie flats. There looks to be decent options through JAL routes with angle-flat seats (YVR-NRT, LAX to KIX) but that's about it. DFW has a new JAL route w SkySuite, with good availability, but timing wise, the route is a bit painful (arrive NRT in late afternoon, connect to SIN flight, arriving post midnight).
I can build up stash of AA miles, through personal or business cards.
Thoughts?
I have options to fly us both ow, from West Coast to SIN. We have enough SkyMiles and AAdvantage to fly on at least J cabin. We found some available options as well with both program.
Which one should we use first? SkyMiles will cost us 70K per pax on J. AA will cost us 55K per pax on J, or 67K5 per pax on F
I see decent availability on near term with SkyMiles. Most of their flights have true lie flats on J (DL, KE, CI). And I am not sure if SkyMiles points are worth keeping, might as well burn them now with the devaluation and everything. We can generate them through Amex biz cards, or Amex MR transfer.
AA requires less miles, but near term availability, whether through AA, CX, JAL is scarce. I don't see a lot btw now to April in Saver level through Asia, at least on routes with true lie flats. There looks to be decent options through JAL routes with angle-flat seats (YVR-NRT, LAX to KIX) but that's about it. DFW has a new JAL route w SkySuite, with good availability, but timing wise, the route is a bit painful (arrive NRT in late afternoon, connect to SIN flight, arriving post midnight).
I can build up stash of AA miles, through personal or business cards.
Thoughts?
AA has said that any changes to the AAdvantage program will be announced well in advance (maybe, maybe not) but I'd certainly look at CX space before pulling the trigger. But in your shoes I'd probably burn the DL miles for something high-value while you can. Don't know DL's rules, but can you travel to SE Asia via the Atlantic?
Oct 29, 2015, 12:00 pm
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: SEA
Posts: 311
Don't know if you've already done this, but you can't see CX availability online at AA; you can sign up for a British Airways FF account and see CX space there, then phone AA for the actual booking.
AA has said that any changes to the AAdvantage program will be announced well in advance (maybe, maybe not) but I'd certainly look at CX space before pulling the trigger. But in your shoes I'd probably burn the DL miles for something high-value while you can. Don't know DL's rules, but can you travel to SE Asia via the Atlantic?
AA has said that any changes to the AAdvantage program will be announced well in advance (maybe, maybe not) but I'd certainly look at CX space before pulling the trigger. But in your shoes I'd probably burn the DL miles for something high-value while you can. Don't know DL's rules, but can you travel to SE Asia via the Atlantic?
AA does not allow trans-ATL routing. I don't think Delta allows that either but have not asked though. I know UA does, did it last summer.
Oct 29, 2015, 4:38 pm
#8
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: SEA
Posts: 311
Home airport is SEA. I am open to all the usual suspect hub cities - SEA, SFO, LAX. YVR is convenient, since I can hop on AS Dash bird (tie that flight with AA reservation as part ), or just take Amtrak/BoltBus/QuickCoach etc.
I asked AA already and I can go through DFW, or ORD, but not JFK.
I asked AA already and I can go through DFW, or ORD, but not JFK.
Oct 29, 2015, 10:53 pm
#9
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Join Date: Sep 2009
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DL "allows" you to go to Asia through Europe but it will cost you two separate award tickets, so at least about 100,000 miles one way in business class and probably more.